The Arms Race of Lights

It's not so much an 'arms race' as some people being sensible with their lights, and some being twats. Nothing wrong with a bright light if it is angled properly and not on comedy disco mode. Also a bit of thought required - a brighter light will stand out better against the mass of lights in an urban setting... you need less light *to be seen* in a rural setting. And yet some people seem to think it's the opposite.
to continue the 'arms' line - lights don't dazzle people, idiots do.

Having seen how pathetic an output some budget light have, I am for superbright is best. Whilst on a recent club run, the ride became split down a busy b road. The two riders who had extremely bright rear lights stood out like a sore thumb. As for headlights I use a Niterider lumina 750, very bright in a compact case. During low light conditions during the day its on in flash mode. At night I use it on low setting which is about 200 lumens, plenty bright enough for general riding, full power for unlit country lanes is outstanding. I don't get much issue from other road users as I set my lights correctly.

Having seen how pathetic an output some budget light have, I am for superbright is best. Whilst on a recent club run, the ride became split down a busy b road. The two riders who had extremely bright rear lights stood out like a sore thumb. As for headlights I use a Niterider lumina 750, very bright in a compact case. During low light conditions during the day its on in flash mode. At night I use it on low setting which is about 200 lumens, plenty bright enough for general riding, full power for unlit country lanes is outstanding. I don't get much issue from other road users as I set my lights correctly.

'it is not illegal to have a flashing light'

Correct. It's just a bit daft.

When it's really dark and you want to go fast on an unlit road, you'll need a strong headlight. This can be dazzling to other road users.
So like on motor vehicles, there should be a full/half button on the more powerful bike lights. Big enough to use with winter gloves and apart from the button that controls all he eco-blinky modes.

The problem with some bike lights are that very high power ones are available which unlike car lights have no beam optics at all, and that some people on bikes fit them to point at eye level to catch driver's eyes. Again unlike cars which have fixed lights generally.

My front light is 25 lumen from a generator, and as the beam is well focussed (sZt20 approved) it is well up to the job of lighting unlit roads and paths even at speed, unlike a lot of the high power LEDs that just chuck out photons. It's not the size that counts, but what you do with it!

My commute has a lot of shared path usage against the traffic flow, so riding towards a constant stream of vehicle lights, and although vehicle lights are bright, they are not bad as some front cycle lights. As for main beam, then that's rare, and drivers do dip when they see me.

I have stopped using flashing lights in favour of steady front and rear (bright but approved) and have noticed more time and space being given and more dipping of lights, and I suspect that is perhaps that from a distance I am not identifiable as a cyclist from my light pattern, but perhaps a slow motorbike or scooter rider.

This is a cycling forum so some disagreement and discussion is fair and to be expected.

For me the "I want to be seen so will strap a strobing white industrial laser to my bars and bugger everyone else" although understandable isn't cooperative, isn't necessarily the best approach for safety, and is up for a challenged reasoned debate.

Don't assume there are only two players in this 'arms race'. If anything I think cyclists are almost irrelevant to what is happening. Cheap to run and increasingly powerful lights are now driving a lot of commercial roadside signage. There are places where the contrast between this and the relatively poorly lit road surface is making it hard to see without full beam leaving a really poor choice - regular beam and very limited visibility (my choice) or full beam and dazzle oncoming traffic (seeing this a lot more).

Time to evaluate the impact of this commercial signage and to consider limiting it.

it is not illegal to have a flashing light as long as it is not blue or green in an attempt to impersonate an emergency vehicle as far as I am aware, if it were ilegal every car with hazard lights or maintainable vehicle with Amber strobe lights would be breaking the law.

Perhaps I am not very sensitive to light but I have never been blinded by a cars fog lights, main beem yes but fog lights no, though I'm aware it does piss people off and is a bit boy racer rally driver immature stuff unless foggy.

All in car rear view mirrors can be clipped to non- dazzle mode be it manually or electronic. If it can't it's an MOT fail, unless there is no mirror.

I must say that very occasionally I am dazzled though not blinded by high power bike lights, though I prefer this to no lights. It is suggested by the DSA that motorcycle ride with full beam on as it is safer to be seen. Strangely the highway code the rule book people seem to make up most of what they believe to be content tells road users to slow down or even stop (heaven forbid) if unsighted by bright light.

Now I'm not defending the mega bright light riders, (I use 2 x 200lmn one flashing one steady) because we should all care about how our driving riding affects road users and to the I say dip the light a little but make sure your seen. As for flashing lights not lighting up the road? I kinda think that is the point thay are there to attract the attention of road users so they don't have cars pulling out across there bike. Yes they should be secondary to a steady light.

A bigger problem I encounter is high vehicles such as HGV's and 4x4 as even on dip there lights are far more off putting due to there hight off the road. Also the cars with the lovely Xeon lights which are legal but seem extremely bright, brighter than some cars on full beam.

For some reason we ( implying cyclists as a sub group) don't seen too concerned with that, we would rather complain about our fellow riders who might have lights which are very bright yet not as bright as a car with Xeon lights or even normal halogen I suspect.

I know all the stuff about getting ones own house in order ect but I really don't get why we take such delight in having a go at other cyclists who are much more vulnerable than drivers and who simply want to be seen and get home alive.

This is a serious question is anyone aware of an RTC being cause by a bright bicycle light? I don't mean hear say I mean factual. I would be surprised if there has been.

I think if cyclist stuck together a little more we might have a stronger voice.

Yeah. I travel home by a canal and some of the idiots have a full beam on and even one had a strobe. Most of them do not have the light aimed at the ground so the only meaningful thing they do is blind oncoming pedestrians and cyclists. It's inconsiderate and dangerous.

This is why I like my German lights for the road - by law they have shaped beams that have a hard-line across the top. You can position them exactly so that line is just under the 'glare-line'. People still see you cause they are bright but you don't blind them. My thinking is that if someone is dazzled they are going to slow-down, swerve or head towards the brightest object - none of which is great for anyone.

With the plethora of small blinky things and dazzle cloth you don't really need the 1200lumen MTB flood brandished like a weapon...

If as a motorist you can't see down the road for any reason, dazzled by another road user or perhaps just low sunlight, is it not sensible to slow down a touch until you can see???

Just a thought.

Couple of things, when passing a super over bright light that isn't dipped:

Lots of cars will turn the mirrors black electrically.
The ones that don't will have mirrors full of light

Meaning the driver can't tell where you are, so if you do use an irresponsible light, best to expect the odd motor vehicle to pull in on you after overtaking as they can't judge where you are.

Flashers are worse, especially on their own with no steady light.

Flashing and bright rears aren't an issue, not with me anyway.

It's a fine line between being bright enough to be seen and blinder the poor Bugga in the car. The line depends on whose being blinded or not. As a car driver I wonder how many riders actually check where the lights are pointing. There again I fail to understand why drivers insist on full beam/ fogs especially Chelsea tractor.

I personally lean the bike up, walk away checking the view of the bike. Each day I see the two extremes, one mtber with lights on bars and helmet. Both aimed directly at drivers eyes. The other a little green dot visible from about 10m.

In response to The Doctor, if other peoples safety is not your concern, why should your safety be anyone else concern?

another example is if a car is behind you looking to over take then where possible you should make it easier for the car to do it as it means less risk to you if he/she tries to squeeze past.

I dont do a lot of urban riding now but when I do I ride obviously away from the kerb but if I feel the person behind is impatient I will try and pull over safely to let them pass.

In theory Mr Moaner I'm with you on this one; over-bright lights that dazzle oncoming traffic are a pest.

But many years of experience have taught me that some drivers' brains are permanently in neutral and they will not register anything that doesn't wake them from their torpor. If that means shining a little light into their world, regretfully, so be it.

and the arse holes that insist on having their fog lights on .... ?