From the other perspective

[rh100]

Driving to the in-laws last night, come to a roundabout, in the dark on a suburban road so bog standard street lights, a guy on a bike comes round the RAB in strong primary, so obviously confident, except his front light is a faint flicker, no hi viz reflectives on, I thought ok maybe got caught out without batteries, but as he goes past I move out behind him and guess what? No back light at all, not one even fitted.

Then on the way back, waiting to turn out of the cashpoint car park on a busy dual carriageway, look down the road to see another one - ultra fast and moving across to the outside lane to go right at the lights, so one would think he was fairly experienced too, he had a flashing light on his hat but on the bike was just a flashing green aldi jobby, barely visible.

I think I'm going to tie my bike to a lamp post with lights on, then walk down the road a bit and look from afar to get an idea if I can be seen or not under the orange glow - makes you think about it when you see it from a car's perspective.

 

[cisamcgu]

I see people all the time, dressed in dark/black clothes, cycling with weak or no lights after dark - it must be a death wish since they are nearly impossible to see

 

[Origamist]

I think I'm going to tie my bike to a lamp post with lights on, then walk down the road a bit and look from afar to get an idea if I can be seen or not under the orange glow - makes you think about it when you see it from a car's perspective.

Also get someone else to ride your bike and watch them from standing in the street, and then do the same, but this time sitting in a car. It's worth experimenting with positioning after seeing how motorists will see you...It's easy to focus on the power of lights, but at the expense of their placement and angle.

 

[John the Monkey]

It's a very good idea to check your lights from time to time after they've run for a little while. One of the problems LEDs seem to have is that you can switch them on and they'll appear very bright, but after a bit of running time they'll dim (happens towards the end of the batteries' life/charge).

I tend to hold my hand in front of them when I'm waiting at traffic lights etc - if the lights are dimmer than they should be, I stop and put the spare batteries in them.

 

[Bollo]

The issue I find in urban areas (if Basingstoke and Winchester count as urban) are the high levels of light 'clutter'. When everything else is lit up, flashing and LED'ed, it makes it more difficult to pick out a single source. Even a bright light can get lost in the noise. I think this was the CTC's argument against compulsory car headlights during the day. Flashing lights up the anti but can be distracting and generally just seem to p1ss people off.

From a driver's perspective, I think anything attached to the legs works quite well as it helps pick out the characteristic movements of a cyclist. I suppose the pedal reflector laws could be justified on these grounds, but they're far to proscriptive and narrow. The other thing I like to see when behind the wheel isn't a bright light but a light with a large lit surface area - the dynamo lights seem to do this best. For some reason I always pick these out more easily than a small bright pin-prick of light from a single LED.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

The issue I find in urban areas (if Basingstoke and Winchester count as urban) are the high levels of light 'clutter'. When everything else is lit up, flashing and LED'ed, it makes it more difficult to pick out a single source. Even a bright light can get lost in the noise. Flashing lights up the anti but can be distracting and generally just seem to p1ss people off.

Try spotting a cyclist on a rainy night in the passenger side mirror of an HGV. Then you'll know what light clutter is.

 

[rh100]

The issue I find in urban areas (if Basingstoke and Winchester count as urban) are the high levels of light 'clutter'. When everything else is lit up, flashing and LED'ed, it makes it more difficult to pick out a single source. Even a bright light can get lost in the noise. I think this was the CTC's argument against compulsory car headlights during the day. Flashing lights up the anti but can be distracting and generally just seem to p1ss people off.

From a driver's perspective, I think anything attached to the legs works quite well as it helps pick out the characteristic movements of a cyclist. I suppose the pedal reflector laws could be justified on these grounds, but they're far to proscriptive and narrow. The other thing I like to see when behind the wheel isn't a bright light but a light with a large lit surface area - the dynamo lights seem to do this best. For some reason I always pick these out more easily than a small bright pin-prick of light from a single LED.

Very good point about the 'noise'

I have noticed that the pedal reflectors work very well, and as you say the movement of them straight away says 'cyclist'.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Also get someone else to ride your bike and watch them from standing in the street, and then do the same, but this time sitting in a car. It's worth experimenting with positioning after seeing how motorists will see you...It's easy to focus on the power of lights, but at the expense of their placement and angle.

excellent. I had my wife in our car and a pal with a van drive towards me from front and behind to make sure that the ones I use for other road users benefit are set to be seen.

Flashing lights up the anti but can be distracting and generally just seem to p1ss people off.

From a driver's perspective, I think anything attached to the legs works quite well as it helps pick out the characteristic movements of a cyclist.

Very good point about the 'noise'

I have noticed that the pedal reflectors work very well, and as you say the movement of them straight away says 'cyclist'.

completely agree about pedal reflectors. the one thing that screams cyclist to other people.

As for flashing lights p1ssing people off, tough I'll take a bit of abuse over a SMIDSY crash any day

 

[Origamist]

The other thing I like to see when behind the wheel isn't a bright light but a light with a large lit surface area - the dynamo lights seem to do this best. For some reason I always pick these out more easily than a small bright pin-prick of light from a single LED.

I agree, surface area is a factor that is overlooked (think of rear lights on a car - big, but not retina searing). I have a 61mm diameter front light (I imagine the Betty is the size of a dustbin lid) and a Cat Eye 1100 rear light with two widish banks of LEDs complemented by a powerful but narrow 3W red LED.

 

[rh100]

It's a very good idea to check your lights from time to time after they've run for a little while. One of the problems LEDs seem to have is that you can switch them on and they'll appear very bright, but after a bit of running time they'll dim (happens towards the end of the batteries' life/charge).

I tend to hold my hand in front of them when I'm waiting at traffic lights etc - if the lights are dimmer than they should be, I stop and put the spare batteries in them.

I think that is a good tip John, thanks.

 

[Bollo]

I agree, surface area is a factor that is overlooked (think of rear lights on a car - big, but not retina searing). I have a 61mm diameter front light (I imagine the Betty is the size of a dustbin lid) and a Cat Eye 1100 rear light with two widish banks of LEDs complemented by a powerful but narrow 3W red LED.

The betty's diameter is around 60mm also and on it's lowest setting (5%, 75ish lumens) it gives a highly visible, large but civilised disk of light. It's not really for commuting with though. I only really use it for solitary night rides on crappy, hilly and very very dark country roads. Although I've never really felt the need for a large group ride, after dell's description of the route we might be taking for the FNRttC, I'll be bringing it along.

 

[Origamist]

The betty's diameter is around 60mm also and on it's lowest setting (5%, 75ish lumens) it gives a highly visible, large but civilised disk of light. It's not really for commuting with though. I only really use it for solitary night rides on crappy, hilly and very very dark country roads. Although I've never really felt the need for a large group ride, after dell's description of the route we might be taking for the FNRttC, I'll be bringing it along.

I'd take it on the Brighton run - the route is only partially lit and you can be an outrider, Bollo.

I thought the Betty was bigger - it must really cram in those LEDs.

I run my commuter light at 150 lumens, the lowest setting is 40 lumens and that's a bit underwhelming. I dont use the higher settings (360 and 800) in the city. I angle both the front and rear lights down more when I'm on unlit roads. I particulalrly like the red, glowing wake on the tarmac - an illusory buffer.

Powerful front lights are also great in these situations as you can alert motorists to your presence when negotiating a bend.

 

[jonny jeez]

It's a very good idea to check your lights from time to time after they've run for a little while. One of the problems LEDs seem to have is that you can switch them on and they'll appear very bright, but after a bit of running time they'll dim (happens towards the end of the batteries' life/charge).

I tend to hold my hand in front of them when I'm waiting at traffic lights etc - if the lights are dimmer than they should be, I stop and put the spare batteries in them.

+1 I have two Cateye's mounted on the front. One is 6 months older than the other. When it is significantly "creamer" than the other, much dimmer and less "Spiky" .....it's a sign that the batteries need changing.

 

[summerdays]

Interesting idea. I've propped my various reflective items up on the garden bench & shone a torch at them to see how well (or otherwise) they stand out but have never looked at how well the lights show up (again, or otherwise).

One of the reasons I have two fronts & two rears is so they are on different battery replacement schedules - so when one is getting dim, the other should be in reasonable shape.

I try to run 2 most of the time but usually I loose my lights at the bottom of my back... A friend came to tell me about a great coat on a cyclist she had seen when she was driving. Apparently when she got closer she realised it was me - in my new Night Vision.

It's a very good idea to check your lights from time to time after they've run for a little while. One of the problems LEDs seem to have is that you can switch them on and they'll appear very bright, but after a bit of running time they'll dim (happens towards the end of the batteries' life/charge).

I tend to hold my hand in front of them when I'm waiting at traffic lights etc - if the lights are dimmer than they should be, I stop and put the spare batteries in them.

I do the check my lights occasionally during the journey as like you say .. looks fine when you switch it on then turns into a ghost of a light after a bit. If they are fading change them over to flashing to conserve power. (This is in a well lit city). But the worst part of my journey is my road with very poor lighting and even poorer road surface - I struggle to make out the pot holes if my batteries are failing.

 

[GrasB]

completely agree about pedal reflectors. the one thing that screams cyclist to other people.

I've personally found peddle reflectors to be signally useless unless the cyclist is in a weak primary/strong secondary as a driver, basically they don't give enough light back unless the rider is in that position (except if you're on an unlit road). That said the basic principle is sound as one of the best bits of kit are those reflective straps/snap wraps around the ankle, those I see instantly & from a long way off regardless of where the rider is.

As for flashing lights p1ssing people off, tough I'll take a bit of abuse over a SMIDSY crash any day

If you get abuse they saw you, job done in my book.