http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Those excessively bright/badly adjustedfront lights yet again!!! en Tue, 19 May 2026 04:47:12 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856&page=2#post-208729 Sun, 17 Jan 2016 20:43:18 +0000 Min 208729@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I don't turn off my bike lights when I go from bike paths onto the road. Not sure why you would expect joggers to. </em></p> <p>I am not sure why you are comparing the two? Lights are a legal requirement for cyclists. Dazzling/freaking other foot propelled people on the pavement for no reason at all is just anti-social. IMO. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856&page=2#post-208717 Sun, 17 Jan 2016 16:42:10 +0000 Blueth 208717@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I fell in to conversation with a chap on the train a while ago and I happened to mention that I had put a new lens on my light (the same as the Chinese laser he had) that spread the light out better rather than giving a pencil beam. </p> <p>His did not seem to be set downwards and he said the only time he needed to use the maximum of the three settings was on the cyclepaths. Maybe 'tis he that folk are meeting? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856&page=2#post-208596 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 15:30:39 +0000 dougal 208596@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I don't turn off my bike lights when I go from bike paths onto the road. Not sure why you would expect joggers to. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208588 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 14:38:44 +0000 kaputnik 208588@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@fimm as noted above, joggers on pavements (or shared path) may suddenly change direction as they dodge dogs/pedestrians/puddles etc. with much more rapidity than a pedestrian. They may often in my experience be in "the zone" and perhaps not paying quite so much attention as to what's behind/infront/to side of them.</p> <p>I've almost been caught out a few times by joggers launching themselves off of pavements without looking to either divert around an obstruction or to cross the road. I also had a jogger run into the side of me once as we both crossed a toucan crossing on the Broomhouse path. We were alongside and he suddenly made a left turn into me as he decided to change his route (or suddenly became aware of where he was on his route and that he was about to miss his turn).</p> <p>So it's good to keep an eye out for them and be aware. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208577 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 14:09:06 +0000 fimm 208577@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@kaputnik but why do you need to be able to see joggers? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208576 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 14:05:08 +0000 amir 208576@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Freaked me out as they came up behind me and I saw the light bobbing and didn't know which way to move. "</p> <p>Dogs with lights can be really freaky </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208575 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:55:05 +0000 steveo 208575@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>(I find it's only hardened cyclists who forget they're off the bike who run down the road making hand signals before turning)</p> <p></em>I thought it was just me! Also shoulder checking before changing direction even when walking on the BH path. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208573 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:53:47 +0000 wingpig 208573@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The Roseburn path roller-skier's head-torch had an initially-puzzling pattern of movement. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208571 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:48:35 +0000 kaputnik 208571@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Have seen quite a few joggists with the LED arm bands, pretty useful I think as the arm movement of a jogger is distinctive and it draws your eye/attention to them. Given the likelihood of a jogger to suddenly change direction without notice (I find it's only hardened cyclists who forget they're off the bike who run down the road making hand signals before turning), it's good to be able to pick them out. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208568 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:12:36 +0000 Min 208568@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It didn't seem possible in these cases for the wearers not to have noticed given the bright white light they were casting! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208559 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:33:41 +0000 fimm 208559@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Totally agree Min; but it is possible to run somewhere unlit and forget to turn ones headtorch off when one returns to lit roads. The WTF person I saw the other day was running on the pavement wearing a green LED armband. Possibly useful on the towpath, but on a pavement nowhere near the towpath? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-208556 Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:05:26 +0000 Min 208556@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Another new entrant in the Light Wars. Two in fact. A woman running along South Bridge with a very bright head torch on. Then later on, near my street, two more women running, one also with a head torch. Freaked me out as they came up behind me and I saw the light bobbing and didn't know which way to move. Since when did it become <em>de rigueur</em> to wear a head torch when running in streetlit places? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-207573 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 16:11:07 +0000 Tulyar 207573@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When dazzled I can often become 'disoriented and veer all over the place' which seems to have the required effect on most over bright lighted road users - it also makes the point to be shading my eyes with one hand as I veer like a moth towards the source of the light. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-207561 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 13:05:16 +0000 Min 207561@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I almost forgot about a new entrant I spotted in the Light Wars. Last week a woman was pushing a buggy towards me on the pavement and the buggy was fitted with a pair of searchlights. </p> <p>They will be everywhere by next winter. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-207095 Mon, 21 Dec 2015 11:59:03 +0000 Dave 207095@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"I'm amazed none of the cycling companies have done a car type light"</em></p> <p>In any case, even if you have such a light, there's no guarantee it will satisfy oncomers. </p> <p>I've been using cut-off beam lights for as long as I can remember, and since every commute has an unlit section I can see the light is well aligned, but every so often I still get a "shouter". I just figure they will gradually succumb to blood pressure... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-207033 Fri, 18 Dec 2015 18:28:56 +0000 Darkerside 207033@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"I'm amazed none of the cycling companies have done a car type light with two LEDs where the dipped beam is always on and a full beam controlled by a switch with the option to press briefly for a flash or hold to lock on / off."</p> <p>Luxos IQ2 U does exactly that. And charges your phone from the switch :)</p> <p>Also has daytime running lights, to continue the car-type-ness</p> <p><a href="http://www.darkerside.org/2013/11/luxos-iq2-u-dynamo-headlight-review/" rel="nofollow">http://www.darkerside.org/2013/11/luxos-iq2-u-dynamo-headlight-review/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-207031 Fri, 18 Dec 2015 17:38:17 +0000 cc 207031@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The non-h*lm*t*d can get the same effect by wearing peaked headgear such as a bunnet, a baseball cap, etc. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-207029 Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:47:17 +0000 Dave 207029@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think the battle to get everyone to use dim lights / multiple lights / change modes / physically re-adjust their light was probably lost years (decades?) ago. </p> <p>I like just having a peak so I'm not dazzled by anything (tilt your head forward so the light source is behind the peak - you can still see miles of the surface coming up).</p> <p>Flashing front lights so you can't easily work out where the oncoming rider actually is, that is a LOT more annoying than a light which is a little bright IMO. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206999 Fri, 18 Dec 2015 07:34:28 +0000 Charterhall 206999@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Vice versa, I was being followed the other night by someone with a massively bright flashing front light. I'd passed them and much to my irritation they speeded up to sit on my wheel. The brightness of their flashing light overwhelmed my own (non flashing) lights to the point that I was at the point off having to stop to let them get in front again. Fortunately a junction intervened and our paths diverged. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206984 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 20:40:09 +0000 Blueth 206984@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well jdanielp I think you may be expecting too much in thinking that consideration should be given to a following stranger.</p> <p>It is far too common now that cyclists riding in a group with "friends" seem to feel that it is appropriate, let alone discourteous at best, to use overly bright and/or flashing lights. </p> <p>What chance then any thought being given to you or me? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206949 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 12:35:20 +0000 twq 206949@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My Lezyne is attached with a rubber strap - makes it easier to dip down when people coming the other way.<br /> Also easy to change between high and low settings, flash etc. I use a flashing light on the roads, low light dipped on bike paths, bright light on the super-dark part of the Innocent. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206944 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 11:40:27 +0000 steveo 206944@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Camera flash gun?</em></p> <p>Ah now you're talking!! :D</p> <p><em>Trying to scroll down to the lowest level on an icy Innocent with cold gloved hands can be quite tricky.</em></p> <p>My Leyzene has a "race" mode which cycles between high and low avoiding messing around with mid and flash, presumably for off-road events where you'd want low on the climbs and every available photon for descents. Its not quite so useful on the road as sometimes mid is quite handy but I'd never use it on flash. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206942 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 11:20:35 +0000 Min 206942@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I'm amazed none of the cycling companies have done a car type light with two LEDs where the dipped beam is always on and a full beam controlled by a switch with the option to press briefly for a flash or hold to lock on / off.</em></p> <p>I would really like that for mine. Trying to scroll down to the lowest level on an icy Innocent with cold gloved hands can be quite tricky. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206940 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 11:07:00 +0000 dougal 206940@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@tk I'm pretty sure lights manufacturers don't give any thought to the use or usability of their lights. My latest shopping trip revealed that Lezyne's main contender had something like EIGHT OPERATING MODES. Why would I ever need such things?!? Presumably they can be made to pulse in time to your favourite style of music. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206938 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 11:03:35 +0000 urchaidh 206938@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I wonder if I could carry an audi head lamp...</em></p> <p>Camera flash gun? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206937 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:58:50 +0000 tk 206937@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm amazed none of the cycling companies have done a car type light with two LEDs where the dipped beam is always on and a full beam controlled by a switch with the option to press briefly for a flash or hold to lock on / off. Given many lights now have two really bright LEDs it would seem a great alternative to having multiple power levels. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206930 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:36:10 +0000 steveo 206930@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Probably not, just confirm to them that bright lights are 'normal'.</p> <p>Probably. Though the plan was to only activate them when said twonk was closer then off again. I wonder if I could carry an audi head lamp... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206929 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:35:26 +0000 jdanielp 206929@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I found myself behind a cyclist with a dazzlingly bright and pulsing rear light on my way home along the towpath last night. They were held up by slower moving traffic on the Slateford Aqueduct which allowed me to close the gap relatively safely and then go for an overtake along Meggetland (strangely the light wasn't as bad close up so its main beam was presumably quite focussed), partly because I was cycling faster than them anyway but partly also to point out that their light was rather too bright. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206928 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:29:19 +0000 chdot 206928@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"2000 lumens in the face should make the point"</p> <p>Probably not, just confirm <em>to them</em> that bright lights are 'normal'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15856#post-206927 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:22:33 +0000 wingpig 206927@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You could write "<code>WAY TOO HIGH/BRIGHT</code>" in retro-reflective tape on a board, for mounting at above handlebar height for journeys along the NEPN and canal at night. Could also be mounted on the back of the head for those people whose presence behind you is announced by the appearance of your shadow on overhanging trees or the reflections from signs eight feet above the ground at junctions. </p>