Dangerous front lights?

[totallyfixed]

That time of year again and already there are a couple of threads on front lights. Seems to me that if you haven't got at least 800 lumens lots of folk can't see the road. I do a lot of night riding on country roads and use a Hope Vision 1 and even at high speeds I find I don't really need it on max. I posted something similar last year about the dangers of country lanes and bike lighting that is only designed for off road use. On the high setting I often blind oncoming cars, it goes like this: approaching vehicle sees a blinding light source coming towards it and dips their own main beam, blinding light does not respond so vehicle flashes main beam on and off, blinding light source still coming towards them so driver thinks "sod it" and goes back to main beam and I the cyclist am blinded [not clever if I happen to be descending at 25mph + on narrow road]. Does that sound familiar to anyone?
Maybe not too many on here use narrow country lanes, but I get this reaction when on less than 150 lumens, so what the hell does 900 lumens do to a drivers eyes? The only battery lights I know of that are powerful but are made specifically for road use are the Ixon IQ and Exposure Strada which has dip and main beam.
We constantly bleat on about poor car drivers, but surely we are just as bad in the case of powerful lights that blind other road users.
I am all in favour of powerful lights but with beam cut offs for road use. It was suggested that when a car approaches I should angle the beam down, not possible of course when the light is clamped tight on the bars, and in any case most bike lights throw light out at wide angles.
So I guess the question is, does this bother anyone else and if not why not, and should other bike light manufacturers follow Exposures lead? Can't quite see the point of pi55ing off other road users.

 

[gaz]

You get drivers flashing you with your hope vision 1 on max? I would suggest that you have it at the wrong angle then!
The hope vision 1 is known for having a narrow beam so that it can be used on the roads at it's max power without blinding other road users and whilst lighting the road in front of you. I don't know of anyone else who thinks a single hope vision 1 is fine by it's self for unlit roads, you must eat a lot of carrots.

I use a magic shine MJ-808. 900 lumens quoted output. I don't blind people, but then again I point it AT THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME and not in the eyes of oncoming traffic, i also shield the top of it when using it on full power and having oncoming traffic. The last thing i want is the situation you suggest or even worse, someone driving into me because they are blinded.

At the end of the cycle lane (get it?) it's not just the light which can be dangerous but also the user. A cars headlights can be dangerous with the wrong person behind the wheel.

 

[martint235]

You get drivers flashing you with your hope vision 1 on max? I would suggest that you have it at the wrong angle then!
The hope vision 1 is known for having a narrow beam so that it can be used on the roads at it's max power without blinding other road users and whilst lighting the road in front of you. I don't know of anyone else who thinks a single hope vision 1 is fine by it's self for unlit roads, you must eat a lot of carrots.

I use a magic shine MJ-808. 900 lumens quoted output. I don't blind people, but then again I point it AT THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME and not in the eyes of oncoming traffic, i also shield the top of it when using it on full power and having oncoming traffic. The last thing i want is the situation you suggest or even worse, someone driving into me because they are blinded.

At the end of the cycle lane (get it?) it's not just the light which can be dangerous but also the user. A cars headlights can be dangerous with the wrong person behind the wheel.

I get by ok with a Hope vision 1 on it's own on unlit roads. I only have it on the second setting. I wouldn't want to use it off road though particularly.

I do have a small cateye as well but that's for visibility rather than vision.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Had this happen (as a driver) last night, two blinding, dazzling white lights, one a considerable distance above the other and not steady, approaching. WTF? I thought - then guy on a MTB passes, with helmet light ........

 

[Panter]

I also find one Hope 1 in insufficient, but generally only when the road is damp and lots of light is reflected off the surface.
I generally use two Hope 1's, on setting 3. With the two of them, they can be angled down even more than a single one and I rarely get flashed and 95% of my commute is through country lanes.

Strangely, although my Magicshine is way brighter, I've never been flashed whilst using that, I guess the spread is even less dazzling to oncoming traffic than a pair of Hopes?

 

[Christopher]

Just deleted my pointless rant. Anyway think I have seen someone tape a hood of opaque materiel across the top of the light, but don't lights get quite hot? Heck I just use my hand but my commute is mostly on paths.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Interesting read, I don't have anything near 'dazzle power' myself but have certainly been on the receiving end from time to time from both motorised and non-motorised traffic.

Its certainly worth bearing in mind if you do have powerful lights, are you using them appropriately? (I dont need justifications from you all, its a rhetorical question!)

 

[totallyfixed]

You get drivers flashing you with your hope vision 1 on max? I would suggest that you have it at the wrong angle then!
The hope vision 1 is known for having a narrow beam so that it can be used on the roads at it's max power without blinding other road users and whilst lighting the road in front of you. I don't know of anyone else who thinks a single hope vision 1 is fine by it's self for unlit roads, you must eat a lot of carrots.

I use a magic shine MJ-808. 900 lumens quoted output. I don't blind people, but then again I point it AT THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME and not in the eyes of oncoming traffic, i also shield the top of it when using it on full power and having oncoming traffic. The last thing i want is the situation you suggest or even worse, someone driving into me because they are blinded.

At the end of the cycle lane (get it?) it's not just the light which can be dangerous but also the user. A cars headlights can be dangerous with the wrong person behind the wheel.

I aim the centre of the beam approx 5 metres in front of me on the road, Mrs TF also has a Hope V 1 and when we ride towards each other on pitch black lanes we are both blinded. Going to get a mate to drive towards us in his car and give an opinion.

 

[4F]

I have a Topeak Whitelite HP 1W Bike Light which I find fine for dark country lanes and is the one I used during the Dunwich Dynamo. I am often shocked at the amounts some people spend on a front light set up just for road use.

No light pollution here

 

[BSRU]

Even lower powered lights can be blinding if not pointing in the right direction.

 

[guitarpete247]

I got 1 of these off ebay last year. Only had to wait 1 week for it to arrive. Not done any night riding just dusk or overcast Sunday morning runs.



Years ago when I had summer job from Uni I cycled to and from work at 5:00 am. I only had the old ever-ready lights, as did everyone else, but I could still see the road until a car came towards me. When they saw I was only a cyclist they would return their lights to full beam, blinding me. Mates who drove said that it was common practice as they wanted to see where I was as my little light didn't stand out on dip beam

. I took to purposely putting my hand up to shield my eyes and wandering over to their side of the road

(I had plenty of time to get back and did, still here aren't I) to shock therm into dipping lights. They never did

 

[Panter]

Years ago when I had summer job from Uni I cycled to and from work at 5:00 am. I only had the old ever-ready lights, as did everyone else, but I could still see the road until a car came towards me. When they saw I was only a cyclist they would return their lights to full beam, blinding me. Mates who drove said that it was common practice as they wanted to see where I was as my little light didn't stand out on dip beam

. I took to purposely putting my hand up to shield my eyes and wandering over to their side of the road

(I had plenty of time to get back and did, still here aren't I) to shock therm into dipping lights. They never did

That's another good reason for some big lumens up front.
If you're riding country lanes and there are occasional oncoming cars, even on dipped beam, they can ruin your night vision.
Powerful front lights help you to continue to see as your eyes readjust to the darkness again.

 

[totallyfixed]

I got 1 of these off ebay last year. Only had to wait 1 week for it to arrive. Not done any night riding just dusk or overcast Sunday morning runs.



Years ago when I had summer job from Uni I cycled to and from work at 5:00 am. I only had the old ever-ready lights, as did everyone else, but I could still see the road until a car came towards me. When they saw I was only a cyclist they would return their lights to full beam, blinding me. Mates who drove said that it was common practice as they wanted to see where I was as my little light didn't stand out on dip beam

. I took to purposely putting my hand up to shield my eyes and wandering over to their side of the road

(I had plenty of time to get back and did, still here aren't I) to shock therm into dipping lights. They never did

Know what you mean, a few years ago I was riding along a lane near Newmarket, can't remember the light I was using, [probably a weak Cateye] when a car came towards me on full beam, could obviously see I was on a bike but kept on main beam. The upshot was that I drifted over to the wrong side of the road and only realised when I looked straight down, scary at the time.
I suppose the question I am asking, is why are front bike lights that are so expensive not regulated as per car lights? I have to say that I have seen some of the really powerful ones advertised as off road lights, but then what is to stop you using them on road?
Sometimes I think it's a bit of "boys and their toys" and we are out to impress our peers with our xxx lumens [and all for £30 from some dodgy factory in China]. Every year I see lights getting more and more powerful, could this end up as another road war with motorists? A ton of metal will win every time.
PS, I wear a cap, so great for shielding eyes from main beams.

 

[HLaB]

OT coming back from the Purin Hill TT the other month I was using my tesco cree 3w for a change in addition to my Cateye EL410, the cree was pointing down to the deck but I still had a couple opposing drivers slowing down to a crawl. I doubt the cree is bright enough to dazzle them and it was pointing to the ground; all I could think is they wanted to dazzle me

 

[tyred]

I ride unlit country road with a Lumotec Halogen and I don't feel the need for anything brighter unless I go over about 28mph which is unusual. I mount the light low down so it casts a long shadow and I can easily see potholes, etc like this. I realise the needs of an urban cyclist is different and the light would need to be higher up to be more visible under street lighting.

I have never had the slightest problem with not being seen either. On long straights, I find cars dip their lights hundreds of yards away.

I have been dazzled by the lights of other cyclists, once even having to stop to regain my vision. It is irresponsible to use lights so bright that it dazzles other road users. It is also important to ensure your lights are correctly focused to avoid dazzling other road users, even a relatively dim lamp can dazzle if it's pointed into someone's face. I would be in favour of very stiff fines for anyone, cyclist or driver, who has incorrectly adjusted headlamps. It's antisocial at best and potentially very dangerous.