CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 16years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Hi Folks,
Now that the tree felling is complete on the A90 section of Cycle Route 1. Does anyone know when the diggers are due to move in to rebuild/resurface and roughly how long the works are expected to take? Couldn't find anything obvious on here or on the web about dates. Appreciate if anyone has any info to settle my curiosity. Enjoyed the detour through Dalmeny Estate on the commute last year but just keen to know what we are in store for this year. Cheers, Owen
Dimly recall it was due to start in May
Shaping up to be a decent section overall - if you can overlook the hazardous blinding oncoming headlights situation over the winter months, the proximity of the flat section to the A90 and lack of any bollard separation.
I suspect they will overlook it, but I hope that SPOKES see fit to point out the remaining deficiencies of this section and refrain from calling it "high quality".
There's no actual dates I can see but the details of plans for this phase and for the stretch alongside the A90 are here:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/385/cycling_in_edinburgh/1931/cycle_projects/4
Last winter I found the retina burning oncoming bikelights to be a far greater hazard than car lights. Particularly the ones which riders attach to their helmets so that they can shine them directly into oncoming cyclists eyes.
May time?? Same as before I assume.
Particularly the ones which riders attach to their helmets so that they can shine them directly into oncoming cyclists eyes.
I have a cycle cap which stops this pretty much.
I have a cycle cap which stops this pretty much.
So long as you want to stare at the ground as you cycle, it works for me too!
the winter handlebar-height big-lumen squad
i give them dogs abuse, for what its worth
which isn't much, as they just stare blankly and wonder what the madman is raving about
i give them dogs abuse, for what its worth
Its idiots like you that piss me off, I have my 1k lumen bar light shining at the ground 10ft in front of me. Its not shining straight ahead into anyones eyes but apparently thats still to much for some people to handle!
Tbh I'd rather see where I'm going that care if oncoming cyclist have a complaint, especially on the tracks where there is no street lights.
If you think I'm shining the light to far head or into eyes then stop and say instead of cycling past giving dogs as you'll be told to f*** off.
Check out Sunday times article march 2013
Tested ten most popular LED lights
At lowest setting and dipped eight out of the ten exceeded the legal limit for dipped car headlights.
I'm sure it makes interesting reading. Sadly they have a paywall in place to stop us finding out which lights they recommend.
@zesty 1,000 lumens is a lot of light to have shining down the road. Particularly if it doesn't have a sharp cut off. I wonder if you've ever stood 10 feet in front of your bike on a dark night and seen how invisible you become. The problem is exasperated if the path is wet as all that light then bounces back up into your victims eyes.
@zesty
Tbh I'd rather see where I'm going that care if oncoming cyclist have a complaint
do you really think its either one or the other?
or maybe, just maybe, you could sort yourself out with a light bracket just above your fork?
you know, like thoughtful people do?
If you think I'm shining the light to far head or into eyes then stop and say instead of cycling past giving dogs as you'll be told to f*** off
i'd expect nothing less, zesty !
its mano-a-mano out there !
LOL
Seriously though - i do just as you suggest, but the repeat offenders don't give a hoot.
because they are thoughtless.
If, like me, you don't have a subscription there's a transcript in the 6th post here in the CTC Forum. Test results 4 posts further down (assuming it's the same test).
As for the dazzling debate, we've had this discussion: both sides need to be polite about it, and that requires the complainer to make their point calmly, followed by the 'dazzler' to respond in kind. It might be that the light is well dipped and the complainer is being overly-sensitive but it could equally be that the dipped light is still leaking light forward. That's more a problem of the design then, than it is of the user. It's well worth stepping away from your bike in the dark and looking at it from rider level to see if the complainer had a point (better still, do it before you get a complaint).
I've had differing responses to polite complaints, ranging from (as it turned out) a fellow CCE member making an adjustment after taking the complaint well, through appearing to ignore me, all the way to giving abuse. The middle ground is the most common response but it could be that some of them do take heed later on.
No-one's ever complained about my 'eBay special' C&B Seen clone (which is always dipped, except to show dozy twonks that they are indeed dozy twonks), but I'm always ready for someone to mention it. And if they do so politely, I'm ready to respond that it's really dipped as far as practical and I'm sorry it's still dazzling. If they're really amenable, I may even ask them to go back and allow me to adjust it to where they feel it doesn't bother them, to see what effect it has. I'd rarely have it on when I feel my smaller light is sufficient on its own. The last thing I want to do is aggravate fellow cyclists.
@acsimpson
1k lumen is what I feel I need when on the road to feel safe from drivers pulling out and claiming they didnt see me. Has happened before, god knows how that couldnt see 1k lumen light!
I used to have a small light, can't remember how many lumens, but never felt safe as it didnt light the road enough when there was no street lights.
I cycle back to Fife from Edinburgh and there are quite a few sections with no street lights.
As for it being wet, can't help the reflection back off wet surfaces, again need to see where I'm going when no street lights!
@bax
Wouldn't put a bracket on my fork as I also use the bike for mtb so there would be a good chance it would get knocked off.
Wouldn't put a bracket on my fork
i mean between the front brake and the the fork
like this one
Tbh I'd rather see where I'm going that care if oncoming cyclist have a complaint, especially on the tracks where there is no street lights.
So you accept that you are happy to blind someone coming the other way so that you can see where you are going. Isn't that a teensy weensy bit selfish. Personally I use a helmet light to see where I'm going on paths, it is much easier to direct it well away from other people's eyes who also need to be able to see.
In one post Zesty says he needs it for tracks that don't have street lights. Then later says its needed to ward off cars.
Whats to stop you getting a light not so bright for places where the path is narrow, cyclist coming toward you are forced to pass close by and cars are not at risk of being a hazard?
I have a fork crown mounted light which never gets knocked (if you don't believe me look at the second place rider on Strava for Dalmeny Estate east to west, ridden on my cx with my fork crown mounted light) and its also got a focussed beam which cuts off the beam at riders feet. B&M have some pretty good battery lights if you don't want a dynamo, B&M are most known for. I also commute in from Fife and my 30 lux B&M fpcussed beam light is plenty as all the light points at the path just ahead of me instead of spilling out in unwanted directions.
To be fair though its not all cyclists fault. Light manufacturers appear to be in a one upmanship contest with lights that don't focus the light where it's usefull.
Light manufacturers appear to be in a one upmanship contest
yeah, its an ever escalating arms race these days
i'm using a B&M Luxos 70/90 lux, and that's more than enough for illuminating the Fife to Edinburgh commute
@zesty, you'll soon care if the poor beggar you've dazzled has a head on collision with you due to not being able to see where they are are going.
It IS bally annoying when folk have searingly bright lights on unlit paths. I find I have to look away, and just trust my instincts (and theirs) to avoid a collision.
@stiltskin
Where did I say I was happy to blind people, your putting words into my mouth that I never said. I said the light was shining 10ft infront of the bike, which menas its angled downwards.
Got a nice 3k lumen light for the lid if you'd prefer me to wear that?
@DaveC
My light has 3 settings of brightness, fair enough I dont always use the settings, something I'll consider if future. I mention earlier the light has a focused beam so its not spilling out in all directions.
I wouldnt exactly called Dalmeny Estate a mtb trail
@crowriver
Once again I never mentioned I was dazzling oncoming cyclists, again putting words in my mouth that I never said. If someone can't cycle 10m in a straight line then they shouldnt be on a bike
From CEC
"
We have a meeting on Wednesday 9 April with the main contractor to agree start dates.
It is hoped the construction works will commence late April/ early May.
"
Would be good if the drainage issue is also sorted at some point
Anyone who has had a proper drenching here via an adjacent lorry passing the voluminous standing water after a rainstorm on the flat section will recognise this issue
Its like being under a waterfall for a moment, and then it hits you....
When coupled with the oncoming headlights, its a mad bad scenario
@zesty, as It said in the sundayntimes article eight of the ten lights at their lowest output when dipped were still over the legal limit for dipped headlights in cars. It is conceivable that your modest 10 ft ahead dipped beam is still blinding. Check it out sometime? T'aint your fault that manufacturers now making lights that are too bright.(this has been last couple of years for definite).
Fortunately when the haar lifts it will be light until half past seven and we can calm the beans until next November.
@bax, I suspect we'll have to put up with the early shower until they move onto section 3 which unfortunately may be 2015.
@zesty, I agree that lights shining off the road in rain aren't really something you can practically do anything about but we do need to be aware that oncoming cyclists are potentially more dazzled than usual in these conditions.
Riding 10m in a straight line is fine. Doing it slowly with your eyes shut (blinded) on a path which may have obstructions you can't see is another matter. Even riding the path 2 or 3 times a week it's easy to loose track of exactly where the bushes/verges are encroaching on the path in the winter. I always find myself closer to the edge of the path when I can actually see it.
For the record, I'm riding the path against the flow heading up to Fife in the morning.
T'aint your fault that manufacturers now making lights that are too bright
I don't think it's that they're too bright as such, it's that unless they've been built to German-style light regulations, there's been precious little thought given to the design of the lenses and the light spill pattern. Yes it focuses a bright spot on the ground, but unless you are on the receiving end of the light you won't be aware how blinding the spill from the main beam can be.
Some of the problem is the path it's self. At the narrowest section, I find pretty much every light coming in the other direction too bright. This issue is accentuated if it is raining, and you are bespectacled, then all you see is 100 tiny lights and nothing much else.
I have actually had people complain about my light as they were blinding me, at that section!
Hopefully the works when completed will alleviate this issue somewhat.
I'm riding the path against the flow heading up to Fife in the morning
you'll be one of the salmon i nod at, then
Is there anything stopping us "dipping" bright lights when we see fellow cyclists approaching?
I've got a C&B Seen bright young thing which is affixed to my bars with a rubberband-style arrangement. In normal use its light pools about 10 metres ahead, but a quick poke to the top-rear pushes that spot closer to my front wheel.
My other bright light (a Niterider) has a plastic mount that is designed to be adjustable, so is very easy to dip (a little too easy as riding over cobbles can cause a case of alarming light droop).
Need a bike dual carriageway with a central reservation...
Well there was plenty of room before they duelled the road!
At the narrowest section, I find pretty much every light coming in the other direction too bright
For me the worst bit is heading down the hill from Dalmeny, with a cree-lit rider coming up the hill towards me.
I'm riding the path against the flow heading up to Fife in the morning
you'll be one of the salmon i nod at, then
Quite likely. Red night vision jacket riding a boardman CX.
The problem with the Dalmeny drop is the extra speed and there are a couple of posts which you know are there but can't see with oncoming.
@PS I like your idea of manually dimming lights when there is oncoming traffic. There's a fine line between having your bracket loose enough to do that and tight enough to stop it doing it on every pothole.
Flashing front lights are another thing we should probably try and avoid on that section. They're might have benefits in traffic when backed up by street lights but out of the city they become a potential danger.
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