Lights

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 4:17:29 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at 6:15:29 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 8/12/2015 10:52 AM, jbeattie wrote:
I doubt if anyone uses flashing front lights at night. At night they'd
be as annoying to the rider as they would be to a motorist.

There are two viewpoints on that - you need to be seen first and foremost on the street. Blinking forward white lights are unbeatable for that. And in the city you normally have enough light to see the road without any lighting. That is a real problems since cyclists are night riding without lights.

The other viewpoint is from people that ride bike paths and the like and require forward illumination and not traffic avoidance.

I can see using a little blinkie at night along with a primary headlight, and in fact, I do that. The problem is people with mega-light flashers. Most of the mega-lights (not pejorative, I own one) have perfectly benign low-beams, but they flash at outputs far above the low beam -- or they seem to. I can't find any information on line about output in flashing mode.

Some of the more modern lights are trending toward pulsing rather than flashing -- although that change seems to be driven by legislation. https://support.lightandmotion.com/h...lashing-Lights

My bright light (L&M SECA 1400) is annoying to me in flash mode at night.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 8:46:01 PM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:


Some of the more modern lights are trending toward pulsing rather than flashing -- although that change seems to be driven by legislation. https://support.lightandmotion.com/h...lashing-Lights

One comment there is interesting: "At an intersection, motorcycles are in the same place as cars - the place where motorists are looking. Bikes are often not, and need additional help being seen."

Or IOW: "I'm a gutter bunny, and you need to keep me safe in the gutter!"

At an intersection, a cyclist should generally be right where a motorcycle
would be. It reduces the risk of right hooks, left crosses, collisions
with zombie pedestrians, etc. Be where motorists are looking!

- Frank Krygowski

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 8:46:01 PM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 4:17:29 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at 6:15:29 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 8/12/2015 10:52 AM, jbeattie wrote:
I doubt if anyone uses flashing front lights at night. At night they'd
be as annoying to the rider as they would be to a motorist.

There are two viewpoints on that - you need to be seen first and foremost on the street. Blinking forward white lights are unbeatable for that. And in the city you normally have enough light to see the road without any lighting. That is a real problems since cyclists are night riding without lights.

The other viewpoint is from people that ride bike paths and the like and require forward illumination and not traffic avoidance.

I can see using a little blinkie at night along with a primary headlight, and in fact, I do that. The problem is people with mega-light flashers. Most of the mega-lights (not pejorative, I own one) have perfectly benign low-beams, but they flash at outputs far above the low beam -- or they seem to. I can't find any information on line about output in flashing mode.

Some of the more modern lights are trending toward pulsing rather than flashing -- although that change seems to be driven by legislation. https://support.lightandmotion.com/h...lashing-Lights

My bright light (L&M SECA 1400) is annoying to me in flash mode at night.

-- Jay Beattie.

A flashing light isn't too bad but it's those damn high-intensity strobe-like lights that are really blinding/dangerous/annoying to other road/trails users.
I guess it's those strobe-like lights that "flashing" refers to.

Cheers

On 10/13/2015 5:45 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 4:17:29 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at 6:15:29 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 8/12/2015 10:52 AM, jbeattie wrote:
I doubt if anyone uses flashing front lights at night. At night they'd
be as annoying to the rider as they would be to a motorist.

There are two viewpoints on that - you need to be seen first and foremost on the street. Blinking forward white lights are unbeatable for that. And in the city you normally have enough light to see the road without any lighting. That is a real problems since cyclists are night riding without lights.

The other viewpoint is from people that ride bike paths and the like and require forward illumination and not traffic avoidance.

I can see using a little blinkie at night along with a primary headlight, and in fact, I do that. The problem is people with mega-light flashers. Most of the mega-lights (not pejorative, I own one) have perfectly benign low-beams, but they flash at outputs far above the low beam -- or they seem to. I can't find any information on line about output in flashing mode.

Some of the more modern lights are trending toward pulsing rather than flashing -- although that change seems to be driven by legislation. https://support.lightandmotion.com/h...lashing-Lights

My bright light (L&M SECA 1400) is annoying to me in flash mode at night.

-- Jay Beattie.

There are a couple of lights where the flash intensity is adjustable,
but very few. Like you, I have a low-cost, low-intensity front flasher
if I want a night-time flasher.

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 9:33:38 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:

One comment there is interesting: "At an intersection, motorcycles are in the same place as cars - the place where motorists are looking. Bikes are often not, and need additional help being seen."

Or IOW: "I'm a gutter bunny, and you need to keep me safe in the gutter!"

At an intersection, a cyclist should generally be right where a motorcycle
would be. It reduces the risk of right hooks, left crosses, collisions
with zombie pedestrians, etc. Be where motorists are looking!

Or the fact that bicyclists are required to ride to the right of the rightmost lane unless turning or unless it is unsafe to be in the far right lane such as when there is traffic and that lane is right turning and the bicyclist is not.

While cars and motorcycles which are far better lit are in the middle of the traffic lane.

Perhaps you should take your question of "gutter bunnies" up with your legislature.

On Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at 6:59:33 AM UTC-7, sms wrote:

There are a couple of lights where the flash intensity is adjustable,
but very few. Like you, I have a low-cost, low-intensity front flasher
if I want a night-time flasher.

I have used a front and rear blinker along heavily traveled truck routes and these blinking lights make it difficult for drivers to judge their distance from you and so they give you VERY wide berth.

And the higher the intensity the more difficult it is for them to judge. While riding in the bike lane I have had trucks in the middle oncoming lane move over to the right lane.

While I would hardly call my front light bright it is for the first 15-20 minutes after new batteries.

On 10/14/2015 12:05 PM, wrote:
On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 9:33:38 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:

One comment there is interesting: "At an intersection, motorcycles are in the same place as cars - the place where motorists are looking. Bikes are often not, and need additional help being seen."

Or IOW: "I'm a gutter bunny, and you need to keep me safe in the gutter!"

At an intersection, a cyclist should generally be right where a motorcycle
would be. It reduces the risk of right hooks, left crosses, collisions
with zombie pedestrians, etc. Be where motorists are looking!

Or the fact that bicyclists are required to ride to the right of the rightmost lane unless turning or unless it is unsafe to be in the far right lane such as when there is traffic and that lane is right turning and the bicyclist is not.

While cars and motorcycles which are far better lit are in the middle of the traffic lane.

Perhaps you should take your question of "gutter bunnies" up with your legislature.

That was done long ago. As a result, my state's law has a long and
non-exhaustive list of reasons a cyclist may ride away from the right
edge of the lane. We've also gotten significant legal precedents
confirming the permission to ride further left.

--
- Frank Krygowski