Flashlight as Bicycle Light = not so good

During my night ride last night I saw a dude at the side of the road. He had one of those really bright flashlights hooked up to his handlebar.

The light had really bright narrow beam that was great for reflecting light back from reflective signs even at quite a distance. The problem was that the amount of light patch actually on the road was quite small and this poor guy never noticed the pothole he hit. So there he was with a snake bite flat and a flat rim. I gave him a spare tube and he was able to limp back to town.

Flashlights even with a zoom to flood don't seem to be a very good solution for night riding on otherwise unlit country roads. This poor guy thought his kludge was good. I showed him tthe pattern my Rover II light had on the road and he now realizes tthat he should have spent a bit extra and got a purpose built light designed for bicycling.

I wonder just how many people think that because a light with a bright narrow beam lights up distant street signs that it's a good light for dark roads and/or dark trails?

Lucky for him that i happened upon him and that I carry a spare tube as well as a patch kit. Otherwise he'd had a ong walk home.

The old adage about 'compromise' springs to mind, "Often a compromise gives you the worst of everything".

Cheers

On Saturday, October 4, 2014 6:51:09 AM UTC+1, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
During my night ride last night I saw a dude at the side of the road. He had one of those really bright flashlights hooked up to his handlebar.

The light had really bright narrow beam that was great for reflecting light back from reflective signs even at quite a distance. The problem was that the amount of light patch actually on the road was quite small and this poor guy never noticed the pothole he hit. So there he was with a snake bite flat and a flat rim. I gave him a spare tube and he was able to limp back to town.

Flashlights even with a zoom to flood don't seem to be a very good solution for night riding on otherwise unlit country roads. This poor guy thought his kludge was good. I showed him tthe pattern my Rover II light had on the road and he now realizes tthat he should have spent a bit extra and got a purpose built light designed for bicycling.

I wonder just how many people think that because a light with a bright narrow beam lights up distant street signs that it's a good light for dark roads and/or dark trails?

Lucky for him that i happened upon him and that I carry a spare tube as well as a patch kit. Otherwise he'd had a ong walk home.

The old adage about 'compromise' springs to mind, "Often a compromise gives you the worst of everything".

Here are some real Macho-Paranoid potholes as seen (hardly) by a proper Busch und Muller cycling lamp:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...59139#msg59139

They don't bother me though, as I'm not on a flimsy road bike with tapeworm tyres but on a proper, sturdy steel touring bike with low pressure 60mm Big Apples, on which I just ignore any pothole less deep than the hubs as if it isn't there at all.

Andre Jute
Fastest steamroller in the county

On Saturday, October 4, 2014 9:21:40 AM UTC-7, Andre Jute wrote:
On Saturday, October 4, 2014 6:51:09 AM UTC+1, Sir Ridesalot wrote:

During my night ride last night I saw a dude at the side of the road. He had one of those really bright flashlights hooked up to his handlebar.



The light had really bright narrow beam that was great for reflecting light back from reflective signs even at quite a distance. The problem was that the amount of light patch actually on the road was quite small and this poor guy never noticed the pothole he hit. So there he was with a snake bite flat and a flat rim. I gave him a spare tube and he was able to limp back to town.



Flashlights even with a zoom to flood don't seem to be a very good solution for night riding on otherwise unlit country roads. This poor guy thought his kludge was good. I showed him tthe pattern my Rover II light had on the road and he now realizes tthat he should have spent a bit extra and got a purpose built light designed for bicycling.



I wonder just how many people think that because a light with a bright narrow beam lights up distant street signs that it's a good light for dark roads and/or dark trails?



Lucky for him that i happened upon him and that I carry a spare tube as well as a patch kit. Otherwise he'd had a ong walk home.



The old adage about 'compromise' springs to mind, "Often a compromise gives you the worst of everything".



Here are some real Macho-Paranoid potholes as seen (hardly) by a proper Busch und Muller cycling lamp:

http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...59139#msg59139



They don't bother me though, as I'm not on a flimsy road bike with tapeworm tyres but on a proper, sturdy steel touring bike with low pressure 60mm Big Apples, on which I just ignore any pothole less deep than the hubs as if it isn't there at all.


A first for me today -- I encountered a guy with two front flashers. They looked like NiteRider MiNewts, and they were in and out of phase, so the over all effect was like a mars light on the front of a locomotive. The guy also had about ten mirrors. All that was missing was a calliope and some Clydesdales -- maybe a monkey and some cymbals. I dropped a couple of road flares just to make sure he saw me and my buddy. This was on the grand MUP we call the Springwater Corridor, so it's not like cars were about to run us over. My buddy agreed to shoot me if I ever showed up on a ride with two flashers and a bunch of mirrors.

By the way, spectacular ride -- out through Boring, Oregon and around. A lot of roads like this: http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/ride-...de_17/17_3.jpg Some with 55mph speed limits, which is kind of mind blowing.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 10/4/2014 2:48 PM, jbeattie wrote:

A first for me today -- I encountered a guy with two front flashers. They looked like NiteRider MiNewts, and they were in and out of phase, so the over all effect was like a mars light on the front of a locomotive.

I often see riders with a helmet light and a bar mounted light but I
don't think I've seen both in flash mode at the same time. In the
daytime usually only the bar-mounted front flasher and at night both
lights on in steady mode.

It's annoying to the cyclist and the driver to use a flasher at night
unless it's very low power.

On Saturday, October 4, 2014 5:48:10 PM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, October 4, 2014 9:21:40 AM UTC-7, Andre Jute wrote:

On Saturday, October 4, 2014 6:51:09 AM UTC+1, Sir Ridesalot wrote:



During my night ride last night I saw a dude at the side of the road. He had one of those really bright flashlights hooked up to his handlebar.







The light had really bright narrow beam that was great for reflecting light back from reflective signs even at quite a distance. The problem was that the amount of light patch actually on the road was quite small and this poor guy never noticed the pothole he hit. So there he was with a snake bite flat and a flat rim. I gave him a spare tube and he was able to limp back to town.







Flashlights even with a zoom to flood don't seem to be a very good solution for night riding on otherwise unlit country roads. This poor guy thought his kludge was good. I showed him tthe pattern my Rover II light had on the road and he now realizes tthat he should have spent a bit extra and got a purpose built light designed for bicycling.







I wonder just how many people think that because a light with a bright narrow beam lights up distant street signs that it's a good light for dark roads and/or dark trails?







Lucky for him that i happened upon him and that I carry a spare tube as well as a patch kit. Otherwise he'd had a ong walk home.







The old adage about 'compromise' springs to mind, "Often a compromise gives you the worst of everything".







Here are some real Macho-Paranoid potholes as seen (hardly) by a proper Busch und Muller cycling lamp:



http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...59139#msg59139







They don't bother me though, as I'm not on a flimsy road bike with tapeworm tyres but on a proper, sturdy steel touring bike with low pressure 60mm Big Apples, on which I just ignore any pothole less deep than the hubs as if it isn't there at all.





A first for me today -- I encountered a guy with two front flashers. They looked like NiteRider MiNewts, and they were in and out of phase, so the over all effect was like a mars light on the front of a locomotive. The guy also had about ten mirrors. All that was missing was a calliope and some Clydesdales -- maybe a monkey and some cymbals. I dropped a couple of road flares just to make sure he saw me and my buddy. This was on the grand MUP we call the Springwater Corridor, so it's not like cars were about to run us over. My buddy agreed to shoot me if I ever showed up on a ride with two flashers and a bunch of mirrors.



By the way, spectacular ride -- out through Boring, Oregon and around. A lot of roads like this: http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/ride-...de_17/17_3.jpg Some with 55mph speed limits, which is kind of mind blowing.



-- Jay Beattie.



JB is anti safety ? anti art anti self expression ? a control freak ? while tendering dynamo CF urges ?

night flashing is more effective flashed slowly...and alone...obviously the flashing or blinkie effect goes into chaos with 100 riders at a bsuy intersection..unless they coordinate, move en masse....eyeyyehahhahahha freak out.

here they come. sounds liberating.

ah STYLEMAN !! Portland Cycleing is STYLEMAN COUNTRY ?

On 10/4/2014 4:48 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, October 4, 2014 9:21:40 AM UTC-7, Andre Jute wrote:
On Saturday, October 4, 2014 6:51:09 AM UTC+1, Sir Ridesalot wrote:

During my night ride last night I saw a dude at the side of the road. He had one of those really bright flashlights hooked up to his handlebar.



The light had really bright narrow beam that was great for reflecting light back from reflective signs even at quite a distance. The problem was that the amount of light patch actually on the road was quite small and this poor guy never noticed the pothole he hit. So there he was with a snake bite flat and a flat rim. I gave him a spare tube and he was able to limp back to town.



Flashlights even with a zoom to flood don't seem to be a very good solution for night riding on otherwise unlit country roads. This poor guy thought his kludge was good. I showed him tthe pattern my Rover II light had on the road and he now realizes tthat he should have spent a bit extra and got a purpose built light designed for bicycling.



I wonder just how many people think that because a light with a bright narrow beam lights up distant street signs that it's a good light for dark roads and/or dark trails?



Lucky for him that i happened upon him and that I carry a spare tube as well as a patch kit. Otherwise he'd had a ong walk home.



The old adage about 'compromise' springs to mind, "Often a compromise gives you the worst of everything".



Here are some real Macho-Paranoid potholes as seen (hardly) by a proper Busch und Muller cycling lamp:

http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...59139#msg59139



They don't bother me though, as I'm not on a flimsy road bike with tapeworm tyres but on a proper, sturdy steel touring bike with low pressure 60mm Big Apples, on which I just ignore any pothole less deep than the hubs as if it isn't there at all.


A first for me today -- I encountered a guy with two front flashers. They looked like NiteRider MiNewts, and they were in and out of phase, so the over all effect was like a mars light on the front of a locomotive. The guy also had about ten mirrors. All that was missing was a calliope and some Clydesdales -- maybe a monkey and some cymbals. I dropped a couple of road flares just to make sure he saw me and my buddy. This was on the grand MUP we call the Springwater Corridor, so it's not like cars were about to run us over. My buddy agreed to shoot me if I ever showed up on a ride with two flashers and a bunch of mirrors.

By the way, spectacular ride -- out through Boring, Oregon and around. A lot of roads like this: http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/ride-...de_17/17_3.jpg Some with 55mph speed limits, which is kind of mind blowing.

-- Jay Beattie.


I was out today at 28F (in wool and leather) and didn't see
one other cyclist in an hour of riding. As they say in North
Dakota, yeah it's cold but it keeps out the riffraff.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sunday, October 5, 2014 8:26:41 AM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
On 10/4/2014 4:48 PM, jbeattie wrote:

On Saturday, October 4, 2014 9:21:40 AM UTC-7, Andre Jute wrote:

On Saturday, October 4, 2014 6:51:09 AM UTC+1, Sir Ridesalot wrote:



During my night ride last night I saw a dude at the side of the road. He had one of those really bright flashlights hooked up to his handlebar.







The light had really bright narrow beam that was great for reflecting light back from reflective signs even at quite a distance. The problem was that the amount of light patch actually on the road was quite small and this poor guy never noticed the pothole he hit. So there he was with a snake bite flat and a flat rim. I gave him a spare tube and he was able to limp back to town.







Flashlights even with a zoom to flood don't seem to be a very good solution for night riding on otherwise unlit country roads. This poor guy thought his kludge was good. I showed him tthe pattern my Rover II light had on the road and he now realizes tthat he should have spent a bit extra and got a purpose built light designed for bicycling.







I wonder just how many people think that because a light with a bright narrow beam lights up distant street signs that it's a good light for dark roads and/or dark trails?







Lucky for him that i happened upon him and that I carry a spare tube as well as a patch kit. Otherwise he'd had a ong walk home.







The old adage about 'compromise' springs to mind, "Often a compromise gives you the worst of everything".







Here are some real Macho-Paranoid potholes as seen (hardly) by a proper Busch und Muller cycling lamp:



http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...59139#msg59139







They don't bother me though, as I'm not on a flimsy road bike with tapeworm tyres but on a proper, sturdy steel touring bike with low pressure 60mm Big Apples, on which I just ignore any pothole less deep than the hubs as if it isn't there at all.





A first for me today -- I encountered a guy with two front flashers. They looked like NiteRider MiNewts, and they were in and out of phase, so the over all effect was like a mars light on the front of a locomotive. The guy also had about ten mirrors. All that was missing was a calliope and some Clydesdales -- maybe a monkey and some cymbals. I dropped a couple of road flares just to make sure he saw me and my buddy. This was on the grand MUP we call the Springwater Corridor, so it's not like cars were about to run us over. My buddy agreed to shoot me if I ever showed up on a ride with two flashers and a bunch of mirrors.



By the way, spectacular ride -- out through Boring, Oregon and around. A lot of roads like this: http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/ride-...de_17/17_3.jpg Some with 55mph speed limits, which is kind of mind blowing.



-- Jay Beattie.





I was out today at 28F (in wool and leather) and didn't see

one other cyclist in an hour of riding. As they say in North

Dakota, yeah it's cold but it keeps out the riffraff.

It's another nice day here -- the leaves have barely started to turn. I saw hundreds of cyclists on the MUP yesterday -- but its 21 miles long, so it's easy to see a lot of cyclists on a sunny day.

It is not stinky hot like California, just still warm. I'm going for an easy ride today, then I'll come back and build my dyno wheel. I disassembled a couple of old wheels last night to scavenge some spokes. One wheel had a cracked rim (amazingly, a DT 450) and a broken hub flange (Ultegra). I use a tensiometer but must have screwed something up when I built that wheel. My current fleet of wheels are going strong. I disassembled one wheel to scavenge the rim -- a POS MA3, but it will be fine for the purpose. The hub was an OEM Cannondale from my CX bike. It has rubber wipers that create almost as much drag as my dyno (well, not really, but still a lot). My front light arrived yesterday, so I'll be dyno equipped tomorrow or the next day.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 10/5/2014 8:51 AM, jbeattie wrote:

It's another nice day here -- the leaves have barely started to turn. I saw hundreds of cyclists on the MUP yesterday -- but its 21 miles long, so it's easy to see a lot of cyclists on a sunny day.

It is not stinky hot like California, just still warm. I'm going for an easy ride today, then I'll come back and build my dyno wheel. I disassembled a couple of old wheels last night to scavenge some spokes. One wheel had a cracked rim (amazingly, a DT 450) and a broken hub flange (Ultegra). I use a tensiometer but must have screwed something up when I built that wheel. My current fleet of wheels are going strong. I disassembled one wheel to scavenge the rim -- a POS MA3, but it will be fine for the purpose. The hub was an OEM Cannondale from my CX bike. It has rubber wipers that create almost as much drag as my dyno (well, not really, but still a lot). My front light arrived yesterday, so I'll be dyno equipped tomorrow or the next day.

Well when you get arrested by the Portland police for riding at night
with a non-StVZO light don't come here to complain. And don't try to
represent yourself in court.

AMuzi wrote:
On 10/4/2014 4:48 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, October 4, 2014 9:21:40 AM UTC-7, Andre Jute wrote:
On Saturday, October 4, 2014 6:51:09 AM UTC+1, Sir Ridesalot wrote:

During my night ride last night I saw a dude at the side of the road.
He had one of those really bright flashlights hooked up to his handlebar.



The light had really bright narrow beam that was great for reflecting
light back from reflective signs even at quite a distance. The problem
was that the amount of light patch actually on the road was quite
small and this poor guy never noticed the pothole he hit. So there he
was with a snake bite flat and a flat rim. I gave him a spare tube and
he was able to limp back to town.



Flashlights even with a zoom to flood don't seem to be a very good
solution for night riding on otherwise unlit country roads. This poor
guy thought his kludge was good. I showed him tthe pattern my Rover II
light had on the road and he now realizes tthat he should have spent a
bit extra and got a purpose built light designed for bicycling.



I wonder just how many people think that because a light with a bright
narrow beam lights up distant street signs that it's a good light for
dark roads and/or dark trails?



Lucky for him that i happened upon him and that I carry a spare tube
as well as a patch kit. Otherwise he'd had a ong walk home.



The old adage about 'compromise' springs to mind, "Often a compromise
gives you the worst of everything".



Here are some real Macho-Paranoid potholes as seen (hardly) by a proper
Busch und Muller cycling lamp:

http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...59139#msg59139



They don't bother me though, as I'm not on a flimsy road bike with
tapeworm tyres but on a proper, sturdy steel touring bike with low
pressure 60mm Big Apples, on which I just ignore any pothole less deep
than the hubs as if it isn't there at all.


A first for me today -- I encountered a guy with two front flashers.
They looked like NiteRider MiNewts, and they were in and out of phase,
so the over all effect was like a mars light on the front of a
locomotive. The guy also had about ten mirrors. All that was missing
was a calliope and some Clydesdales -- maybe a monkey and some cymbals.
I dropped a couple of road flares just to make sure he saw me and my
buddy. This was on the grand MUP we call the Springwater Corridor, so
it's not like cars were about to run us over. My buddy agreed to shoot
me if I ever showed up on a ride with two flashers and a bunch of mirrors.

By the way, spectacular ride -- out through Boring, Oregon and around.
A lot of roads like this:
http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/ride-...de_17/17_3.jpg Some with
55mph speed limits, which is kind of mind blowing.

-- Jay Beattie.


I was out today at 28F (in wool and leather) and didn't see one other
cyclist in an hour of riding. As they say in North Dakota, yeah it's cold
but it keeps out the riffraff.

Same here. After a week of nice warm weather the temperature dropped
considerably and it was rainy. I love it when the roads get quiet because
of bad weather. The corn and the beets are harvested so lots of roads are
covered with a thin layer of wet mud. As a bonus I had to clean my bike for
half an hour 😛.

--
Lou