Your comment referred to other posters AND my posts comments - if not directly then by way of inference. I realise you were taking things to the nth degree to prove a point but ???So it's OK to dazzle the eyes of car drivers but not cyclists???? is a ???stupid??? comment imho. ???you have personally advocated deliberately interfering with the night vision of other road users??? ??
unclejake,
Jun 5, 10:53am
But you'd (if you rode regularly at night) deliberately shine a helmet mounted strobe light at the faces of motorists?
That doesn't sound particularly considerate to me. I would not do that to you, nor anyone else.
You don't get special privileges because you're on a bicycle
unclejake,
Jun 5, 11:02am
I acknowledge this point (which I didn't read properly), and for the record if I was suddenly faced with hitting a cyclist or a concrete wall I'd be steering for the wall, but these powerful, white strobe lights some cyclists chose to deploy are a menace and IMO are more likely to cause an accident than avoid one.
sr2,
Jun 5, 11:13am
I was trying hard to resist posting in this thread (it's all your bloody fault UJ!) but the time has come for my 10 cents worth.
Being a true blue blooded Kiwi male I share a pathological hatred of MAMIL??
morrisman1,
Jun 5, 11:14am
I have a vested interest in my safety, so if at anytime I struggle to see cos of approaching lights - its high-beam time. And the old girl has pretty good beams too (4x +90 bulbs). Im sorry to whoever is approaching being bike, or car but if you're a car then fix your bloody lights. Most of the time its bikers, not cars. Very seldom do I see cars leaving high beam on anymore.
unclejake,
Jun 5, 11:30am
Guilty as charged Sir! I was bored when I started the thread last night, but I am genuinely annoyed by a few arrogant individuals who seem to think that personally being noticed is a license to reduce the safety of others
trogedon,
Jun 5, 8:26pm
This post has NOTHING to do with the topic but here's a wink to show I'm a lycra wearing mamil who can also keep it funky.
kazbanz,
Jun 5, 8:41pm
And--THIS is EXACTLY the issue with bicycle riders. The whole attitude of "I am above the law because I ride a bicycle"
kazbanz,
Jun 5, 8:57pm
Just to be clear from my POV. Im not out to kill,maim,hurt or even just scare anybody. But advocating deliberately shining lights in another road users eyes to me is just not acceptable and isn't acceptable to the law. Last few months Ive been on the road at 5.45 am. What has utterly blown me awa is the number of guys on treddlies with yes a strobe bright flashing taillight but then everything else is dark. All you can see is a little red light. IMO if you wanna be seen then you need to be a solid blob of reflectivity. I hate to imagine what would happen if one of those guys in black.dark blue etc There would be a flashing red light from the bike to attract the drivers attention and a black /brown etc lump drivers don't see
trogedon,
Jun 5, 9:01pm
Who are you quoting Kaz?
richardmayes,
Jun 5, 10:30pm
I can't understand why ANY driver would have a problem with cyclists being as bright as possible?
I once nearly killed a guy on a motor scooter, one of those chinese fake vespa look-alikes. His bike was black, his clothes were black, his head light was a faint orange glow like a kerosene lamp with a dirty glass. I looked once, looked twice, STILL didn't see him coming and all-but pulled out of a side road in front of him. He would have gone into the side of my car, been seriously injured or worse, got me into a heap of trouble, and made a mess of my car.
Anyone on two wheels is a small, fast-moving dark object, often running close to the kerb where (s)he is especially hard to see.
ANYTHING that makes it easier for us to see them coming is a GOOD thing.
frytime,
Jun 5, 10:43pm
i hate the strobe lights, they make it difficult to judge their distance. one super bright light and a small flasher to the front (aimed correctly) and a average solid and flasher to the rear would be so much safer.
and its always so much fun annoying those riders 2+ wide on a road not wide enough for 1
peja,
Jun 5, 11:01pm
Generally I wouldnt do this, but there times when I have had to (not with a strobe though). My helmet light is bright but points down, Have had to raise it to point it into the face of a driver ocassionally because they actually would not have noticed me any other way, because they were texting or in lala land
kenw1,
Jun 5, 11:02pm
I never cycle at night, so mine is on strobe during the day.
Many years ago I was collected under the front of car who cut the corner and did not see me, yes I had lights and fluro on. I was lucky that the bike jammed and he pushed me along with it. Not a pleasant feeling.
Remember the bad ones on all sides only make up 0.1% probably.
sifty,
Jun 5, 11:05pm
Not helping the cyclists cause there dude. A weird sense of entitlement with bad language to boot.
As an aside, I am about to fit a retro styled battery LED lamp to my 1930's BSA coaster-hubbed peddly, and am working on an electronic rectifier/regulator for my 1950's Dyno-hub BSA Sports.
LEDs are a terrific mod for the tedious hipsters like me to adopt. Bright, high output, low power and can fit them in vintage lamps.
kazbanz,
Jun 5, 11:12pm
not you mate--delirium
kazbanz,
Jun 5, 11:29pm
I agree with you 100% dude. But that is exactly the point. A super bright pinpoint LED pointing directly at you doesn't make it easier to see anything.Try looking directly into one then see what you can see for the 30 seconds or so afterwards. IMO you have two issues-seeing and BEING seen. To be seen I feel you need as much area as possible illuminated either by lights or reflectors. The other thing is -WHOS attention are you trying to get? cars coming up from behind you and passing you?-a bright headlight does diddly-reflective clothing and a rear light might help Directly oncoming traffic? -Unless you intend to turn across their path reflective clothing would let them see you. Turning traffic-Yep this is a danger I agree. But a super bright LED isn't going to tell them you are "just there' A bigger area of reflective material and diffuse LED's will be much more effective.
richardmayes,
Jun 6, 2:09am
The mistake you're making is contained within that sentence.
Don't stare at the sun - no problem.
delerium1,
Jun 6, 2:42am
Hmmm. So by having a light which is the law, makes a cyclists above the law. Righto. That light is the only protection a cyclist has. It doesn't need to be as bright as the sun. The flashing draws your attention to it.
henderson_guy,
Jun 6, 2:54am
No - the best protection a cyclist has is their brain. Which explains why so many get into grief.
sifty,
Jun 6, 3:05am
I dunno. It seems like donning lycra strangles the brain of many. A weird persecution complex and smug sense of entitlement is apparently the result.
Look, I cycle. I also ride motorcycles, drive cars and skateboard. When on motorised transport I look out for cyclists and give them as much room as possible. When cycling I use cycle lanes, and I don't impede traffic, wear blinding lamps, or don garish 1980's women's aerobics clothing that shows off my junk.
Am I alone. ?
trogedon,
Jun 6, 3:35am
Possibly you're not that smart yourself judging by your inability to create a a complete sentence.
henderson_guy,
Jun 6, 3:48am
Care to explain what's incomplete about it? Or are you just trying to portray an air of superiority?
henderson_guy,
Jul 24, 10:04am
I was also commuting by bicycle when it was practical, and I'm 100% with you. At the end of the day, if you get hit on a bicycle you're going to lose, no matter whos fault it is. So it's in your best interests to keep yourself out of harms way as much as possible. Most cyclists (and pedestrians, skaters etc) understand this concept very well - unfortunately it's the few with a sense of entitlement who cause the issues
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