so i was riding into work this morning in the pouring rain…as i was heading towards Manchester city centre, via the back of the printworks, a police officer stepped out onto the road and stopped me…
i had my light on flash and i though “oh shit, he’s going to tell me the light isnt road legal and i’m going to get a ticking off/on the spot fine…”
he surprised me with his next comment…
“can i say sir, that your lights are absolutely brilliant! i saw you a mile off coming down the road and all motorists would have done the same!”
there were four of them stopping cyclists and “advising” them on safe road riding tips
the officer then began to tell off another rider who they had pulled up with no lights, using me as an example “this is how you should be doing it” etc
then i got loads of questions about the light itself and they checked i had rear lights so i showed them all 3
they kept me there for 10 minutes before giving me a free reflective vest and a pair of reflective ankle strips
but its now a bit of a relief to know that a 1200 lumen light on flash mode is perfect for use on the road