SugarMonkey

I saw this insane thing at Kohl's and had to share.

It projects a bike lane that is somehow supposed to make it better for you among cars.

TenSpeedV2

12/10 would not use.

Viich

I've seen them, wouldn't pay the price they're asking (it was near $200). It's just a tail-light, if it was $25 instead of the $15 light I have now, I might use it, but !$!$!!!!

ItsJustMe

This has been discussed to death here. You can buy them for < $10 on china sites. They're garbage. Even if they were visible (they're not) from a car, the car won't have any idea what it is.

CB HI

Just another distracted driving device. But what makes it worse is that the cyclist is the one causing the distraction for the driver.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by SugarMonkey

I saw this insane thing at Kohl's andhad to share.

It projects a bike lane that is somehow supposed to make it better for you among cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viich

I've seen them, wouldn't pay the price they're asking (it was near $200). It's just a tail-light, if it was $25 instead of the $15 light I have now, I might use it, but !$!$!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenSpeedV2

12/10 would not use.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItsJustMe

This has been discussed to death here. You can buy them for < $10 on china sites. They're garbage. Even if they were visible (they're not) from a car, the car won't have any idea what it is.

just this past Thursday, I was visiting in Michigan and bought one of these, namely by NiteRider,costing about $50. It was a spontaneous buy, prompted by the salesman at the bike shop I was visiting. I thought it was an interesting feature, even as a conversation piece, and perhaps it will afford some additional visibility. I’ll be using it tomorrow for the first time for an early morning ride through urban and suburban Boston.

BTW, @TenSpeedV2, I recall you mentioned in a post that you are from Metro Detroit area as am I previously. FYA I bought this item from what I consider a very high quality bike shop, namely Fraser Bicycle on Utica Road north of 14 mile Road. And in reply to @Its-Just-Me, as I recall you ride on rural roads, and I perhaps those street markings might be more effective in the closer quarters of an urban commute, including on a dark MUP.

Not to be argumentative, and maybe it is a useless gimmick, but at least the flashing/steady rearward light looks brighter than my current Planet Bike, and even a slight advantage is worth it to me. Actually I probably wouldn’teven have replied to the “Your Most Recent Cycling-related Purchase,” thread on the Road Cycling Forum about this, but I serendipitously found this thread two days after purchase. I’ll post any significant comments after I ride with it.

One particularly useful rearward item IMO, I know exists but haven’t seen are flashing ankle lights other than those cumbersome D-cell strap-on yellow and red ankle lights of the 1970’s. I made my own a while back but the LED’s I clipped on to ankle bands fell off.

Is not distraction the point of a rearward light to alert the unsighted/distracted driver? One of my main safety aphorisms is to make myself as visible as possible and assume nobody sees me.

CB HI

If the motorist is looking at the laser light ON the ground, his focus is not on safely passing the cyclist.

ItsJustMe

As a conventional rear taillight, it may be effective, but it's way overpriced. The lasers on the ground thing is not useful - I don't think that anyone who has tested it has said that cars can actually see the markings on the ground.

If you're just buying it for the rear facing light, there are many very effective lights coming out for very cheap these days. If you're looking for a good, extremely visible, effective light, the Blitzu 168T is one that I have and love and it's < $20 on Amazon.

Daniel4

This is better. It's also cheaper.

https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/gta/2016/10/18/cyclist-says-his-pool-noodle-makes-toronto-streets-safer-for-him.html

2manybikes

I had one of those. I got it from "deal extreme" I think, it was about $10. I gave it away. I's nothing special. It's hard to see the lines on the road. I've owned three or four that have laser lanes, one even had a bike logo in the middle of the lane. They were good taillights, but that's about it. I ride home once a week behind a guy who uses one. I can see it in the dark when I am on my bike behind him in the dark. It's hard to see in car headlights.

TenSpeedV2

I am in Michigan, not Metro Detroit however. I think that I have been in that shop however.

mconlonx

Wut?

Isn't that kind of like saying, "If a motorist is looking at the blinky light on the back of your bike, his focus is not on safely passing the cyclist"?

indyfabz

My GF got me something similar a few years ago, although a much cheaper version. The lane projector is pretty useless, especially if you live in a urban setting with street lighting. It's just not that easy to see. I use it as a simple tail light.

leob1

My wife bought a few of them for like <$10 each. The flashy part is pretty good, with a few different patterns, and pretty bright. The laser part is just dumb, too dim to be noticed unless your above it, and it didn't work for very long, so it's just a rear flashy light.
And considering how often my rear lights jump off my bike, not bad if you get them cheap.

ItsJustMe

It's not really possible for the laser light to be noticeable. There's a legal limit of 5mw total output power. Spread that out along a line and it simply will not be visible unless the driver stops right next to you and looks for it.

Bikeforumuser0019

I got one for free that came with a CREE flashlight. The flashlight was great but the laser/blinkie combo was a piece of junk. My cats enjoyed the lasers up until it broke. It's a cool idea, I really wanted it to work. I think you'd have to have much more powerful (expensive) lasers for it to be functional as advertised.

CB HI

Looking at the ground to the side of the cyclist is distracting trying to figure out what the light on the ground is vice looking at a blinky attached to the back of the cyclist is quite different.

canklecat

I've seen a few of those laser projection lane lights in local group rides. They're entertaining. And mostly useless for vehicle awareness. Especially in cities where there are already so many glowwinky things competing for our attention.

keyven

I've bought a number of them from China sites... mostly garbage but cheap and fun.

Europeans and Americans are paying waaaayyyyy too much for it. Like 100-200% more.

Maybe 500% after a certain brand sticks their name on it and does some fancy marketing convincing you it's the latest must-have tech.

Inpd

Perhaps its because if you project the lane then you can take the lane?