On 13 July, 00:25, Andre Jute wrote:
On Jul 12, 3:13*am, Andre Jute wrote:



I bought a Polaris L120W front LED light to replace a Cateye HL-EL320
which stopped working because the air was a little humid. The Cateye
cost about 32 Euro to land here, bought on Ebay. The Polaris cost a
third as much, bought by mailorder *from Chainreactioncycles in
Belfast.

The Polaris L120W leaves the Cateye HL-EL320 for dead in every
respect, and in many makes it look tacky and cheap.

The Polaris L120W is much smaller than the Cateye, in part because it
operates on three AAA batteries rather than on four AA batteries.
Operating times for the Polaris, claimed because I've not had it long
enough to check, is 50 hours on steady light and 140 hours blnking, in
practice as long as the Cateye's very long run times. The Polaris
handlebar mount make the Cateye one look cheap and nasty. The Polaris
has 12 degrees of sideways adjustment, just right for adjusting to the
angle of the curve on North Road bars.

The light of the Polaris L120W falls on the road as a narrow oval with
some sidespill. I can see it getting you home if all your other lights
fail, but I cannot see it as a main light anywhere except lit city
streets. I bought it as an auxiliary light for its flash, so I don't
care that it is not a self-standing light (to my standards -- others
find it more than adequate under all circumstances).

The Polaris L120W on flash is appallingly sharp at night; I certainly
hope it doesn't fall into the hands of those anti-social cyclists who
"take the lane". It is essential to set it up with care and
consideration for other road users.

After some experimentation I have it pointing about 15 degrees down
from horizontal so that the oval of defined light starts only 3m/10ft
in front of the light. At this angle, it's flash still lights up a
reflective surface 18in off the ground a hundred paces away, so you
may be certain it will warn of hazards, and warn those hazards that
the cyclist in their orbit.

In an empty, dark mall car park I looked at it from the front, as set
up in the previous paragraph. On a front of 60 paces wide at 100 paces
distance there is obviously a flashing light warning of some hazard
but there is no point where it blinds. i walked further but gave up at
160 paces. That light, even shining down, will attract attention at
half a mile if there is a sightline.

The angling will obviously affect daytime performance, but the fact is
that I had the Cateye turned downwards too (to avoid shining in
motorists' eyes in tunnels of trees where I often ride), and know that
motorists still noticed it in good time. I expect that the Polaris,
turned down, will do as well in bright daylight as the Cateye but
don't have enough experience yet to guarantee it.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AFTER FURTHER EXPERIENCE
At the downward angle in which I use the Polaris so as not to dazzle
drivers at night, during the daytime it is less sharp than the Cateye
from, say, 60 yards. The six inches of waving white tip to the tail of
a black dog sniffing the bike is more of an attraction to the eyes
than the blinking light... But once the bike starts moving, the
blinking light does attract attention to the bike. Drivers on a narrow
lane slow down, just as they did for the Cateye, well beyond their
slowing-down distance when I ride without the flashing lights.
Flashing lights work, period.

DRIVER MOTIVATION
I think it very likely that drivers take extra care with a cyclist who
announces with flashing lights that he takes care of himself. The
smarter drivers will see the flashing lights also as a service to
avoid damaging their expensive paintwork against a large bike with
many protruberances, and in avoiding liability for an accident to the
bicyclist.

The Polaris has better sidewards visibility to motorists than the
Cateye. Unfortunately that also means that you can see it flashing,
but I got used to it very shortly.

The Polaris is a watertight design, rated to 50m like a watch. The
Cateye has holes in the casing (either for air circulation or to emit
light as a warning to the owner that it is switched on or perhaps only
carelessly).

The Polaris comes with a mounting bracket and acceessories that make
it versatile enough to fit any handlebar or frame or even fork in any
position. There is also a lanyard for using it as a running lamp. The
mounting bracket design and the lamp's lanyard attachment can be used
to secure a tiewrap around mounting and light to discourage impulse
thefts. The light is small and unobtrusive but I usually leave my
lights flashing when I go into the shops or the library.

There is a matching rear light L120R, which I don't have.

I cannot yet report on battery usage or the longevity of the Polaris
L120W, but from comparing this sturdy, well-designed light with the
flimsy, carelessly designed Cateye HL-EL320, I would certainly expect
the Polaris to serve a lot longer than the Cateye.

For a better light at a third the price (about half the price if you
pay full recommended prices), I see no reason not to prefer the
Polaris L120W over the Cateye HL-EL320. In fact, if my Cateye TL-
LD1100 tail light breaks again, I shall instantly buy the matching
Polaris tail light, the L120R, and hope it is as good as its front
sibling.

Andre Jute
*Visit Andre's books at
*http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/fiultra/THE%20WRITER'S%20HOUSE.html
Visit Jute on Bicycles at
*http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/fiultra/...20CYCLING.html



The flashing light is not required to attract attention in full
sunshine, use tiny prisms and mirrors on your wheels if you must
(small bright silver stickers I have come across at a stationary shop,
cannot recall for what they are designed). Silvered gift-wrap and
tape is another possibility for brightening the bicycle in full
sunshine, or polish everything bright. You have identified the
flasher's real benefit, that it highlights the bicyclist in changing
light conditions. On a tree lined road with heavy shading. Also when
it suddenly becomes overcast because of quickly approaching storm
cloads. Using steady large lights at night backed up with big
reflectors lessens the vulnerability for it does not scream soft
target. Skip markings may be even more appropriate than looking like
the edge of a car. In the UK mainland it is now advised (Highways
Authority, I think) that slow vehicles such as road going wheelchairs,
use amber flashing light when using dual carriageways wich does not
have mandatory speed restrictions of 50mph or less. This is not
advised bicyclists as far as I'm aware, but should highlight the need
to make oneself more visible on busier roads, of which a high vis vest
may be most appropriate highlighting the shoulders above cars. Wide
yellow leg bands do increase conspicuity from all around when cycling
with an unobstructed view and seem to lessen the nfrequency of side
road pull outs.

Glare angle is considered at a distance of something like 100ft at
3'6" IIRC If there is no glare measured at this point then it is safe
(and legal) to use continuously on the public highway. Set it one
inch below if it will still maintain good road illumination.