Lighting Etiquette

[Harry Meatmotor]

I know i’m going to be in the teeny tiny minority here, but I’d also add that I’d prefer oncoming cyclists to just leave their lights alone, rather than fumbling to dip their beam when it’s cold and they’ve got big poofy gloves on. numerous times i’ve had the pleasure of the unsettling one-hand-on-the-handlebar front-wheel-wobble coming at me while I’m doing 20mph. I don’t mind your lights (it’s why i wear a cycling cap!), but i do mind the lack of control of your bike.

[mstone]

Agree about the fumbling. I’m also amused at the notion that the solution to too many discussions about lights is another light thread.

[thucydides]

@Starduster 98580 wrote:

Flashing/blinking lights, from the original Vistalites on, were and are *defensive* countermeasures to get the attention of larger vehicles that could kill you. On the street, perfectly fine. But on the trails, say, the MVT? Defensive measures are no longer needed. Cars and trucks are gone. *You* are the “biggest, meanest mutha'” on the road. Old Vistalites and the CaBi bikes are not bright enough to be painful for oncoming traffic to deal with. But high power strobes, both front and rear? Another matter. And incredibly rude to oncoming traffic- your fellow cyclists. Besides, how can you see the that rut ahead in flash mode?

I’ll violate my vow to myself to avoid these threads. Everything you say is quite reasonable and I personally think the solution to this will come with market developments more than anything. But…what bothers me about the above statement is two-fold. First, none of us that I know of both live and work right next to a trail. We travel via road to the trail and we travel via road from the trail. Second, every trail in the area — including the MVT if you’re far enough south — features dangerous at-grade road crossings. In dusk or dawn lighting conditions a strobe from the helmet into a driver’s face at, say, Lynn and Lee Highway, is far more effective than no light (duh) or a continuous light. (I certainly agree that a strobe in truly dark conditions makes little sense.) I’d rather the approach be about creating a norm where cyclists are aware of the impact that their lights have on other cyclists and learn to react accordingly — just like we all learn to do with hi beams on cars — rather than yell or scream at people that shouldn’t have X type of light.

[bobco85]

While we’ve talked in multiple threads about lighting etiquette on the trails, I was thinking of secondary solutions to the problem (no one would need a bright light if the trail is properly visible, so how do we reach that goal?).

To start, I’m on board with the hierarchy of forward-facing lighting that the forum mostly seems to support, incorporating both the needs of the cyclist with the light and other cyclists on the trail:

Best to Worst

• See-me lights with night-vision goggles (my idea)
• Solid light making the trail visible but not shining in people’s eyes due to better beam angle or rider temporarily shielding/dimming the light on approaches
• Solid light making the trail visible
• Strobe/flashing lights
• High-powered portable sun shining in everyone’s eyes
• Weak light that shines for a few feet (rider cannot really see where they’re going)
• Reflectors/reflective clothing only
• Ninja

The topic that I think is related to this discussion that would also be very useful in fixing the problem is better infrastructure. Due to the variability of quality for trail visibility around this area, one may frequently find themselves needing different set-ups for different parts of their ride.

What can be used to lessen the need for blinding lights? I’ll start a list with some possible solutions:

• Reflective paint for lines on the trails
• Glow-in-the-dark paint for lines on the trails
• Fog lines and reflective chevron signs for curves on the trails
• Lighting on the trails
• Lights at all road-crossings (HAWK, flashing yellow lights, etc.)
• Mirrors for blind curves
• Walls/barriers to shield trail-users from the bright headlights of drivers on adjacent roads (looking at you, MVT)

Personally, I think the best way to get rid of bright headlights is to make it so they’re unnecessary.

[mstone]

Reflective lines are great for seeing the lines, useless for seeing what you’re about to run over/into.

I’d hate to see streetlights all over the trails, we have too much light pollution already.

[dasgeh]

Thanks, Starduster, for the list. I would just add one bullet:

• When faced with another cyclist who you think is over- or underlit, recognize that you don’t know their story, and they may be unlucky (lights burned out, bump knocked a light out of alignment, they’re only on the trail for a short distance) or you may be misreading the situation (when you’re coming up a hill, you may be blinded by a properly aimed light for a second, and there’s no way to fix that). If you’re going to say something, remember that and do so politely.

[UnknownCyclist]

The hell with being polite. Aren’t you reading the other thread? Being polite doesn’t get one anything.

[baiskeli]

@UnknownCyclist 98611 wrote:

The hell with being polite. Aren’t you reading the other thread? Being polite doesn’t get one anything.

Shut up, jerk-bag.

[Geoff]

Since being polite is controversial, maybe we should invoke Rule #43 instead.

[baiskeli]

@Geoff 98627 wrote:

Since being polite is controversial, maybe we should invoke Rule #43 instead.

Wow, it’s almost as if that was written with me in mind.

[Terpfan]

After complaints of too bright versus not bright enough, I just decided the golden rule is the best. I will do unto others as I want done unto me. So I won’t strobe on trails (I will on city streets as I’m convinced it’s saved me a few times), I’ll keep my beam pointed down at the ground where it should be, and I’ll be illuminated in darkness. None of it will be so bad as to disrupt other’s rides and then I’ll just hope for the same in return (fat chance).

[Raymo853]

@Terpfan 98631 wrote:

After complaints of too bright versus not bright enough, I just decided the golden rule is the best. I will do unto others as I want done unto me. So I won’t strobe on trails (I will on city streets as I’m convinced it’s saved me a few times), I’ll keep my beam pointed down at the ground where it should be, and I’ll be illuminated in darkness. None of it will be so bad as to disrupt other’s rides and then I’ll just hope for the same in return (fat chance).

I do about the same thing. My light is a Light & Motion unit so I also point the light away from the on-coming rider.

Well unless I suspect the person coming the other way is a Solaris user, then I turn it to the brightest flash and point it at them.

[skins_brew]

I rock this light as my “low beam” and a 340 lumen cygolite as my “high beam.”

The low beam is aimed at the ground about 10 feet in front of me. It is so bright though, I usually cover it with my hand when I come upon someone. Before I realized how bright it was, I used it like a regular light and people were cussing me out on a routine basis. Even cars at 4 way stops would drop a few f bombs.

[Drewdane]

I post this on my FB page every year around now. It’s far from comprehensive (next year I’ll add a word about blinky vs. solid taillights), but people seem to appreciate it:

As the days get shorter with sunsets coming earlier, I am prompted to respectfully submit the following humble requests to my fellow trail users:

Fellow cyclists, now more than ever, call out a CLEAR warning before passing pedestrians, slower cyclists, and anybody else. We all appreciate it.

Please wear AT LEAST ONE bright and/or reflective item of clothing (I’m sorry to have to tell you the little reflective tabs on the back of your sneakers simply do not suffice). It could be the difference between a cyclist passing you (with proper warning, of course) and a cyclist plowing into you at 20 mph. The trail is no place for ninjas!

Cars are larger than you, and much harder. Please take extra care when crossing streets. When in doubt, yield the right of way – even if it belongs to you.

Cyclists, invest in a good, bright light to guide your way, and a strong red blinky taillight to show others the way. Pedestrian use of lights is also appreciated.

Have fun! Nighttime commuting is a blast!

[dasgeh]

@Drewdane 99174 wrote:

Please wear AT LEAST ONE bright and/or reflective item of clothing (I’m sorry to have to tell you the little reflective tabs on the back of your sneakers simply do not suffice). It could be the difference between a cyclist passing you (with proper warning, of course) and a cyclist plowing into you at 20 mph. The trail is no place for ninjas!

This fall I’ve found that, in the darkest of places, pedestrians are hard to see, even with bright clothing, unless they have a light or something reflective on. It doesn’t have to be big, but those little reflectors on sneakers aren’t helpful because they sometimes look like something on the ground. So reflective on the main part of your body, please.

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