Impending darkness

Plastik

Caught in work and no front light. Pah. Wasn't expecting to have to pull a long one this evening. Anyway, what time is it getting too dark to safely cycle without a front light at the moment? I've about a 1h 10 minute commute home on the bike ...

... or do I get the Dart ...:rolleyes:

Peterx

go now you'll be fine.
bye!

inc21

Lights are cheap. Get a light!

Zyzz

Sellotape your phone to your handlebars if you are desperate..

Seen loads of people get pulled for no lights, don't know what punishment they received (if any)!

Beasty

Zyzz wrote: »

Sellotape your phone to your handlebars if you are desperate..

Seen loads of people get pulled for no lights, don't know what punishment they received (if any)!

Still legal for another 40 mins or so

ezra_pound

Beasty wrote: »

Still legal for another 40 mins or so

No. Lighting up time was actually about 18.50 tonight.

Plastik

Well, 7.40 is too late. Managed to get on the road about 6.40. Surprising how quickly the light faded in the last 20 minutes.

I've a super light... Right here next to me where I left it this morning!

Beasty

ezra_pound wrote: »

No. Lighting up time was actually about 18.50 tonight.

30 minutes after sunset (not before)

lennymc

its depressing

ezra_pound

Beasty wrote: »

30 minutes after sunset (not before)

Wow. My bad. That seems a bit in the dark side if you ask me. I always presumed it was before because it makes sense that lights should go on from that time. Fair enough.

Beasty

ezra_pound wrote: »

Wow. My bad. That seems a bit in the dark side if you ask me. I always presumed it was before because it makes sense that lights should go on from that time. Fair enough.

I wouldn't encourage taking it to the limits, but yes lighting up time is from 30 minutes after sunset finishing 30 minutes before sunrise. The rules were established at a time when light quality was not particularly good but the roads were certainly not so busy and motor vehicles were typically a lot slower

cdaly_

Plastik wrote: »

Well, 7.40 is too late. Managed to get on the road about 6.40. Surprising how quickly the light faded in the last 20 minutes.

This is also the time of year where the length of day decreases fastest. The change is about 4-5 minutes per day so tomorrow will be 4 minutes shorter than today. By Thursday we'll be into sub-12 hour daylight...

Captain Havoc

Aldi have lights on Thursday.

bustercherry

Thinking of trying to keep the kms up over winter evenings. Anyone using the exposure strada mk 5? Looks like exactly what I'm after but would like a few opinions on it.

Surveyor11

7pm I would say these days, although I've being using nice strong strobes back and front in daylight for ages.

Seweryn

bustercherry wrote: »

Thinking of trying to keep the kms up over winter evenings. Anyone using the exposure strada mk 5? Looks like exactly what I'm after but would like a few opinions on it.

Looks like a perfect road light to me. I do not use it, but I believe you will not be disappointed.

Peterx

cycled home on pitch black country roads last night with a "Silva Pave" on the front. It was fantastic, nice white colour too.

route66

I use this website see the daylight available: link for Dublin, generic link

There is also a csv option in the top-right which is the source data for the graph - this week looks like:

Date Sunrise Sunset Daylength
23/09/2013 07:13 19:22 12:09
24/09/2013 07:15 19:19 12:04
25/09/2013 07:16 19:17 12:00
26/09/2013 07:18 19:14 11:56
27/09/2013 07:20 19:12 11:52
28/09/2013 07:22 19:09 11:48
29/09/2013 07:24 19:07 11:43

So, Sunset at 19 minutes past 7 tonight - tonight will probably be my last "after work" cycle until next April

Seweryn

route66 wrote: »

tonight will probably be my last "after work" cycle until next April

Is that because of the darkness? A set of lights will sort you out.

BadCharlie

Last year i went to End of OCT then stopped till the following year. Have to do half of my Ride on country roads. This year im going to try and go longer as im more confidant on the roads.

route66

Seweryn wrote: »

Is that because of the darkness? A set of lights will sort you out.

It is and yes, a set of lights should fix that. I had plans for this last year, but they never happened and I reverted to - weather permitting - Weekend cycles only.

hans aus dtschl

Never ceases to amaze me how much extra daylight time you get when you travel west, also
In Kenmare, you'll get an extra 15 mins or so in the evening. Sunset today 19.33, versus Dublin's 19.19.

Edit: slightly more daylight house in mid-winter also, seemingly!
http://ptaff.ca/soleil/?l1pays=Ireland&l1etat=Leinster&l1ville=Dublin&secondcity=1&l2pays=Ireland&l2etat=Munster&l2ville=Kenmar&l1cityname=Dublin%2C+Leinster%2C+Ireland&l1ltd=53&l1ltm=25&l1lts=58&l1ltx=N&l1lgd=6&l1lgm=15&l1lgs=0&l1lgx=W&l1tz=0.0&l1dst=EU&l2cityname=Kenmar%2C+Munster%2C+Ireland&l2ltd=53&l2ltm=52&l2lts=59&l2ltx=N&l2lgd=9&l2lgm=35&l2lgs=59&l2lgx=W&l2tz=0.0&l2dst=EU&year=2013&month=09&day=24&lang=en_CA&go=Show+the+graph%21

Surveyor11

bustercherry wrote: »

Thinking of trying to keep the kms up over winter evenings. Anyone using the exposure strada mk 5? Looks like exactly what I'm after but would like a few opinions on it.

Peterx wrote: »

cycled home on pitch black country roads last night with a "Silva Pave" on the front. It was fantastic, nice white colour too.

Both those lights look mighty impressive. I use a 200 lumen Led Lenser, which I have to say doesn't leave me wanting - but those lights are in a different class - 500 - 800 lumen! Mind you the darkest part of my commute is only a few miles....

bogmanfan

Had a lovely spin home through the Phoenix Park and Strawberry Beds at 8.30 tonight. Pitch dark except for my Nite Rider 800 lumen front light. Can easily see 70m ahead with it.

ezra_pound

hans aus dtschl wrote: »

Never ceases to amaze me how much extra daylight time you get when you travel west, also
In Kenmare, you'll get an extra 15 mins or so in the evening. Sunset today 19.33, versus Dublin's 19.19.

Edit: slightly more daylight house in mid-winter also, seemingly!
http://ptaff.ca/soleil/?l1pays=Ireland&l1etat=Leinster&l1ville=Dublin&secondcity=1&l2pays=Ireland&l2etat=Munster&l2ville=Kenmar&l1cityname=Dublin%2C+Leinster%2C+Ireland&l1ltd=53&l1ltm=25&l1lts=58&l1ltx=N&l1lgd=6&l1lgm=15&l1lgs=0&l1lgx=W&l1tz=0.0&l1dst=EU&l2cityname=Kenmar%2C+Munster%2C+Ireland&l2ltd=53&l2ltm=52&l2lts=59&l2ltx=N&l2lgd=9&l2lgm=35&l2lgs=59&l2lgx=W&l2tz=0.0&l2dst=EU&year=2013&month=09&day=24&lang=en_CA&go=Show+the+graph%21

Probably slightly shorter daylight hours in summer though!

Did you know that the clocks in Ireland only went to GMT after independence?Railway stations went GMT in 1916 but everywhere else the real local local time ie kenmare time Dublin time Belfast time was used.

tomasrojo

The role of railways in standardising time is quite interesting.

Some old railway stations in England have two minute hands, one for GMT and one for local time (which places noon at the point in the day when the sun is at its zenith locally).