Lights, Bicycle and Cars?

A few thoughts or questions about lights.

Has anyone else noticed that automobile lights are getting so bright that they're blinding at night even inside a town or city where the high-beams aren't being used?

A white light is supposed to go on the front of a bicycle not the rear. I see the odd bicyclist riding along with the white light facing the rear of the bike. I guess that's better than no light at all but it's confusing as to which direction the person is traveling. Anyone here think a white light facing the rear is better than no light at all?

Bicycle light related.

It seems that we have two types of beams to choose from with most bicycle lights.

#1. is a narrow flashlight-type beam.
#2. is a wide beam including lots of spill overhead.

Is t here anyway that some sort of shroud can be affixed to a wide-beam light to focus more of the light down the road? My feeling is that it's a matter of the reflector and/or lens on the light. What say you? Can more light be directed down the road with a shroud over the top/or sides of the light?

It seems that it's quite difficult to get a decent light with GOOD range with a cutoff beam.

Cheers

On 3/30/2021 10:26 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
A few thoughts or questions about lights.

Has anyone else noticed that automobile lights are getting so bright that they're blinding at night even inside a town or city where the high-beams aren't being used?

A white light is supposed to go on the front of a bicycle not the rear. I see the odd bicyclist riding along with the white light facing the rear of the bike. I guess that's better than no light at all but it's confusing as to which direction the person is traveling. Anyone here think a white light facing the rear is better than no light at all?

Bicycle light related.

It seems that we have two types of beams to choose from with most bicycle lights.

#1. is a narrow flashlight-type beam.
#2. is a wide beam including lots of spill overhead.

Is t here anyway that some sort of shroud can be affixed to a wide-beam light to focus more of the light down the road? My feeling is that it's a matter of the reflector and/or lens on the light. What say you? Can more light be directed down the road with a shroud over the top/or sides of the light?

It seems that it's quite difficult to get a decent light with GOOD range with a cutoff beam.

The Busch & Müller Luxos I use have a vertical cutoff without a shroud;
I think it's just the internal reflector design. My understanding was
that this cutoff feature was pretty standard on Euro lights due to
regulations there.

I'm pretty sure this cutoff has been discussed (and sometimes dissed) on
this forum. I'll admit there are occasions when I don't like it - if
the road gradient suddenly changes a lot upward, you just can't see down
the road; these changes are usually found in lower-speed situations,
e.g. road-path junctions, etc.

FWIW, otherwise I'm quite enamored of the Luxos.

PS - my understanding of the bright automobile light issue is that US
headlight limits are spec'ed in wattage rather than lumens, so when mfrs
started going to ARC and LED lights, they could get a lot brighter while
still being under the wattage limits.

Mark J.

On 3/31/2021 12:57 PM, Mark J. wrote:
On 3/30/2021 10:26 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
A few thoughts or questions about lights.

Has anyone else noticed that automobile lights are getting so bright
that they're blinding at night even inside a town or city where the
high-beams aren't being used?

A white light is supposed to go on the front of a bicycle not the
rear. I see the odd bicyclist riding along with the white light facing
the rear of the bike. I guess that's better than no light at all but
it's confusing as to which direction the person is traveling. Anyone
here think a white light facing the rear is better than no light at all?

White lights are prohibited on the rear of bicycles, at least where I
know the laws. Not that everyone is smart enough to obey the law...


Bicycle light related.

It seemsÂ* that we have two types of beams to choose from with most
bicycle lights.

#1. is a narrow flashlight-type beam.
#2. is a wide beam including lots of spill overhead.

Is t here anyway that some sort of shroud can be affixed to a
wide-beam light to focus more of the light down the road? My feeling
isÂ* that it's a matter of the reflector and/or lens on the light. What
say you? Can more light be directed down the road with a shroud over
the top/or sides of the light?

It seems that it's quite difficult to get a decent light with GOOD
range with a cutoff beam.

The Busch & Müller Luxos I use have a vertical cutoff without a shroud;
I think it's just the internal reflector design.Â* My understanding was
that this cutoff feature was pretty standard on Euro lights due to
regulations there.

I agree. The "cutoff" is part of the StVZO specification for European
lights. Scharf rails against it, but it's far more sensible than wasting
nearly half your lumens overhead and blinding others. And I think it
would be difficult to get that effect with a shroud. You could play
around with a mirror in front of a flashlight beam to see, but any
success would be pretty kludgey.

BTW, a beam can meet StVZO yet be crappy. The best give very nice, even
illumination of the road while not blinding others.


I'm pretty sure this cutoff has been discussed (and sometimes dissed) on
this forum.Â* I'll admit there are occasions when I don't like it - if
the road gradient suddenly changes a lot upward, you just can't see down
the road; these changes are usually found in lower-speed situations,
e.g. road-path junctions, etc.

In my experience, the cutoff is not a problem. The only place I'd worry
about it is on one very sharp dip where a local MUP passes under a
roadway bridge. But there are places in my driving territory where I
wish my car's headlights shone farther up a hill, or where I wish they
shone down farther as I crest a sharp rise, shone around a bend, etc. I
adjust.

FWIW, otherwise I'm quite enamored of the Luxos.

PS - my understanding of the bright automobile light issue is that US
headlight limits are spec'ed in wattage rather than lumens, so when mfrs
started going to ARC and LED lights, they could get a lot brighter while
still being under the wattage limits.

I don't think the units of measurement are the problem. See
https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/...ay/2356307002/

"Depending on the lighting system of the vehicle, headlights are limited
to about 20,000 to 75,000 candela, according to Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 108."

But bright headlights are getting more irritating. And part of it seems
to be "safety inflation" where what was adequately bright for driving is
now "too dim," so to heck with the oncoming drivers.

(I notice the articles on adaptive headlights - the next miracle cure -
rarely mention defending bicyclists from being blinded.)

My current gripe about automotive lights is the habit of many pickup
truck drivers to always have high beams on. By my count, the majority of
drivers who don't dim their lights are in new-ish big pickups. I'm
afraid it's another manifestation of "petro-masculinity."

--
- Frank Krygowski