On Mon, 8 Oct 2018 21:46:25 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 10/8/2018 8:27 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Mon, 8 Oct 2018 16:55:59 -0700 (PDT), jbeattie
wrote:

On Monday, October 8, 2018 at 4:16:43 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-10-08 16:05, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Mon, 08 Oct 2018 11:06:53 -0700, Joerg
wrote:

On 2018-10-07 17:08, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Sun, 7 Oct 2018 15:02:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 10/6/2018 2:49 PM, Joerg wrote:

[...]


2. It causes oncoming motorists to see the cyclist much earlier and, for
example, if a big semi comes they can pull a bit to the right so the
semi can give the cyclist wide berth.

I do NOT believe any practical light allows a motorist to see a cyclist
_much_ earlier. In almost every case, I've seen on-road cyclists before
I noticed that they had a light. And in no case did I see the light
early enough to make any practical difference. You're fixating on a
superstitious talisman, imagining benefits that don't exist in real life.


I think I've mentioned seeing the bloke on a bike wearing bright
orange knee socks nearly a kilometer away :-) I remember the orange
socks but can't remember whether he had a light on his bike or not :-)


I wonder what the reaction would be if said bloke participated in a
business meeting wearing bright orange knee socks.

The subject was bicycle visibility, not business meetings....


To me a bicycle is not just a piece of sports equipment but foremost a
transport vehicle.

Wow, that's poignant. I've been commuting to school or work for 50 years and changing my clothes for the last 40. Even when I was a substitute teacher, I would ride to school with a backpack and change when I got there. There is always some place to change. I certainly wouldn't go to a client meeting in rain drenched or sweat drenched shirt -- or in shorts. Do you go to client meetings in t-shirts and shorts?




... but
having said that I might comment that it is not difficult to change
socks, even sitting on the roadside curb.


And change all the other things sitting on a curb in a business park? I
rather flick a little switch and have instant visibility. Upon arrival I
flick it again, visibility turns off. Simple.

Do you have a side light? I'd worry about that. Pull though an intersection and "whack." Where was your side light! You really should have a bright side light.

-- Jay Beattie.

There is also a great danger from large birds. One really should have
an upward shining helmet lamp. I'm a bit ambivalent about snakes, my
present thoughts that one is probably safe from snake bite in a
metropolitan neighborhood.

Heh. Two good friends of mine just completed a fairly short multi-day
bike trip in Pennsylvania. They saw lots of rattlesnake warning signs,
then finally did see a rattlesnake. So they rode around it.

I guess Joerg would have scorched it to death with his headlight.


Actually snakes can be a bit of a problem over here. I once saw a dead
snake that reached clear across a two lane road although I've never
seen a live one while cycling. But I did used to see them in remote
parts of the airfield when I worked in Air Field Lighting. Imaging
bombing down the road and meeting a 6 foot cobra :-)
--
Cheers

John B.