Advocacy & Safety - The Living Daylights

I recently beefed up my light rig with two front lights (LED and Halogen), and a super blinky in back.

How many of you advocate daytime running lights?

Running my new setup gets me MUCHO respect from cars and peds at night. A motorcycle even stopped (!) to say hi, thinking I was a fellow biker (maybe he wondered If I had a nuclear engine, to be so bright and yet so quiet.:lol:)

Will running lights in the day elicit the same respectful response from drivers, eliminating a large percentage of the harrasment a cyclist recieves?

Anyway, a diversion from the usual safety deathmatch....but a topic I would like some feedback on. Thanks.

~SD

I only use daytime lights when there's fog or it's not too bright out yet. I haven't purchased any lights that are truly bright enough to see in broad daylight. I'd like to, however.

Thanks for the input, Diane.

I'm looking for truly bright lights (that don't weigh a ton) as well. Let us know if you find a good resource.

Not enough poll options.

I kinda think its a good idea,
I dont have lights on our bikes because we dont ride at night, but I am kinda considering it for daytime use.

I haven't in the past, but I am seriously thinking about it. Right now I run the Bell combo pack from walmart--good and bright enough in front and back. I can easily take them off and carry them, as I sometimes have to lock my bike in higher crime areas. If I upgraded, It would have to be something I could easily take with me. But yes, I will probably soon start running lights during daylight.

Not enough poll options.

I'm sorry, what options did I leave out? Gas lamps circa 1892?:D

http://www.mechbgon.com/visibility/rearview2.jpg

I don't always ride the Cannondale, of course, but both of the other bikes have a daytime-visible superblinkie and usually one of my daytime-visible lights (HID or halogen).

I didnt even think about the gass lamps, but now that you mention it I do kinda like the idea.

Really, I didnt know how to vote because I dont have any lights, but your poll made me think about getting some.

I don't always ride the Cannondale, of course, but both of the other bikes have a daytime-visible superblinkie and usually one of my daytime-visible lights (HID or halogen).


The lighthouse keeper called, he wants the light back ! :D

The lighthouse keeper called, he wants the light back ! :DDang, he's onto me! :eek:


Really, I didnt know how to vote because I dont have any lights, but your poll made me think about getting some.
Here's a nice one that is daytime-visible and about $20. http://www.biketiresdirect.com/productdetail.asp?p=PBBSF&tnum=2820719&c=3758772 Your local bike shop can get them, might have them already. I bought one and liked it enough to order two more. The one in my photo is a small LED police strobe powered by an RC-car battery, but I'm adding one of those SuperFlash ones I linked to, as a secondary one for failover and added visibility.

DOT Conspicuity Tape like on your trailers is also awesome for fenders if you're out when people have their lights on. Fenders have tons of surface area to make use of.

http://www.mechbgon.com/cdale1.jpg

Who makes a truly blinding white headlamp with a clamp?

I want a high beam so bad. I moved to the woods, and even twin headlights lack that "throw" I would like.

Preferably I would like a 10 yard concentrated cluster beam.

Suggestions? I want to be seen from space.

Who makes a truly blinding white headlamp with a clamp?

I want a high beam so bad. I moved to the woods, and even twin headlights lack that "throw" I would like.

Preferably I would like a 10 yard concentrated cluster beam.

Suggestions? I want to be seen from space.You could home-brew one, see the Total Geekiness thread in Commuting. Or hit BatterySpace.com and go down the left side to Bike Lights, they've got 13-watt HID and some halogen ones there for reasonable prices (relative to major-name brands).

Personally, I'd like a Light & Motion ARC Ultra. No wait, two ...nah, three of them. Three should be enough. :D

Preferably I would like a 10 yard concentrated cluster beam.

I should have been more specific.

I want an HID high beam, and a concentrated heat laser cluster beam to blow possums out of my path.:D

Dang possums, I saw at least three on the road last night. If I hit one, we're both toast. Gotta watch out for deer as well.

I should have been more specific.

I want an HID high beam, and a concentrated heat laser concentrated cluster beam to blow possums out of my path.:D

Dang possums, I saw at least three on the road last night. If I hit one, we're both toast. Gotta watch out for deer as well.


All you need is $$. Google.....

Lupine lights

Supernova

Batteryspace - the new 30w HID (cheap).

All you need is $$. Google.....

Lupine lights

Supernova

Batteryspace - the new 30w HID (cheap).

I Googled laser blaster with no luck. Suggestions?

http://www.mechbgon.com/visibility/rearview2.jpg



Gotta love a chick who can bike in jean cut-offs...

[nice reflection off the guard-rail, BTW - that's a damn good taillight]

I Googled laser blaster with no luck. Suggestions?

:roflmao:

Search the forums for "death star" and "son of death star" (really)

ya gatta google posum blaster
http://www.animals-b-gone.com/Opossum_Info/opossum_info.html

I never understood liquid based repellant for cycles.

If you are going so fast that you need to spray the stuff, won't it blow back into the cockpit, blinding you and sending you to your death as you careen into a tree?

I never understood liquid based reppelant for cycles.

If you are going so fast that you need to spray the stuff, won't it blow back into the cockpit, blinding you and sending you to your death as you careen into a tree?


Hey
Riding a bike is dangerous.
your gonna have to chose between the posum and the spray.:)

Gotta love a chick who can bike in jean cut-offs...Thanks! :) But I checked this morning and I'm still a guy, actually :D


[nice reflection off the guard-rail, BTW - that's a damn good taillight]I concur! :beer: That's actually sometimes useful for showing up around corners at night, in situations where there's something for it to reflect off of (guardrails, houses, etc).

.
your gonna have to chose between the posum and the spray.:)

Dang possums....

Thanks! :) But I checked this morning and I'm still a guy, actually :D

I concur! :beer: That's actually sometimes useful for showing up around corners at night, in situations where there's something for it to reflect off of (guardrails, houses, etc).


Man you gonna hate me for this, but I had to look twice myself.

The option you missed was for using lights during low visibility daytime conditions + night time. I use my blinkies at low visibility daytime because I never remove them from my bike = they are not very bright but every little bit helps. I only take my 3 LED headlights when I plan to be out after dark.

Thanks! :) But I checked this morning and I'm still a guy, actually :D



Wow.
I need to get my eyes checked...

mech, the way you reflective-taped your fenders - having the red at the rear and toward the bottom on the front then silver above the red - it seems a reasoned pattern somehow, but I'm not getting the logic. Would you explain? (I have silver & red reflective tape coming in the mail...)

mech, the way you reflective-taped your fenders - having the red at the rear and toward the bottom on the front then silver above the red - it seems a reasoned pattern somehow, but I'm not getting the logic. Would you explain? (I have silver & red reflective tape coming in the mail...)The tape that I bought for that taping job was a 4-pack of Peterson Manufacturing DOT Conspicuity Tape. Each strip of tape is about 60% red and 40% clear. So to start with, I had some of each color to use.

There wasn't any special logic, except that I wanted the appearance from the rear to be primarily red, because red conventionally indicates the rear of a vehicle. So that left the clear tape over, and I put it sort of frontwards where possible.

I can remark that this type of tape does reflect more intensely than what I'd used before (glass-bead types of tape such as TrimBrite or ScotchLite). I just put the same type of reflective tape onto my wider set of fenders last night (the other fenders didn't clear my new tires). People wanting some reflective tape, go for DOT Conspicuity Tape at your local auto-supply stores, or this stuff here online: http://www.identi-tape.com/hi-intensity.htm I want to get some more, and do my rims on this bike too, probably in either clear or orange/amber.

As it stands now, here's what it looks like with a flashlight aimed down towards the floor below the bike, a semi-realistic pic instead of the usual flash photo:

Only in low light conditions. If someone can't see me in the Queensland sun, it means they're blind enough that lights won't make any difference.

during the day, i usually only use my taillight. i am generally out when it's almost about to get dark, so i want to make sure i don't use up all my lights before it gets really dark out. i turn on the headlight once it's just about to get dusky. i might turn the headlight on during the day sometimes if i'm feeling less visible or i know i won't be out late.

IMHO rear lights are more important than front. But my ride is mostly rural and I'm not crossing that many intersections. I have an HID up front so I have no blink mode. I have a new blinkie coming (the old cateye died).
I only run lights during the day in bad conditions. However, I do always wear hi vis clothing, and when I have run lights in the day and asked coworkers about it, they say that they saw the clothing well before the lights.

Who makes a truly blinding white headlamp with a clamp?

I want a high beam so bad. I moved to the woods, and even twin headlights lack that "throw" I would like.

Preferably I would like a 10 yard concentrated cluster beam.

Suggestions? I want to be seen from space.

Get thou over to batteryspace.com. If you want to go really nuts, they carry the new TrailTech 30W HID. I think we're all waiting for a report on that puppy! 100W halogen equivalent!

I’ll second not enough poll options as I will often turn on my front blinky during evening rush hours when motor vehicles are likely to try and take advantage of any small gap in traffic to enter or cross the roadway. Running with the front blink helps being noticed through passing car traffic and helps prevent cars from pulling out in front of me or turning left across my path.

The tape that I bought for that taping job was a 4-pack of Peterson Manufacturing DOT Conspicuity Tape. Each strip of tape is about 60% red and 40% clear. So to start with, I had some of each color to use.

There wasn't any special logic, except that I wanted the appearance from the rear to be primarily red, because red conventionally indicates the rear of a vehicle. So that left the clear tape over, and I put it sort of frontwards where possible.

I can remark that this type of tape does reflect more intensely than what I'd used before (glass-bead types of tape such as TrimBrite or ScotchLite). I just put the same type of reflective tape onto my wider set of fenders last night (the other fenders didn't clear my new tires). People wanting some reflective tape, go for DOT Conspicuity Tape at your local auto-supply stores, or this stuff here online: http://www.identi-tape.com/hi-intensity.htm I want to get some more, and do my rims on this bike too, probably in either clear or orange/amber.

As it stands now, here's what it looks like with a flashlight aimed down towards the floor below the bike, a semi-realistic pic instead of the usual flash photo:

Very nice mech.

I think its a great idea, but something I never considered. I always drive my car with the lights on, so now I'll ride my bike with the lights on too!

I do think that a bright headlight and also tailight help in daylight conditions, especially overcast days and 1hr pre/post sunset/rise.
But in the the cloudless bright hot sunny days here I'd rather carry an extra water bottle than use the cage for the NiMH battery my front light uses. I don't doubt there is some minor improvement (mainly to help reduce left hooks) in sunny conditions, but not significant enough to carry the bulk of the light around and put wear and tear on the bulb/battery.
Al

I'm sorry, what options did I leave out? Gas lamps circa 1892?:D

How about "I use my lights at night, dusk, and in the day during low visibility conditions, such as rain or fog."

Hey MechBgon, Where's the shifter for your rear deraileur?

I just busted my cat eye 500 head light so I'm in the market for a new head light. I'ld like to blow no more than a hundred on it, plus I'ld like something easily removed, my light need only get me to the gym after dark.

PS my vote would be the same as MA auto law : 1/2 hr before or after dusk, or in rain, snow or tunnels OR in my basement when some hoodlum shuts off the light before i get home

jim

Hey MechBgon, Where's the shifter for your rear deraileur?I've got a mongrel setup, it uses a Sora brake/shift combo lever on the right side and a bar-con on the left. I keep wanting to upgrade the whole thing to 9-speed and new wheels, but I don't have the money right now.


I just busted my cat eye 500 head light so I'm in the market for a new head light. I'ld like to blow no more than a hundred on it, plus I'ld like something easily removed, my light need only get me to the gym after dark.If you could get a Light & Motion Vega on sale plus a 20%-off coupon at Performance sometime, then that might be just the ticket and close to your $100 price range... 3W Luxeon, self-contained one-piece light & battery, rechargeable.

Or to think outside the box, you could find a way to rig this 1-watt Luxeon flashlight onto your bar for occasional use, maybe a couple big O-rings: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=242998-50584-FT-NS-1AA%201WR&lpage=none

http://images.lowes.com/product/693748/6937481300142.jpg

I used Velcro for mine, which is a slightly different flashlight that I found on close-out for $8. This was to make the bike street-legal on the way to the trailhead while preserving the battery on the dual-beam light for off-roading (I was also using my HID on my helmet to actually see with). It's comparable to a Cateye EL520 in power:

DUDE. Never mind that red one, check it: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=225285-50584-FT-NS-2C%203W&lpage=none

3-watt Luxeon, uses two C cells! No weird batteries, no little short-lived ones, and not an odd number of them! IGOR PURCHASE, IGOR REPORT HIS FINDINGS! :eek:

I recently beefed up my light rig with two front lights (LED and Halogen), and a super blinky in back.

How many of you advocate daytime running lights?

Running my new setup gets me MUCHO respect from cars and peds at night. A motorcycle even stopped (!) to say hi, thinking I was a fellow biker (maybe he wondered If I had a nuclear engine, to be so bright and yet so quiet.:lol:)

Will running lights in the day elicit the same respectful response from drivers, eliminating a large percentage of the harrasment a cyclist recieves?

Anyway, a diversion from the usual safety deathmatch....but a topic I would like some feedback on. Thanks.

~SD

I made the assumption that if you use lights during the day, with low visibility, that you would also use them at night, and voted accordingly.

There are some exceptions though, I consider when the sun is low on the horizon, a low visibility situation, when your going into the sun, and will run with the blinkie at those times. Personally I would like to see an amber blinkie, one that is powered by either a small battery pack or preferably a front hub generator. The battery pack/generator would power two amber blinkies, one that attaches to the stem and one to the stern. The generator would use a capacitor so that the lights remain on, when stopped.

Effectively whenever your bike is on the road, the lights are flashing, they are bright enough to be seen 150m back during the day time.

Your regular lights would then focus on seeing, rather then being seen, a normal red tail light would be added at night, and good headlight(s) to see with. Funny thing is, your headlight would probably be mounted down on the fork, so that you can see road hazards easier.