The light! My eyes!

rollingscone

Alek wrote: »

Fair play, but not a 1200lm one, please.

Jawgap

I've a light that sends 2000 lumens off the front end of the bike, if I use it on full whack.

Using it on the medium setting sends out about 1000 lumens - when using it on this setting I was advised by a Guard that I should be wearing hi-viz clothing to improve my visability!

My 'takeaway message' was AGS don't think 1000 lumens is sufficient to make you visible, in Dublin anyway

seamus

ror_74 wrote: »

Sure, on an an unlit road. On an urban road you shouldn't need strong lights. An LED is fine for urban areas I would say.

What kind of LED?

There's a world of difference between your €10 3-led smart lights and a good 200 lumen commuting light (it's LED ).
The latter is painfully bright, dangerous in fact if you have it angled too high, but I will no longer ride with anything less in the city.

There's a "survival of the fittest" aspect in urban areas, and low-powered lights are badly drowned out by the sea of car headlights. The typical cheap LED lights are not visible in urban areas during peak hours. Ironically they're probably most effective while flashing on unlit roads because you'll stand out in the dark, but they're useless for navigating.

nak

I am sick of being blinded by other cyclists on the canal to Adamstown. The canal is lit, and there are no cars, so I turn my lights off as soon as I get onto it. Have shouted at a few people that they are blinding me with their bloody lights, makes no difference though. I counted 6 front facing lights on one guy, is that really necessary? None of them use the flashing mode, and still feel the need to use lights when the sun is shining. They must spend a lot of money on batteries.

Ole Rodrigo

seamus wrote: »

What kind of LED?

There's a world of difference between your €10 3-led smart lights and a good 200 lumen commuting light (it's LED ).
The latter is painfully bright, dangerous in fact if you have it angled too high, but I will no longer ride with anything less in the city.

There's a "survival of the fittest" aspect in urban areas, and low-powered lights are badly drowned out by the sea of car headlights. The typical cheap LED lights are not visible in urban areas during peak hours. Ironically they're probably most effective while flashing on unlit roads because you'll stand out in the dark, but they're useless for navigating.

You're right, I suppose it was just a standard 50 quid set I as assuming to be generic ' LED's'

I spent 50 euro on a set of cateye Opticube EL130 a few weeks ago - 20 for the rear and thirty for the front - and to my mind are perfectly fine for city cycling. The only problem with them is they slowly lose their power as the batteries drain. I wouldn't really need lights to illuminate the road in the city, only for other road users to see me. During peak hours the the sea of light ( street lamps, motor vehicles, buildings, other cyclists etc ) would make the need for lights almost redundant, so having them in those situations is more of a courtesy so you can be seen - no need to get involved in any survival of the fittest shenanigans

Once you have taken care of been seen, illuminating the road is a subjective thing. I'm in the less is more camp, keeping the lights slightly dimmer keeps my eyes sharp. A few years ago I rode from Galway to Dublin at night with a cheapo 50 quid pair, with an extra smart LED on the back and it was grand. ( no descents though ). I've used a Fenix TK11 on full for Wicklow in the dark and that was perfect, I dont think its any more than 250 lumen on full.

A set of properly angled, reasonably powered flashing lights is ok for urban areas, IMO.

Lusk_Doyle

nak wrote: »

I am sick of being blinded by other cyclists on the canal to Adamstown. The canal is lit, and there are no cars, so I turn my lights off as soon as I get onto it. Have shouted at a few people that they are blinding me with their bloody lights, makes no difference though. I counted 6 front facing lights on one guy, is that really necessary? None of them use the flashing mode, and still feel the need to use lights when the sun is shining. They must spend a lot of money on batteries.

You know that it's the law in other European countries to have your lights on at all times in road vehicles? I think it's a good idea.

NeedMoreGears

I put my front light on flash mode in urban areas and constant higher power (150 lumens) on badly/unit roads during my commute. I aim the beam so that it's centre hits the ground about 12m forward and to the left ; that gives me about 18m of reasonably illuminated road ; a bit more than 2 seconds of travelling or so.

Chips Lovell

Top tip: If cyclists coming the other way are shielding their eyes from your light its probably too bright and/or not angled down enough.

Raam

Top tip #2: never look directly into a light.

Lusk_Doyle

Raam wrote: »

Top tip #2: never look directly into a light.

That's the sun, silly.

CramCycle

nak wrote: »

The canal is lit, and there are no cars, so I turn my lights off as soon as I get onto it.

I'd recommend leaving them on, if people are not paying attention, even in a well lit area, you can be easily missed.

CramCycle

Top tip #3: Don't go into the light

Kav0777

Raam wrote: »

Top tip #2: never look directly into a light.

Top tip #4: Never feed it after midnight.





oh wait, was that a film...?

Zorba

I was cycling home from work last week after 11pm and was wondering why the road wasn't lit up as well as it usually is, until i realised the light was slipping back up instead of being pointed down towards the road in front.

So surely if your lights are up so high that they dazzle oncoming traffic then it also means u can't see the road clearly in front of you ?

Never have a problem with cars dipping, never been flashed but do get the odd arsehole that puts his/hers full lights on just as they reach me.

Using a Lezyne Super Drive, can't remember how many lumens it is but it does the job nicely !

Lumen

Zorba wrote: »

So surely if your lights are up so high that they dazzle oncoming traffic then it also means u can't see the road clearly in front of you ?

No. Floody lights are like full beams on a car.

Zorba

Lumen wrote: »

No. Floody lights are like full beams on a car.

Ohh!!

Wonder is my light floody, doesn't seem floody from my side of the bike but i can't say what they are like from the other side !

Planet X

Have yis not got da fogs on yet??

CramCycle

Zorba wrote: »

Ohh!!

Wonder is my light floody, doesn't seem floody from my side of the bike but i can't say what they are like from the other side !

Cycle close to a wall or ditch with the lights on. You should see a definitive line if they are not "floody" indicating how high the light is shining, the same way you would see a definitive line with dims on a car.

nak

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

You know that it's the law in other European countries to have your lights on at all times in road vehicles? I think it's a good idea.

It's not a road though, that was my point.

It's the super bright lights I have a problem with because they affect my vision. Similar deal to full beam headlights - turn them off when people are approaching you.

Tenzor07

Meant to reply to this ealier...

Anyways, yes, do agree that some people have there bike lights pointed too high, which has caused annoyance coming down two way bike lanes such as along Clontarf/Dollymount or the Grand Canal path...Now that typical LED lights are around "200 lumens", as opposed to the old ":D Ever-Ready" lamps!

However..in general...

I would wonder:

A.) No. of accidents caused by a bicycle light being too bright = Zero?

B.) No. of accidents caused by insufficient or non-existent cycle lighting = Quite a lot!!

I use a 650 lumens self contained front light, which is perfect on "medium" for steady cycling, or on "flashing" if in traffic.
Have been considering a second 700L light to mount on the helmet, and the other on the bars..

Just to put this into perspective, a typical brake light on a car is around 1600 lumens...And i would guess that the new LED tail/brake units on Audi/BMW/VW would be even higher, 2000l perhaps.
Also a typical car headlight is around 700-1700 per headlamp, add in fog lights that people keep permanently on then you get the picture.. and not to mention the dodgy Halfords Halogen bulbs that boyracers install themselves which seem to point in every direction!

So before anyone in a car would complain about a cyclist lights being too bright, ask if you had seen the guy who didn't have such a bright light?

detones

Must say I have found this thread illuminating. It has helped me shed light on a subject I am quite interested in. Watt is most impressive is that the posters have an array and spread of opinions on the matter which has polarised people’s views.



Awaiting permanent ban

Kav0777

detones wrote: »

Must say I have found this thread illuminating. It has helped me shed light on a subject I am quite interested in. Watt is most impressive is that the posters have an array and spread of opinions on the matter which has polarised people’s views.

Indeed, there have been some flashes of brilliance.

Alek

I use a 650 lumens self contained front light, which is perfect on "medium" for steady cycling, or on "flashing" if in traffic.

How many lumens does it have in the flashing mode? Even if approx 150, please lock your bike in the night (prefferably when its wet), set your light on flashing and look directly into it from 30 meters. Now image yourself seeing this while changing lanes on your bike in busy traffic, or waiting for a good moment for a right turn.

(The one I've seen in was at least 600LM in flashing...)

Tenzor07

Alek wrote: »

How many lumens does it have in the flashing mode? Even if approx 150, please lock your bike in the night (prefferably when its wet), set your light on flashing and look directly into it from 30 meters. Now image yourself seeing this while changing lanes on your bike in busy traffic, or waiting for a good moment for a right turn.

(The one I've seen in was at least 600LM in flashing...)

Probably 200l on flashing... and no i don't plan on looking into that light directly...
I have my light at a level where on steady it illuminates in front of my wheel...certainly not enough to distract anyone from changing lanes in heavy traffic?

Alek

I have my light at a level where on steady it illuminates in front of my wheel...

Fair play :-) Unfortunately not everyone has enough common sense to do this.

GreeBo

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Meant to reply to this ealier...

Anyways, yes, do agree that some people have there bike lights pointed too high, which has caused annoyance coming down two way bike lanes such as along Clontarf/Dollymount or the Grand Canal path...Now that typical LED lights are around "200 lumens", as opposed to the old ":D Ever-Ready" lamps!

However..in general...

I would wonder:

A.) No. of accidents caused by a bicycle light being too bright = Zero?

B.) No. of accidents caused by insufficient or non-existent cycle lighting = Quite a lot!!

I use a 650 lumens self contained front light, which is perfect on "medium" for steady cycling, or on "flashing" if in traffic.
Have been considering a second 700L light to mount on the helmet, and the other on the bars..

Just to put this into perspective, a typical brake light on a car is around 1600 lumens...And i would guess that the new LED tail/brake units on Audi/BMW/VW would be even higher, 2000l perhaps.
Also a typical car headlight is around 700-1700 per headlamp, add in fog lights that people keep permanently on then you get the picture.. and not to mention the dodgy Halfords Halogen bulbs that boyracers install themselves which seem to point in every direction!

So before anyone in a car would complain about a cyclist lights being too bright, ask if you had seen the guy who didn't have such a bright light?

unless you are downhilling dont put it on your head...you then suddenly blind people all over the place as you look around!

This pisses me off more than anything...fricken 10,000 megawatt lighthouses cycling around blinding everyone.

Tenzor07

No one will be blinded with a 650l light.. will keep the 2nd/helmet light for off-road only... Handlebar mounted light is all that's needed for road/commuting..

thebouldwhacker

Nearly got taken out of it this evening by a driver, I know she saw me as she pulled out, I was like a Christmas tree!!
From tomorrow, no more Mr Nice Guy, the road bike light for dark country roads is out for the commute, on flash mode.......

light'em up and let'em burn!