Legal Lights

[mjr]

Most "illegal lights" exceed the requirements of RVLR and hence the argument would be laughed out of cour

Yes. I think there is no chance of backing up a SMIDSY with the illegality of the lights. Claiming you were dazzled, on the other hand...

Local police use pathetic small cateyes which don't meet RVLR. I've not heard of them stopping cyclists about lights for some time.

 

[ufkacbln]

Lights can be made complicated or simple. I like it simple.

They are there for me to see without burning the retinas out of car drivers, who then, justifiably, full beam me and I also use lights to be seen.

My commute is 20km and its pitch black.

On the front I have 2 Busch and Mueller Ixon premium lights. They were £30 each and were a bargain. I understand £60 for 2 lights is very expensive, but they are worth it. Whats more I am worth it. As a supplementary light I have a helmet light. I think having a light that moves is important as a stationary light can be missed from certain angles or in queues of vehicles if it is low down.

My rear lights are two clip on Smart lights. The bottom one clips to my saddle pack and is stationary. The second one clips to a strap inbetween my shoulder blades on my viz vest and is flashing. Again, having a light higher up gives better visibility.

This is my regular set up and works for me.

When it comes to safety I dont mind spending a few pounds. The important thing is to buy good quality gear to start with and not waste lots of money on cheap Chinese crap and then realise you need good quality gear.

The B&M lights show another issue

MOst bike lights are very poorly designed.

Vehicle headlights have a "beam shape" that focusses light where it is needed and prevents dazzling of other road users.

Apart from the B&M lights there are very few lights in the UK that do not simply have a full unfiltered beam. Hence even when set up correctly the upper peart of the beam can dazzle and is wasted energy

I cannot find an article that has the tow types in the same comparison, but these should illustrate the point

This is a B&M filtered beam

Now compare with an unfiltered beam

 

[ufkacbln]

Yes. I think there is no chance of backing up a SMIDSY with the illegality of the lights. Claiming you were dazzled, on the other hand...

Local police use pathetic small cateyes which don't meet RVLR. I've not heard of them stopping cyclists about lights for some time.

I love the RAC's idea of bike lights!

I remember when Vistalite first brought out LED front eights and they were green because technology could not produce white LEDS

So the RAC is selling lights that were technically illegal as the light should be white, and the poor light emission made them equally impractical even as a backup

Ironic that this is what a motoring organisation is endorsing and selling poor lights that ARE illegal, t30 years out of date with the technology and totally useless

 

[Cycleops]

If you look at the wording on the package you will see they call them 'LED Cycle Safety set'. They're obviously not intended as 'cycle lights' as you state, they should make that clearer.

 

[fossyant]

I wouldn't worry too much about legal issues. So long as the lights suit your needs, and you can have the option to run at lower power for urban environments, then most are fine.

 

[huggy]

Just buy these classics, you knew where you were with these, in the dark.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/2723...3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1099439613662

 

[fossyant]

I remember them !! I had the Duracel ones, equally as bad. I used to commute in pitch black with the duracel ones, and a set of BLT off road MTB lights, with a whopping 3w main bulb. They were £100 20 years ago and the mutts.

 

[keithmac]

Just buy these classics, you knew where you were with these, in the dark.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/272380879513?lpid=122&chn=ps&adgroupid=27377119746&rlsatarget=aud-133395220626la-181479823506&adtype=pla&poi=&googleloc=1006884&device=m&campaignid=620794543&crdt=0&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-134428-41853-0%2F2%3Fmtid%3D1673%26kwid%3D1%26crlp%3D110917616946_563391%26itemid%3D272380879513%26targetid%3D181479823506%26device%3Dm%26mpre%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.ebay.co.uk%252fitm%252flike%252f272380879513%253flpid%253d122%2526chn%253Dps%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D1006884%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D620794543%26adgroupid%3D27377119746%26rlsatarget%3Daud-133395220626%3Apla-181479823506%26gclid%3DCN2TuJmiqs8CFeMy0wod8GAJ2Q%26srcrot%3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1099439613662

I had a set of those, they were absolutely useless and are batteries at an alarming rate, the good old days .

 

[ufkacbln]

On my Delibike, I have a set of these:

However there is a much brighter LED bulb fitted and a modern battery pack

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Devils Advocate here... What if an accident occurs and a legal person says in court "Well, the lights were not legal, so my client should go free as he/she could not possibly have been expected to have seen the cyclist in the dark..."

Not sure how that argument would work?

"I didn't see him/her, but I saw his/her lights weren't legal"
"I saw his/her lights weren't legal, so drove into them anyway"

 

[Tanis8472]

I've got one of these on my highwheeler

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Have to ride really slow or it blows out, and I've burned my thumb but it's highly effective

 

[davidphilips]

Have to ride really slow or it blows out, and I've burned my thumb but it's highly effective

View attachment 145375

lol , highly effective at burning your thumb.

 

[raleighnut]

Have to ride really slow or it blows out, and I've burned my thumb but it's highly effective

View attachment 145375

These are pretty 'windproof'

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

lol , highly effective at burning your thumb.

I know, ex 40 a day smoker