Could high-tech accessories make cycling safer?
"Although more people are getting around by bike, cyclists remain the most vulnerable group of road users. Could a range of wearable technologies keep them safer?
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CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
"Could high-tech accessories make cycling safer?"
(33 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Won't that laser thing pointed in front of them just distract drivers from actually looking in their wing mirror? And how is it going to stop left-hooking - IMO by far the more prevalent danger?
I do rather like the neck helmet but not at £330!
Overall I agree with Ian Walker and Hutch -this is all just a distraction from the real issue.
Posted 11 years ago # -
The thing that also concerns me about the laser is that it's green - hardly a colour that says, "Watch out and slow down"! Being a laser, it may not be possible to change the colour so easily. But really, it's just another light shining on the road. But maybe it will lead to someone thinking of a better idea so it might be a positive thing.
The inflatable helmet is certainly getting a fair bit of publicity of late. I have no problem with wearing a helmet - it's second nature to me and I enjoy wearing one - but at the same time I appreciate that helmet design has somewhat stagnated and it does seem strange that we've not moved on all that much from the expanded polystyrene lids that John Tomac and Greg Lemond popularised in the mid-eighties.
The invisible helmet is certainly a different approach but it does seem that its primary appeal will be to women (and nothing wrong in that as such) because it looks like a clothing accessory (such as an add-on collar) and is probably too bulky to appeal to a lot of people (particularly males).
I'm quite amused though, by the Slovenian guy who says "People want beautiful products to enhance their bikes." and then goes on to produce one of the least attractive add-on mudguards I have seen! :-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
Could high-tech accessories make cycling safer? No, they are just distractions from the real issue, we allow people to operate heavy and dangerous machinery in public places without holding them fully accountable for their actions.
There is a lot of noise about the number of cyclists dying on our roads (and rightly so), but a blind eye is turned to the increasing numbers of pedestrians being killed by the same cause. Why is this?
In part because it is a way of NOT facing up to the real problem of careless and reckless driving. Until Society faces up to this issue, the death rate will continue.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've been following the development of blaze for awhile. they chose green after a lot of testing and found it was the colour that peoples eyes were drawn to most. have a wee look at the blaze site for more info, there's a wee video you can watch. time will tell but I like blazes' concept.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've been following the development of blaze for awhile. they chose green after a lot of testing and found it was the colour that peoples eyes were drawn to most. have a wee look at the blaze site for more info, there's a wee video you can watch. time will tell but I like blazes' concept.
Posted 11 years ago # -
^Wot Kim said. +1
Posted 11 years ago # -
I am one of the Kickstarter backers for those very same green lasers. One year later, I'm still waiting, along with the rest of the backers, for my Blaze to arrive. Each month, we get notified very excitedly that it's delayed by another month... tbh, I doubt I'm ever going to see it.
However, if it ever does actually land on my desk, I shall let you know whether it does the job.
Posted 11 years ago # -
'I'm quite amused though, by the Slovenian guy who says "People want beautiful products to enhance their bikes." and then goes on to produce one of the least attractive add-on mudguards I have seen! :-) '
Oh come on now, stop being pretentious, it can't be that bad.....here let me take a look and see for myself...AAAAGHHHH KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!!!
I had to spend 5 minutes looking at SKS guards before I felt pure again.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"
No, they are just distractions from the real issue, we allow people to operate heavy and dangerous machinery in public places without holding them fully accountable for their actions.
"Thing is, drivers will always kill people. They even kill each other. They will continue to kill people until there are no cars on the road. They even kill each other in the Netherlands, they do it everywhere.
Accountability may well reduce the numbers somewhat, but they will still kill people.
I really do think we just have to accept that drivers will kill people, always, now what do you do to mitigate that if you choose to put yourself in a place where you may get killed?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I am one of the Kickstarter backers for those very same green lasers. One year later, I'm still waiting, along with the rest of the backers, for my Blaze to arrive. Each month, we get notified very excitedly that it's delayed by another month... tbh, I doubt I'm ever going to see it.
Me too. If they arrive we can try & zap each other on the NEPN. I have to say the young lady behind it seems very enthusiastic about the project. To the extent that I now feel like slapping her avery time a project update arrives :-(
Posted 11 years ago # -
Me too. If they arrive we can try & zap each other on the NEPN
Excellent idea! Sounds more fun than laser quest. Can you imagine the added abuse we'll get from peds and dog walkers, though? I can imagine some pooches chasing the green lights down the path...
I now feel like slapping her avery time a project update arrives
I'm glad it's not just me.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Bald
Sweden has a zero fatalities policy on its roads. In other words, they strive to reduce fatalities to zero. It does not mean they will ever reach zero deaths, but it is still a worthy target to have.
Here we have...
Nothing.
Yep, not even a target to reduce road deaths.
Posted 11 years ago # -
mkns, my Dad(now a retired GP) got a laser pen from a drug rep, back in the day when drug reps could get away with that kind of naked bribery and laser pens weren't restricted. It sat unused for a decade or so until Ma and Pa got a dog, so I went and bought new batteries for it to see if the mini Schnauzer and I could play Chase the Red Dot.
Nada. She looked at the dot the first time I put it on for about three seconds, then ran off to get one of her actual toys.
Other dogs and dog personalities are available, so YMMV.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@eddie_h
You might be interested in the Scottish Government's national indicator called Reduce Death on Scotland's Roads, with targets and everything.http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Performance/scotPerforms/indicator/roaddeaths
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Uberuce - aye, I think you're right, it's more a cat thing, chasing laser pointers. Maybe skiltskin and I will be set upon by roaming clowder of pussy cats.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Insto. Thanks. It must have been England & Wales that I was thinking of (that have no road death reduction targets)...?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Although we seem to be tracking the metric, I didn't spot a target - perhaps I missed it in my skimming.
Measuring is of course necessary, but doesn't actually imply a target, or any effectual attempts to meet a
targetvision....Robert
Posted 11 years ago # -
Another month gone, and another email received today (hmm, yesterday, since it's now after midnight) telling us the Blaze will be delayed another month.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Mail received claiming stiltskin and I will soon have our lights. Exact definition of "soon" not clear. I suspect it will be just when winter darkness has ended. Initial estimate for delivery was April 2013. So if it arrives in the next 9 days, only 9 months late, then. Better than the trams, and cheaper, too. Better value? Remains to be seen.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I am, quite literally, beside myself with excitement......
Posted 11 years ago # -
8 days later, get another mail telling me that only now have they posted the lights. I hope they get better at communicating things more clearly / honestly when they start to try to sell these damn things. I remain as convinced as ever that it will arrive when it is no longer needed.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Light supposed to be delivered today, but it's in Moffat. Well, I suppose it's in this country at least. Will it arrive tomorrow? Computer says yes, but I reckon no. Piccies will be posted if it does ever actually get here.
Posted 11 years ago # -
What a coincidence. Mine is in Moffat too. OMG That is so damned exciting. Those Fabulous people from UPS actually have my bicycle light in their possession!!!!! Just think. It is less than 50 miles away from where I am sitting right now . I think if it gets any closer I may literally lose all control of my bladder function. Can't wait..... Etc etc
Posted 11 years ago # -
....it's arrived. If you see anyone with a green lazer shing a bike symbol onto the ground in front of him.: It's either me or mkns. Let me know what you think.
Posted 11 years ago # -
First impressions are not that good, tbh.
The clip that goes around the handlebars is squint, and needs some fairly serious bending to allow the light to be attached. Took me about 10 minutes of faffing to get the thing on the bars.
It doesn't feel that secure on the bars, either. I have the screws tightened but the light is still bouncing a bit, not steady like my Cateye. Still, it might make little difference when out on the road.
The lit up green bike is as advertised, nice and bright.
The white light, on the other hand, is extremely bright. So bright, in fact, that I'm not convinced I'm going to be able to use it, because I have it pointed down as far as I can so that the green bike is at least _some_ distance ahead of me, but when standing facing the bike with one my my various daughters holding the bike (see pics below), I'm still generally blinded. And that's on the low setting; turn it up to the high setting and I couldn't see anything any more. However, when on the road, maybe it'll be ok. I think I'm trying to decide whether it's useable on a cycle path. Right now, I'm thinking it's too bright, even on a low setting, for a cycle path. I'll just have to see how much abuse I get.
Currently, I'm planning on having only the green bike on when I'm on cycle paths, and keeping my Cateye on. When on roads, I'll turn on the white light on the Blaze.
Green light on its own:
Low white light with green light:
Searing bright flight with green light:
Facing low light:
Facing searing bright light:
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'd pretty much echo everything you've said. I think the bounciness is down to the way the light attaches to the mount rather than the mount/bar interface. Feels a bit gimmicky to use. The most disconcerting thing is when you are overtaking another cyclist and the green bike slowly goes past them. I had one or two quizzical looks on my trial run.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'll certainly be on the lookout for overtaking green laser bikes - quite distinctive!
The main light, it's very hard to gauge how dazzling it might be from a photo, though I note you're testing in a fairly dark patch of street, that's going to make it seem worse than it would be under bright lights/in traffic etc. According to their site low mode is only 100 lumens which makes it much less than the common ebay cree lights if nothing else. I really doubt low would be a problem on a cyclepath especially with it dipped, high (300lm) might be pushing it slightly, but it depends so much on the beam shape and angle. I'm sure any of us who encounter you on a path will be happy to provide feeback.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I had hoped that my initial fears would be replaced by the joy of seeing this light in action on the roads. Alas, the opposite is true. I am quite disappointed with the light, and if I'd bought it in a shop, I'd be returning it. Since it's a Kickstarter project, I won't be doing that, because I accepted it was a risk, but for the sake of the team who made it, I hope they make three significant improvements to the light.
1. The green bike is not bright enough. You might be able to see if on a dead flat surface in pitch black, potentially when it is dry, but in most cases today (both this morning and this evening) I could not see the light in front of me while moving - and if I can't see it, there's no chance a driver can see it.
2. You can't direct the green bike light independently of the white light. This is a major flaw. It basically means you can use one or the other, because to have the green light pointed in the distance means you blind oncoming people.
3. The green light is impossible to see even in pitch black because the light is not held firmly in its mount. Our roads in Edinburgh are not silky smooth, they are rough, which makes the light hard enough to see on the surface of the road as it is, but because the mount does not hold the light firmly, it bounces around like crazy, and the laser image becomes distorted so it becomes invisible.
Ooh - and also, the light got completely soaked on the commute in this morning, and the lens still had mist on the inside of the lens 8 hours later for my ride home. I therefore doubt it is as waterproof as they believe.
And the way you charge it seems pretty ropey.
I didn't have a single person react to the image in front of me during my commute today, because no-one could see it. They won't see it in the future either, because I won't be using it. It's a shame, because the idea sounded good, but alas all the high spirited marketing from the light's creator has not been matched by a quality product. A better mount, being able to direct the lights independently, actually waterproof and a significantly higher powered laser and/or larger bike image are needed, I reckon.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"
Blaze. (@blazefeed)
10/03/2014 13:58
@CyclingEdin @edintravel @CityCycling @BikeBizOnline Some more reviews for a fairer view:http://handsonbike.blogspot.sg/2014/03/blaze-laser-bike-light-improved.html
http://jnyyz.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/blaze-laserlight-followup
"
Posted 11 years ago #
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