I've been cycling in and around Edinburgh since 2013 and have noticed that there seems to be a very strong culture of riding without lights here.
It's not as though they are expensive, you can pick them up in pound shops or in LIDL for a few pounds. I've seen folk with high end bikes and all the gear but no lights, I've seen folk on old bikes going to the shops with no lights and I really don't understand why peope would put themselves at risk like this.
On a walk round the town last week I was passed by umpteen Deliveroo riders and there were a considerable amount with no lights at all. These riders are getting paid by a company, the least the company could do would be to ensure they are fitted out with lights.
Oh, and a high-viz jacket ISN'T a suitable alternative to lights!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Let there be light...
(12 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Hi jester, at this time of year when the students return you do see more people without lights. You do see them but lights would be better.
Alternatively I have been blinded on the towpath for the first time this year by Stonking front lights that are not dipped down to the left of the front wheel.
Ye cannae win.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The proportion of people cycling without lights still surprises me. A couple of years ago, I walked from King's Buildings back to Newington, and counted the number of cyclists I saw with and without lights. This was in the middle of winter, after dark, but early enough that lots of people were still heading home from uni. I counted over 100 cyclists, and 25-30% of them had no lights. A few more had either a front or rear light, but not both.
Even if you think you can see well enough/be seen well enough with the street lighting, you're just giving a cast iron excuse to a distracted driver who hits you.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I would say that at the times and places that I cycle regularly, the vast majority of cyclists do have lights. So I think that the impression of lit vs unlit cyclists is mostly a function of where you are - gembo is right that a lot of them are students.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I've already seen my favourite "close, but no cigar!" type of light user since darkness has set in: the red light on the front / white light on the back cyclist.
Doesn't say much for their observation skills when they can clearly see every other lit road user (motorised or otherwise) has their lights the other way around.
Posted 8 years ago # -
There was a guy used to cycle up the canal to Heriot Watt using his mobile phone attached to his helmet with a rubber band as a lighting system. Never dazzled nobody.
Posted 8 years ago # -
In the past I have used in an 'emergency' - the mini-torch I keep in my car held down on top of my handlebars by a couple of fingers, and a headtorch with a red light setting twisted round my seatpost. Both very effective (as far as I could tell.)
Posted 8 years ago # -
There's a wide variety of lights in use, some clearly more effective than others. Slow strobes are, to me, little better than no light at all.
It's the sheer volume of cyclists riding with no lights that has caught my attention.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"It's the sheer volume of cyclists riding with no lights that has caught my attention"
Not that I'd ever ride in the dark without lights, but the (unintended?) irony of the statement tickled me.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I was running on the canal towpath one evening last week when I noticed a cyclist coming towards me with a very bright flashing front light. No, two bright flashing front lights. No, as she got nearer I saw that she* had five front lights of various degrees of brightness, all on flash. As I went past her I realised that her arm was out, signalling that she wished to turn right across my path. I wondered if she thought I was a bit rude to just barge through without acknowledging that she wanted to turn: but I couldn't see her outstretched arm until I was right on top of her; all I could see were all the flashing lights.
(Incidentally all the only visibility aid I had was a blue flashing armband; in my option that should be plenty but if anyone ever spots me then I'd be interested to hear what you think.)
*I'm saying female mostly on the basis that the cyclist had long hair
Posted 8 years ago # -
With folk like that I get tempted to carry a large camera flash just to give them an idea of how annoying all those lights are on flash, there is absolutely no need for flashing lights away from the road.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I once saw someone with about 8 rear lights attached to bag, seatpost and helmet going down Melville Drive during evening rush hour. Must take them as long to turn them all on as it does to get home.
Presumably worth it though, if only for the incredulous tone you can adopt when someone claims they didn't see you.
Posted 8 years ago #
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