PSA – trail crossings/intersections in the dark

[Tania]

Two times now after dark I’ve been driving on Shreve coming up to the W&OD Crossing and have not been able to spot bicyclists wanting to cross until they’ve been directly in front of me. I’d slowed way down to barely a crawl and was actively looking (I bike through there regularly!) and both times after carefully looking and starting to give some gas, I’ve been surprised by a blur of light crossing the path.

I don’t know if it’s because of the glare of oncoming headlights from cars, or lack of side lights on bikes, or because any reflective stuff on the cyclist isn’t being hit by lights, my aging eyes in the dark or what, but both times it scared the heck out of me BECAUSE I DID’T SEE YOU until you were in the middle of the intersection – which, had I not been barely moving and a good 20ft still from the crossing could have been real trouble. And truly, I was looking because I know that’s a tricky crossing.

So, please: remember that when you’re crossing intersections after dark (even more so if you’re crossing Shreve heading west…).

Clarifying – not faulting the cyclists for continuing through the intersection since I had yielded (assuming there would be people in the intersection) as had oncoming traffic. Just saying: assume you’re invisible and get home safely.

Topic

[Tania]

I have NiteIze (I think that’s their name) clip-on led lights on my spokes in blue and purple. Then I also have a flexible cord that wraps around the frame that lights up in hot pink. I got it off groupon four? years ago I think but I forgot about until SteveO’s Halloween midnight saddles ride. I forget the name of it and the cat is purring in my lap so I don’t want to get up. I took it off after Halloween but it’s going back on today!

Anything that makes you stand out from any direction is a help. Colored (not white) “accent” lights seem to really catch the eye. In the glare of traffic from other cars, white and red lights get lost. To my eyes anyway.

[kcb203]

@Emm 128353 wrote:

I want that light SOOO BAD (it’ll increase my rainbow output significantly!). How do you like it? Does the battery last long? Has it stood up to nasty weather nicely?

I probably get at least 15 hours out of a set of three AA batteries. It seems pretty well sealed. I can’t say I’ve had it on my bike during a downpour, but it’s definitely gotten wet. No trouble at all.

[Subby]

@kcb203 128478 wrote:

I probably get at least 15 hours out of a set of three AA batteries. It seems pretty well sealed. I can’t say I’ve had it on my bike during a downpour, but it’s definitely gotten wet. No trouble at all.

Oh man I am totally getting these.

[americancyclo]

I bought these a while back. They’re cheap and almost a consumable, but they fit on schrader and presta valves and definitely light up brightly. They’re good for a few months before the fall off, or need new batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004T6S90Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

[Subby]

@americancyclo 128567 wrote:

I bought these a while back. They’re cheap and almost a consumable, but they fit on schrader and presta valves and definitely light up brightly. They’re good for a few months before the fall off, or need new batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004T6S90Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I was rocking those this morning which you could have seen in person if you had rolled out early and played with us!

[americancyclo]

@Subby 128572 wrote:

I was rocking those this morning which you could have seen in person if you had rolled out early and played with us!

The phlegm in my lungs and the low grade fever insisted that I refrain from killing my legs. Sorry to have missed it!

[DCAKen]

@americancyclo 128567 wrote:

I bought these a while back. They’re cheap and almost a consumable, but they fit on schrader and presta valves and definitely light up brightly. They’re good for a few months before the fall off, or need new batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004T6S90Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Someone gave me a set of these and I’ve had less success with them. They never turned on very consistently.

[americancyclo]

@DCAKen 128648 wrote:

Someone gave me a set of these and I’ve had less success with them. They never turned on very consistently.

I think the quality is quite sporadic.

[Vicegrip]

What was this about being a sideways ninja? As a rider and driver I have experienced both sides of the intersection light dazzle. I found existing setups lacking in intensity and/or in format. I did not want clunky ugly short lived junk on my bike and wanted to be able to tune the lighting to the conditions.
This setup runs on a self regulated seat tube LiPo and will run for 6 hours on fixed color and for days as in I stopped the test at 48 hour on seat tube flasher. I run it Blue on the forks and top tube and Red on the seat stays for my night and dusk riding. The seat tube rear flasher in integrated in and can be left on while I select to or not to run the frame lights. I run a headlight and rear flasher on MUPs and only flick on the frame lights via a under seat switch in intersections or when on roads at night. (I play a father of two during the day and ride a lot a night)

For disco nights the setup can be run in “ludacris bright” and/or “seizure inducing flash mode” as needed.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10142[/ATTACH]

[Tania]

@Vicegrip 128663 wrote:

What was this about being a sideways ninja?[ATTACH=CONFIG]10142[/ATTACH]

Show off.

Yeah, I’m jealous.

[Vicegrip]

Just a geek with a shop in the backyard that has almost been run over a time or two. I wish there was a way to mass produce this setup for cheap and easy. Getting closer but not there yet. I found a string of LED lights for sale at Walmart that could be used to outline the frame shape. Lumens are not close but neither is the cost.

The intersection dazzle you have pointed out is very real. I got hit with the dazzle issue while coming down the hill on from 66 overpass towards falls church. The car lights on Shreve hid a fellow rider on a damp/foggy evening. We passed way too close due to my poor lane control in large part to not knowing he was there and me trying to keep it on the hard part.

[Author]

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