Lights. What are the real standards?

[LostInTheWoods]

Seems everyone has got a different opinion. In the not too distant past I used a Sigmasport 100 lumen halogen light on the front and thought it was adequate for light. The headlight took 5 AA batteries and would stay lit for a couple hours with fresh batteries. Couldn't say whether or not this was or wasn't 100 lumen as there was no indication of how it was measured. Could have been at the bulb or at some prescribed distance from the front.

When LEDs became available and affordable I replaced my rear reflector with a Blackburn Mars 3. Amber light to each side and visible from the back and nobody complained about getting blinded. 2 AAA batteries that last a long time. I've tried some others but this is still my go-to tail light.

On my handlebars I now use a 37mm eBay made-in-China 1000+ lumen (so advertised) with a diffuser lens mounted on a Hope stem mount - and always keep a spare light and battery pack in my rucksack. Total cost for two or these was about £50. This seems to work all right for the cost and effort.

No idea whether this set up meets the standards or not. I hear a lot of talk about what is and isn't legal but would like to know what the written standards actually say.

 

[mjr]

Overviews of various European standards at http://swhs.home.xs4all.nl/fiets/tests/verlichting/index_en.html#verkeersregels

Description of British LAW requirements at http://www.cyclinguk.org/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations

Lumens are a measure of light emitted at the source and meaningless. Candela aren't much better. The German standard measure of lux at 10m is about as good as a single number measurement can be, but still hides a lot of desirable information on how wide the beam is and so on.

Your Chinese torch probably should be aimed down stupidly close to the wheel to be not dazzling (and dazzling is illegal) and isn't itself sufficient to be legal because it meets no equivalent European standard. For £50, you could have bought a nice German tyre dynamo and lights set.

Edited to add: but if you're showing a white light to the front, red to the rear and not dazzling anyone, it'll be pretty unlikely to be fined. There's a lot of unlit riders likely to be caught first.

 

[Banjo]

If it works for you and your not blinding people approaching you I wouldn't worry. I bet the average police officer wouldn't have much idea either.

 

[mjr]

If it works for you and your not blinding people approaching you I wouldn't worry. I bet the average police officer wouldn't have much idea either.

More to the point, the average police officer's bicycle will rarely be legally lit - for example, Norfolk uses nasty little Cateye torches, which is particularly poor when the equivalent legal Cateye lights (usually with a G in the name) are only a quid or two dearer!

Edit: because British cyclists will buy any old shoot lights and shoddy lights are probably more profitable than ones designed correctly, you won't often find the G versions in shops - but Evans has sold them sometimes - but the police are usually doing some sort of procurement deal rather than buying from local bike shops anyway.

 

[smutchin]

Couldn't say whether or not this was or wasn't 100 lumen as there was no indication of how it was measured. Could have been at the bulb or at some prescribed distance from the front.

It'll be a theoretical measurement based on the specification of the LED, operating under ideal conditions. Almost totally meaningless.

 

[simongt]

But then, how many peelers carry a lux / lumens measuring meter about their person when they are of a mind to stop a cyclist anyway - ?

 

[classic33]

But then, how many peelers carry a lux / lumens measuring meter about their person when they are of a mind to stop a cyclist anyway - ?

How many now carry smartphones, with cameras?

 

[Dan B]

But then, how many peelers carry a lux / lumens measuring meter about their person when they are of a mind to stop a cyclist anyway - ?

If they were of a mind to enforce the letter of lighting law, would they not just look for the BS (or equivalent Euro standard) marking stamped on the lens/case?

I doubt many of them carry decibel meters either but that doesn't stop them pulling motorcyclists for having illegally loud exhausts.

 

[mjr]

But then, how many peelers carry a lux / lumens measuring meter about their person when they are of a mind to stop a cyclist anyway - ?

The lux thing is mainly useful to the buyer. Part of the law is specified in candela but the minimum brightness (4 candela, in one of the least likely Two Ronnies tributes) is scarily low.

The bit about dazzling is very vague and so they wouldn't need to measure anything to stop you any more than they do a motorist - but unless you're using something really obviously obnoxious (and there are a few, mostly superbright MTB lights aimed high), I doubt you'll get stopped. The first likely to suffer any increased enforcement are the unlit and the second are those motorists with the outrageously bright coloured lights... then after I hear of crackdowns on those, maybe I'll start getting worried about bike lights.

 

[Alan O]

(4 candela, in one of the least likely Two Ronnies tributes)

That had me genuinely laughing out loud

 

[mjr]

That had me genuinely laughing out loud

I never forget it, but I do find that I keep rechecking that I've remembered it correctly and it's not just wishful thinking. Disappointingly, the amendment that added that seems to have gone through Parliament without our esteemed legislators standing up and talking about "four candles"

 

[classic33]

The lux thing is mainly useful to the buyer. Part of the law is specified in candela but the minimum brightness (4 candela, in one of the least likely Two Ronnies tributes) is scarily low.

The bit about dazzling is very vague and so they wouldn't need to measure anything to stop you any more than they do a motorist - but unless you're using something really obviously obnoxious (and there are a few, mostly superbright MTB lights aimed high), I doubt you'll get stopped. The first likely to suffer any increased enforcement are the unlit and the second are those motorists with the outrageously bright coloured lights... then after I hear of crackdowns on those, maybe I'll start getting worried about bike lights.

"To put things into perspective, it's worth noting that a full moon on a clear night results in the Earth being illuminated by about a quarter of 1 lux at the Earth's surface. In comparison a typical living room will have an illumination of about 50 lux and direct sunlight results in anything up to about 130,000 lux at the Earth's surface"

http://www.si-units-explained.info/luminosity/#.WGRZbbLtlHw

 

[Dan Morinary]

Lumens? I tape two young fireflies to my handlebars, wrap another two in the leftover red wrapper from a Cadburys Roses hazelnut surprise and stick em on the rear.
The fuzz know I'm old skool but legal.
Fight the power.

 

[mjr]

wrap another two in the leftover red wrapper from a Cadburys Roses hazelnut surprise

Hazelnut was in a red/pink wrapper in Aus/NZ, but purple in UK/IE.

 

[Alan O]

Disappointingly, the amendment that added that seems to have gone through Parliament without our esteemed legislators standing up and talking about "four candles"

Ah, what a seriously missed opportunity!