Forum Dictionary

[Drewdane]

Noted in another thread: Passhole.

Do you pass without alerting the person you’re overtaking?
Do you pass without first making sure there’s no oncoming traffic?
Do you pass people while they are in the process of passing someone else?
Do you pass without leaving sufficient space between you and the person you’re passing (“buzzing”)?
Do you weave in and out at speed through clusters of other trail users instead of waiting for a safe opportunity to get by?

Congratulations – you’re a Passhole!

[Harry Meatmotor]

@htfshfs 128231 wrote:

What do we call those who constantly complain about other people’s lights?

Lumen Justice Warriors.

(And to the fellow who deems it necessary to sling f-bombs at me and my 200 lumen, sharp-cutoff headlight

every.

single.

morning.

I hope you can take solace in the fact that a light much brighter than mine will soon be rising above the horizon at the same time as your commute. It would only be prudent to curse at the low-angle glaring sun, too.)

[bentbike33]

I got this idea from the discussion/internet stalking started by this post.

Gearcrusher (n.): an electric-assist bike rider on a multi-use trail that generally operates at excessive speed and with utter disregard for other trail users.

[Drewdane]

@htfshfs 128231 wrote:

What do we call those who constantly complain about other people’s lights?
casesam
http://www.casesam.co.uk

I dunno, but I have several names for people who seem to think they don’t need to cover or swivel their lights because somehow they don’t blind oncoming traffic or something.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Harry Meatmotor 155231 wrote:

Lumen Justice Warriors.

(And to the fellow who deems it necessary to sling f-bombs at me and my 200 lumen, sharp-cutoff headlight

every.

single.

morning.

I hope you can take solace in the fact that a light much brighter than mine will soon be rising above the horizon at the same time as your commute. It would only be prudent to curse at the low-angle glaring sun, too.)

I don’t cover my light #sorrynotsorry

My PM commute is southbound on the CCT, which means I’m usually the solitary reverse commuter going against a steady stream of northbound riders…and there always seems to be one who snarks about me not covering my light. Of course, that one guy (always a guy), is usually like 10th in a line of 20 other riders who all have their lights set on high. My favorite though, is riders that cover their bar-mounted light and then stare straight at you with their helmet-mounted light.

I don’t know what these people do when they get off the trail and into traffic…

[LeprosyStudyGroup]

^They all congregate at the windmill behind drewdane’s house

[anomad]

Have you thought that maybe your light is in fact annoying to others?

I built a hood for my lights and no one complains at all. Even when they are on high power.

@Harry Meatmotor 155231 wrote:

Lumen Justice Warriors.

(And to the fellow who deems it necessary to sling f-bombs at me and my 200 lumen, sharp-cutoff headlight

every.

single.

morning.

I hope you can take solace in the fact that a light much brighter than mine will soon be rising above the horizon at the same time as your commute. It would only be prudent to curse at the low-angle glaring sun, too.)

[Harry Meatmotor]

@anomad 155281 wrote:

Have you thought that maybe your light is in fact annoying to others?

I built a hood for my lights and no one complains at all. Even when they are on high power.

Yes, i have. My headlight uses three LEDs which fire into reflectors which produce a beam pattern similar to those required by the German STVZO standard. It features a sharp cutoff to limit glare and scatter. On the low setting that I use for normal trail riding, the light outputs a paltry 200 lumens, which, if you consider the beam pattern that doesn’t scatter above handlebar level, can’t possibly be worse in oncoming glare than a 200-400 lumen simple conical reflector or lens-based design, even with a home-made hood.

I’m also fairly certain that there’s quite a bit more engineering behind the beam pattern and reflector design in the lights I use than a simple bent beer can, plain and simple.

I don’t mean to sound snooty, but when there is a better engineered solution than beer cans and electrical tape for something like oncoming glare and light scatter, I tend to prefer and employ it. I’d also add that there’s a difference in lighting need between average cycling speeds. Riding at 8-14mph has quite different forward lighting requirements than riding at average speeds of 18-25mph on a bicycle.

If any and every light is annoying to certain specific trail users, I’m not going to tailor my light usage to assuage peculiar reactionary behavior. Especially those who choose to call me a M’F’er. I doubt that type of reaction is borne of simple frustration or irritation. Calling people awful names at 6:50am reeks of a generally antagonistic (read: shitty) attitude.

[Drewdane]

@TwoWheelsDC 155261 wrote:

I don’t cover my light #sorrynotsorry

My PM commute is southbound on the CCT, which means I’m usually the solitary reverse commuter going against a steady stream of northbound riders…and there always seems to be one who snarks about me not covering my light. Of course, that one guy (always a guy), is usually like 10th in a line of 20 other riders who all have their lights set on high. My favorite though, is riders that cover their bar-mounted light and then stare straight at you with their helmet-mounted light.

I don’t know what these people do when they get off the trail and into traffic…

So… because other cyclists fail to cover their lights for whatever reason, you actively refuse to cover yours? Classy.

[secstate]

@Harry Meatmotor 155231 wrote:

Lumen Justice Warriors.

Whether or not this is the right name, there clearly needs to be a dictionary entry. The emotions around this are rivaled only by whether trainer “rides” are in fact rides, abortion, and e-bikes on MUPs.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Drewdane 155653 wrote:

So… because other cyclists fail to cover their lights for whatever reason, you actively refuse to cover yours? Classy.

“Classy” in some circles could be understood as “whiney socks-and-sandles wearing, complainey, or better, passive aggressive filthy-mouthed bikers should learn how to deal with normal life on a bike trail.”

I’d submit to the forum dictionary, to assuage fears that I’m overly partial to one side of the coin, that we add “Lu-manianic”—One who believes that anything more than 400 lumens is necessary at speeds less than 25mph.

If I posted up on this forum every time I was inconvenienced in minor fashion by bright oncoming lights, there’d be a thread with a post for every day I ride my bike in the winter. Not only would these posts be boring, but they would do nothing to help cyclists develop an attitude of “Dirt-ness” – Happier on the bike you will be when you learn to accept the inadequacies of others sharing their trail with you, seasoned cyclist. Similar to the Tao of biking, “your front wheel is your responsibility.”

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Drewdane 155653 wrote:

So… because other cyclists fail to cover their lights for whatever reason, you actively refuse to cover yours? Classy.

Well, that’s not what I said…but the example I gave is certainly one reason why I don’t feel bad about not covering my light. My belief is that a light in the face is less dangerous than for a rider to take a hand off the bike controls–particularly on a bumpy trail like the CCT–to cover their light and further limit the amount of light on the trail ahead when it’s dark and the trail is filled with potential obstacles.

The issue I was getting at in my original post was how do people who bitch about uncovered lights on the trail deal with car headlights on the road, and why is this only a complaint on the trail? My answer would be that it’s generally not a genuine safety issue on the trail and people just like to complain. Even if one doesn’t like it, why yell at people about it on the trail? There’s nothing approaching a hard and fast rule about it and a sizable portion of riders don’t even know it’s an issue…so either learn to deal or maybe don’t ride in the dark.

[hozn]

There is another difference: car beams, like Harry Meatmotor’s light, are shaped so they don’t shine directly in people’s faces. That is why car drivers do get irate when people forget to switch off the high beams.

But in general there is a lot of unnecessary bitching about lights. I have no problem telling someone to cover or lower their light if they are shining 800+ lumens obliviously into my face. It’s inconsiderate. I assume these people are just new to riding. But I have people covering their faces from my light when it is after sunrise and my light is pointed at the ground. I got off at one point, propped my bike up and walked in front to see if there was any actual reason for those antics. There wasn’t.

I do notice people using shaped beams. I remember, though, having a knee-jerk reaction when one rider didn’t reciprocate to cover their light. Then I realized that their light actually didn’t bother me at all as it wasn’t actually shining in my eyes, and I realized I was dangerously close to being that over-reacting jackhole.

All bike lights should have shaped beams. My 2017 lights will be shaped beam. Probably the Specialized Flux.

[dkel]

@Harry Meatmotor 155656 wrote:

I’d submit to the forum dictionary, to assuage fears that I’m overly partial to one side of the coin, that we add “Lu-manianic”—One who believes that anything more than 400 lumens is necessary at speeds less than 25mph.

You’re not over 40, I guess. Since I turned 40, my vision has been getting worse and worse, not in distance vision, but close up and also in low light. When I started riding at night a few years ago, 350 lumens was plenty, now that I’m 44, that’s just not enough. I just got 800 this fall, and it’s probably brighter than I need, but man, it’s awfully nice to be able to see again. I also cover my light for oncoming trail users who are also using lights, whether or not they cover theirs.

[dkel]

@hozn 155666 wrote:

But I have people covering their faces from my light when it is after sunrise and my light is pointed at the ground.
…
I realized that their light actually didn’t bother me at all as it wasn’t actually shining in my eyes, and I realized I was dangerously close to being that over-reacting jackhole.

I got fussed at recently for having my light on at its lowest setting—150 lumens—and pointed at a spot two feet in front of my front wheel, at about 5:30 p.m. (before sunset). It seemed just stupid to me. The point is not to cover your light all the time, but to cover it when it might impair other cyclists’ vision.

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