Any Light is a Good Light

[CCrew]

@jabberwocky 10467 wrote:

Its worth noting that car high beams aren’t necessarily brighter, they’re just aimed higher. Light aim counts more than lumens; a relatively dim light can be blinding if its aimed directly into your eyes (an extreme example is a laser pointer, which can blind you if shone directly into your eye, but you certainly wouldn’t navigate with one at night).

Car headlights are typically in the 1000-3000 lumen range, a number that very few bike lights approach.

Not to mention that they’re designed with a vertical cutoff which few bike lights even pretend to have.

[pfunkallstar]

@Usern Ame 10460 wrote:

No, any light isn’t a good light.
I think we can all agree that a light that is so bright that it is blinding is a bad light.
Everyone knows that having a bright light shined in your eye sucks.
Ever notice that when driving a car people turn off their high beams for each other?

I’m seriously considering buying up one of those WWII Stuka dive bomber sirens and welding it to my front fork. It’s impractical, but it would kill so many birds with so many stones.

[DaveK]

@CCrew 10468 wrote:

Not to mention that they’re designed with a vertical cutoff which few bike lights even pretend to have.

This is 100% the difference… although there are new lights coming out designed with commuting in mind that build in a vertical cutoff. See here – http://reviews.mtbr.com/philips-saferide-led-bike-light-2012-mtbr-lights-shootout

[KLizotte]

My Exposure Strada has a horizontal light structure design with a low beam option to minimize the possibility of blinding on-coming cyclists/traffic. It comes with a remote switch that I place under my thumb so I can easily switch between high and low beams like a car (and without having to take my hand off the bar).

My only complaint about the unit is that the remote switch a little difficult to operate with winter gloves on.

Combined with a helmet light that I have pointed downwards at the trail about 15 feet in front of my bike, I have great coverage.

[StopMeansStop]

I’ve been blinded by many a light. So I figured, if you can’t beat em, join em.

[acc]

As one of Satan’s Little Helper Elves I can give a brand new reason to favor helmet lights. But it’s a bit bizarre, okay a lot bizarre, just keep an open mind. I was late getting home last night and had promised to grill hamburgers and hotdogs for my kids but it was already dark. Very dark. You can see where I’m going with this. Yes, it worked, my rhinestone helmet with a light. The point is, nothing burned.

ann

[CCrew]

@acc 10595 wrote:

Yes, it worked, my rhinestone helmet with a light. The point is, nothing burned.

Priceless

[Greenbelt]

I like my helmet light for spotting animals. I try to tilt it down and to the side out of respect for other riders and drivers. However, I have no hesitation about giving the full photon beam to eyes of drivers who pull into the bike lane without looking, and only then stop, turn their heads, and look for “traffic,” like the lovely lady who did just that to me and my riding buddy on Friday night.

[Riley Casey]

OK, that post fairly demanded a picture with spatula in hand and the kids lined up with plates in hand.

[creadinger]

From the whoah that’s a bright light department.

I don’t bike to work regularly, however I have been hitting up early morning yoga classes in Tenleytown. A few times now on my drive to work after getting my sweat on, I’ve seen a really bright strobe light catch my eye. I come down Rock Creek to Ohio Drive and then continue straight on Constitution Ave on my way to Suitland. Looking ACROSS the river I can see a ridiculously bright strobe light flashing on the MVT.

I’m not making any judgements or anything, but from across the river if you’re looking at it when it flashes, it will leave the tiny outline of the flash on your retina. Now, that’s a bright light! According to mapmyride, it’s about half a mile.

The not so great part is that by the time I’ve seen this flashing light, it’s basically fully light outside and the super-light is pretty much unnecessary. It’s hard to tell what this would look like to an oncoming cyclist on the MVT, but it’s probably not enjoyable.

[MCL1981]

Are you sure you’re not seeing the strobes on the bridges for the River Visual 19 approach into national?

[creadinger]

@MCL1981 10659 wrote:

Are you sure you’re not seeing the strobes on the bridges for the River Visual 19 approach into national?

I don’t think so because I have to look through the arches of the Memorial Bridge to see the flash, so these would be under the bridge? I’ll try to check tomorrow to make sure that’s not what I’m seeing though. If they are for the airport approach I’ll feel like a proper git… damn.

[KLizotte]

Yes, there is a super bright flashing strobe on one of the bridges south of Memorial Bridge, the George Mason bridge I think. It always throws me for a loop when I’m on the MVT heading south at night. For some reason, the light does not appear to be in the middle of the bridge, but rather closer to the VA shore. I suspect that is what you are seeing.

[dasgeh]

BTW, my guilty conscience feels the need to admit that one night last week my bike light batteries died. Both front and back (though I had a backup back blinky, so I wasn’t totally invisible). About 2 blocks into my 3 mile ride home. The worst parts were (1) the completely ninja (nothing reflective, no lights) couple walking on the wrong side of the trail along the cemetery two abreast and (2) having to navigate the horrible trail by 110, being blinded by car’s headlights. Needless to say it was a VERY slow ride (I didn’t see the couple until I was about a yard away — they never moved!).

Anyway, next time you see a ninja cyclist, there’s a small chance it wasn’t a conscious choice. And sorry to anyone who past me…

[americancyclo]

@dasgeh 10669 wrote:

Anyway, next time you see a ninja cyclist, there’s a small chance it wasn’t a conscious choice. And sorry to anyone who past me…

I used to want to yell at ninja cyclist, now i just want to give them lights!

[Author]

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