Can a bikes rear lights be too bright?

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I would have thought the flashing might have been less painful

The riders who complained about my rear were all agreed that while bright enough to mark a runway with, up close on my wheel they could see nothing but glare. Flashing modes were giving them headaches, im assuming due to the eye adjusting constantly to light levels. And this was the light pointing down!

In the end,since I enjoy night group rides it had to go! (candbseen commuter kits 500lumen rated rear)

 

[berty bassett]

Apologies if this has been done before, I now have my hands on my head and my fingers on my lips.

I would have thought the flashing might have been less painful, I don't know.

but definitely a case of 'sorry mate I saw you but was so blinded by your stupidly bright lights I was blinded and drove into the back of you'.
SMISYBWSBBYSBLIWBADITBOY - doesn't quite trip off the tongue though.

The title was really a rhetorical question, the light I witnessed was as bright as anything you'd see on a car acting as a fog light. Way too bright for a bike. I just don't understand why anyone would think a light so bright it blinds the person behind them is a good idea.

you sir either have very long fingers or take in water when it rains !

 

[summerdays]

Can LEDs do a wide beam?

Well you can have LEDs pointing different directions and depending on the shape of the casing it can cut off all side visibility.

 

[the_mikey]

Can LEDs do a wide beam?

Niterider cherry bomb has a lense that creates a wide beam, but in general, LEDs throw all of their light in a single direction beam, that's the nature of LEDs, lasers are a further development of LED technology.

 

[coffeejo]

I've just bought a cateye rear light which puts out light to the side as well as the rear.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

YES

and @User13710 pointed out to me, they can be highly anti-social on a group ride. (I only needed telling the once, mind)

 

[Bay Runner]

"Blinded by the light,
revved up like a deuce bag,
another runner in the night

Madman drummers bummers,
Indians in the summer
with a teenage diplomat
In the dumps with the mumps
as the adolescent pumps
his way into his hat
With a boulder on my shoulder,
feelin' kinda older,
I tripped the merry-go-round"

 

[Ganymede]

Reminds me of Captain Vimes' trick when meeting a baddie in a dark place. Strike a match to light your cigarette, but keep your own eyelids lowered or closed. Villain's night vision is shot to bits and you can escape/attack.

So if you are blasting a driver's retinas, you are destroying his or her night vision and lessening his or her ability to drive safely in your vicinity. +1 for lots of extra reflectors - they do the job when a car is around, do not need batteries and just sit there if it's dark doing no harm.

 

[winjim]

Reminds me of Captain Vimes' trick when meeting a baddie in a dark place. Strike a match to light your cigarette, but keep your own eyelids lowered or closed. Villain's night vision is shot to bits and you can escape/attack.

So if you are blasting a driver's retinas, you are destroying his or her night vision and lessening his or her ability to drive safely in your vicinity. +1 for lots of extra reflectors - they do the job when a car is around, do not need batteries and just sit there if it's dark doing no harm.

But night vision is sensitive to blue light. Red light doesn't affect it, hence the use of red filtered torches at night. However, a driver's night vision will be destroyed perfectly well by the light from their own headlamps, oncoming vehicles, streetlights &c

Agree about reflectors, particularly amber pedal reflectors..

 

[jazzkat]

Agree about reflectors, particularly amber pedal reflectors..

I once saw a cyclist at night from a distance and I distinctly remember seeing two amber 'lights' going up and down. I couldn't tell what it was, it looked very odd, I certainly noticed them. It was only as I got nearer I realised what it was.
Reflectives at night=no brainer.

 

[fossyant]

Yes they can, but so can the angle be important. I have two Smart R2's pointed at just below level - 1/2 watt jobbies that are bright, but I have two rather bright C&B Seen lights mounted on my panniers, but they are at 25 degrees to the ground - they light up the ground behind the bike, but do give enough peripheral light off. I've had a few other cyclists ride behind me with them on, and none has complained other than asked where I got them - they are out of eye level as most of the light points down about 6 foot from the rear of the bike.

 

[fossyant]

It's the same with front lights as well.

 

[fossyant]

If on a group ride, or MTB, then you really don't want the likes of the 1/2 watt variety either with other riders...

 

[GrasB]

Yes they can be too bright but for bike lights intensity is much more of an issues.