Dazzled by bikes rear light.

[PpPete]

Little realised disadvantage of these super-duper lights - they raise expectations on the part of other road users.

Let me recount a recent event by way of illustration.
Mrs P and myself, each equipped with a Smart Lunar R2 (2 x 1/2 watt) mounted high on off-side seat stay, with an older Smart 1/2 Watt Superflash lower down, again on off-side seat stay. They are all angled down as much as the Smart brackets allow (i.e. not much below the horizontal) and very slightly off-axis (one left, one right). All on constant.

Why so many photons ?
It's fully dark on an unlit rural single carriageway A-Road which in places sees traffic at 50 - 60 mph..

We're riding in a loose group with other tail enders on an Audax and one of the other riders suffered of a failure of his primary rear light and was relying on helmet-mounted blinky (quite a good multi-LED as it happened).

What happens? He got pulled over by the police and told that his rear light was not up to scratch.

I honestly don't think they'd have said anything had he been on his own - his remanining light was really quite adequate......, until you compared with the visual impact of three half-watt emitters.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Where was the location, a well lit high street or a dark country lane out of curiosity?

It was a well lit high street as it happens. I only mention it because it was exceptional. I've never been dazzled by a bike rear light before.

The general advice people are giving seems to be fairly sound I think. A polite word if you know them otherwise leave it. I'm in two minds myself and have sympathy for those who are saying a bit of dazzle to a car driver might actually be an advantage. It does mean they have seen you and have to take notice. My instinct though is to angle them down so that the brightness is there without the glare.

 

[Cyclopathic]

"Last year's" lights

Double it now !

Just out of curiosity, what sort of trailer do you use to haul the batteries in?

 

[broadway]

Well dazzle from the sun has been a get out of jail card when cyclist has been killed during the day.

 

[fossyant]

Just out of curiosity, what sort of trailer do you use to haul the batteries in?

Panniers. Nah these 18650's are good stuff. Nuclear Reactor power.

 

[snailracer]

It was probably me over in Manchester

My rears are seriously bright, but are angled down. The road behind me is bright red.

Another approach is to mount them low. As rear lights are focussed into a beam, approaching vehicles should be within the diverged beam when a long way back, but above it when close enough to be dazzled.

 

[ianrauk]

My rears are seriously bright, but are angled down. The road behind me is bright red.

The way it should be. Wrongly angled lights are a menace.
It's something that the FNRttC seem's to suffer from now and again.
Retina burning rear lights? Great.. but aim the buggers down.

 

[Jody]

Mrs P and myself, each equipped with a Smart Lunar R2 (2 x 1/2 watt) mounted high on off-side seat stay,

This is what type of light I bought this week and can't believe how bright it is. There were no instructions with it so don't know how to angle it.

Surely a LBS shouldn't sell it if its too bright for use on public roads.

 

[maroon]

What lights are these.
I think I need some.

 

[snailracer]

This is what type of light I bought this week and can't believe how bright it is. There were no instructions with it so don't know how to angle it.

Surely a LBS shouldn't sell it if its too bright for use on public roads.

You can aim it at a wall to see where the main spot of the somewhat over-focussed beam hits. I would aim the spot so that it is below a cyclist's eye level, at those short distances where it's still bright enough to dazzle a following rider.

With this method, I usually find it acceptable to mount it low down, but fairly horizontal so that the main spot still carries a long distance behind (i.e. not hit the ground).

For most situations, these lights are probably too bright, but when it's raining heavily at night in busy traffic, I'd want all the brightness I could muster.

 

[Jody]

You can aim it at a wall to see where the main spot of the somewhat over-focussed beam hits. I would aim the spot so that it is below a cyclist's eye level, at those short distances where it's still bright enough to dazzle a following rider.

With this method, I usually find it acceptable to mount it low down, but fairly horizontal so that the main spot still carries a long distance behind (i.e. not hit the ground).

Its mounted just above the level of my tyre and horizontal and on the seat tube. I cant mount it lower down as the rear of the frame is square.

Thanks for the info. I am going to have an experiment tonight.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The way it should be. Wrongly angled lights are a menace.
It's something that the FNRttC seem's to suffer from now and again.
Retina burning rear lights? Great.. but aim the buggers down.

@User13710 has complained of oncoming migraine when following me before now....

 

[Jody]

What lights are these.
I think I need some.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smart-Lunar...=UTF8&qid=1386691605&sr=1-1&keywords=lunar+r2

 

[maroon]

Thanks for that

Regards

 

[uclown2002]

I've had 3 of these Smart Lunar R2 and they have all failed, presumably due to water ingress. Never again...