Lights: how bright is too bright?

[ufkacbln]

You can get them - B&M do them

At a price!

Over £500

What we need is something at the 240 Lumens mark with road lens. and definitely sub £100

 

[BentMikey]

it's getting quite common now & people are using 'heavy weight' lights on max... I almost missed a parking space due to some idiot looking at me with a 240 lumen helmet light.

Aaaahaahahahahahahaha!!!! Wow, what a catastrophe.

 

[GrasB]

Aaaahaahahahahahahaha!!!! Wow, what a catastrophe.

It is when it is 'protected' by trief curbs & you're approaching it in the mid-high 20mph on a bike. Sorry I should have explained, I just had a totally clear idea of exactly what I was taking about in my mind.

At a price!

Over £500

What we need is something at the 240 Lumens mark with road lens. and definitely sub £100

Firstly you don't need as many lumen when you're not wasting half or more of your lumen on scatter that you don't need on road. Also B&M rate their lights in terms of lux not lumen & I duno what lumen the IXON IQ & IQ Speed are but it'll be interesting to find out how effective an IQ (Speed) is compared to a Joystick

 

[trio25]

I use either a Exposure Joystick or turbo, but both on low settings on the road. No complaints but definetly cut up less than with "be seen" lights. It's handy as any rural bits I do I just wack them up full and no problems!

 

[HJ]

Disagree. They are totally ineffective.

When driving the car I find head-mounted lights almost invisible. Cyclists wearing them and using no other front light have been the cause of the two closest near misses I've ever had with bikes. (In both cases no other lights at the front, dark clothing, and every other step taken to ensure invisibility as well)

The ones I see soonest are bright flashing lights at handlebar height.

By all means wear one but make sure there's a light on the bike where car drivers will see it as well.

+1 I agree, and have pointed this out on another thread over a month ago.

Your experience is in complete contrast to everyone else I've read. Helmet mounted lights are *extremely* effective, especially in freezing drivers at sideroads who might be on the verge of pulling out. Perhaps you've never seen someone with a joystick class head lamp?

BM your riding a bent, which means you head is at about handlebar level for a normal bike

 

[HJ]

Is it just my imagination or is a good halogen light superior to any LED light?

I have several LED lights, including a pretty expensive Topeak (forget what model off-hand) and although they are all very bright, they give a very poorly focused light IMO. To get a decent range, they need to be set high enough to annoy drivers. On my other bike, I fitted a relatively inexpensive Basta bottle dynamo system with a halogen light which although it doesn't seem as bright at first glance, it is easier to pick out pot holes and the like. Drag is barely noticeable but the noise is. I modified it to fit to the forks rather than the handlebars and I think this is even better at lighting up the road surface and I can happily ride at 20+ mph on unlit roads with this. I mounted an LED lamp on the bars so I would have a light if I stop and also it is removeable so can be used as a torch in the event of a problem.

You obliviously have seen a bright LED lights, we are not talking about toys like the Topeak, we are talking serious lights...

 

[HJ]

I use a 720 Lumens Exposure Enduro MAxx and there are still some drivers who cannot see it!

The question is whether a brighter light (if there was one) would be any more visible to thses numpties.

Try the Lupine Betty at 1750 Lumens or the Dinotte 1200L at (um) 1200 lumens...

 

[tyred]

You obliviously have seen a bright LED lights, we are not talking about toys like the Topeak, we are talking serious lights...

Even so, dynamo powered halogen works for me and lowers my carbon footprint

 

[BentMikey]

BM your riding a bent, which means you head is at about handlebar level for a normal bike

LOL, I didn't think of that. In fairness I've used it mostly on the upright, which I do ride sometimes.

 

[GrasB]

I use either a Exposure Joystick or turbo, but both on low settings on the road. No complaints but definetly cut up less than with "be seen" lights. It's handy as any rural bits I do I just wack them up full and no problems!

I keep my Joystick on flash where there's street lighting, longer battery life & can keep it aimed higher without causing other motorists problems.

My issue with the joystick is when I get to main rural roads which are unlit. Low & medium settings aren't really good enough to properly illuminate the road for me, high is just about good enough but it dazzles drivers.

 

[trio25]

I do not like flashing front lights, they seem to irritate me, both on my own bike and on others so I have mine steady.

 

[thomas]

I do not like flashing front lights, they seem to irritate me, both on my own bike and on others so I have mine steady.

Do you find when you get home you can still see flashing? I sometimes get that from my knog on my helmet which I have set to flashing.

 

[fossyant]

I do not like flashing front lights, they seem to irritate me, both on my own bike and on others so I have mine steady.

+1 - I have a Knog Toad that mounts underneath the bars, so I can't see the flash.

 

[ufkacbln]

Try the Lupine Betty at 1750 Lumens or the Dinotte 1200L at (um) 1200 lumens...

These are Portsmouth Taxi Drivers..............

 

[potsy]

3 lads at the bus stop this morning,one of them said "thought that was a motorbike" when they saw my 2 Hopes1's
Told a mate about it at work he said "what,until they heard your heavy breathing and wheezing?" Git