Cyclists. Do you have a death wish ! (Roadie content)

Good point OP.. it’s a crying shame that whenever a thread like this arises, raising valid points about road safety, you invariably get an army of militant roadies spouting crap about how they own the road and it’s everyone else that needs to accommodate them..

I think the majority of the comments are in response to the OP’s aggressive tone rather than the points he’s trying to make.

Motorist hat Flashing + Solid state light is my ideal. Heres why….

Flashing – identifies you as a bike thus means i can react accordingly in terms of road space and observations.

Solid – because I can more accurately judge speed and distance from a constant reference point especially when you consider that all flashing lights have different rhythms. You also dont get double losses where you might get the light off as the bike passes the rear window then its hidden by the cars b pillar during the on phase.

Riding in fog in line with traffic + no lights. Well you wouldnt find me doing it I love my family.too much to go.home dead on a (flawed) point of principle.

Flashing for day, steady for night. Additional sweeping strobe at night for good measure. Everything you’ve got in fog.

Interestingly the wife and I must have seen a dozen cars with no lights, and plenty driving as if it was a clear summers day. Most cyclists had lights other than a father out with a toddler – very irresponsible!

Still don’t understand this thought, with a reasonably quick flashing light I have absolutely no problems judging the speed of a bike. If the flash is 1Hz and the bike is moving stupendously fast, then sure it might be harder, but otherwise no.

In fact, I think it’s EASIER to judge, the fixed frequency of flash means you can very easily (if subconsiously) identify a bike slowing or accelerating by the relative position of the flashes.

Hell, if flashing lights are hard to judge speed on someone had better alert the emergency services.

garage-dweller – Member

Flashing + Solid state light is my ideal.

‘s what I do. Both have their advantages, why choose between them? (also, redundant lights is obviously a good idea)

It’s not cool but hi-viz vests make a massive difference. I wear one for most night riding and my commuter pack’s taped up too. Or at the very least, bright colours- why is it the lightless cyclists seem more likely to be dressed like ninjas too?

Legal requirements are fine and dandy but being legally correct doesn’t unkill you.

Lights? High-viz jackets?

You forgot the St Christopher medal:

but that would be yet another impediment / expense for people to just get out on their bikes.

I’d have thought the cost of a bike far outweighed a fiver on some basic Aldi special LEDs 🙄

Totally agree with OP – I was out yesterday with both front and rear lights (though I did start in the dark) and was very glad of both even once the fog lifted slightly as it was a murky day. Not bothered what the law says it was common sense. When I was driving later I also had my lights on in my car as it was common sense. (Note the theme)

I am not a fan of cyclists that do not apply common sense and respect for all road users i.e.

– Red light jumping
– Riding abreast when a car comes – most of my riding is in the New Forest and we ride two a breast chatting, when a car comes we go single file. It is polite and courteous and 99% of drivers are courteous back, in no way affects our ride
– Lights on when it is dark, helmets etc

Not saying I am perfect but if all road users where a bit more courteous it would help. On the flip side I get ferking angry when cars nearly run me over!

Interestingly the wife and I must have seen a dozen cars with no lights, and plenty driving as if it was a clear summers day. Most cyclists had lights other than a father out with a toddler – very irresponsible!

Same here. I saw a lot more idiotic driving than cycling in yesterday’s fog, as usual. But we don’t go on and on and on about that at great and massively patronising length, do we? Because it’s normal and we expect it, even though driving like a **** is much more dangerous to other people than anything you can do on a bike. Shame.

In fact, I think it’s EASIER to judge, the fixed frequency of flash means you can very easily (if subconsiously) identify a bike slowing or accelerating by the relative position of the flashes.

Hell, if flashing lights are hard to judge speed on someone had better alert the emergency services.
It’s not the flashing per se (though I don’t agree that it helps to judge distance) – it’s the brightness. Superbright lights are awful to look at in the dark and far worse if they’re flashing. As a result, Mr Driver isn’t actually looking at you as much as he could/should be.

Just possibly, the emergency services have flashing lights to get you out of their way rather than just for visibility or to help speed perception – they all have headlights like the rest of us. If they were safer we’d all have them, hey ?

“Same here. I saw a lot more idiotic driving than cycling in yesterday’s fog, as usual. But we don’t go on and on and on about that at great and massively patronising length, do we? Because it’s normal and we expect it, even though driving like a **** is much more dangerous to other people than anything you can do on a bike. Shame.“

I dunno, I go on about it and I know plenty of others do.

But if you take the population of STW we’re generally cyclists. So in that context, surely it makes sense to point out the stupid things that a lot of people do when on a bike? As cyclists we’re mostly acutely aware of the stupid things they do when they’re in a car.

“It’s not the flashing per se (though I don’t agree that it helps to judge distance) – it’s the brightness. Superbright lights are awful to look at in the dark“

Also, some flashing lights simply flash too slowly. I know I’ve glanced in the past and not seen a light, then glanced again and there it was. If you’ve only got an on-off flasher, then unless it’s a really high frequency one you carry a risk of being missed by people who are only glancing once.

Despite having a rear light on yesterday I did have a near miss on a short section of road between trails – the van driver concerned had no lights on but, more importantly, was texting on his mobile. He kind of acknowledged he was in the wrong but it fell short of an apology.

Anyways, does this argument always have to come down to a them/us blamefest? Surely if everyone took responsibility for their own actions and safety the roads would be a better place? If we all actually paid attention to the Highway Code drivers would drive to suit the conditions and cyclists make themselves more visible.

To blame a motorist simply for not seeing someone who, in effect, is camoflaged is as pointless as blaming a cyclist who chose not to use hi-viz/lights.

Totally agree with the OP –
We went out in the car early Saturday morning and saw several groups of roadies, most dressed head to toe in black, riding with no lights.

The financial arguement is a nonsense – you can buy a flashing LED bike-light from poundland…
£25 gets you a nice set of road lights, spend £50 and you’ll be seen from the moon.

I think you owe it to those who care about you to put one something bright and stick a light on either end of your bike.
I ride with a Smart Lunar R1 – rain or shine, day or night.
£16, and you can see it from miles away.

To blame a motorist simply for not seeing someone who, in effect, is camoflaged is as pointless as blaming a cyclist who chose not to use hi-viz/lights.

This. I got moaned at by Mrs Kryton this morning after nagging her to turn the car lights on (immediately after leaving home but immediately before a roundabout – she was about to it, apparantly), only to have a short conversation 5 minutes later about a cyclist coming toward us going hammer and tongs in all-black gear, no reflectives or high vis,, no lights head down on the drops and no helmet – this was about 7.45 so still quite dull an gloomy this morning.

We saw him (against a backdrop of hedgerows) about 50ft before he passed us (opposite direction).

I drive and I ride, Nobby is right – instead of being “them and us” if we all did our part whilst in any kind of vehicle we could reduce the problems. However some people are to macho/much of a hurry/ignorant/selfish/defensive/offensive/don’t care* regardless of which vehicle they are on/in*.

*delete as approporiate.

Yep, as above I always have a rear light on my bike. The situations when I use it are more than just “it’s dark”;

– dark conditions obviously
– changeable conditions when dipping in & out of trees on a sunny day
– murky, low contrast days
– mist/fog
– low sun
– daylight, but raining
– etc…

If in doubt I will put my rear light on. It weighs very little and the batteries last for ages.

Same considerations when driving, really. I drive a (normally dirty) dull grey car. It blends in. If I feel that visibility is not great, I stick my lights on. Simple.

But if you take the population of STW we’re generally cyclists. So in that context, surely it makes sense to point out the stupid things that a lot of people do when on a bike?

It’s a good debate. With the world going by so much more slowly on a bike, and all of your senses intact, I truly think most people don’t realise the position they put themselves in as cars approach at speed, windscreens fogged up, wipers blazing away, while the drivers try to find Smooth Radio, or that can of Fanta they dropped under the seat.

But cyclists stereotyping cyclists isn’t really helping anyone.

Back to the usual chaos and violence on this morning’s commute now that the holidays are over.

I’m going to miss sitting at the traffic lights and looking at the display of flashing lights from the pack in front of me when the sun gets going, though. Looks like a psychedelic xmas tree having a nervous breakdown. 😀