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If some one made good indicator lights for a bike would you use them?
A simple yes or no would be grand if you don't mind
An appended I'm a .... biker would be appreciated too if you can spare the time as I'm guessing most (if any) yeses will be from commuters and any one who considers them self "mtb only" will be a no (though I believe orange is soooo enduro at the moment so they may make the trail come alive)
Basically it's a kickstarter project to do a lot of r and d on following my ride home in the dark last night. If it seems there might be a market then grand, but frankly getting it to a kickstarter-able stage is a lot of work from where I am now.
Thanks
no
No.
No.
No. Decent gloves with a big patch of 3M scotchbright on the palm & back of them would be a goer though.
No
No. Stoner has the right idea though. Make your hands more visible.
Flashing orange glove lights anyone? 😉
No, and I wouldn't be so quick to accept Stoners style guidance either.
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Decent gloves with a big patch of 3M scotchbright on the palm & back of them would be a goer though.
Won't really work on the palm, I think. The abrasion would be too much for the 3M. There are plenty of good gloves out there with Scotchlite on the back, though. Failing that, I've also used a Respro ankle band around my right wrist as additional viz. Right only, as it's more important when indicating to move in to traffic, IMHO. One on the right wrist, one on the right ankle.
There have also been lots of attempts at making indicator gloves. Invariably they're utter gash, sacrificing being a good glove for a few stupid LEDs.
Actually, amend mine, I think a riding jacket with big strip (1"+ wide) of scothbrite tape down the front and back of the arm with an arrow at the cuffs would work even better.
no.
No. Why would I want to draw attention to myself when I'm out in my black trakkies and hoodie with no lights?
Stoner, Endura used to make an excellent pertex jacket with similar, called the Jaffa. Full length strips of 3M on both sleeves.
Anyone who's driven a car behind someone wearing Altura Nightvision trews knows that reflective stuff REALLY works.
You mean the sort of thing sold by [url= http://www.bicycleindicators.co.uk/ ]http://www.bicycleindicators.co.uk/[/url]?
Nah
Yes. But i would still want to be able to manually indicate as well.
No, reflective gloves are good but not indicators. I'm a roadie and a commuter BTW.
Hell no.
no.
No
No. they'd be a pointless distraction.
I ride 50-200 miles a week commuting in London, and road ride at weekends.
Reflectives on extremities are a good idea, but I don't think anyone has worked out how to place them so that you give coverage front, back and sides (as it were).
Maybe, for commuting. Define "good".
but I don't think anyone has worked out how to place them so that you give coverage front, back and sides (as it were).
See above.
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Incidently, this is one of my pet hates about cyclists. Who the hell teaches people to stick their hand out and move into another lane without looking behind them? (I actually I saw some school teachers teaching some kids to do this the other week outside my flat, I was tempted to say something but I didn't. but it's not exclusive to children, people of all ages do it. It's a bit mental if you ask me.)
Personally I'm surprised more cyclists don't die horrible deaths because of this! We can put that down to driver awareness I suppose!
MSP - doesn't that picture belong in the "camel toe" thread?
nahhhhhhh
Who the hell teaches people to stick their hand out and move into another lane without looking behind them? (I actually I saw some school teachers teaching some kids to do this the other week outside my flat
That is not what the national standard for bike training teaches.
A rider should check behind often and especially before changing direction.
I was tempted to say something but I didn't.
You should have asked them if they were accredited.
Personally i only indicate if there's a car behind me or that i know is close enough to notice me, otherwise all I do I look behind and make sure it's safe...But like I say it's not limited to children, it's fairly common and I see loads doing it all the time on the commute. Too many people place an unfathomable faith in sticking a hand out.neilwheel - Member
That is not what the national standard for bike training teaches. A rider should check behind often and especially before changing direction.
aye, maybe should have, first question before the above would be, why weren't they teaching them some bike handling skills firstly before taking them out on a public road, some of them were wobbily to say the least!neilwheel - Member
You should have asked them if they were accredited.
Whole thing struck me as lip service to teaching kids to ride bikes, can imagine the conversation before hand among them all... Right who wants to take the bike awareness classes, cue awkward looks all round..
For the OP, I can't see indicators helping that in the slightest. I'd actually see them as a bad thing and encouraging the behavior I describe above.
BigButSlimmerBloke - Member
You mean the sort of thing sold by http://www.bicycleindicators.co.uk/
Very much not that sort of thing.
The lighted gloves idea really, though yes, that has associated problems - hence the need for work not just slapping an led on a glove.
Ta for the input though folks
For the OP, I can't see indicators helping that in the slightest. I'd actually see them as a bad thing and encouraging the behavior I describe above.
You can't fix stupid.
Another no for you, or in the words of dragon's den don't waste any more of your money on this.
first question before the above would be, why weren't they teaching them some bike handling skills firstly before taking them out on a public road, some of them were wobbily to say the least!
Couldn't agree more. Again the national standard is to teach handling skills, use of gears and brakes all off road first.
As you say, if there is no one to signal to, why take your hands off of the bars?
dangeourbrain - MemberIf some one made good indicator lights for a bike would you use them?
Yes, only if the indicator lights are [b]super doper innovative and cheap[/b].
Yes, I want it cheap and good far east price. Not rip off Britain price. Did I say cheap and good? Not more than £5 per pair of indicator lights. Yes, you will manufacture it from far east dirt cheap.
[b]
Otherwise no[/b], as I would rather wear a Santa Claus reflective tree suit ... Also no if the bureaucrats are involved. i.e. they might push it out as law ... bloody jobworth.
Thinking of it, it is a bit like the brake lights my friend made for his bike in the early 80s. I was very impressed with his brake lights as they actually worked. The lights were small and very bright.
😛
No
No...
benji - Member
... don't waste any more of your money on this.
As I'm presently in company time I'm technically making money rather than spending (my own) at the moment, though judging from the pretty consistent responses above, the sentiment is correct.
No not even if they worked perfectly and were cheap. There would always be people/kids without them whom would then be blamed for their own deaths due to not having indicators.
No but good reflective gloves and snap bands are a great idea
wilburt - MemberNo not even if they worked perfectly and were cheap. There would always be people/kids without them whom would then be blamed for their own deaths due to not having indicators.
Ya, some brain death jobworths will definitely pin the blame on cyclists without indicators that I am sure.
no.
but i watched 'moon' (again) the other day, so i'd like my gloves to have a big scotchlite smiley 'Gerty' face on the back.
debatable, but you can certainly encourage it (with silly ideas like indicators though. 😉 )dangeourbrain - MemberYou can't fix stupid.
No,
I'm a regular commuter FWIW. I also think it has already been done & hasn't really caught on.. For instance:
http://www.bicycleindicators.co.uk/wpcproduct/bicycle-indicator/
Chin up OP, you [i]might[/i] get a better response if you were to ask among not-real-cyclists, the folk who just use a cheap bike to get about rather than the drop barred race heroes and gnarr shredders of STW. Not sure where to find them though, as they are unlikely to frequent any kind of cycling forum.
Oh, and I use indicators every day*. But then I am a motorbiker.
* sometimes even several times a day. 😉
No.
Why:
Fiddly, expensive and [main reason] the lights are always too close together.
No, put a couple of Orange OLED triangles on the shoulders of a jacket with a wireless, small, solar-charged and maintainance free control system on the handlebars - THEN we might talk again.
Oh, and it needs to cost circa £30.
no.
someone i know bought these, not sure i ever saw them fitted though.
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Hell no...
I think it's a bad idea.
a) you're fixing a problem that doesn't exist, the majority of cyclists have an indicator at the end of each arm. Perhaps might have an application amongst the paraplegic market? and,
b) given the number of "where's your bell" comments issued by pedestrians (when you've been dinging like Tio Salamanca for the last five minutes), and the penchant amongst some drivers for victim blaming in RTAs, I'd be very much against giving the great unwashed a further excuse of "where's your indicators" as they plough over me with two tons of steel.
Sorry.
Am a bit late to this, but no.
You know what would work quite well? An "indicator" on the back of your glove that would automatically come on when you stuck your arm out. Pretty workable on a flat-barred bike at least - your hand is flat when it's on the bars and vertical when indicating, so a tilt-switch arrangement would work. A drop-bar version is surely envisageable as well.
apart from when I hold the ends of my bars.
I'm going with the herd. No.
Yeh 🙂
and
I'm also working on a Bicycle Roof Rack.
Would you like this... YES or NO . Before I go off to Thule 😉
No.
No.
25 years of bike commuting, people not being aware of me indicating has never been a problem - generally such people just aren't aware period.
That's not to say there isn't a market for them - just probably not grizzled commuters.
a grizzled commuter.
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I'm also working on a Bicycle Roof Rack.
Don't be ridiculous, a bike doesn't have a roof.
OP no way. Hands are much more visable can point. Some small leds on the back of gloves may be good though.
seosamh77 - Member
Incidently, this is one of my pet hates about cyclists. Who the hell teaches people to stick their hand out and move into another lane without looking behind them? (I actually I saw some school teachers teaching some kids to do this the other week outside my flat, I was tempted to say something but I didn't. but it's not exclusive to children, people of all ages do it. It's a bit mental if you ask me.)
It is because this is how they drive. Most people when they get on bike ride how they drive, its just that bad habits are more obvious when riding a bike compared to driving a car as you are less with the speed of the flow of traffic.
Most people don't check their mirrors when indicating, or driving in general they just turn right or left no checking anything than what is immediately in front of them so why would they when riding? I see load of people driving around with their wing mirrors folded in, how they pull off without noticing and adjusting before moving I don't know. Should be a fixed penalty for that IMO.
No
stevomcd - Member
You know what would work quite well? An "indicator" on the back of your glove that would automatically come on when you stuck your arm out. Pretty workable on a flat-barred bike at least - your hand is flat when it's on the bars and vertical when indicating, so a tilt-switch arrangement would work. A drop-bar version is surely envisageable as well.
I think just a circle or triangle of yellow leds on a glove would be better surrounded by some reflective tape. Permanently on. They would not have to be any where near as bright as a rear light, just enough to aid the reflective glve and increas eye catchability.
OP
I rode for transport and leisure on and off road.
No.
Why
1) somehow the courts will use the absence or presence of them to blame cyclists
2) I wonder where the road traffic act would sit on them?
3) they would add weight to the bike
4) am arm is a much bigger indicator
5) two types of indication from cyclists is likely to produce confusion or excuses for motorists and smidsy incidents
No.
I quite like the idea of left and right trafficators on the helmet though.
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No. I never turn right.
No
1) If they are on the bars they are easy to obscure with hands/body etc.
2) On the back of the bike they would be too close together to work out which was being used for some people
3) Some elaborate clothing based system - too much faff
Bright reflective lines on the arms and bright glove backs/reflective yes.
All my signals are preceded by a good look and made with a very positive arm movement/signal.
+1 ernie might have to build these into a pointy TT helmet and would create a lot of drag? slowing me down even more. 'Idiot sticks 'looked useless on cars back in the 50s 60s with fewer cars on the road. however if this is to be a college based design project (dusts off Design and Technology teaching hat) a working prototype might achieve decent results . other than that OP im oot.
No
The comments are appreciated. I was thinking along the lines of an "over glove" with led lighting and an induction based proximity switch in it which would tally with a light on a bar end with combined inductor - hand off the bar by X inch (including off the bar but not stuck out which is a problem for me in heavy but fast traffic) and the bar end blinks along with the glove, hand on bar and both are off. No user switches, no big chunky lights on a seat post or anything like.
1) somehow the courts will use the absence or presence of them to blame cyclists
Any evidence of this or is it just supposition
Gary Mccourt, who killed Audrey Fife, would certainly have received a stiffer sentance* if Audrey had not "contributed"** to her death by not wearing a safety helmet.
(*it could barely have been more lenient)
(**according to Sheriff James Scott)
cyclists are often blamed for the failings of their killers.