Advocacy & Safety - Are bright bike lights (or no lights) annoying to you?

Hello all, just stopping by to ask a question.

I have a Light & Motion ARC light (an HID light) and wonder how much I am annoying oncoming bikers or walkers at night. I bike on city/suburb bike trails that can be quite dark in some places.

I tip the light downward when I notice approaching oncomers but sometimes it's at short notice near turns and bends. I often pass many (too many) oncoming bikers with no lights whatsoever (which annoys me) and figure I might be blinding or annoying them most. But no one has said anything (yet). Very rarely do I see anyone else with a bright light.

I would like comments from other night bikers who have been on either side of a bright light (or no light) or have heard comments from others. Should I do anything different?

As long as you're not blinding oncoming cars or cyclists, don't do anything that reduces your visibility. Your light should not be aimed at eye level. Cyclists sit higher than cars, so if you're not hitting a driver square in the eye you should be fine.

I know my rear Planet Bike Superflash blinky is annoying to those behind me; but that is the point. I know I am noticed.

I had to bail recently because a bike was coming at me in the dark with no lights on a ONE-WAY trail around a lake. He had to be doing 20+ mph, too.

nope, the brighter the better, esp for taillights. I'm working on modifying a BMW teardrop projector lamp (pencil beam) into a tailight. It takes a 160 watt PIAA ultrawhite bulb. I'm having a glassblower make me a custom red lens.

There is a cyclist in my neighborhood who has a front light so bright it is blinding and I cant see him or anything behind him. I find it to be annoying.

As long as it's aimed properly, I'm good

As for Ninja bikers they reap what they sow

I know my rear Planet Bike Superflash blinky is annoying to those behind me; but that is the point. I know I am noticed. ... This is particularly important since so many motorists use the "I didn't see him/her" excuse and so many judges and juries think it's an exoneration, rather than a confession of inattention and carelessness.

Don't worry about it. I have yet to see a bicycle specific light with the coverage and as bright as car headlights. If car headlights were a problem there would be stricter regulations about the amount of light that could be emitted...and there are, but...the only regulations I've ever seen on this apply to after-market auxiliary lights.

I have my handlebar mounted headlight angled so that it illuminates the road as far ahead as the beam is on the road. I also use a helmet mounted headlight.

If you angle it down when approaching people then you are doing better than most. Before I set off to work in the morning I go for a jog on a local trail. I often get completely blinded by bikes who don't do this -especially in the shorter days when it is still almost dark and I am running with a small LED light on a headband (more to be seen than to see). I appreciate the effort that the few considerate cyclists make when they do turn the light away from my face. If it is dark and there are no lights then this is a danger to everyone. I've nearly been runover by some of these clowns!

- this is on a bike / run trail. If you are on a road shared by cars then the brighter the better!