Some cyclists don't help themselves, do they!
Discussion
I drive to work on a Thursday and see the same guy in pretty much the same spot every week. By see I mean as he emerges from the darkness dressed in black on a dark bike without so much as a reflector. It pisses me off because it's people like him that make people on here and on facebook start write sentences implying all cyclists are doing this. See far more driving with at best side lights.
I sell Cycle Lights, not all lights are that great. Some which seem really bright in the shop disappear into nothing when they have to fight for attention against a wet windscreen and significantly brighter lights on vehicles. The trouble is that many riders think that as they have ticked the lights box, they dont need to worry about how they ride or what they are wearing. My advice is buy some decent lights 20 lumen rear with a 200 lumen front as a minimum, get some reflectivity, preferably ankle bands and dont ride like everyone can see you. Assume that they havent.
Crippo said:
I sell Cycle Lights, not all lights are that great. Some which seem really bright in the shop disappear into nothing when they have to fight for attention against a wet windscreen and significantly brighter lights on vehicles. The trouble is that many riders think that as they have ticked the lights box, they dont need to worry about how they ride or what they are wearing. My advice is buy some decent lights 20 lumen rear with a 200 lumen front as a minimum, get some reflectivity, preferably ankle bands and dont ride like everyone can see you. Assume that they havent.
Excellent comments, just what I as a car driver want to hear. To see any cyclist in the dark, from behind glass, with oncoming cars headlights creating shadows etc is bad enough (let alone if it's raining, wipers etc) - but to then realise that a cyclist has no/little lights showing is just utterly ridiculous. I'm sure the worst offenders on bikes can't possibly also be car drivers or they would have better understood the problems.
Crippo said:
I sell Cycle Lights, not all lights are that great. Some which seem really bright in the shop disappear into nothing when they have to fight for attention against a wet windscreen and significantly brighter lights on vehicles. The trouble is that many riders think that as they have ticked the lights box, they dont need to worry about how they ride or what they are wearing. My advice is buy some decent lights 20 lumen rear with a 200 lumen front as a minimum, get some reflectivity, preferably ankle bands and dont ride like everyone can see you. Assume that they havent.
Portsmouth is awful for the no lights and helmet brigade, however the other day I saw a ninja who has a single red LED on the back of his bike running around 1 lumen so technically within the law (although no front light or reflectors) the should really make it a legal requirement for shops to sell a minimum level light, however it's making people use them in the first place. Kell said:
I blame Rapha.
To be fair to Rapha, they have the sytylished whiote band on the arm of their jerseys 
Like everyone else, I get wond up by people who ride at night with no lights or no reflective clothing.
In London you also see Cyclists with lights pointing at the ground, but they struggled attaching the light properly
Most of the time, I keep quiet, but when I was forced to move out of the way with my dog because cyclist was cycling in all black on the pavement in the dark and no lights, I had a slight sense of humor failure.
k all.Robertj21a said:
troc said:
Ditto. Dynamo and no off switch.
As a car driver I just wish more cyclists used lights. I don't want to injure anybody, and I try very hard to drive carefully, but a cyclist with no lights, in the dark, is simply stupid.Personally i don't take the christmas tree approach, however, the last time I was on a mid week country ride along lanes with my 13 year old lad, one car user took offence to being able to see us as the light was too bright for his eyes and pulled over to remonstrate with him in an aggressive way, obviously this was less than his car lights but suitable for unlit dark lanes. So please let us know what light is acceptable to you, but i'm afraid you can't have it both ways?
The back lights are tricky, as you (the rider) can't see them! The only way I can see if they are ok, is to get the other half to ride in front of you whilst you drive behind. Thats not practical, nor likely.
Otherwise, its bolt on and virtually hope for the best, or am I missing something?
Otherwise, its bolt on and virtually hope for the best, or am I missing something?
Dr Murdoch said:
The back lights are tricky, as you (the rider) can't see them! The only way I can see if they are ok, is to get the other half to ride in front of you whilst you drive behind. Thats not practical, nor likely.
Otherwise, its bolt on and virtually hope for the best, or am I missing something?
Depends on the lights. My rear lights have a wide enough spread that I can see if they are working by glancing behind me.Otherwise, its bolt on and virtually hope for the best, or am I missing something?
Andy JB said:
Some Bicycle users (not cyclists) don't use lights = bad/stupid/inconsiderate or 'idiot' as someone succinctly put -agreed. Most if not all Cyclists do use lights, and i'm amazed when out riding the number of 'drivers' read 'car users' who take an aggressive approach to my lights - you can't win.
Personally i don't take the christmas tree approach, however, the last time I was on a mid week country ride along lanes with my 13 year old lad, one car user took offence to being able to see us as the light was too bright for his eyes and pulled over to remonstrate with him in an aggressive way, obviously this was less than his car lights but suitable for unlit dark lanes. So please let us know what light is acceptable to you, but i'm afraid you can't have it both ways?
I've no idea about modern-day lights on bikes but there are some very bright front lights on them in recent times, some pulsating. They're certainly much better than nothing, but do seem excessively bright when it's a dark country road. Not sure there's an easy answer to that one.Personally i don't take the christmas tree approach, however, the last time I was on a mid week country ride along lanes with my 13 year old lad, one car user took offence to being able to see us as the light was too bright for his eyes and pulled over to remonstrate with him in an aggressive way, obviously this was less than his car lights but suitable for unlit dark lanes. So please let us know what light is acceptable to you, but i'm afraid you can't have it both ways?
What I don't understand is how people can be so angry towards bikes with no lights yet not cars at all about the number of cars with defective lights. It's just as bad on unlit roads to not be able to see half a car coming towards you. Suddenly finding out what you thought was a motorbike in the middle of the lane was in fact the a car is not nice.
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