My back light is too bright

alcyst · 09-12-2014 11:53AM #1

A bus driver let me know she thought my back light was too bright this morning. We were stopped at lights and she opened the door to talk. The light is an Exposure Blaze.

Irony is, the previous day a driver (possibly on the same route) had squeezed me out of road space. This happened about 300m further on, where Dame Street narrows by the Georges St junction.

Beasty · 09-12-2014 12:22PM

It's only too bright if they are driving too close!! Had a driver make a similar claim to me a couple of years ago. She basically decided she had to overtake (to then veer back in) approaching a junction because "my light was too bright". If she had given me a sensible amount of room the light would have appeared a lot less bright to her!

Tenzor07 · 09-12-2014 12:26PM

The answer to that to the driver should have been:
"Did you see the guy who's light wasn't as bright as mine?
Driver: No"
and pedal off rapidly.

ford2600 · 09-12-2014 12:28PM

OP what setting do you use it on. Top setting is 80 lumens I think.

I use a moon shield 60 on lowest setting and it is plenty.

A lot will depend on how light is diffused by lens of course so comparing lights on lumens alone isn't very useful

07Lapierre · 09-12-2014 12:34PM

maybe its the Angle that your light is at?

I mean to blind a bus driver, the light may be angled too high?

yop · 09-12-2014 12:35PM

Ask her if it was as bright as the car in front, then just laugh and cycle on. She saw you, she didn't knock you down. Result

magicbastarder · 09-12-2014 12:37PM

my response would have been (as i had cause to use this on a bus driver recently, albeit not in a cycling context) 'you are the first person ever to say that to me, most people compliment me on the light'.

gumbo1 · 09-12-2014 12:48PM

As a cyclist your back light is only too bright if your using a 1 million lumen torch or something similar, or if you resemble a christmas tree! If you can be seen you should be safe! I cycle a very dark road near the airport at 3/4/5 am with 1 light and a hi-viz on my bag, my only encounter with a driver or vehicle was during day light! The lamp is a cats eye with 4 led that I set to flash.

Pinch Flat · 09-12-2014 01:12PM

No such thing as a back light that's too bright imho.

Break lights of cars are likely to be stronger anyway.

Leroy42 · 09-12-2014 01:13PM

There is no doubt that the advent of the really strong lights are causing issues. Whether it is the wrong angle, the wrong diffusion or whatever, even as a cyclist there are some people with lights that seem, to me, to be too bright.

Of course it does it's primary job of making that person visable but it also can be distracting and in some cases blinding (although that would normally be the front light).

Instead of taking the bus driver as someone to be smart at and ridiculed, maybe we take on board the advice! This 'Well I'm alright Jack, that your problem" attitude doesn't help anybody.

Seems to me that the bus driver was polite and simply passing on their feelings about the light.

MarkR · 09-12-2014 01:19PM

I've noticed some bikes around limerick with a strobe like front light that was very annoying to drive against. They don't seem to be common thankfully. Spotted (barely) another bike yesterday on the dublin road in Limerick. At first, I thought it only had rear reflectors, but it was a very dim rear light. Still better than the stealth bikers!

Eamonnator · 09-12-2014 01:21PM

What rear bicycle light is brighter than the rear lights on a modern car?
Say the rear LEDs on a new BMW?

Leroy42 · 09-12-2014 01:23PM

Eamonnator wrote: »

What rear bicycle light is brighter than the rear lights on a modern car?

Probably very few, although I would be of the opinion that some are.

I think the main difference is the strobe effect (or is it flashing?) and the angle/height.

Koobcam · 09-12-2014 01:30PM

I have a 60 lumen moon rear light and it is pretty bright-I've had people tell me a couple of times on group spins that it was very bright, never got that from a motorist. Perhaps the angle of the light might cause problems?

MugMugs · 09-12-2014 01:36PM

This sums up the appropriate response to the driver perfectly.

columbus_66 · 09-12-2014 01:41PM

Some bicycle lights are really blinding, front or back, especially as they are usually pointed up in the air. Who likes driving behind someone with their fog lights on? Or towards someone with their headlights on full beam? Maybe there should be an NCT for bikes as well?

WillyFXP · 09-12-2014 02:06PM

columbus_66 wrote: »

Some bicycle lights are really blinding, front or back, especially as they are usually pointed up in the air. Who likes driving behind someone with their fog lights on? Or towards someone with their headlights on full beam? Maybe there should be an NCT for bikes as well?

There isn't an NCT for motorcycles, yet you suggest one for bicycles?

tomasrojo · 09-12-2014 02:34PM

columbus_66 wrote: »

Some bicycle lights are really blinding, front or back

I've been dazzled by front lights a few times. Can't recall ever being dazzled by a rear light. They can be pretty bright, but since they're not designed to light up the road, they're generally nowhere near as bright as the brighter front lights.

Ole Rodrigo · 09-12-2014 02:39PM

On the rare occasion you get stuck behind a powerful LED on flash mode on a dark road, yes that can be distracting. Usually that's an issue for cyclists, not motorists.

pprendeville · 09-12-2014 03:08PM

What are the lights on Dublinbike like in terms of output I wonder. They dazzle if you look straight at them but have a very good focused beam.

07Lapierre · 09-12-2014 03:14PM

IMO all lights should be on the bike ( not on helmets, strapped to bags etc).

Front lights should be mounted no higher than the Handlebars.

Rear lights should be mounted no higher than saddle height

Both front and rear lights should be angled down slightly.

seamus · 09-12-2014 03:30PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

IMO all lights should be on the bike ( not on helmets, strapped to bags etc).

Front lights should be mounted no higher than the Handlebars.

Rear lights should be mounted no higher than saddle height

Both front and rear lights should be angled down slightly.

Agreed. For whatever reason lights attached to helmets or bags just don't appear very visible at all, you may as well have no lights on.

They should really only be used as auxiliary lights - helmet mounts in reality are meant for trail riding, not city riding.

As for the complaint of rear lights being too bright, I'm skeptical.

The brightness of rear lights on cars varies, from what I can gather online it can be anything from 2lm in normal mode to 60lm for the brake light.
So IMO anything over 50lm on the back of a bike is probably taking the piss, especially if it's flashing. Think about how irritating it is to sit behind someone who has their foot on the brake for no reason, and now imagine that light is flashing.
Rear lights are lights to help you in being seen, not to help you see, so they don't need to be in the hundreds of lumens. Car lights are much bigger, so 2-5lm is plenty, but that doesn't mean bike lights on the back need to be the brightest money can buy.

Chips Lovell · 09-12-2014 03:42PM

Law says that lights must be mounted on the bike and the front be no more than five feet off the ground and the rear no more than three feet off the ground.

cython · 09-12-2014 03:42PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

IMO all lights should be on the bike ( not on helmets, strapped to bags etc).

Front lights should be mounted no higher than the Handlebars.

Rear lights should be mounted no higher than saddle height

Both front and rear lights should be angled down slightly.

Don't fully agree with the section in bold - I have seen some cyclists with lights attached (as bands) to their legs, and they help quite a bit with visibility as a moving light draws the eye in a similar way to a flashing one, and distinguishes them further from cars, etc.

ford2600 · 09-12-2014 04:06PM

seamus wrote: »

Agreed. For whatever reason lights attached to helmets or bags just don't appear very visible at all, you may as well have no lights on.

They should really only be used as auxiliary lights - helmet mounts in reality are meant for trail riding, not city riding.

As for the complaint of rear lights being too bright, I'm skeptical.

The brightness of rear lights on cars varies, from what I can gather online it can be anything from 2lm in normal mode to 60lm for the brake light.
So IMO anything over 50lm on the back of a bike is probably taking the piss, especially if it's flashing. Think about how irritating it is to sit behind someone who has their foot on the brake for no reason, and now imagine that light is flashing.
Rear lights are lights to help you in being seen, not to help you see, so they don't need to be in the hundreds of lumens. Car lights are much bigger, so 2-5lm is plenty, but that doesn't mean bike lights on the back need to be the brightest money can buy.

Op light is 80lum on high setting.

I'll check the lux level tonight at 5m for 60lum moon shield and car rear light and brake light

07Lapierre · 09-12-2014 04:20PM

seamus wrote: »

Agreed. For whatever reason lights attached to helmets or bags just don't appear very visible at all, you may as well have no lights on.

They should really only be used as auxiliary lights - helmet mounts in reality are meant for trail riding, not city riding.

As for the complaint of rear lights being too bright, I'm skeptical.

The brightness of rear lights on cars varies, from what I can gather online it can be anything from 2lm in normal mode to 60lm for the brake light.
So IMO anything over 50lm on the back of a bike is probably taking the piss, especially if it's flashing. Think about how irritating it is to sit behind someone who has their foot on the brake for no reason, and now imagine that light is flashing.
Rear lights are lights to help you in being seen, not to help you see, so they don't need to be in the hundreds of lumens. Car lights are much bigger, so 2-5lm is plenty, but that doesn't mean bike lights on the back need to be the brightest money can buy.

You might be right, but I have this rear light and on its brightest setting, I think its too bright.. having said that, that's probably why they designed it with more than one setting, so that it can be set according to the conditions under which its used.

http://www.cyclistno1.co.uk/assets/images/Gear/Hope/District-3/hope-district-1.jpg

07Lapierre · 09-12-2014 04:26PM

cython wrote: »

Don't fully agree with the section in bold - I have seen some cyclists with lights attached (as bands) to their legs, and they help quite a bit with visibility as a moving light draws the eye in a similar way to a flashing one, and distinguishes them further from cars, etc.

Cant argue with that... its high powered lights on Helmets that I have an issue with, especially when there set to flashing mode. When commuting, I think they are just annoying!

( In fact, what is the purpose of the flashing Mode? IMO its for attracting attention in the event of an emergency, i.e. if your lost at sea or trapped on a cliff?

... no purpose when cycling/commuting)

Beasty · 09-12-2014 04:26PM

Oscar Gateaux wrote: »

Law says that lights must be mounted on the bike and the front be no more than five feet off the ground and the rear no more than three feet off the ground.

Think there is something essentially saying they must be either central or to the right of centre

AFAIK those rules only apply to the statutory minimum lighting required and you can mount additional lighting on your body/helmet/rucksack etc. I certainly find my helmet light invaluable as a "pothole/puddle spotter" on unlit country roads.

tomasrojo · 09-12-2014 04:32PM

Beasty wrote: »

AFAIK those rules only apply to the statutory minimum lighting required and you can mount additional lighting on your body/helmet/rucksack etc.

That's my understanding too. You have to have a front and rear light attached to the bike in a particular way, but you can attach lights to anything you like after that.

tomasrojo · 09-12-2014 04:33PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

( In fact, what is the purpose of the flashing Mode? IMO its for attracting attention in the event of an emergency, i.e. if your lost at sea or trapped on a cliff? ... no purpose when cycling/commuting)

Only two purposes I can think of:
1. Make a weaker light more conspicuous.
2. Make batteries last longer.

irishrover99 · 09-12-2014 04:40PM

I use flashing lights on both front and back as i believe they make me more noticeable. I don't see how anyone could be annoyed with with a bright bicycle light. I'm sure the driver would have something to say if they crashed into you with lights that were very dim.

Anyway if they get me home to my family each day safely, that's all that really matters to me, and i do drive too.

My back light is too bright

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