Lights

[1LegRikk]

Very new to this night riding stuff myself but i settled on wide beam ayup+smaller flashing light at the front. Then horizontal flashing+vertical solid at the rear.
This seems fine for about 80% of the journey but tempted to put my spot on the helmet as in the pitch dark or when cars are coming at me I'm having problems picking out holes/grates etc.
Also when they leave high beam on I can stare em down

 

[levad]

Similar setup to tdr1nka, ay-up at the front but Smart 1/2watt on flashing at the back. I find that putting my hand in front of the ay-up for a couple of seconds causes any cars coming the other way to dip their lights.

On the way home today I even had a WVM coming the other way stop and wait for me to pass him on one of the small country lanes I frequent

 

[tdr1nka]

When I'm driving, flashing rear lights tend to irritate me, so I try to overtake asap.

I found my DiOnette was having this effect on drivers with it's 'regular' flash setting so now I only use the intermittent flash.

 

[ufkacbln]

I have a "legal" Cateye on the front backed up by a "legal Cateye" on the back

I then have a Exposure Enduro Maxx and Dinotte on the front and a pair of Dinottes on the back. But as they are "illegal" they are only iued to backup the legal ones.

 

[Riding in Circles]

I have a "legal" Cateye on the front backed up by a "legal Cateye" on the back

I then have a Exposure Enduro Maxx and Dinotte on the front and a pair of Dinottes on the back. But as they are "illegal" they are only iued to backup the legal ones.

Why are they illegal?

 

[HLaB]

I think my last set of lights (bspoke 1/2 watts) say the front is legal on flashing mode and the rear is legal on steady I tend to use them both on flashing mode anyway.

 

[J4CKO]

Hope Vision 2 set on the lower settings for dark roads, have it on flash in town but I do like the "Whats that" factor but sometime you end up with a car waiting wondering what you are, bike, motorbike or a car with a headlamp out, they tend to err on the side of caution when they think you might be big.

I turn it up to four and put the 2 * Tesco 3 watters on for pitch black lanes with no cars, might was well see properly, same for the off road bits but I do feel sorry for any peds I come across and try to turn them down, have had a couple remark on the brightness.

Also have some Cateye Hid's but I havent used them yet, bought them for £30 off a lad at work, keeping them in case the kids want to come out with me,

Rear, a Cateye six led and two cheap Tesco red flashers, one on the right side of my right pannier to denote my extermity, and one on my helmet which identifies me as a cyclist, I dont mind a bit of ambiguity from the front as I can see whats happening and make decisions, from the back I am more vulnerable so want to make it clear what I am.

 

[silverbow]

For the front I have 2 lights halogen, therefore constant and 2 lights at the rear LED, 1 flashing 1 constant. I also have white / red reflectors front and rear respectively + as much hi-viz tape as possible for night and low light. And of course a hi-viz Altura jacket. Generally I can be mistaken for a mobile Christmas tree, but my son does like his Dad!

I cycle down country lanes than are frequented by a lot tractors and lorries and I mean a lot. I have found that the more I look like a bike and the more 'serious cyclist' I look the more room these vehicle have afforded me. I still can't account for the Saxo GTR owner, but I rather fancy my chances with the saxo rather than a seed drill or HGV pulling a 40' container!

Until recently I lived in Westminster and generally found nothing but contempt from most vehicles, so I currently feel like I have found cycle-communter nirvana!

 

[MacB]

2 front and 2 back, front is, one fenix and a normal led, both on constant. Rear is 2 smart flash, one on the back of the rack on flash and the other on the saddle bag on constant.

I'm similar to Silverbow I seem to get tons of room and every courtesy. But the roads I use are pretty quiet so maybe drivers aren't overly agitated. Did 42 miles today and had one little 'fast hatch' swerve round me in an agressive manner. She then had to slam on her brakes 30 yards later due to traffic. I caught up at T junction but deliberately let the car go before I pulled out. Cost me maybe 5 seconds and I just didn't want any further interaction with the idiot.

 

[orbiter]

One steady, one flashing on both front and back. When I'm driving I find a flashing light attracts my attention more and makes cyclists more noticeable.

Ditto

 

[hackbike 666]

Question?

What are the legality of L.E.D lights?

Are they actually passed as legal now?

I thing at one time you had to have a lamp with a filament bulb in.

I was having a discussion tonight with a work colleague who was annoyed at a cyclist who had a green led for the front...then again I have seen a red used as a front light.

 

[purplepolly]

Question?

What are the legality of L.E.D lights?

Are they actually passed as legal now?

I thing at one time you had to have a lamp with a filament bulb in.

I was having a discussion tonight with a work colleague who was annoyed at a cyclist who had a green led for the front...then again I have seen a red used as a front light.

led lights are legal, as are flashy lights, although a single front flashing light isn't recommend. The legal requirement remains, as ever, for white at the front and red at the back. Red at the front though has got to be about as stupid as no front light - any motorist waiting to pull out would think the cyclist was going in the other direction

 

[HLaB]

Question?

What are the legality of L.E.D lights?

Are they actually passed as legal now?

It should also be noted that wherever a British Standard is referred to, that reference applies to a specific edition. In the case of BS6102/3, that is the 1986 edition, as amended on 15th April 1995 and again on 1st September 2003. These amendments removed the filament bulb design restrictions, so that lamps may now get their light from LEDs – or indeed anything else!

Full detail on lighting regs

Edit: PP's summary is good.

 

[hackbike 666]

Thanks guys and gals,but is flashing white front illegal and why?

Never been pulled up for it and never had a complaint.(touch wood)

How would I measure my lights brightness for 4 candela?

Flashers

Thanks to the enactment of Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 2559: on 23rd October 2005, it finally became legal to have a flashing light on a pedal cycle. Even better: it became possible for a flashing light to be approved, meaning no other light would be needed in that position. And since BS6102/3 does not yet cater for flashing (but is likely to be amended to do so quite soon), approval is for the time being, granted simply on the basis of brightness.
Because DfT very much prefer anything that possibly can be evaluated against a proper technical standard, so to be evaluated: any flashing lamp that is also capable of emitting a steady light is approved only if it conforms with BS6102/3 when switched to steady mode. Since most (probably all) flashing lights do also have a steady mode, and since none of their manufacturers can be bothered to test and mark them to the pernickety standards of one small country on the fringes of Europe, it's unlikely that any flashing light actually qualifies for approval. But since it became theoretically legal to ride a bike with only flashing lights on it, the Police are nowadays no more likely to quibble its legal status than one equipped with steady lights – unless they're rather dim or involved in an accident of course.

Just got me interested again when workmates begin whingeing about anything to do with cyclists.


I couldn't actually tell him if my lights were legal and in a court of law would a lawyer use this for a loophole to avoid a compensation payout although im not looking for compensation just a point of interest and I like being legal if possible.

unless they're rather dim or involved in an accident of course.

This caught my specsavers eyes.

 

[HLaB]

Thanks guys and gals,but is flashing white front illegal and why?

Never been pulled up for it and never had a complaint.(touch wood)

How would I measure my lights brightness for 4 candela?

Flashing lights are legal. In fact my front light says that its legal in flashing mode. I wouldn't worry about the candela rating if you've got a good front light I don't think the police would be concerned; what would concern them is if you had no lights.

Edit from the CTC:

But since it became theoretically legal to ride a bike with only flashing lights on it, the Police are nowadays no more likely to quibble its legal status than one equipped with steady lights