Red LEDs on Front!

[Wolf04]

There appears to be a new trend up here in Newcastle. Having a flashing red LED on your handlebars!! I've seen four this week already. No lights at all is still the biggest problem but I'm not sure which is more dangerous.

 

[John the Monkey]

One emerging trend here in Manchester is to have the rear light you bought at the start of term, with the battery that came with it still in it. The number of feebly flashing LEDs I've seen lately that are *just* visible against the rider's black coat...

 

[Fab Foodie]

There appears to be a new trend up here in Newcastle. Having a flashing red LED on your handlebars!! I've seen four this week already. No lights at all is still the biggest problem but I'm not sure which is more dangerous.

It's for people who don't know whether they're coming or going...

 

[Arch]

Saw this the other day, but then the guy was riding the wrong way down a one way street, so maybe he was right after all.

Or something...

 

[benjus]

The other week I hit a big pothole and my front light fell out of its bracket and into the middle of the road, where it was crushed by about 3 passing cars. I used my spare rear light for a while until I got a replacement front light. Other than that I can't see the reason for doing this.

 

[fossyant]

I'm with you there John, loads of bikes with worn out batteries in the lights.... I might remind the odd one (politely of course), especially if 'm not approaching some traffic lights as they won't catch me.....hmmmm....pull along side, "Your batteries are worn out".....get torrent of abuse.... "Well I've warned you"..... and accellerate away to more abuse...... luvely ! Says me with 6 sets of lights.....

 

[Terminator]

I did shout at some girl once near Southwark bridge that she was quite invisible as she had no lights and then I was surprised as she got on the pavement.

Dunno what all the Red Green or Yellow is about on the front though or the odd White Green or Yellow on the back.

 

[Arch]

Dunno what all the Red Green or Yellow is about on the front though or the odd White Green or Yellow on the back.

Green is because for a long time you couldn't get white LEDs, or they were very expensive. So the cheap sets came with green or amber ones for the front and red for rear.

 

[Terminator]

Yeah I remember that but I never rode with a yellow or green LED on

 

[Arch]

Yeah I remember that but I never rode with a yellow or green LED on

No, well, you're sensible. I think that might be the difference. That said, I've probably used a green front LED light in the past, but probably only as a backup to a dynamo light.

 

[Terminator]

I was always building my own lighting systems from the early 80's usually involving a dynamo (and filament bulb)so did probably use the odd rear (red) LED.

 

[John the Monkey]

I'm with you there John, loads of bikes with worn out batteries in the lights.... I might remind the odd one (politely of course), especially if 'm not approaching some traffic lights as they won't catch me.....hmmmm....pull along side, "Your batteries are worn out".....get torrent of abuse.... "Well I've warned you"..... and accellerate away to more abuse...... luvely ! Says me with 6 sets of lights.....

Sorry to hear you get yelled at for pointing it out - does make you wonder what's wrong with people, doesn't it?

I've had better luck - the girl in danger of being pulled backwards off her bike (by her jacket, which was trailing into her spokes) seemed grateful (and even stopped to offer help when my hamfisted shifting threw the chain off my chainset a little later). And the chap with a barely functional light I talked to on Friday mumbled something about sorting it out (and did disappear in the direction of the newsagents shortly after).

 

[fossyant]

Sorry, not been yelled at - just thinking it's likely to happen....

 

[neslon]

You are right wolfie, they are all over, 'specially here in Jesmond - must be students. The annoying thing is, they are outnumbered by the number riding around with no lights, reflectors, hi-viz etc.

Tits

 

[Tynan]

never stop being amazed at people jumping lights and wobbling around in the middle of the road without lights or reflectives

the number of times I've seen cars at junctions clock me thanks to the whizzy new 'Solaris' front light

saw lots of incredibly dim/small leds tonight in the filthy weather, suspect the last few weeks of dark evenings have exhausted last year's batteries

I've still got a green led front light for utter emergencies, they were a godsend back in the day when lights were expensive and ate batteries