ninja dog-walker
Genuine lol 🙂
You throw balls for your dog in the dark.
if I can see their dog is on a lead I'll put my hand over the light so it's not shining in walkers face but I can still see the trail, if dog is off the lead I'll keep lights as they are so I can see if the mutt decides to run infront of me. Generally keep my lights on medium for my not very technical commute purely to extend battery life to last 2 days, if lights/battery were more efficient I'd have them on full, why wouldn't you? You might only be riding a towpath but what if there's unexpected obstacles? tree branch etc
Obviously match speed to suit the conditions, narrow path I'll go slower than a wide dirt road.
if I can see their dog is on a lead I'll put my hand over the light so it's not shining in walkers face but I can still see the trail
Yeah I do this sometimes. The risk is that one day you'll find someone with one dog on the lead and another one running wild.
Or sporting two leads, one of which is extendible and attached to a dog somewhere on the other side of the path!
The [i]good[/i] dog walkers round my way have lit/reflective collars on their dogs; and/or carry torches which they shine themselves and their dogs as I approach; or just get their dogs to heel when they see me coming.
They all get a heartfelt "Thankyou!" as I pass.
Theres is acutally a real problem here.
There is a real shortage of properly designed powerful battery powered bike lights with a cut-off beam pattern suitable for road use.
In addition, despite going against the DFT's recceomendations, many councils create UNLIT shared-use paths where you need a bright light to see where you are going. Some of these even face the oncoming traffic, making it very difficult to see both the path and any (unlit) pedestrians against the backdrop of car headlights.
Predicatbly, it makes using shared paths quite difficult. Even an off-road light angled downwards spills a significant amount of light upwards.
There is a real shortage of properly designed powerful battery powered bike lights with a cut-off beam pattern suitable for road use.
You want to get on Rose Bikes or similar, pretty much all German lights (battery or dynamo) have a decent beam pattern for road use.
In addition, despite going against the DFT's recceomendations, many councils create UNLIT shared-use paths where you need a bright light to see where you are going.
Not sure many people would thank you for putting lights all along my unlit shared-use path. It's a nice rural walk/cycle - not a main road. It doesn't need to be lit, it just needs users to think a little bit, carry their own lights and make sure they (and their dogs/children/ferrets) are visible.
I run my light Full Beam on the canal path so I can see the copious amounts of Dog Cr4p, dip it when on road...
By the way, I use my Lumi on the road too.
Direct quote from my missus after she passed me in her car as I crested a very foggy hill at the weekend: "Your lights were brilliant - we could see you from miles away."
This is a [i]good thing[/i].
GrahamS - Member(and their ferrets)
WTF?
T'North innit?
(and their ferrets)
WTF?
It's not unheard of to take your ferret 'walkies' in the north.
Several things jump out here, and it's not all one way traffic.
[b]To the OP - [/b]
You've seen a bright light, it's dazzled you. How about looking away from it for a few seconds and/or stopping until it passes? Works for me every time.
You're out in the dark. Have [b][i]you[/i][/b] got a light or any hi-viz? That way an approaching cyclist will be able to see you from further away.
You're using a shared footpath/cycleway. The clue is in the name. Are you keeping to one side or are you, as a pedestrian, wandering about aimlessly all over the shop? Personal experience would suggest the latter.
Why is your missus throwing the ball for the dog in the dark? Does the dog have night vision? And how can it go after it if it's under close control?
[b]To the cyclists -[/b]
If the behaviour of pedestrians and/or their dogs bothers you, try riding accordingly.
Assume that pedestrians are brainless zombies and wander about aimlessly everywhere, because 99% of them do. If you aren't sure that they've seen you try an audible warning (bell/horn/shout/warning shot into the ground at 100 yards).
So they've got a dog - it's not on a lead and running all over the shop. Not sure what it's going to do? Need more time to think and assess the situation - how's this for an idea? TRY SLOWING DOWN, or even stopping!!! Fugg me it's not difficult, is it?? Are you really in that much of a rush?
[b]Finally, to everyone -[/b]
Stop assuming that because you're on a particular piece of road/path/trail that you own the thing. You don't, you have to share it with other people. Try doing so courteously and maybe people will stop being so ghey about the issue.
Or, if that isn't an option, try walking/riding where there isn't going to be conflict. Too many people ride their bikes where they have no right to do so and then get all upset and weepy when people complain. Well I get upset and weepy when I get tarred with the same brush as these no-marks.
Play nice kiddies, that's the ticket...
I need all 100% max power from my lights to spot the traveller horse that moves across the road, thus stretching it's lead into a potential head removing trip wire.
Being courteous and angling your lights down a little is easy and costs nothing. However, like other posters have said, it's a judgement call as to how bright your lights are and the impact they have. I had a driver stop at the end of my street when I was riding towards him in the mrning gloam / fog with my wee one on the back. I was using a C and B Seen light on flash mode. When I passed, he politely pointed out that he couldn't see anything becasue of my light. From my perspective, that's no bad thing as he stopped and waited as the more common experience for me when it is lighter is that drivers will see me then come towards me even though I am already on the road and riding towards them when there is not much more than a car width to drive down. It is a little frustrating that they would stop for a car but not a bike.
As for ridng in traffic in the city, I've succumbed to the light arms race. I now run the main light on full or flashing in traffic and supplement it with a bright head mounted light to ensure that both drivers and pedestrians see me. I've lost count of the number of times when folk will dart across the road despite having made eye contact with me, recognised I was approaching them and then gone for it. The helmet mount gives them casue to stop and wait so as far as I'm concerned is safer for everyone. I'd rather dazzle someone than them not see me.
It's not unheard of to take your ferret 'walkies' in the north
I saw a guy casually taking his sheep for a walk on Saturday. It was on a lead, and had a collar and everything. It was in Cardiff though, so explains it all. *cue sheep/wales related jokes*
how's this for an idea? TRY SLOWING DOWN, or even stopping!!! Fugg me it's not difficult, is it?? Are you really in that much of a rush?
Big assumption there. I do slow down as required (and am often thanked for doing so).
But the potential danger isn't from people/dogs/hazards I have seen and can slow down for.
It's from the stuff I don't see: dog loose in the bushes, extendible lead stretched invisibly across the path, etc
From my perspective, that's no bad thing as he stopped and waited
Aye. My experience with the Lumi is that some people stop or give me room because they think I might be a motorbike. I imagine it is quiet upsetting for them when they realise they've been "tricked" into showing courtesy to a push bike.
I occasionally see a special soldier or two riding along the LH pavement as I ride home; Full beams angle upwards on the bars (or better yet a 1000 lumen flasher) and a chuffing helmet light just for riding on the bastard pavement!
These tools normally manage to get a good few lumens straight in my eyes and presumably those of any oncoming car driver on the same side of the road as them...
In answer to your question yes most higher powered lights can be put on a lower intensity setting, they can also be angled down too reducing the amount of glare going in peoples eyes...
As with any other group of road users, there are sadly a few Twazzlers on bikes too...
I occasionally see a special soldier or two riding along the LH pavement as I ride home; Full beams angle upwards on the bars (or better yet a 1000 lumen flasher) and a chuffing helmet light just for riding on the bastard pavement!
Yep, I'm one of those tools 😀
Have you considered that they may only be on pavement for a short stretch before they are back on unlit path?
I do try to tip my light down and to the right when riding on the pavement next to oncoming cars but it is a wide beam so there is still a bit of spill.
If drivers find it major problem they must really struggle with the opposite lane of cars!
i saw a special soldier last night - his light was pointing straight back at him.
i kinda saw his logic as his lumo jacket was light up well.... but he was essentially riding blind to anything in his perifferals .
Yeah - good way to be seen, but not a good way to see.
Have you considered that they may only be on pavement for a short stretch before they are back on unlit path?
Nope there's a perfectly good road they could be using, I know this because I'm riding on it the opposite way on my bicycle!
If you really are that scared of the road that you have to ride on the pavement, why not try to do so without blinding all oncoming traffic (which includes cyclists) FFS!
Do you regularly get "blinded" by oncoming cars? Why is a bike light so different?
It is probably less lumens than modern car headlights.
By the way, accusing people of being [i]"scared of the road"[/i] epitomises the typical macho nonsense that puts other people off riding bikes for transport.
You shouldn't have to be brave to ride a bike in traffic. It's not supposed to be an extreme sport!
Graham S - never mind the ferrets, what are dog eggs? in your earlier post 😉
theres a couple of points not mentioned so far, most cyclists at night are legally obliged to have lights are they not? Dog walkers / pedestrians are not. In my mind, those without, in pitch black conditions, are stupid and lacking common sense but clearly they think its safe to walk without. I imagine a their lower speeds their eyes have adjusted to the lack of light and they feel they can see enough without. Whereas us cyclists with our huge lumens see the direct light in front of us and our eyes are set to that, anything outside that range will be pitch black, our eyes wont adjust that quickly. We are travelling much faster than walkers.
Over the last few weeks I have lowered the beam on sections where I am likely to meet pedestrians and then where I know theres little chance of seeing somebody, or back on the road I up it by a notch.
I've had less complaints which is good, other than the dad with 4 teenagers straddling the path with no lights, they saw me coming and continued to walk the whole bredth of the 4x4 track until I was close, finally parting very late, the dad held his fist up at my head hight... I didnt go near it and he didnt move it so we missed each other... very bizarre.
nowt so funny as folk.
Do you regularly get "blinded" by oncoming cars? Why is a bike light so different?
Car lights on dipped beam are positioned to point down and slightly to the left that is why car lights do not create such a problem.
Do you regularly get "blinded" by oncoming cars? Why is a bike light so different?It is probably less lumens than modern car headlights.
you're probably right, Car lights are of course about half the height off the road and approriately angled down, compard to your bar mounted jobs which are about level with a drivers eyeline, and if set horizontal rather than at the road in front basically just wasting all that POWER on blinding strangers.
By the same token any Driver who drives round with his full beams on all the time is rightly considered a bit of a ****hammer by most TBH, and will get tooted/sworn at by every other road user...
By the way, accusing people of being "scared of the road" epitomises the typical macho nonsense that puts other people off riding bikes for transport.You shouldn't have to be brave to ride a bike in traffic. It's not supposed to be an extreme sport!
Precisely riding a bike on a road is not particularly brave, so Why are you riding on the pavement when when there's a perfectly good road provided for wheeled vehicles? Largely free of Ped's, Dogs lamp posts and other obsticals you probably encounter riding on the pavement...
I speak as both a cyclist and a driver...
There is a difference between making yourself "More visible" to other road users (whether on the road or pavement) and wilfully blinding the controller of 1.5te+ of mobile metal, which probably only needs a slightly unsighted course correction to wipe you out, well done your safety measures have reduced your level of personal safety.
I do use full power lights and Helmet lighting but only when I actually need/benefit from it. That's when I'm riding through woods in near pitch blackness, not on streetlit roads with other people about...
Flashing lights are a bag of shite and should be banned from use on the roads IMO, please explain how a 1000+ lumen blinding flash once every second helps anyone gauge your distance & closing speed? and it's not going to help the rider see where they are going is it?, A steady 2-300 Lumens gives a better positional reference to others without burning out everyone's retina'...
There's something to be said for proportionate lighting and a bit of bright yellow/orange clothing with plenty of reflective materials, as opposed to firing a death ray in every unsuspecting road users face just because you've got a chip on your shoulder... lights are not the only thing that drivers can see...
You're being a tool basically, and will probably end up on someones bonnet as a result... your choice of course.
[/Rant]
Precisely riding a bike on a road is not particularly brave, so Why are you riding on the pavement when when there's a perfectly good road provided for wheeled vehicles? Largely free of Ped's, Dogs lamp posts and other obsticals you probably encounter riding on the pavement...
I ride pavements all the time. They are nearly always free of ped's, dogs, lamp posts, and cars. Some roads I wouldn't even consider pedalling around on. I love cycling, but doing it amongst cars doing anywhere between 50 and 100mph on roads wide enough only for two cars side by side is not my idea of fun. I'd sooner take the bus. And I [i]hate[/i] buses.
Flashing lights are a bag of shite and should be banned from use on the roads IMO
Can't agree with this either. Flashing lights are great for catching attention during the day and in murky weather conditions, as well as preserving battery life. Though I do make sure I have one on constant in the dark.
Also a flashing rear light will instantly mark you out as a cyclist, which is important when you have traffic approaching you at silly speeds.
i got shouted at on the road by a passing subaru for my rear light being too bright last night (use red eye on solid and a flashing smart 1watt ) .....
for me that means i have the balance right ..... well at least you noticed me didnt you.
hmm, I get a bit dazzled by car lights quite frequently. Dunno if it's constant main beam idiots or just unlucky with undulations in the road and suspension bouncing the front of cars up slightly. Just wondering, quite a few cars have angle adjust for when the car is lightly/heavily loaded, do these offer enough movement to angle the beam up if inappropriately adjusted?you're probably right, Car lights are of course about half the height off the road and approriately angled down
my lights seem to emit a reasonably low powered flash, do lights really belt out their full power on flash mode?please explain how a 1000+ lumen blinding flash once every second
Graham S - never mind the ferrets, what are dog eggs? in your earlier post
Those special little brown eggs that dogs lay on the path 😉
cyclists at night are legally obliged to have lights are they not?
yep - though not sure if that is only on the road.
And we're also legally obliged to have things like pedal reflectors etc 😯
Car lights on dipped beam are positioned to point down and slightly to the left that is why car lights do not create such a problem.
Yep - so if I point my Lumi down at to the left (or right) then I'm mimicking that as best I can whilst still seeing where I am going.
so Why are you riding on the pavement when when there's a perfectly good road provided for wheeled vehicles?
Why would/should I risk riding in the dark and wet on a dual carriageway (even one with cycle lanes) when I can stick to the pavement, enjoy a relaxing stress-free ride and probably get there faster to boot?
There is a difference between making yourself "More visible" to other road users (whether on the road or pavement) and wilfully blinding..
I don't wilfully blind anyone. I do however notice that other traffic gives me a lot more courtesy and room at night, than when I'm using bright lights, than they do during the day or when I was running crappy commuter lights.
I'm unconvinced that has "reduced your level of personal safety"
Flashing lights are a bag of shite
However they are [url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2013/jan/10/cycling-high-visibility-safe-fluorescent ]visually distinctive code for "cyclist"[/url] which can be useful. Personally my front light is steady but I run three back lights: tail light on steady, holy hand grenade and fibre flare on flash.
You're being a tool basically, and will probably end up on someones bonnet as a result... your choice of course.
I'll continue to do what I think is safest thing for me and those around me based on the reactions and experiences I have. I'm sure you do likewise.
As I mentioned earlier I sometimes end up riding on the same road as my missus in her car and we compare notes about my visibility etc. If she thought there was a problem or I was being unsafe then I can assure you I'd know about it!
Flashing lights are useful, IMO, because as said they mark you out as a cyclist. In winter I use a flashing helmet light (only a small Knog Frog Strobe) along with my main light on steady, always on low if there are other road users around. In summer I use a Smart light on flash to grab drivers' attention.
However, 1000 lumens on strobe is a very different matter, I occasionally pass someone on my way home from work who's got a mega-bright strobe light pointing at eye level, in the dark, on an unlit cycle path 😕 Surely it doesn't help him see where he's going, nevermind how antisocial it is.
When people say 'dip' with reference to cars' it's not that it's less light, just a different light pattern with a pronounced cut-off above a certain point so they illuminate the road without blinding oncoming traffic. Very few if any bike lights do this. If you reduce the power you still have a full-on, in your face beam pattern, even if you angle it down, you still get lots of spill at eye level.
I think Philips make a road-specific light which is designed to give a low beam with a car-like sharp cut-off though it's expensive and not that bright. I know Lumicycle does a road-specific head unit that's presumably a spot -spots work best on the road as there's less light spill so they're more directional, but there doesn't seem to be much out there, presumably because most proper roadies seem content to ride at 30mph plus with something like an Exposure Joystick...
Anyway... if someone made a road-friendly light which was both bright and had a genuine car-type dip beam, I'd buy one in a flash.
