Rear lights position

[Sjw]

I've got some lights which have a high and low beam and flash patterns. All this info is very helpful to me.

Trolling, methinks.

eh?

 

[HLaB]

Indeed, some lights are unnecessarily dazzling...

View attachment 432614

Lol tonight I was thinking the opposite. I saw two lights coming towards me and thought they are poor. As they got closer I realised it was front reflectors reflecting my lights At least those were better than the next ninja. The Cambridge guided busway and other paths down here have solar powered lights, not very bright but enough to delineate the edge. The definitive paths seem to attract ninjas.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Trolling, methinks.

Beginner.

eh?

Misunderstanding.

 

[wait4me]

[QUOTE 5399564, member: 9609"]it looks like that car has its headlights and fogs on - too many car drivers are doing this now, i reckon some think DRL and fogs are some sort of bling jewellery, particularly audi drivers

the cyclist in the picture looks about right. bit too close to the curb?[/QUOTE]


Don't overlook the fact that many cars (that don't have the strip of LEDs) are designed with the fog lights (at a dimmed setting) as daytime running lights

 

[kynikos]

There's always a 'no bracket required' solution...

 

[Sjw]

There's always a 'no bracket required' solution...

Is she trying to ride with her knees together?

 

[lazybloke]

One large-surface light is usually better than two smaller ones, too.

Maybe so, but having a secondary light brings peace of mind that you'll remain conspicuous in the event that one fails.

And they do all fail or malfunction, eventually. It's a tad alarming to get off your bike at the end of a dark ride and find your rear light has inexplicably switched off.

I currently have THREE lights at the rear. Usually two on, and the third in reserve.

 

[mjr]

Maybe so, but having a secondary light brings peace of mind that you'll remain conspicuous in the event that one fails.

And they do all fail or malfunction, eventually. It's a tad alarming to get off your bike at the end of a dark ride and find your rear light has inexplicably switched off.

That wouldn't happen if the rear light is mounted in a place where you can look at it occasionally to check it's working.

It's been a very long time since I had a rear light that went off like that, but I've been using K-marked German-spec lights (which include low-battery indicators on the battery ones) for years, which some on this forum pour scorn on and say pathetic UK-spec Cateyes or Topeaks are good enough but ultimately, my lights are not failing so often that I feel I have to use two of them to mitigate it. The solution to a rubbish light is not two rubbish lights.

 

[lazybloke]

It's been a very long time since I had a rear light that went off like that, but I've been using K-marked German-spec lights (which include low-battery indicators on the battery ones) for years, which some on this forum pour scorn on and say pathetic UK-spec Cateyes or Topeaks are good enough but ultimately, my lights are not failing so often that I feel I have to use two of them to mitigate it. The solution to a rubbish light is not two rubbish lights

No, but a second light is the solution to a failed light.

I've had nasty cheap rubbish lights in the past, and have my fair share of reliability problems with UK LED Cateye lights due to water ingress to the batteries.

But the occasion that sticks in my mind was the failure of what I believe was an StVZO-compliant dynamo light. Granted it wasn't a rear light , but my point is that quality & cost didn't make a difference. It failed at circa 3am about 50 miles into a solo night ride, still 25 miles from my destination. If I hadn't been equipped with a spare battery light, I'd have had either a perilous onward ride through invisible potholes, or a long cold wait until morning light.
I've nearly always carried spare lights since then. Spare lights are as essential to me as tools, tubes and pump.

I do agree about those K lights from Aldi/ Lidl. Tried a set recently. Excellent value, and performance that knocks socks off most of the Halfords range; my son has permanently 'borrowed' them.

 

[MontyVeda]

I occasionally cycle on the local canal path after dark.
But it's getting harder with dazzling lights on bikes heading towards you.

Just on the edge of a canal isn't the best of places to be when you can't see anything

It's because of the twonks with their super bright front lights mounted horizontally on their bars. They'd be the first to moan if a car approached them with a full beam on, yet don't realise that they're doing exactly the same thing. Twisting it down a bit isn't exactly rocket science.

 

[Ajax Bay]

a second light is the solution to a failed light.

It is both the solution to and mitigates the risk of a failed light.
If a mode of failure of bike (and its lights) can be mitigated by carrying something without adverse weight or volume penalty, the prudent rider will do so, whether it be tools, spares or replacement batteries. If the hazard (eg no front light) is going to be ride-ending, then a prudent rider will assess the risk (severity of hazard and likelihood of its occurrence) and carry items accordingly.
This is not rocket engineering and what riders do all the time (eg wrt punctures). I have three rear lights attached, use one, and the third is a <£1 2xC2032 get you home type. I have a powerful If on full) light up front and a 2 x C2032 get you home light (which is light and attached out of the way but immediately functional) preferably with another rider or I head slowly for habitation/street lamps. I carry a head torch for signposts, repairs, undoing cafe lock, and for use as front lighting in an emergency.

 

[mjr]

No, but a second light is the solution to a failed light. [...] Spare lights are as essential to me as tools, tubes and pump.

Sorry to read you managed to get a K-marked dud. With enough of them, it can happen, but I still think they're generally better than the pap usually sold to the UK.

I agree carrying a spare light is a reasonable precaution - there are some lithium-powered red/white switchable ones which seem ideal for that job - but my point was that running two uncheckable failure-prone lights isn't that much better than having one, because if they fail that often, before long you'll probably find both failed on the same ride. Then if you keep going, you end up like one man I see riding around here with probably a dozen of the things all down his rather long seatpost!

A far better solution is to put one good light in a place you can check!

 

[si_c]

I run a Supernova dynamo front light and it's frankly excellent. It doesn't provide as much illumination as my battery powered Fenix which throws an impressive amount of light down on the road, but it's certainly good enough for fast riding on dark roads and it doesn't drop down to a lower power after 2 hours either.

That being said I do carry a Lezyne battery powered light which I use as an all the time blinky on the lowest setting as well as being able to double up as a main light should the dynamo light fail. This latter has happened to me and necessitated a return to the manufacturer for repair, but that's why we have warranties.

For the rear I always have threelights attached, one running solid on a low setting and one on flash with the third switched off as a spare, just in case, I'll alternate between which light is used as spare to make sure that it's not a dud either.

 

[subaqua]

Is she trying to ride with her knees together?

Maybe needs a wee

 

[si_c]

Maybe needs a wee

Isn't that what the groove in the saddle is for, drainage?