Hi Everyone, we are enthusiastic cyclists and founders of a new bicycle accessory brand and need your insights!

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Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Had a look at your survey, but seems rather strange and wouldn't have thought it would help your marketing strategy.
- Age or sex, what's the relevance to lighting?
- infrastructure - I ride in all types of roads
- Clothing - no option for reflective clothing, which I think at night time is a very good backup for failed lighting
- Averages - how do you work these out. I rarely buy lights as they last for a long time, probably one over 5 years, so the average would be very small. Better to ask what would be the maximum you would pay for a light

Had a look at your lights on the website and although theoretically a good idea, I think it would give motorists a confusing image. I expect bike to have a front and rear light attached on standard positions. Anything else, including head lights just confuse.

You don't ask if I ride in the dark? I mostly ride in day time and the only serious accident I've had which hospitalized me was in broad daylight. I don't think any clever lazor lights would have saved me.

RE usb/chargeable lights - I don't really like rechargeable lighting. Rechargeable batteries of standard AA & AAA sizes yes, but with the USB ones, if you forget to recharge or are on a long ride, you need back up. With standard battery lighting, it is easy to carry spares with you or buy from a garage on route.

I do use daytime lights which you didn't ask either.

In many ways, less is more. As long as there is something, no matter how small that the driver can see, it will help. If the driver is helped with an outline, he could be tempted to think he has plenty of room and overtake. If he can't make out if there is enough room, he is more likely to hang back.

Finally, if a rider was in a night time group ride and he took the inside position with your laser outline, it could be dangerous for his mate riding on the outside. The laser outline might indicate enough room which from a distance could tempt a driver to think there is enough room and didn't allow for a second rider to be in the same area.

But I wish you look with your project.
 
OP
OP
R

RIDR

New Member
Had a look at your survey, but seems rather strange and wouldn't have thought it would help your marketing strategy.
- Age or sex, what's the relevance to lighting?
- infrastructure - I ride in all types of roads
- Clothing - no option for reflective clothing, which I think at night time is a very good backup for failed lighting
- Averages - how do you work these out. I rarely buy lights as they last for a long time, probably one over 5 years, so the average would be very small. Better to ask what would be the maximum you would pay for a light

Had a look at your lights on the website and although theoretically a good idea, I think it would give motorists a confusing image. I expect bike to have a front and rear light attached on standard positions. Anything else, including head lights just confuse.

You don't ask if I ride in the dark? I mostly ride in day time and the only serious accident I've had which hospitalized me was in broad daylight. I don't think any clever lazor lights would have saved me.

RE usb/chargeable lights - I don't really like rechargeable lighting. Rechargeable batteries of standard AA & AAA sizes yes, but with the USB ones, if you forget to recharge or are on a long ride, you need back up. With standard battery lighting, it is easy to carry spares with you or buy from a garage on route.

I do use daytime lights which you didn't ask either.

In many ways, less is more. As long as there is something, no matter how small that the driver can see, it will help. If the driver is helped with an outline, he could be tempted to think he has plenty of room and overtake. If he can't make out if there is enough room, he is more likely to hang back.

Finally, if a rider was in a night time group ride and he took the inside position with your laser outline, it could be dangerous for his mate riding on the outside. The laser outline might indicate enough room which from a distance could tempt a driver to think there is enough room and didn't allow for a second rider to be in the same area.

But I wish you look with your project.
Hi Sharky,
Thanks for the feedback and taking the time to reply. We very much appreciate it and will take it on board.
I get your point on riding at night and the lasers not helping during the day. That's also why we have a 2 button system so you can use the regular light during the day without draining the battery with the laser. The feedback from nightriders has been extremely positive though in terms of being more visible and feeling safer.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
I’m not in the market for lights as I’m still running 10 year old ones and the front is dynamo. Rear LED lights have been bright enough for well over 10 years. They were getting there in 2003.

To be honest lumens doesn’t means much to anyone. It’s easy to assume more is better, but for the rear, even the cheapest are more than bright enough. But a good spread of light to side as well as back is good but no sure drivers will be looking at ground directly behind you. By that time they are on top of you anyway.

Are you assuming the light is only mounted on a seat post? Rules out riders with saddlebags or racks and trunk bags. Rules out most recumbents.

The battery life seems low. I know my rear lights last 90 hours in flashing mode. Which gets most of the way through a winter commute. What happens when the battery reaches it recharge cycle limit? Can they be recycled in the UK and/or the battery replaced?
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
I’m not in the market for lights as I’m still running 10 year old ones and the front is dynamo. Rear LED lights have been bright enough for well over 10 years. They were getting there in 2003.
1992. They were fine in 1992. That's when I bought my Vistalite VL300 and it's only recently started playing up. I love that little light.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
1992. They were fine in 1992. That's when I bought my Vistalite VL300 and it's only recently started playing up. I love that little light.
Amongst my collection of rear lights I've one of these,

0000004151.jpg
2 LEDs on each end and the facility to use either the top row or the bottom row or both each in 5 separate modes.
 

roley poley

Über Member
Location
leeds
1992. They were fine in 1992. That's when I bought my Vistalite VL300 and it's only recently started playing up. I love that little light.
still got a VL300 that I now use on the seatpost of the brommie they are well made and were the brightest of their time God bless the invention of the LED
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
The "safety zone" is tiny, that's a scary close pass even at a very low speed. If I can extend my arm and touch the vehicle, the vehicle is way too close and hasn't thought about his overtake, period / full stop depending on which side of the pond you're on.

(Not that some "lazors" - even pushed further out - will force bad drivers to overtake properly anyway, close passers will close pass regardless of lazors, high viz, blinding lights or lightning shooting out of the seatpost).
 
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winjim

Smash the cistern
still got a VL300 that I now use on the seatpost of the brommie they are well made and were the brightest of their time God bless the invention of the LED
They're bright enough, that's what I love about it. I don't want anything brighter. But when I got it as a teenager it was like holding the future in my hands.

Front one was crap, mind you.
 
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