Bike lights
SuperCaz
Posts: 54
in General Chat
I'm brand new to cycling and have only just got my first bike. Now I'm after stuff to put on my Christmas list and the first thing that comes to mind is lights so that I can train in the evenings.
As a motorist I find flashing rear lights on bikes irritating. Not only do they draw your attention (bunny in headlight syndrome) so that you are not paying attention to any other hazards on the road (such as pedestrians) but I also find it harder to assess how far away the bike is compared to a bike with a constant light. I haven't noticed any difference with being able to see bikes with fixed lights (as long as they are bright enough) so why is it that cyclists seem to prefer flashing lights?
I think that a proper high vis jacket provides more safety to the cyclist (and I already have one of these for running that I can use for cycling) but lights are a legal requirement and do provide additional benefit.
Of course, up until now I have only experienced this from the motorists viewpoint, so I am interested to hear what cyclists have to say. So what does everyone else think? What should I put on my wish list?
As a motorist I find flashing rear lights on bikes irritating. Not only do they draw your attention (bunny in headlight syndrome) so that you are not paying attention to any other hazards on the road (such as pedestrians) but I also find it harder to assess how far away the bike is compared to a bike with a constant light. I haven't noticed any difference with being able to see bikes with fixed lights (as long as they are bright enough) so why is it that cyclists seem to prefer flashing lights?
I think that a proper high vis jacket provides more safety to the cyclist (and I already have one of these for running that I can use for cycling) but lights are a legal requirement and do provide additional benefit.
Of course, up until now I have only experienced this from the motorists viewpoint, so I am interested to hear what cyclists have to say. So what does everyone else think? What should I put on my wish list?
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Comments
Have you ever heard of ID-tags? That would be a great thing foryour wish list I think.
The other thing that baffles me is why some cyclists buy these fancy lights, then dress in dark clothes. Stupid! Reflective vest would be a must (the grey reflective strips - don't know the name, light be Scotchlite - are really good), as are reflective ankle strips. If they're moving, they're even more visible. I also buy the stick on strips and put them on my helmet.
Caz, don't always assume your training partners know your phone numbers of loved ones, know your blood type, ...
Maybe I'm being pessimist, but better safe than sorry.
I'm sure one day you'll have a solo training, when buddies wanna stick to the tube in their hot houses when its cold outside. Great to have these safety things like vests, tags, Lights,...
What really brought it home to me was when my cat got killed last week. We had only just got round to getting her a collar that worked the cat flap, but hadn't got round to putting a phone number on her. If we had, the person that run her over would have been able to phone us and we would have been spared 3 days of worry.
Now, I'm hoping that if/when I get run over, I won't be left on the side of the road like the cat was, but it would probably improve my chances of survival if I had some sort of ID.
I will add it to my wish list:
Lights
ID
Gloves
Water bottle and holder
Flashing lights by themselves are actually illegal, as even though its a split second they are still off for that time. Im a cyclist and a motorist, but tend to use flashing lights as the battery lasts a lot longer.
Totally agree with all who comment about a good high vis jacket. You can also get a band which is similoar to a cycle clip but hi vis and is a good eyecatcher as they're constantly moving on your legs.
I'm going to think about it a bit more, and if anyone likes thinking through problems and solution-finding, maybe we could share a few ideas. Could be the start of something big - and bright.
Given the risks of cycling at night i've opted to join a gym to do my cycling indoors.
Does anyone have any advice about the types of gym bikes and the effectiveness of gym bikes compared to the real thing?
What about commuting to work on bike? You need lights then, because it's still or already dark then. This is a big part of your training; for me its 32k a day. If you dothat 3 times a week thats 100k extra training.
Cycling to work isn't an option. I do about 100 miles a day and most of that is on the motorway. Firstly, I'm not that fit, secondly I'm not fast enough to get there and back in any sensible time and thirdly bikes aren't allowed on the motorway and to take the back roads would add even more milage!
This works for me as I work for myself from home and am prone to chest infections so try to stay warm and dry if poss. I do venture out at the w/e if fairly dry either on road or for some mtb action but avoid cycling at night as a general rule.
There's nothing worse then junk mileage doing the same over and over again.(except maybe doing nothing[&:])