Night Blindness

[donkeybike]

I have been trying to ride at night more over the last two years (I usually give up by the end of November due to my cold-weather wussiness). I wear a reflective vest and have good lights, but my commute is mostly though North Arlington and its neighborhoods. I am encountering one problem: headlights blind me! Like I have to shield my eyes and feel like I need to veer away kind of blindness. I don’t know if my eyes are just that sensitive (they are otherwise), or headlights have gotten brighter (maybe the new LED technology? Surely all these cars are not using their brights), but it is unbearable. I don’t think there is really any solution, but I am just wondering if anyone else has this problem.

Topic

[Dirt]

Cycling caps definitely make a big difference. They allow you to keep an eye on the trail or road in front of you while blocking out the offending light. The important thing that you have to do is slow down a bit because you’re not looking as far in front of you. I tip mine a little to the left. It isn’t a political statement, or a way to be cool. Since most lights are approaching a little from the left, it lets me look a little further down the trail on the right side to see what is in front of me.

There are many great places to get caps. Most bike shops have a good selection. They range in price from $10 to $40 depending on what you get. At the high end, you get one that is waterproof and breathable and works great in most weather conditions. Some of the hats are wool and have ear flaps for warmth.

My latest find is the Giro Reverb helmet. It has a visor built into the front pad. It is EXACTLY the right length for shading my eyes from oncoming cyclists.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!!!!

Cycling caps have another side benefit too! When it rains out, a cycling cap keeps the rain from falling directly into your eyes. Adjust the brim so that the wind and rain deflect off the brim and go south and north of your eyes, making visibility MUCH better and cycling much more comfortable. Even the cheapest of cotton cycling caps (which I generally don’t recommend for any kind of cool weather cycling) will keep the wind and rain out of your eyes quite well.

Have fun. Try the hats on. See how they fit under your helmet. If the shop you’re shopping in has a bike on a trainer, sit on it and see how the angle and length of the brim fit. My sentimental favorite hat fits my head perfectly, but rarely gets used because its brim is too long and it is hard for me to see out from under.

I hope that helps.

Pete

[KelOnWheels]

@Kolohe 67962 wrote:

*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.

I agree with absolutely everything in this post. (That’s the worst spot on my commute too.)

[Rob_O]

Is there some unwritten rule about following another cyclist at night? I have never been yelled at as badly as I was last night around 5:15pm on the Custis westbound. Claiming he couldn’t f&$#ing see because of my light.

[OneEighth]

Regarding cycling caps—if you are buying a wool cap for the winter, you will want to be able to stiffen the brim. Many wool caps come with a soft brim that can flatten over your eyes in a good headwind. I had the plastic bill stiffener from an old Pace cotton cap sewn into my Pace wool cap. Works great now.

Regarding the question about following another cyclist at night—was your light either extremely bright and on its highest setting or set on flashing mode? Both of those can mess up the rider in front of you (not to mention oncoming trail traffic).

[NicDiesel]

I have a really bad astigmatism that pretty much makes driving and riding at night extremely difficult. Hats definitely help as does riding with contacts and a pair of light colored (orange or yellow) protective anti-reflective glasses.

[Dirt]

@Rob_O 68382 wrote:

Is there some unwritten rule about following another cyclist at night? I have never been yelled at as badly as I was last night around 5:15pm on the Custis westbound. Claiming he couldn’t f&$#ing see because of my light.

High powered bike lights definitely are great to see by and see people, but they really mess up anyone you come in contact with. If you’re following someone for any length of time, dim your light. You don’t need as much if you’re second in line.

[aflapr]

@NicDiesel 68395 wrote:

Hats definitely help as does riding with contacts and a pair of light colored (orange or yellow) protective anti-reflective glasses.

Seconded. I wear “rose colored glasses” during my commute in the dark. This helps a lot, plus it also helps keep the cold air out of my eyes.

[Rob_O]

@Dirt 68399 wrote:

High powered bike lights definitely are great to see by and see people, but they really mess up anyone you come in contact with. If you’re following someone for any length of time, dim your light. You don’t need as much if you’re second in line.

Good to know. Though, it was on the lowest setting and not blinking. I tend to think the larger issue here was an anger management problem.
But I will keep my distance throughout the winter.

[cyclingfool]

@Dirt 68399 wrote:

If you’re following someone for any length of time, dim your light. You don’t need as much if you’re second in line.

Unless their lights are woefully inadequate, in which case it’s probably better to leave them all powered up. Case in point, I had someone thank me last night and compliment me on my light after reeling them in and following them briefly. I helped to light their way, too. They asked for info on my headlight, which I was happy to share. Maybe they’ll pick one up on Amazon as well and be able to see better in the evenings, too.

[CaseyKane50]

This article from Seattle calls riders who don’t dim their lights “bike bullies”.

The author says that it is

the flashing headlights that blind and dazzle most — and provoke the most heated debates on the bike blogs.

Another writer from Seattle thinks that it is a bit “harsh” to call them bullies. He suggests that education,including signs along trails might be a good start to the problem

[Author]

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