http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Blinding bike lights en Thu, 21 May 2026 11:53:09 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-299290 Tue, 15 Jan 2019 13:31:27 +0000 Edinburgh Cycle Training 299290@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I encounter very bright lights occasionally.</p> <p>They have never been more than a very temporary annoyance though. I've never been blinded, not had any damage to my eyes. Perhaps its the lenses on the £10 Bolle Screwfix safety specs I tend to wear? Highly recommended cheap cycling eyewear!</p> <p>Whether cycling or driving, I can pick out cyclists much easier when they have blinking lights. Fixed lights are easily lost in urban traffic.</p> <p>Flashers on a dark path are again only mildly annoying. Like me, I assume most I come across change between paths and traffic on their journey. I don't think its reasonable of me to insist they switch their lights every time. I'd rather they forgot to switch to fixed on a path than forgot to switch back to blink on a road, and stayed safer in traffic</p> <p>I get much more annoyed by cyclists who don't know how to share space, who pass close without warning, or who buzz pedestrians. Still, i'd rather they were behaving like that on a bike than behind the wheel of a car. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-299287 Tue, 15 Jan 2019 13:20:10 +0000 fimm 299287@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>One of my front lights annoys <em>me</em> when it is on flash mode... so I don't run it on flash if I can help it. But sometimes I want to because I like to have a light on flash and the other light I pair it with is even more offensive... I only use that one on flash in daylight...</p> <p>The trouble is, you buy a light in a shop or over the internet, you have no real idea what it looks like in real life. I don't suppose my annoying light is that bright really but I don't know.</p> <p>And then you mount your light on a cylindrical handlebar and expect it to stay pointing exactly where you put it.</p> <p>And then you get drivers ranting about invisble cyclists so you want to make sure you are not one of them. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-299286 Tue, 15 Jan 2019 13:10:51 +0000 davidsonsdave 299286@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think there is an arguement for using some degree of blinking lights when on the road where there are lots of other bright lights from cars, shops, etc. </p> <p>I was cycling down Blackford Ave last night behind a cyclist with a fairly standard non-flashing rear light, and I was taken by just how invisible they were as they followed behind a line of braking cars.</p> <p>I tend to stick on some brighter flashing lights on the road when I feel it is required. I sometimes also put on the helmet lights if I feel that oncoming traffic wouldn't be able to see me over parked vehicles or at junctions. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-299282 Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:35:55 +0000 dougal 299282@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Five out of six cyclists stopped in front of me on Leith Street this morning had blinking lights, one of them uncomfortably obnoxious. These people must surely look around them and realise what kind of people they are? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-299278 Tue, 15 Jan 2019 12:11:09 +0000 steveo 299278@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Nearly came a cropper twice this morning, once a bright strobing light totally messed up my distance perception - between the pedestrian and the less irritatingly light cyclist I just had to come to near hault till the strobing moron passed. </p> <p>Other one I was about to pull out round a ped when I realised the super bright light a safe distance away was completely obscuring the oncoming cyclist with a more modest light much much closer. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-299261 Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:38:17 +0000 ianfieldhouse 299261@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ever since Xmas the canal path has been full of folk with crazy lights. Guess loads got them as presents or in the sales. Even had a pedestrian with a super bright torch shining it directly into on coming cyclists eyes. I presume they had got sick of the situation and decided to 'give some back'. Could end badly for him when someone can't see where they are going and ends up ploughing into him.</p> <p>I've given up and returned to the roads until my commute can be completed in daylight. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-299254 Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:21:31 +0000 wingpig 299254@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Two ultrabright unshaped beams on the WoL this morning going east. First was a person I've seen about before... lots of long curly reddish-brown hair springing out from their hat and a gruffly negative reaction to a request to point their light downwards. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-298819 Mon, 07 Jan 2019 21:54:09 +0000 stiltskin 298819@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I would say yes also. On the grounds that a: 800 lumens is more than enough to blind someone, and b: If a driver is going to stop his car to speak to you in that fashion I would give them the benefit of the doubt and accept taht they do have a problem with your light*</p> <p>* Not guaranteed to be a 100% reliable guide. (but folks really do seem to be unable to accept quite how bright modern bike lights actually are.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-298817 Mon, 07 Jan 2019 20:23:32 +0000 gembo 298817@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I would say yes, dip light down to left. Can be blinding. 800 used to be very blinding. Now just blinding. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-298814 Mon, 07 Jan 2019 19:38:46 +0000 Ed1 298814@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When cycling near Doune last monday on the B8032 a single lane road with very few a cars a car stopped telling me to dip my lights. I have a Cateye 800 volt. Does this really required dipping? It lights verge well but in respect of beam wondered if should have gone for the 1300 after buying it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471&page=2#post-287067 Tue, 17 Jul 2018 10:10:55 +0000 steveo 287067@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Same dude as last time, I was hoping he'd be on here so I could discuss it without having to stop, but I guess not.</p> <p>I'm not sure if he's just a sensitive soul but none of the hundreds of people I've passed in the last two weeks have taken umbrage and just to make sure I checked with my phones spirit level, it is about 7 degrees from horizontal. So yeah not perfectly adjusted but if this dude is a newbie he's going to have a real problem cycling with one hand over his face come November. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-287066 Tue, 17 Jul 2018 09:35:28 +0000 wingpig 287066@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Did you blind someone this morning, who then shook their fist at you and shouted that they'd tell on you to CCE? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-287058 Tue, 17 Jul 2018 08:28:03 +0000 steveo 287058@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oh arbiter of nepn cycle lighting, I beseech thee reveal thy self... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286229 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 21:30:36 +0000 steveo 286229@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Nah gembo way out of my way these days.</p> <p>This is mine, tiny little LEDS on the bottom are the only ones that should have been light.<br /> <a href="http://en.bumm.de/produkte/dynamo-scheinwerfer/lumotec-iq-cyo-t.html" rel="nofollow">http://en.bumm.de/produkte/dynamo-scheinwerfer/lumotec-iq-cyo-t.html</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286228 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 21:09:02 +0000 gembo 286228@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Day time lights far less blinding than night time ones </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286226 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 20:37:55 +0000 Frenchy 286226@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Not hugely sure why it was on coming over the aqueduct </em></p> <p>I've not found a reason to switch mine off. Perhaps I should?</p> <p>I've been using flashing lights during the day for years, so that if a driver says "Sorry, didn't see you", I can even more justifiably raise an eyebrow. Since getting dynamo lights on both bikes, I don't have flashing lights, but haven't found an advantage to switching them off during the day. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286225 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 20:36:27 +0000 piosad 286225@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Here is a discussion <a href="http://www.cyclingweekly.com/group-tests/daytime-running-lights-373627" rel="nofollow">http://www.cyclingweekly.com/group-tests/daytime-running-lights-373627</a></p> <p>I have Reelight CIO lights (they use a small magnet on the spoke rather than a hub dynamo). They are meant to be visible in daylight and apparently the visibility is quite good, but they are small, blinky and do not point upwards (unless you actually point them upwards). I'm quite happy with them — they aren't meant to actually light your way, but they solve the 'forgot to charge/forgot to put them on/someone nicked them' problems, which are otherwise a faff for me with the bike being stored outside. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286224 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 20:19:30 +0000 gembo 286224@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@steveo, it was not you on aqueduct, that was a largish Dynamo. </p> <p>Have spotted a few lights on during daylight at the moment. What is this new trend? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286223 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 20:13:02 +0000 steveo 286223@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>do you have particularly shiny hubs?</em></p> <p>Just blingy blue rotor bolts and matching qr, should be gazing longingly not amdram covering eyes! </p> <p>@gembo I'm willing to accept its not perfectly adjusted but four little leds should not be dazzling. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286221 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 19:52:57 +0000 gembo 286221@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Was slightly blinded by Dynamo light this morning. Not hugely sure why it was on coming over the aqueduct </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286214 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 19:18:01 +0000 ARobComp 286214@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Steveo - do you have particularly shiny hubs? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-286211 Mon, 02 Jul 2018 18:01:47 +0000 steveo 286211@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>First person covering their eyes as I rode past this evening, it's a bit like Christmas, apparently the four drl lights on the bottom of my b&amp;m dynamo light were dazzling. The sun however was not.... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-272965 Fri, 19 Jan 2018 00:02:56 +0000 Snowy 272965@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I guess that these tiny LEDs that give a tiny flash once a second are better than nothing, and perhaps (?) meet the legal requirements, but they are pretty ineffectual. I stepped off the pavement this evening and nearly flattened an all-in-black rider using these things front and back. I had shoulder-checked and got nothing. A second is a long time. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-272959 Thu, 18 Jan 2018 23:35:06 +0000 I were right about that saddle 272959@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Blinder in Inch park. Individual cycling with, I think, some sort of domestic LED array strapped to their handlebars. Retina-searing and not much use for illuminating his/her way. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-272947 Thu, 18 Jan 2018 22:04:38 +0000 wingpig 272947@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I saw a flashing white light in the distance along Seafield Prom, up with which I eventually caught after it turned out to be facing rearwards on someone pedalling in the same direction as me. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-272943 Thu, 18 Jan 2018 21:35:58 +0000 the canuck 272943@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>i managed to shout out to a cyclist that her light had gone completely round the handle bar and was pointing at her jacket. she was happy to hear this while on a side road, not the main one. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-272941 Thu, 18 Jan 2018 21:13:50 +0000 SRD 272941@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>i was grumpy at a guy whose light was too bright while he was at the other end of MMW from me. then realised - after passing wing pig and not being able to see him - that my front light was on upside down and pointing up not down. oops. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-272935 Thu, 18 Jan 2018 21:02:41 +0000 the canuck 272935@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>so this evening, while at a stop light i told the cyclist behind me that his flashing light was dangerously bright. i wasn't able to do shoulder checks because i couldn't see anything but his light, and then when i turned back to look front, i still had dazzle.</p> <p>but on the flip side, his was better than the guy i saw near home, who had no bike lights at all, but rather a tiny red and a tiny white up on his helmet. looked middle aged and middle class, so rather surprising. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-270590 Fri, 22 Dec 2017 17:02:05 +0000 miak 270590@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When i was run over in Feb while using a 1700 lumens mountain bike light and a smaller body mounted lezyne flashing light the drivers defence barrister argued successfully in court i wasn't adequately lit although my front light exceeded the output of the driver's dimmed headlights ... you cant win </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18471#post-270572 Fri, 22 Dec 2017 14:24:40 +0000 Arellcat 270572@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I find very bright lights irritating. I've never been blinded nor had my retinas seared.</em></p> <p>A velomobile acquaintance of mine in Belgium was recently attacked by a car driver who was aiming a handheld green laser. His retina <em>was</em> seared, and he may not recover full sight in one of his eyes.</p> <p><em>Only the other week I had an oncoming cyclist point and my light and bark aggressively at me that my light was "eye level"</em></p> <p>Unfortunately for lowlife people like Laid Back and me, on our super reclined machines, car headlights, bus and truck headlights, and pointed-down bike lights <em>are</em> at eye level. It can get very tiring when you're practically blinded at every turn. Remember, too, that sitting behind a recumbent rider is almost as bad, because your headlight is reflected in the mirrors. </p>