Extra lights.

[domd1979]

I reckon there's something in that. I've been getting a reasonable amount of room from most passing cars on dark commutes. Sadly seems to be a minority of cyclists round here that bother with lights, so perhaps when drivers see someone who's bothered they have a bit more respect.

Now I've said that, I'll get a spate of close overtakes tomorrow...

Another of my weird belief is that if you looked like you have made an effort then perhaps the motons will drive sensibly.

 

[marinyork]

Interesting... bit of a bugger the batteries don't solve the problem! I've got a 1000 (the twin row jobby isn't it?) - changing the batteries certainly is a pain! I've not noticed any dimming on it, but then my commute is short (so might not get that cold in 15 mins), and the light not that old.

Oh it doesn't affect it on commutes it's perfectly commute safe . No, no, it's much longer timescales than that. It sort of dims after about half an hour but on some of the milder nights it's been more like 2-3 hours like when I was out last Friday. Maybe I got a bad 1000 but my previous mk1 1000 did the same thing and I have heard of similar complaints. Then again the 1100 is supposed to be 60% brighter so if it behaved in a similar fashion it'd not be so much of a big deal. If one could change batteries easily it'd not really be an issue at all. It only really affects me because (a) I like night riding ( I've been eyeing up longer rides.

 

[BentMikey]

Wearing hi-vis this time of year also a good idea - its often visible before lights, and if light(s) fail then you're not going to be invisible. Seeing as a hi vis vest is a couple or three quid, the £££ to visibility ratio is very high...

<< puts tin hat on and awaits hi-vis debate breaking out...>>

LOL, but it's never acceptable as a replacement or emergency spare for lights, IMO.

I tend to carry a set of these in my toolroll just in case I'm out of lights:
http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/273

 

[downfader]

+1

Another of my weird belief is that if you looked like you have made an effort then perhaps the motons will drive sensibly.

Funny that, first time I rode with that set up was a couple of weeks back. Bought it all because some of the street lights have failed around here. So I was riding in a lit up area and this fella with P Plates nearly drove into me, I brake and "Oi!" him as he cuts right across me and then find a taxi has appeared at speed right up my arse and the guy beeps me as if to say get out the way or else and buzzes me. (Nothing on the other side of the road, too)

Oh and saw the taxi driver sat doing nothing 5 minutes later. I stopped, looked at him, shaking my head and he kind of sinks in his seat and tried to hide his face. Saw him again yesterday morning twice as well, same place at 7am, he clocks me and sinks in his seat again (does he think I'm gonna go and smash his windscreen, LMAO!!) and then when I'm at work I'm walking to a skip to dump some metal he drives on the premises past me.

Anyway, back on topic...

Lights. How can an EL520 not be road legal? Just curious as the box its come in says so...? Its way brighter than my old opticube which IS road legal. Same for the LD610's, the box says they're not road legal.

 

[marinyork]

Yes, I have a red one bentmikey. They are a little bit on the small side but function well.

 

[hackbike 666]

Cops won't stop you but i'm sure the lawyers would.

 

[domd1979]

Yep, would agree that hi vis definitely isn't a replacement for lights, but with hi-vis if a light failed without your knowledge you'd still be reasonably visible.

On my normal commute bike I run up to three lights on the back. Been using the Brompton recently though, and that's more tricky to attach multiple lights, so have a Cateye twin row jobby on the seat post, hi-vis jacket (which I wear whichever bike am on), plus cheapo Wilko LEDs on my jacket - so have got a back up light if one goes ping.

LOL, but it's never acceptable as a replacement or emergency spare for lights, IMO.

I tend to carry a set of these in my toolroll just in case I'm out of lights:
http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/273

 

[marinyork]

I've seen people riding in fog in hi-viz without lights switched on in daylight and night time. They aren't particularly visibible at all (understandably) but a damn sight more visible than not hi-viz.

 

[BentMikey]

If you have legal reflectors on your bike, then you should be plenty visible enough without needing additional hiviz. I suppose you could argue bike reflectors are hiviz, and you wouldn't really have any argument from me. I think we should all have both lights and bike-mounted reflectors when cycling at night.

 

[John the Monkey]

As backup lights, I quite like the Knog frogs - larger than the Electron & Cateye ones, but by chuff they're bright - the mounting system is nice too.

My current setup is three on the back (Torch 9x that incorporates a reflector, and has good flashing pattern, Mars 4.0 on steady (both on seatpost) and Smart Superflash on the seat stay (flashing)). Up front I have a Knog Toad (flashing) and a Cree LED equipped torch. The Knog frogs go on my helmet. Flashing reflective arm and ankle bands complete this stylish ensemble.

 

[marinyork]

Bike reflectors perform fairly poorly in non-clean light saturated conditions unfortunately, hence the usefulness of hi-viz imho under some circumstances.

 

[BentMikey]

Bike reflectors perform fairly poorly in non-clean light saturated conditions unfortunately, hence the usefulness of hi-viz imho under some circumstances.

Why would hiviz be any better? At night it is essentially just a retroreflector, just like a bike mounted one.

 

[hackbike 666]

LOL, but it's never acceptable as a replacement or emergency spare for lights, IMO.

Agreed.

 

[marinyork]

Why would hiviz be any better? At night it is essentially just a retroreflector, just like a bike mounted one.

Size and maximum exposure. In anycase it's in addition to the other reflectors and lights. It's rather complicated what works best in what conditions and on what road so it's best to not put all our eggs in one basket. I think the red reflector works quite well in some respects due to it's placing and it being red. If you were wearing a high viz jacket you'd have yellow, red and amber reflecting back at different angles in different places and the non-retro part would be a large area contrasting and reflecting back more light than the dark road/you around you. There's no doubt hi-viz works on some level but there are some people who are blind and also there is the risk to personal safety from hi-viz so it's a personalised choice weighing up the pros and cons.

I saw someone with green christmas lights on the other day. Fairly low powered, a lot of them. Worked very well as it covered a large area and you see virtually no luminous green in an urban environment .

 

[Tynan]

lights are so cheap and so small and effective now what excuse is there?

I got three rears and two front plus two in the bard ends, all proper good ones