Design Requirements

[BrowserOne]

Hi,
I am a DT student who is working on a product to help people who ride at night, and i would like to as if you were to buy a product that made riding at night better and safer, what would you like it to do?

P.s. any comment/ advice anything i should consider would be of great help.

Thank you

 

[sleuthey]

What would you like it to do?

Provide my next of kin with coordinates if I fall off.

 

[Sharky]

Difficult question.

Prime safety consideration is to be able to see the road ahead and for other road users to see the cyclist. However, there are numerous good quality lighting systems out there already.

One aspect of being seen is the use of reflective materials. Pedal reflectors do this well, but do not exist in the performance pedal range and are not considered "cool" by club cyclists. Reflective slap bands are very effective.

Maybe the development of unobtrusive but reflective components could be researched.

 

[lazyfatgit]

A small portable device which alerts wildlife to my approach and encourages them to move away without bouncing in front of me.
Or maybe i should just stick a lollipop stick in my spokes.

Good lick with your project

 

[Fab Foodie]

Tough question.
How about a ‘beacon’ type device that alerted drivers to your prescence via their satnavs?

‘Caution, fat slow man on a bicycle ahead’....

 

[Drago]

You can get apps that do that...

Provide my next of kin with coordinates if I fall off.

Some kind d of more realistic, upgraded and modernised vehicle lighting regulations as it applies to bicycles. It's farcical that virtually every effective light is technically unlawful to use.

 

[MichaelW2]

A small portable device which alerts wildlife to my approach and encourages them to move away without bouncing in front of me.
Or maybe i should just stick a lollipop stick in my spokes.

Good lick with your project

How about a audio warning device, perhaps a cellulose-based rectangle angled to be vibrated by rotating spokes, and held at optimum location by spring loaded fixings.

 

[MichaelW2]

Cycling jackets seem to either black or lime green and have almost no reflective stuff or industrial quantities.
I would like a normal looking jacket, not a sport or racing one, in a bright, non-green colour (orange or red), with all round reflective stuff.
Reflective bike paint.
Reflective mudguards (red at rear)
Protected cable route from front dynamo hub to rear rack lamp bracket.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi @BrowserOne and .

Something I want to see is a reasonably priced battery front light with easily switchable dip and main beam patterns similar to a car or motorbike.

On my bikes I'm currently using B&M Ixon IQ Premium lamps which are excellent for putting the light on the road without dazzling oncoming road users. However, commuting down pitch-dark Shropshire lanes with nobody else about I found I'd really like some extra light aimed higher and further along the road, particularly when the roads are wet and seem to soak up the light.

I'm aware of one light on the market that does the things I'd like, but that costs more than I'd ideally like to spend.

Wishlist:

• Dip beam (Puts good spread of light on road but doesn't dazzle oncoming traffic).
  
• Main beam for illuminating dark country lanes.
• Easy switching (not having to toggle through several different modes), maybe using a remote switch that can be reached without taking a hand off the bars.
• Main beam warning light (so you don't forget to dip).
• Reasonable price (Say £50 target selling price).
• Reasonable run time (not less than two hours on a charge).
• Reasonable light output (should be comparable to other similar lights on the market).
• Easily exchanged rechargable batteries (so you can carry spares for longer rides).
  
• Must be suitable for use in all weathers.

That should give you something to get your teeth into.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I'd like a device that projected a hologram image of a massive 4x4 all around me.
With @Drago driving it.

 

[Lozz360]

One thing I worry about when riding at night is hitting a pot-hole that I may have otherwise seen in daylight. Obvious solution would be do have a decent front light pointing at the road at, say, five meters ahead. Not exactly rocket science, I know, but if you can develop something that can pick out pot holes better than the current market offerings I would be interested.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

One thing I worry about when riding at night is hitting a pot-hole that I may have otherwise seen in daylight. Obvious solution would be do have a decent front light pointing at the road at, say, five meters ahead. Not exactly rocket science, I know, but if you can develop something that can pick out pot holes better than the current market offerings I would be interested.

I recall a laser designed for fitting to bicycles, which projected a mesh of green lines onto the roadway ahead of the rider. The mesh dropped into potholes showing depth and size (in the same way as contour lines on a map) so that avoiding action could be taken. My googling has turned up nothing though.

 

[MichaelW2]

I recall a laser designed for fitting to bicycles, which projected a mesh of green lines onto the roadway ahead of the rider. The mesh dropped into potholes showing depth and size (in the same way as contour lines on a map) so that avoiding action could be taken. My googling has turned up nothing though.

Lumigrid

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Lumigrid

Thanks, that's the very chap!

Edit: "Unfortunately, the Lumigrid is not available for purchase." What a shame.

 

[Specialized_Tom]

This is more to do with the overall experience of using bicycle lights. If you have high power lights that only have 2 hours of battery life then its always a pain if you forget to charge them at work or home. If there was a way of simplifying the charging process to fit into people routines or providing a reminder to users to charge them that might be useful.