On 2/15/2018 5:30 PM, sms wrote:
On 2/15/2018 1:01 PM, jbeattie wrote:

snip

You live in a relatively isolated area with few other cyclists, at
least from what I can tell about Cameron Park. Try commuting on a
two-way cycle track with dozens or hundreds of cyclists -- all with
retina burning, round-beam mega-lights riding towards you . . . at
night.Â* It's blinding, and what is worse, it is harder to pin-point
the cyclist.Â* Also, how many daylight wrong-way cyclists do you
encounter?Â* Is there some epidemic requiring you to punish them with
your blinding light. I see wrong-way cyclists and they don't give a
sh**. A bunch of homeless dudes or DUII cyclists. I yell at them, and
they don't even flinch.Â* It's like the Walking Dead.

I was in a recent meeting and we were discussing a new multi-use path
along a drainage ditch, not even a creek. I asked about lighting for
night use. I was told that the water district doesn't like lighting on
creeks because they are riparian zones, though in the case we were
discussing it was not even a creek.

I've occasionally experienced the problem of bright lights of opposing
traffic on MUPs, but since people are buying lights that are usable on
unlit paths, they need pretty powerful lights. What would be good would
be an auto-dimming feature, when opposing traffic is encountered, though
even most vehicles have no such thing for their high-beam lights.

You would not want to be on these paths with inadequate lighting, but it
would be nice if people would be courteous and either dim their lights
or aim them slightly downward.

That's a sweet sentiment. But your "it would be nice" is completely
insufficient to counter your constant cry for retina burning lights. You
endlessly disparage the beam designs that are designed to efficiently
show the riding surface, and thus avoid blinding other users. You've
claimed that only blinding beams are suitable - for example, to reduce
the mythical risk of head injury (or decapitation?) from tree branches
above the roads. (!) Such nonsense!

More on the lights usable on unlit paths: One friend of mine calls me to
do a night ride a local rail trail once per month. My dyno driven StVZO
headlamp is not only perfectly suitable, it does a far better job than
the light he uses when he rides alone. My beam absolutely beats his,
hands down.

In other words, you don't need a blinding beam on a dark path. And
tilting that sort of headlight down gives far worse visibility than a
properly designed beam. You don't need a blinding beam on a
bi-directional cycle track. Jay has nicely described the detriments. You
don't need a blinding beam on the road. That's why cars, trucks and
motorcycles have properly designed low beams, and only inconsiderate
assholes refuse to use them.

Don't be an inconsiderate asshole.

--
- Frank Krygowski