http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Polite(ish) request - Head torches en Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:19:59 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15437 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:13:24 +0000 Anonymous 15437@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>when it gets properly dark I use a Petzl TIKKA XP² head torch in addition to a reasonable Cateye bar light; for road sections I'll have the Cateye blinking and the head torch on low, but on the unlit parts of the towpath I'll put both on full beam, providing a decent combination of illumination in front of the bike and where I'm looking. the head torch has a flip up diffuser to spread the beam and/or I will try to angle my head to the side a little when someone is approaching from the opposite direction. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15336 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:17:13 +0000 Cyclingmollie 15336@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I have a head torch for home use - never tried using it on the bike. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15335 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:52:39 +0000 Dave 15335@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd have thought that a blinkie on the bars, main light on the head would be the way forwards - that way you can get good use from a dimmer light (because you can dynamically point it at things you want to see you, like cars in side roads). </p> <p>Then, when entering a "dark zone" (cycle facility) you could just switch off the headtorch altogether, and have your £1.99 "now you see me, now you don't" light to entertain oncoming riders.</p> <p>I happened to ride up the Innocent on Friday at dusk, and just decided to go unlit. However, perhaps a head-mounted light cannon would have been good, to flash oncoming traffic with! ;-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15323 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:50:13 +0000 spitfire 15323@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"Bright light on bars / low power (flashing) torch on helmet."<br /> "My strategy as well"</em></p> <p>Ditto </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15313 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:00:52 +0000 Kim 15313@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Try think about where drivers are looking, think about the height at which most drivers are sitting and where they are looking. They are not looking at cyclist head height, so head torches has little effect on safety if you are wanting to be seen. There is no substitute for <a href="http://to.ly/7KlJ">bright lights</a> on the bike... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15311 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:04:46 +0000 chdot 15311@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not forgetting an earlier thread -</p> <p><a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=118" rel="nofollow">http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=118</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15305 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:12:08 +0000 chdot 15305@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This thread featured in today's Edinbuzzers Daily <a href="http://paper.li/Edinbuzz/edinbuzzers" rel="nofollow">http://paper.li/Edinbuzz/edinbuzzers</a> - stories picked up via mentions on Twitter. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15303 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 03:47:27 +0000 SRD 15303@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"Bright light on bars / low power (flashing) torch on helmet."</em> </p> <p>My strategy as well - especially good when you're going straight through an intersection and cars coming in opposite direction are tempted to turn across your lane (or at least it _feels_ safer). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15297 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 22:03:17 +0000 druidh 15297@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Bright light on bars / low power (flashing) torch on helmet. I like being able to direct the headtorch straight at (possibly) errant drivers, especially on side streets, to make sure they don't pull out in front of me. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15286 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:13:45 +0000 kaputnik 15286@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've been amused and concerned by a number of these cyclists who fit the headlamp off a freight train atop their lid only to put nothing on the rest of their ride. Chap on a sexy (his bike, not him) white carbon Cannondale Six coming out of Canning St Lane was the most recent. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15249 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:37:22 +0000 Smudge 15249@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I like them, they can be very useful and I have a couple, (normal use ones not the off road specials) but most people put the centre spot of the beam a little higher than a position to match where they are looking in their normal standing/riding postion. Generally for cyclists, angled up so when they are leaning forwards it illuminates the track far ahead with the brightest part of the beam. What they forget is that most are not "pencil" beams so the spread of light can be quite dazzling and worse, when they "just glance for a moment" at another road user they blind the poor unfortunate for the length of time it takes their eyes to adjust. (If you are using a marker type light rather than an illuminating front light, up to 30 minutes!)</p> <p>imho (and only an opinion!), they should be adjusted as low as possible for routes where you will encounter oncoming traffic, using the outer front edge of the light pool for seeing the road in front of you and then, if you need to, you can glance up as desired to illuminate potential hazards ahead (hopefully without pointing it up into everyones faces. Where you don't expect oncoming traffic then adjust to your natural line of sight.</p> <p>Working (non-cycling) with a lot of people wearing head torches I quickly learned that 90% of people adjust them to point much higher than they need and spend the first night blinding everyone until they are impolitely informed what is likely to happen if they keep doing it ;-)</p> <p>All that said, I was astonished and appalled this morning (approx 0730) by the 6 or 7 cyclists heading along Slateford Road into town with either no lights at all or one feeble rear light :-( </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15245 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:20:18 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 15245@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was looking at basic headtorches in B&amp;Q the other day, but I did wonder what effect they would have on people coming the other way. Anyway, for alerting cars my new beanie has reflective bits that shine most effectively in headlights. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1583#post-15243 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:14:46 +0000 Smudge 15243@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Was reminded of a pet hate this morning... to those who wear head torches to see where they are going in the mornings;</p> <p>Please remember that to be safe, not only do you need to see where you are going, the oncoming cyclist does as well (or they may well collide with you)<br /> Please therefore direct your head torch downwards, ideally switch to lower power and (rant on) DON'T F*****g look straight AT me with your 20 gazillion lumen headtorch full on because if we collide you are going to need a proctologist to recharge your batteries you selfish bubbleheaded oaf!(rant off)</p> <p>These lights are very impressive, very useful when doing 20-30mph down a singletrack, or whilst dicing with the traffic on a winters morning, but tbh, unless used with a bit of care they are extraordinarily selfish and rude on a nice clear wide track in the half light of dawn (old railway since you ask).</p> <p>Just a thought.... ;-)<br /> S </p>