Cycle path marker lights

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bauldbairn

New Member
Location
Falkirk
...I wonder how long it will be before someone tries to get one out of the ground.

...or smashes them. :sad:

Never seen them before but they look like a good idea. :ohmy:
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
They have some on a couple of the paths in Bristol but I don't tend to use the paths after dark in the first place so I can't report - well other than the fact they dug the holes for them on a Friday and then left them without the lights or sand in them over the weekend when lots of children with smaller sized feet would be using it.
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
Downward of this parish has seen them in action. Sadly they start just after I leave that cycle path, so haven't seen them on my regular commute. Have come across them when taking a detour, and don't look even the slightest bit nickable - they are concreted in, and I guess you would destroy them trying to remove them.

Like the idea.
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
So, I've got a choice between sitting on the sofa, cuddling up to the wife, watching telly tonight and popping out on the bike to see what the solar powered lights are like?

Is it a problem that the latter seems more tempting?
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
Traxeyes have just been installed on the Clyne Valley Path in Swansea (NCN 4). They are entirely superfluous if you have good lights, but they are excellent if you only have be-seen lights, or indeed no lights at all. It's a very dark valley, with with soft verges either side of the path and quite a few large trees to crash into or big drops off the side if you were to go far wrong. It is also a route to an excellent pub, which makes all these considerations even more important. This particular path is one of those rare things - a genuinely useful traffic-free route that is far more direct than the road routes, but it was a bit hairy at night after a few pints. These things make it a 24-hr option even if your batteries have conked out. I'm impressed.
 

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
Yeah mentioned this to Jim last Saturday on the Rea Valley. They are blue and look really nice. Went past Cartland Road part a couple of weeks back in the dark and noticed them.
 

NigC

New Member
Location
Surrey
In theory, solar powered lights seem like a great idea, but I'm wondering how long they stay lit for.

I work for a company that has looked into these things for garden use as decorations and they work great. The light comes on when the solar panel stops charging the battery - i.e. when it's starts to get dark.

The only problem is, even during summer, with a full day of sunshine, the charge is not enough to keep them running throughout the night.

I guess these versions may have better solar panels, batteries and or more efficient LEDs, but surely the time of year they will be most needed is the time of year they will be receiving the least amount of charge (Winter). I'm sure it'll be enough to satisfy the 9-5 commutyclist, but anyone expecting them to still be lit later in the evening may be disappointed.

It will be interesting to see how they fair come November - which is probably why they've been installed now!
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
NigC said:
In theory, solar powered lights seem like a great idea, but I'm wondering how long they stay lit for.

The only problem is, even during summer, with a full day of sunshine, the charge is not enough to keep them running throughout the night.

Interesting point ... we had a string of solar lights (until the squirrel chewed through the cable:angry:), and in high summer they would last for a reasonable number of hours after dark, whereas in the depths of winter only an hour or so. I suppose there are far fewer cyclists in winter time and those that do cycle through the winter tend to be better set up with good lights than the casual cyclist.
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
Q: Do TraxEye™ Marker Studs really glow all night long?
A: Yes. Field testing has shown that pedestrians and cyclists perceived the TraxEye™ Marker Studs to be glowing strongly after 12 hours in low-light conditions. The TraxEyeTM Marker Studs had stored enough energy during their exposure to normal daylight to emit an easily perceived glow that lasted throughout the night. In actuality, extensive lab testing has proven that only an 8 minute exposure to normal daylight is required to achieve this high level of performance. Therefore, any path or public area lined with the TraxEye™ Safety Illumination System will be clearly delineated during these hours of darkness and can be safely used as long as the TraxEyeTM Marker Studs are not removed or obstructed by debris.
 

NigC

New Member
Location
Surrey
Well that seems to answer that question then :sad: May have to get some for the garden.

But "Field testing" and "real-life testing" are two very different beasts - let's hope they live up to the marketing claims :smile:
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
The TraxEyes on the NCN4 in Swansea are still working fine. Like I said, you barely notice them with good lights on, but I've had cause to be glad of them when a battery conked out.
 

Bman

Guru
Location
Herts.
I suppose there not there for illumination, just visiblity. They dont need to light up an area, just glow slightly. So I imagine they would last quite a while.
 
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