How useful do you think a brake light would be on bicycles?
I am thinking in particular it could be useful for commuters/riders in urban environments, in making the traffic more aware of the cyclists intentions. Although it could prove useful for group mountain biking at night.
I'm thinking about producing it for one of my projects at uni this year, but haven't really decided on if it is a product aimed at a problem that doesn't really exist or if it could be useful.
It would most likely be something that works similarly to the "lucidbrake" light, so is activated based on an accelerometer detecting deceleration rather than brake cable movement, so it would work on any bike, in any position.
I appreciate any thoughts or criticism.
Cheers
Problem that doesn't exist I'm afraid plus wouldn't using an accelerometer mean that the brake light would come on each time you went up hill?
Fitted indicators to my commuter bike when I was a yoof. Much safer than taking your hand off the bars (and therefore away from the brake lever) to signal your intentions.
Might do the same again if I ever rode in traffic, but on an MTB...no!
Problem that doesn't exist I'm afraid plus wouldn't using an accelerometer mean that the brake light would come on each time you went [s]up [/s][b]down[/b]hill?
FTFY
Promax used to have some LED's integrated into brake pads. Good idea, can't see the point though, without univeral uptake/legislation you'd just crash into the back of the one person not using them.
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group mountain biking at night? I have never struggld to see a fellow rider, what with them using a front light that throws a massive beam/pool of light in front of them. Nothing is more irritating or unneccessary than a rear light. except possibly one that comes on only intermittently.
road riding in traffic? The issue is being seen at all, not car drivers anticipating cyclists intentions. Ive seen bicycle brake lights (think they worked off the brake cable or canti straddle cable pull) and indicators, the fact that they arent abundant and were probably only sold in Sunday supplement innovations tat catalogues should tell you all you need to know.
But if you have to do something and cant think of a better idea, why not? If you can combine indicators, brake and rear light, and a horn, and sell it for 3 quid, you could sell as many as 30....
That video that's being posted everywhere at the moment, the one with the bikes missing the turn and all landing on top of each other in the hedge.
They could have done with brake lights.
They could have done with[s] brake lights [/s] parachutes
...except none of them braked, if they had theyd have made the turn. Could try inventing air brakes (parachutes?), they might actually have had time to use them....
grr beaten by the edit/faster typer 🙄
sometimes when I'm riding in traffic, in the middle of the road because I'm going as fast as the traffic or the road is too narrow to pass, I often wonder if the car behind me is too close and if he'd be able to respond if I braked hard. in those instances a brake light might be helpful - to give them a bit of a warning.
BUT
if one bike had them, every bike would have to have them because drivers would expect us to have them. and once you start laying down compulsion you have to start talking about registration, licensing, MOTs and insurance and no-one wants that.
if one bike had them, every bike would have to have them because drivers would expect us to have them. and once you start laying down compulsion you have to start talking about registration, licensing, MOTs and insurance and no-one wants that.
The Daily Mail? hated and wrong, but they do exist.
OP: Whilst it sounds like a little bit of an unnecessary product, it does sound like an interesting project to make a suitable design and how you would actuate it properly
Just don't try and market it on STW if you do get it working
The Daily Mail? hated and wrong, but they do exist.
eh?
We used to make home made brake lights for our bikes as kids. Mechanical switch made by adding bits of copper and wires and stuff to U brake calipers... Eeee I remember when....
Same here Mad Pierre.....back in '82 it were, on my Raleigh racer using Ever Ready lights.
Aye I work in a bike shop and have seen quite a few commuter bikes with brake lights on.
There have been a few dynamo powered brake lights. eg Busch and Muller Toplight Line Brake Plus. http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m-toplight-line-brake-plus/aid:553806
Would be an interesting wee thing to build into a commuter disc brake - maybe a knurled surface on the fisc driving a little dynamo wheel when the brake is engaged.
I'll have a set.
For the wife's bike. Give me half a chance when random stops occur, stopping reason is obvious to her- view, cat , shoes, etc
Problem is if your going single unit, your tail light will have to be dimmer than your brake light...
I would prefer a brighter light over a brake light...
No real world application....
Sounds like a fun thing to make.....
...ticks all the boxes for a standard uni project
No real world application....
Why do motorbikes have them?
hmmmm.... Maybe a system that took the wasted energy from braking, use the heat to create steam and drive a turbine to create electricity and power the light.
Why do motorbikes have them?
err - cos they're motorbikes!
...and they sit in the middle of road traveling at the same speed as other traffic
pushbikes travel at the side of the road where it doesn't matter a jot if you brake as there is nothing behind you.
pushbikes travel at the side of the road where it doesn't matter a jot if you brake as there is nothing behind you.
That rules out mirrors too I guess.
Yes?
I think that motorists should stop tailgating generally - and bicycles specifically - and give us a bit more room.
Frankly I'm getting a bit ****ed off...
Buses with "Cyclists stay back" WTF? Roads are a shared resource.
"S/he wasn't wearing a helmet" - relevance?
High Viz for cyclists? - when cars are dark blue, grey, black, dark green, brown.
If you want to invent something, that's great, a good exercise.
BTW night riding. Agree with poster above, there is little more distracting than a rear light. I've done a bit of night racing, rear lights are really distracting and annoying. FFS you can see the beam cast by the front light. You're in the flow, you know when someone's going to stop, because that's where you would stop.
I had one, was from Argos when I was 13 doing a paper round.
Had a little switch which fitted on the brake cable near the caliper (v-brake) and then a switch with indicators.
Main problem is a bike has 2 brakes and this only works with one of them... Not sure it made any difference with drivers but I thought I was cool!
I appreciate the feedback guys. I have plenty of other idea's to develop, but thought it would be good to get a few other opinions before I put much more thought into this one, as it was one of those "it sounds like a good principle, but would it really do anyone any good" things.
The idea was more of a warning particularly for drivers close behind as "brakes" suggested. Something to grab attention at the last minute if a driver isn't concentrating.
And fair enough with the night riding comments! I tend to find that I'm not always concentrating on the person in front of me, often trying to spot the abundance of badgers and other critters. In those instances I think an attention grabbing sudden light would be handy if the person in front slams on the brakes.
Maybe that says more about my riding than a general need... 😯
And by the way, half of the idea came from this:
I've seen a few brake lights in the past that have been naff, but thought if it could be potentially redesigned similarly to what audi have done in the video then it might make a bit more of a statement!
because a car doing 70 behind a motorbike needs to know if it's slowing down. a car doing 70 behind a push bike is about to hit it whether it is slowing from 10 to 5mph or not!Why do motorbikes have them?
I have often felt the need for brake lights. I actually saw them on a hybrid once, thought they were awesome. Riding in London no way are you always off to the side and out if the way if the traffic, you are very much in amongst it all. Excellent idea, put me down for a set