http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Strobe on cycle paths en Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:04:47 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177&page=2#post-262172 Fri, 29 Sep 2017 17:10:15 +0000 fimm 262172@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@davisonsdave it is a sign of the coming of winter along with the leaves changing colour on the trees and the swallows flying away; there will be a thread on here complaining about too-bright cycle lights. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177&page=2#post-262159 Fri, 29 Sep 2017 15:39:19 +0000 davidsonsdave 262159@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Was this issue not previously discussed on the forum? I had it in my head that a point source like a bike light is unlikely to cause a problem unless the effect fills the vision, which I suppose is possible on a particularly dark part of the cycle path or where the streetlights aren't working.</p> <p>I personally find bright or flashing lights unnecessary on the cycle path so switch to a constant and low power setting when I get to the path. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177&page=2#post-262151 Fri, 29 Sep 2017 14:23:44 +0000 LivM 262151@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Whatever you do, don't look at me!" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177&page=2#post-262143 Fri, 29 Sep 2017 13:44:40 +0000 acsimpson 262143@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'll second that. They may be good for waking up sleeping drivers but on a two way cycle-path they are an unwelcome escalation of photon weaponry. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177&page=2#post-262083 Fri, 29 Sep 2017 05:57:49 +0000 Bigjack 262083@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Helmet mounted lights which are great for off- road riding are especially annoying. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177&page=2#post-261892 Thu, 28 Sep 2017 07:14:27 +0000 Rosie 261892@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When I bought a front light from Evans the guy was at pains to tell me to point it slightly downward so it didn't hit people full on in the eyeballs.</p> <p>I avoid cycling at night anyway and only go on well lit streets so don't need those lights which look like an alien ship has landed.</p> <p>This has generated quite a bit of discussion on Facebook as well.</p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1646146505430755&amp;id=169099526468801" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1646146505430755&amp;id=169099526468801</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177&page=2#post-261885 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 22:45:58 +0000 acsimpson 261885@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It's not just that they are badly directed, they are actually designed to push light up as well as forward and down. Many of these lights are designed for off road riding where you want to light up everything at head height too. A low branch while riding off road at night needs to be illuminated just as much as the trail ahead. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261875 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 20:06:17 +0000 Bigjack 261875@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>One of the main issues with very bright front lights whether flashing or not is the angle at which they're thrown onto the handlebars,frequently pointing up at oncoming eyes and road signs rather than lighting the road just ahead. My dynamo front light is bright but mounted just above the brake and not pointing upwards! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261862 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 18:02:39 +0000 Ed1 261862@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I only use my flashing light if low battery or know journey will last more than 2 hours at night.</p> <p>The only time flasher is useful other than low battery is if want to cross a road at night can turn on the flasher it looks like an police flasher so cars slow to cross road </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261859 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:50:54 +0000 Blueth 261859@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The argument for flashing lights on the road is essentially the same one for not using them on a cyclepath. </p> <p>I have to agree with acsimpson on his points.</p> <p>It is also disappointing to note that the general view on why a light is not adjusted is "Can't be bothered", which shows a poor attitude towards fellow cyclists.</p> <p>And I still can't understand why someone using a light to see their way in darkness would choose to use solely a flashing light rather than have a steady beam to see by, perhaps in addition to a weaker flasher if it really is felt necessary </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261857 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 17:32:34 +0000 Trixie 261857@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks all, I might just go for the cheaper set then. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261854 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 16:51:32 +0000 acsimpson 261854@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I find there are so many variables it's hard to know where to draw the line. If a light is bright enough to see in the dark then I don't think it should ever be flashing. Lights that bright can blind oncoming traffic be it drivers, cyclists or pedestrians. I don't personally want to have a driver anywhere near me who has just had their only active sense disabled by sudden changes of brightnesss. There is a place for flashing lights but there is also a maximum sensible intensity for such things.</p> <p>threefromleiths approach seems best. Be prepared to adjust your lights for the situation you are riding in. Yes you may have to cycle through 7 different intensities if you bought the cheap lights but that is no excuse. Would you accept a driver telling you they didn't give you more space because it was hard?</p> <p>The other nasty thing about these flashing blinders is that they render the path behind you invisible. I used to try reasoning with people passing me in the dark but last winter after almost colliding with a rider following a flashing blinder I decided to play them at their own game. If an approaching bike (or car) has lights so bright (or flashy) I can't see what's behind them then I switch my light to full power. It's still only 800 lumens but at least I then have a chance of being able to see what's coming. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261850 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 16:29:39 +0000 Ed1 261850@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My fake moon has lasted 2 years. The battery life is not as good as the other 2 small lights I got from aldi but the moon is way brighter about 100 lumen. I have the rear moon light.</p> <p>The low charge light on my fake moon light on my fake moon has never worked only fault have had.</p> <p>The small light set from aldi is still quite a bright rear light and lasts for a long time</p> <p>My volt 300 although not the best headlight has a great stobe as get full 300 lumen on stobe some lights are reduced on strobe mode I think. If I put strobe on creates a flashing half a mile down the road on sign posts </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261848 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 16:10:45 +0000 dougal 261848@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>After enough seizures you don't hang around to test the waters if you're worried/uncomfortable.</p> <p>Things that affect discomfort levels:</p> <p>- brightness compared to ambient conditions<br /> - frequency<br /> - field of vision taken up by light<br /> - how much I can escape if things get hairy </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261846 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 16:00:26 +0000 CycleCommute.CC 261846@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had 3 of the moon copies, none of them lasted beyond 3 months :( </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261844 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:52:41 +0000 paddyirish 261844@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@trixie</p> <p>I've actually had better results from my Aldi lower spec lights, both in terms of usb charge life and light life. The moon rip offs were very bright, but in practical terms, think they were not worth the extra. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261827 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 13:26:05 +0000 Trixie 261827@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Slight drift but I'm in need of lights. I only cycle on residential type roads and cycle paths currently and don't forsee that changing in the immediate future - would the Aldi Moon copies be overkill for such use? They're on sale again tomorrow. I'm concerned about dazzling, given the front light seems to fit to the handlebars. They'd be for an upright foldy bike so my handlebars are quite high. Indeed does anyone have these lights and do they work well over time? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261821 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 13:06:30 +0000 threefromleith 261821@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm using a 'photon canon' as a secondary front light at the moment on the NEPN as there are long stretches where the lights are off at 6am and it's pitch-dark*. Whilst my Ay-Ups are good, they really need help where there's no light at all. If there's someone coming the other way, I can quickly and easily point the light directly downward (it's attached by rubber o-rings that don't hold very tightly), then flip it back up when they've passed.</p> <p>Once I get back onto well-lit sections of path, I switch it to low-power and point it so that it's only lighting the path a few feet from my front wheel - it helps make any glass sparkle so I can see it coming.</p> <p>I used to switch it to a low-powered flash last year on well-lit sections, but I reckon it flashes a little too quickly so I now avoid that mode unless I'm on the road in traffic.</p> <p>* (edit - I've reported some of these, and am still waiting for them to be fixed over a week later. The longest unlit stretch starts before Boswall Drive and ends at the bridge over Crewe Road North) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261819 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 12:59:40 +0000 LivM 261819@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@rider73 agree, I use one that is bright enough to be visible against the background of car headlights but isn't one of the "light up the hillside" things that one might use on a country lane or mountain bike track. </p> <p>If I am travelling at 15mph, I travel 22 feet in a second (<a href="http://www.kylesconverter.com/speed-or-velocity/miles-per-hour-to-feet-per-second" rel="nofollow">http://www.kylesconverter.com/speed-or-velocity/miles-per-hour-to-feet-per-second</a>) so a normal-ish flashing light that is maybe off for 1/2 a second means that I would be losing 11 feet of visibility, so what's the point? A decent "light the path" for a view of what I'm riding on plus a slightly annoying but not dazzling flickering one for alerting dozy drivers is my preferred combination. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261818 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 12:54:38 +0000 rider73 261818@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@fimm +1 from me.</p> <p>personally i use a small flashing front light, as its not designed to be used for me to see ahead just to be noticed, and a flashing rear for the same reason also - i , like others am under the impression flashing lights are proven to be more noticable than steady....</p> <p>some cycling lights though seem just too bright for intended use - especially as its seems some are pointing perfectly horizontal rather than down and ahead. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261793 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:34:12 +0000 steveo 261793@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was disucssing this is Roibeard yesterday. </p> <p>Personally I'm tempted to start running with my off road only photon cannon on flash on an armband so I can direct it to these half wits. Yes I know its hard to adjust the light mode when riding but you know what lots of stuff is hard. </p> <p>Or I could use one of my big camera strobes and really light things up. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261792 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:26:02 +0000 14Westfield 261792@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The guys (and invariably it is guys) who blast the NEPN and other off road paths with high power strobe lights are assholes.</p> <p>Unfortunately assholes are a group particularly resistant to changing their own behavior when routinely inconveniencing other people.. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261789 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:10:58 +0000 paddyirish 261789@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@fimm </p> <p>+1 </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261787 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 09:54:20 +0000 fimm 261787@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes, Blueth, but as IWRATS says, anyone who rides on cyclepaths also rides on the road and equips themselves with lights etc accordingly.</p> <p>I run one flashing and one steady light front and back. There's no way I'm stopping to adjust my back light. I will switch my front light to continuous if I remember; but I don't always notice if I'm on a path like the NEPN which has streetlights.</p> <p>Someone on FaceBook commented that they don't like flashing lights on bikes as a driver because they are "distracting" and it "makes it hard to judge distance". I was tempted to turn my sarcasm mode up and comment "so if I have a flashing light on my bike you are likely to look at me more and spend extra time waiting to see where I am and what I am going to do? Sounds like a good reason for flashing lights to me...." </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261774 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 08:29:04 +0000 Blueth 261774@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It looks like the standard setters got it right, if the info above from Epilepsy UK is correct, but lots of lights don't comply with the rules.</p> <p>I have never seen tonnes of inattentive steel on a cyclepath (which is what this thread is about). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261769 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 08:03:12 +0000 I were right about that saddle 261769@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>We use strobe in a desperate bid to stay alive amidst the tonnes of inattentive steel. Most lights I've had aren't really designed to be controlled while you ride. You pick a mode and off you go, though I toggle between flash and photon cannon when I use the canal.</p> <p>If this person is harmed by the flashing then I think they need to get in touch with whoever sets the standard for bicycle lights, though even that may be futile in the Ebay age.</p> <p>Little point in trying to reach out to all cyclists. In the meantime perhaps they could help us campaign for segregated infrastructure. There will be a surge in strobe light sales if the proposed steel maelstrom is built on Picardy Place. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261767 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 07:00:42 +0000 gembo 261767@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@blueth</p> <p>A. They like a disco<br /> B. They like to save battery power=/</p> <p>I have strong front light which is constant with a blink on top. I have back up front ligh on flash.</p> <p>None of this is bothersome but soon I will be banging on about dipping front headlights. The new cheap lights are so bright they blind oncoming cyclists, but people do not know about dipping down to the left. I always start being nice BUTwill soon be told to feck off for asking people to dip their lights. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261765 Wed, 27 Sep 2017 00:06:24 +0000 Blueth 261765@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Epilepsy aside, I find it bloody annoying. These lights are meant to be disturbing to motorists in order to attract attention. </p> <p>Wny does anyone want to bamboozle their own vision by using them in the complete darkness, particularly where there is no motor traffic? Let alone in broad daylight on a cycle path as I often see. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261759 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 22:30:06 +0000 snowcycle 261759@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oh, this would only affect people who suffer from photosensitive epilepsy. Not all people who have epilepsy are affected. This can be determined by an EEG test using flashing light that vary in intensity and frequency. The frequency varies with each sufferer. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18177#post-261756 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 22:26:33 +0000 snowcycle 261756@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hi,</p> <p>Epilepsy Uk say "In the UK, the flash rate of strobe lights is restricted to a maximum of four flashes a second by the Health and Safety Executive. This rate is considered to be safe for most people. However, some people with photosensitive epilepsy may still find strobe lights could trigger a seizure."</p> <p>My knog lights are on flash on the Roseburn Path so I can pick out cyclists heading towards me and to get noticed by pedestrians. However, I know my light flashes at 2Hz. :-) Also, the street lights have just been switched off, and it is difficult to see cyclists and pedestrians without lights. </p>