Night Blindness

[Kolohe]

*raises hand*

Yes, I have the same problem too. The worst place for me is the MVT between the Airport and Old Town where many portions of the trail are below the road grade and so one is looking directly into the lights.

I don’t find it to be as much of an issue in areas of sufficient ambient light, for instance the W&OD between Col Pike and Shirlington Road. Or, paradoxically, on any unlit trail when there is a low overcast, to the point of drizzly fog – the backscatter from city lights brightens everything up sufficiently (the way even a full moon doesn’t).

I bought towards the end of last winter (but haven’t used it this winter yet, I keep on forgetting to put it on the charger) a really high lumen light, which I adjust to an aimpoint centered on the ground a few yards ahead of me. I found that it helps quite a bit to keep the headlights from being quite a blinding, by making the difference in brightness less.

[rcannon100]

A lot of people struggle with it and it can be difficult. You are in an environment of brutal contrast – high power lights with high illumination, and areas of darkness and shadows. The human eye is marvelous and can adjust to one or the other – but struggles with both simultaneously.

In a car, there are usually fixed points you can track (lines in the road, signs, landmarks). On a bicycle where you are not sure where the trail actually is, it can be harder. My solution is usually to lock in on some fixed points I can see, and then do not look at the oncoming bicycle at all. This generally works – but strobing / flashing headlights are a nightmare. All bright (where’s my fixed points) – boom – all dark (oh no, where’s the trail) – boom – all bright (dammit!) – boom – all dark (I give up and just stop).

I have no idea but you might try different glasses. You might find glasses with a slight tint or polarization help. I have no idea other than to feel your pain.

BTW you do know why pirates wore eye-patches, right? It wasnt because they had lost an eye. It was to deal with the light. When they attacked in daylight, they were wear an eyepatch over one eye to keep it adjusted to a low light environment. While attacking, they could see with one eye. When they boarded the boat, and went below deck, they would take the eyepatch off and they could see with the other eye. http://mentalfloss.com/article/52493/why-did-pirates-wear-eye-patches

[Amalitza]

I have issues riding southbound on MVT with northbound headlights on GWP. They are probably mostly running highbeams, though (’cause I tend to do this around 10pm when traffic is light).

…I also have issues with headlights when driving my car at night, so I might just be extra sensitive…

[Steve]

Huge problem for me on my morning commute, going south on MVT from Memorial Bridge to 14th St. Enough so that I take Ohio Drive sometimes instead, despite the crazy long light you get sometimes trying to cross RCP.

Anyways, one thing that can help a little bit is a visor or cycling cap. The bill can do a lot to block the light and still allow you to see out far enough on the trail that you feel safe. I got a lighter moisture wicking one this year, because it seemed like the dark came much quicker than the cold weather.

[GuyContinental]

I used to ride WB on the WOD every morning and had terrible trouble with hundreds of inbound commuters with high lumen lights blinding me- I think that I’m particularly sensitive since I had Lasik some years back. The trick that I discovered and now swear by, is the goofy “elite” cycling cap plus clear lenses with UV protection. The tiny cap brim is very close to your eyes so ducking your head just a touch blocks out most of the glare and the very slight tint of the glasses cuts out a bit more. The MTB helmets with plastic brims are too far from your face- good for sun, pretty much worthless for oncoming lights.

I use a cheap PI cotton cap in warm weather and (thanks to Hozn’s recommendation) have a “favorite gear” Rothera cap with fleece lining and ear flaps.

I always wondered what the hell those caps were good for… now I understand.

[rcannon100]

Where did yousse guys buy your caps from?

[TwoWheelsDC]

Another vote for a cycling cap…they’re also lifesavers in these shoulder months where the sun is low in the sky during AM/PM commuting times. Overall though, I’ve found that there really is no solution to this problem…but you can mitigate it by being comfortable with your bike and comfortable with your route. There is one road where headlights are a real issue for me, but I know it so well that I can at least be confident that I’m not going to hit some random pothole or pavement seam or whatever. It also helps to try and relax your grip on the bike…if you hit a mystery bump when you’re tensed up, it’s more likely that you’ll lose control.

[Terpfan]

I’m thinking of that one spot right before the marina (little incline with a sideways U) on the MVT that always gets me. I’ve gotten to the point where I just try to go fast through that incline to avoid the problem. I would be lying if I said I didn’t turn my light to it’s highest function and point it at obnoxious cars with their bright lights on. What would help here is guardrails. But zero chance of that happening.

[Steve]

@rcannon100 67980 wrote:

Where did yousse guys buy your caps from?

Mine are Walz. I like them. Others have their preferences, some of which are in this thread.

[Rootchopper]

Have you had your vision checked for astigmatgism or cataracts? Seriously. Both conditions make night vision much worse.

I second the idea of a visor and a cap. I used to wear an old cycling cap I got from Bike Virginia in 1991 but the Department fo Health made me throw it out. (Toxic waste.) I bought a new cap from Walz. It’s more better because it is made of a wicking fabric.

Upright riding position make the night vision problem worse too. My recumbent is really hard to ride on the MVT after DST ends.

Speaking of the MVT the blinding spots continue well south of Old Town. Wouldn’t it be nice if the National Park Service planted some evergreen shrubs at these places to make riding safer? I saw a cyclist hit a runner last spring at the south end of the 4MR overpass just after DCA. The runner was back lit by car headlights.

[cyclingfool]

The MVT is certainly the worst for this problem is, at least on my commute route. The one or two spots where the trail is below road grade between the airport and Four Mile Run are awful, so at this time of year, I sometimes feel lucky that I don’t have to go past 4MR.

My strategy is a modified version of the one I remember learning in drivers ed for dealing with high beams of oncoming cars that don’t switch back to low, and that is finding a fixed point or boundary line (such as the right edge of the trail since there are no fog lines) that is visible to me by my own light, keeping my head down, and not looking directly into the oncoming lights. Since I know the trail at the back of my hand after five years of daily commuting, this strategy serves me well enough, though it is far from perfect and and would not be as effective on stretches of trail that I was unfamiliar with.

In my opinion, it is a real safety issue along the MVT in many places, and I wish that they would do something to mitigate the problem.

[DismalScientist]

My strategy for dealing with oncoming headlights on the MVT is to take Eads Street.:rolleyes:

[DCAKen]

The trail through Rock Creek Park is also bad in the places where it’s a little below the grade of the parkway or Beach Drive. Then there’s the usual ninja runners who are even more difficult to see in these areas. One of the worst places this time of year is just south of Pierce Mill, when the trail is almost covered in leaves. In the morning as I head north, it can be very difficult to even see where the trail is with the glare of the headlights.

I’ve found that using a helmet with a visor helps quite a bit with blocking the headlights. This is even useful when I’m Beach Drive and faced with the truly annoying drivers who refuse to turn off their high beams.

[dasgeh]

For me the worst spot was the 110 trail beside the cemetery, headed into traffic. Ugh. Don’t miss that part of my commute.

Second the cycling cap, or the visor built into the helmet.

[donkeybike]

@Rootchopper 67991 wrote:

Have you had your vision checked for astigmatgism or cataracts? Seriously. Both conditions make night vision much worse.

I second the idea of a visor and a cap. I used to wear an old cycling cap I got from Bike Virginia in 1991 but the Department fo Health made me throw it out. (Toxic waste.) I bought a new cap from Walz. It’s more better because it is made of a wicking fabric.

Upright riding position make the night vision problem worse too.

Wow–thanks everyone! This was something I thought was just me, so it does help to know it’s a common problem, and I even got some ideas here that may help. I will definitely ask at my next eye appt., but I am a hybrid rider (straight as a stick), so therein lies the problem!

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