Painfully bright Chinese lights

[Lonestar]

Strange.I don't really have a problem with SMIDSY's. (touch wood)

I can see the cogs whirring round when they are thinking whether they should pull out from a side turning,though.

 

[Colin_P]

Has anyone mentioned the obvious solution ?

Sunglasses at night

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2LTL8KgKv8

 

[Mugshot]

In neither case would a brighter light have altered anything

I disagree, I run a bright front light, the type the OP despises funnily enough, which I check from the front to make sure I'm not dazzling and have angled down and slightly to the left. There is without question a stark difference in the behaviour of other road users when I'm riding at night running a bright light to how people react during the day. Motorists will wait at junctions and at passing points on single tracks where they generally wont in the daylight, they do not know what is coming towards them, it could be a motorbike or even a car with a headlight out, the difference is very noticable. There is no assumption that I am a push bike doing 8mph. It's also the reason I never run a flashing light on the front, nothing screams cyclist louder than a flashing front light.

 

[Lonestar]

During the day on the return commute in the drizzle or overcast I run two flashers but during the night I run on steady and one flasher.

 

[mjr]

I disagree, I run a bright front light, the type the OP despises funnily enough, which I check from the front to make sure I'm not dazzling and have angled down and slightly to the left. There is without question a stark difference in the behaviour of other road users when I'm riding at night running a bright light to how people react during the day. Motorists will wait at junctions and at passing points on single tracks where they generally wont in the daylight, they do not know what is coming towards them, it could be a motorbike or even a car with a headlight out, the difference is very noticable. There is no assumption that I am a push bike doing 8mph.

I did the maths a while ago (possibly in a post on here) and I don't think it's possible to aim a Chinese boil down enough not to dazzle oncoming traffic without it being pointed something like 2m ahead of the wheel and I've never seen one used like that. So, I feel it's more likely that the motorists waiting are simply obeying http://highwaycode.info/rule/115 - "slow down, and if necessary stop, if you are dazzled by oncoming headlights". Unfortunately, you can encounter a bad driver who doesn't slow/stop when dazzled - forums are littered with reports of cyclists being knocked off when using bright lights. Ride so you don't trust anyone any more than you feel you must - always be ready with an emergency stop or turn. The reason why unlit cycling is only a factor in under 3% of collisions, despite all the ninjas, may be that most of them ride expecting not to be seen.

It's also the reason I never run a flashing light on the front, nothing screams cyclist louder than a flashing front light.

I agree with that one - I feel it means that even if they do see you, some drivers will dismiss you as not a serious threat to their Precious and take a chance. It seems better to keep them guessing about whether you might be a small moped as long as possible, until the pedal reflectors blink into view... which they won't if their headlights aren't pointing at you.

 

[Drago]

I've experimented with Chinese lights and an observer and on 2 different sets it was perfectly achievable.

 

[mjr]

I've experimented with Chinese lights and an observer and on 2 different sets it was perfectly achievable.

And how far ahead of the bike was the beam centre? Was the observer standing or sitting fairly low down like a typical car driver?

 

[Drago]

Observer was in a car. I don't recall exactly how far ahead the beam pooled on the ground but it was completely satisfactory.

I did further experiments with a bit of tape over the top 1/4" of the lens, and that worked as well.

But despite all that plenty of people with lights from other sources aim them inappropriately too. Its user error, not a plot by the Chinese to blind the western imperialists and steal their country.

 

[Mugshot]

I did the maths a while ago (possibly in a post on here) and I don't think it's possible to aim a Chinese boil down enough not to dazzle oncoming traffic without it being pointed something like 2m ahead of the wheel and I've never seen one used like that. So, I feel it's more likely that the motorists waiting are simply obeying http://highwaycode.info/rule/115 - "slow down, and if necessary stop, if you are dazzled by oncoming headlights". Unfortunately, you can encounter a bad driver who doesn't slow/stop when dazzled - forums are littered with reports of cyclists being knocked off when using bright lights. Ride so you don't trust anyone any more than you feel you must - always be ready with an emergency stop or turn. The reason why unlit cycling is only a factor in under 3% of collisions, despite all the ninjas, may be that most of them ride expecting not to be seen.

I'm going to disagree again, it's perfectly feasible to use a bunny boiler in a manner which lights the way and doesn't dazzle. It's very easy to adjust them when on the move too, interestingly all the ones I've owned seem to settle into one of two positions very readily. I will run my light positioned to light further forward when on my local shared use until I meet someone then I will usually shield it, I will use it pointing further down when on the road. I have on very rare occasions been flashed by oncoming vehicles but that has only ever happened when I haven't adjusted my light from it's "path" setting, I have never been flashed when I've had it "dipped". Also moving it from "dipped" to "full" will in 100% of cases get oncoming drivers to dip their lights if they have forgotten. I always ride with the expectation of someone doing something I don't want them to, but I can assure you that the difference in driver behaviour when I use one of these lights compared to Hope or Cateye or Smart or any of the myriad of other other brands I have owned is extraordinary. I also know very well that they dazzle having encountered them on road and path when they are being used by inconsiderate cyclists, but like red light jumpers they don't define me. In all honesty I would struggle to think of anything that has come along in my time cycling that has had a more positive effect on my safety at night than this style of light.

 

[Tin Pot]

Why must people use front lights which you could spot from the I.S.S. on their bikes? If they must, shouldn't there be a law that says that a bicycle front light, must be adjusted, for beam angle, as is required for motor vehicles?

I'd like to take that CREE crap off the front of their bike and stove their face in with it.

 

[mjr]

But despite all that plenty of people with lights from other sources aim them inappropriately too. Its user error, not a plot by the Chinese to blind the western imperialists and steal their country.

Of course, but it is far more common with the Chinese boils - I suspect it's somewhere over 99% dazzling. It's a design flaw that they are very easy to use dangerously badly. Good legal lights are easier to use correctly than not because if you point them up high enough to dazzle many then the beam centre is usually too far up the road to see where you're going properly.

 

[mjr]

I will run my light positioned to light further forward when on my local shared use until I meet someone then I will usually shield it, I will use it pointing further down when on the road.

It sounds like you only dip it after you've dazzled others on the shared use

Also moving it from "dipped" to "full" will in 100% of cases get oncoming drivers to dip their lights if they have forgotten.

I don't doubt it - even flicking the power supply switch on my dipped dynamo light (dropping it to standlight momentarily) or even waving my hand in front of a battery light gets 95+% of dazzling drivers to dip. I'm sure dazzling them by return gets the remaining few, like mutually assured destruction. It's similar to a motorist blinking their main beam on instead of blinking the dip beam off - a bit antisocial.

...one of these lights compared to Hope or Cateye or Smart or any of the miriad of other other brands I have owned is extraordianary.

I'm sure. With the exception of a few Cateyes which aren't sold widely in the UK, those are all shoot. Like I wrote earlier, that's the state of the UK lighting market, full of shoot because cyclists keep buying shoot (and in some cases not even cheap shoot) instead of stuff like B+M.

I also know very well that they dazzle having encountered them on road and path when they are being used by inconsiderate cyclists, but like red light jumpers they don't define me.

Yes and one day I might even encounter one being used without dazzling...

 

[Tin Pot]

...not a plot by the Chinese to blind the western imperialists and steal their country.

Hmm, you say that...

 

[Mugshot]

It sounds like you only dip it after you've dazzled others on the shared use

No, as I said I don't dip I shield, as in I cover my light so that only enough light is escaping for me to see the edge of the path and it is done as soon as I spot them, which is an awfully long way off because my lights are awesome. However, if they don't show me the same courtesy then I stop shielding, hence the usually.

I don't doubt it - even flicking the power supply switch on my dipped dynamo light (dropping it to standlight momentarily) or even waving my hand in front of a battery light gets 95+% of dazzling drivers to dip. I'm sure dazzling them by return gets the remaining few, like mutually assured destruction. It's similar to a motorist blinking their main beam on instead of blinking the dip beam off - a bit antisocial.

No more antisocial than driving around on full beam.

I'm sure. With the exception of a few Cateyes which aren't sold widely in the UK, those are all shoot. Like I wrote earlier, that's the state of the UK lighting market, full of shoot because cyclists keep buying shoot (and in some cases not even cheap shoot) instead of stuff like B+M.

Really? All shoot? Have a look around on here and see what high regard Hope are held in. They may not be your favourites but saying they're shoot is total bollocks.

Yes and one day I might even encounter one being used without dazzling...

Come ride with me, or at me, whatever.

 

[oldstrath]

I did the maths a while ago (possibly in a post on here) and I don't think it's possible to aim a Chinese boil down enough not to dazzle oncoming traffic without it being pointed something like 2m ahead of the wheel and I've never seen one used like that. So, I feel it's more likely that the motorists waiting are simply obeying http://highwaycode.info/rule/115 - "slow down, and if necessary stop, if you are dazzled by oncoming headlights". Unfortunately, you can encounter a bad driver who doesn't slow/stop when dazzled - forums are littered with reports of cyclists being knocked off when using bright lights. Ride so you don't trust anyone any more than you feel you must - always be ready with an emergency stop or turn. The reason why unlit cycling is only a factor in under 3% of collisions, despite all the ninjas, may be that most of them ride expecting not to be seen.
.

Thank you for the lesson. Having survived 45 years of cycling without any significant crashes that weren't my fault I do know about defensive riding. I just prefer not having to brake test on the way home if possible.