davidphilips
Veteran
- Location
- Onabike
I know, ex 40 a day smoker
ex 40 a day, bet that burnt a big hole in your pocket never mind your thumb.
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ex 40 a day, bet that burnt a big hole in your pocket never mind your thumb.
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
£6000 a year at current prices, 7years off them
Slick
Guru
Nice one. Almost 18 months for me.
NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
^^^^^ This. If you get arrested for illegal bicycle lights, go buy a lottery ticket as soon as you're released.
How would the driver, or his legal representative, know what lights were fitted to the bike at the time? As long as the bike had switched on working lights, you'd be fine. The only theoretical argument might be if the driver claimed that they were blinded by the light (copyright Bruce Springsteen) at which point they could hardly say that they hadn't seen you.
This is about the total interest of the police in any lights on your bike - as long as they're on and show your position on the road, they really won't be bothered.
FWIW, you'd have to go a long way to beat the LED rear lights from Poundland in terms of illumination, whether they have a tiny Kitemark on the back or not. http://www.poundland.co.uk/leisure-...t/car-and-bike/my-cycle-5-led-back-bike-light
Trust me, we're in a golden age of cycling illumination at the moment. I can remember paying £25 for a set of state of the art krypton bulbed lights back in the early 90's that each took 2 D cell batteries (which would last a couple of weeks at most when used on the commute) and where the front light would barely cast a dim glow on the road more than 3 or 4 feet in front of the bike. Look at what you can get for an equivalent amount of money now.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Especially as it's (theoretically) a £50 fixed penalty notice offence these days, isn't it?
IMO the reason to use legal lights that light the road well rather than the sky isn't to avoid police attention - it's to avoid being the sort of anti-social nobber dazzling oncoming road users.
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Im sure a badly aimed legal light could blind/dazzle other road users too.
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
Got a cheap wide angle lens and a swivel mount so its pointed with the beam cut off towards the centre of the road and angled toward the left kerb.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Indeed, but a typical not-sufficient-to-be-legal conical beam makes it very hard to avoid dazzling them. Some have to have their centre aimed about one wheel distance ahead IIRC, else the top of the beam is above the horizontal.
For urban cycling, any StVZO approved lighting should suffice - you don't need to go super-bright like you would for out of town unlit roads. I understand that the German StVZO standard is regarded as legal in the UK on account of being an EC country approval that gives as much safety as BS6102/3. The StVZO standard provides for front lights that put the illumination where you need it and not into the eyes of other road users.
Busch+Müller (aka 'B+M') do front and rear sets that can be had for about £30 on ebay.
Rose Bikes of Germany (I ordered my dynamo lights from them) have a few sets too, starting at about £20 (P&P is extra)
sotkayak
Veteran
- Location
- Canterbury,Kent
Thanks for all the feedback,guys...(More confused than ever 
).........So basically ,as long as the lights front and rear shine ,are visible and don't dazzle oncomers ....it should be ok. Which is just as well ,since none of the sites I looked at gave the Brit or any other standard specs.....
).........So basically ,as long as the lights front and rear shine ,are visible and don't dazzle oncomers ....it should be ok. Which is just as well ,since none of the sites I looked at gave the Brit or any other standard specs.....Both the sites I linked above give the German StVZO rating for their products (though not all on the Rose Bikes link specified StVZO)
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
it doesn't have a BS mark on it . however ......
http://www.cyclinguk.org/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations
it may be a TMN to somebody
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
the only thing that "might" get you is in the event of an accident that the other sides sharks , sorry Legal team, may try contributory negligence if the lights are NOT UK legal.
Me I have Busch and Muller dynamo lights. K marked so meets a higher spec than the BS stuff.
U
User33236
Guest
Over winter I use a 'cheap Chines' CREE LED light that, oou of the box, throws off a stupidly wide dazzling beam.
I researched before buying and would a 'cheap Chinese ' replacement lens that, with the light placed on a slight down angle, makes the light emulate the likes of a motorcycle headlight.
I researched before buying and would a 'cheap Chinese ' replacement lens that, with the light placed on a slight down angle, makes the light emulate the likes of a motorcycle headlight.
Nigelnaturist
Guru
- Location
- Pontefract
This is similar to what I use (£3) on my Cree T6 which is coming up on its third winter season.