oooo Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 There are cyclists out there that have ridiculously bright lamps that wobble about. When approaching a wobbling light, its human nature to look at it, thus blinding you in the process. There is only one conclusion to be drawn from this, and its what I did years ago. Hang the bike in the garage, and only use it for tootling around campsites. Other than that, catch the bus, buy a car or walk. On a more serious note, car headlights are set not to blind oncoming traffic. This is done by making them point slightly to the left. They have an annual MOT to make sure they are working correctly. Its that serious, your car will fail if they are faulty. However, cycles are exempt from all rules and laws of the highways, so this is pretty pointless, as they can do what they like. Of course, all the professional Bradley Wiggins Wannabes will defend wobbling overbright lights till the cows come home, but good fun when they do. They will never give in, nor be at fault, nor need VED/MOT or care, because they wont. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Technically LED bulbs arent approved for road use at all Can you explain why you think this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghozer Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I can't remember where it was, but I read a few years ago that when moving cycle, the light should be solid, and not flashing.... It should only be flashing if you're stopped, at the side of the road, in a dangerous position for some reason... think about it this way... If a cyclist is travelling at speed, and has a flashing light, you cannot judge the distance they are, or the speed they are travelling properly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I can't remember where it was, but I read a few years ago that when moving cycle, the light should be solid, and not flashing.... It should only be flashing if you're stopped, at the side of the road, in a dangerous position for some reason... think about it this way... If a cyclist is travelling at speed, and has a flashing light, you cannot judge the distance they are, or the speed they are travelling properly... No, bikes have been allowed to display flashing lights legally for about 6 or 7 years. ---------- Post added 31-01-2014 at 07:21 ---------- My bike lights run off a small watch style battery, I havn't changed the battery for around 2 years,how can a small 12v battery generate such a dazzling brightness that it blinds other road users, your talking trash:loopy: One of mine is the same (although I think it's 2 watch style batteries). And I have another that has a separate lithium battery pack that is larger than the light itself. It's brighter than any torch I've ever seen, although not as bright as a car headlight. ---------- Post added 31-01-2014 at 07:22 ---------- Can you imagine the outcry if drivers did the same. Oh wait, hang on, drivers would get pulled by the police and fined. No they wouldn't, you're free to drive around wearing a helmet with lights strapped to it if you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGDINNERS Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Says the man whos 'mate' is going to court for a crime he didnt commit, without arrest, without caution, without interview Pull the other one. Its got bells on it what the hell has that got to do with anything:rant: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Possibly, though they seemed still brighter ('whiter', sharper lit/shadow contrast on trees and foliage) than my own LED torch (the smaller of my diving ones, which I use outdoors as well). At a distance of approx 200-250 yards from me, running perpendicular to me. Their beam seemed much more 'flat' focused (along a wide horizontal plane, rather than 'cylindrical') and with a surprisingly long reach. I wouldn't have thought that a car dipped beam, from the same spot, could light that clearly that far. I mean, they were in the middle of the woods (quite dense with small trees, shrubs and foliage), and lighting stuff up clearly (not in a diffuse way, with full luminosity) a good 70+ yards ahead of their position. Anyhow...I'd have though a LED<>conventional bulb comparison based on bulb wattage/electric voltage would be meaningless, should we not be looking at candela or lumen figures Yeah, wattage isn't helpful when comparing different bulb types. But the general principle of the light being limited by available power remains, cyclists have to carry a battery, cars carry petrol and turn it into electricity. I can't remember if lumens is a total measure, or if it's a measure of point brightness (ie depending on focus), does anyone know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghozer Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Flashing lights are permitted but it is recommended that cyclists who are riding in areas without street lighting use a steady front lamp. Source: https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82/overview-59-to-71 Very useful for other bits of info!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 It should only be flashing if you're stopped, at the side of the road, in a dangerous position for some reason... think about it this way... If a cyclist is travelling at speed, and has a flashing light, you cannot judge the distance they are, or the speed they are travelling properly... What makes you say that? Is this why the emergency services use them, to make their journeys more dangerous? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resident Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 What makes you say that? Is this why the emergency services use them, to make their journeys more dangerous? Emergency vehicles have their lights specifically set, similar in a way to headlight. The cusp of this argument is that cyclists are using very bright, flashing lights that AREN'T adjusted in such manner and are pointing indiscriminately, causing a hazard to other road users. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obelix Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Yeah, wattage isn't helpful when comparing different bulb types. But the general principle of the light being limited by available power remains, cyclists have to carry a battery, cars carry petrol and turn it into electricity. I can't remember if lumens is a total measure, or if it's a measure of point brightness (ie depending on focus), does anyone know? Lumens are a measure of the total amount of light emitted, regardless of focussing. A lumen is defined as one candela per steradian, so a 1 candela lamp is 4pi lumens, or about 12.6 lumens. A lux is defined as an illumination level of one lumen per square meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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