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How bright is bright enough?
It's a dark winter up here in Canada and we (hopefully) all have the lights on our bikes for when we go out at night. Some of us even wear yellow coats that have reflective strips on them.
After seeing some riders with multiple lights, my question is how bright is bright enough?
A light in front and in back is basic. Is more overkill?
I've only been hit in the daylight (both drivers said they did see me before hitting me) and I do half my riding at night and (to my telling) I'm perfectly visible with only the front white and rear blinkie.
Are multiple lights just overkill?
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Since many motorists eyes are focused on the middle of the traffic lanes, and they suffer from tunnel vision, I believe that more devices to attract attention help protect the cyclist riring near the side of the road.
I have a white blinkie and a Cateye EL300 at the front. I have a red blinkie on my seatpost. I have white reflective tape on my cranks and wheel rims. I am thinking of getting a second Cateye EL300 and a red blinkie to mount on the back of the rack.
It amazes me the number of cyclists who ride at night with no lights and dark clothes without getting killed.
It amazes me the number of cyclists who ride at night with no lights and dark clothes without getting killed.
Me too.
I should add that I've rode through 19 winters and over 2000 trips in the dark with just a white front and red back light and no problems.
Maybe the multiple light syndrom is just fear rearing it's ugly head?
It amazes me the number of cyclists who ride at night with no lights and dark clothes without getting killed.
Tell me about it! I seem to live in the Ninja-Goth Cyclist capitol of the world here.
I run an EL-300 and reflector on the front and a standard red blinker on the back. I've decided my next purchase with be a strong white or green strobe for the front to avoid getting lost in vehicle headlights when approaching intersections and side-streets; there have been a couple of instances where motorists have pulled out into my lane, and I suspect this may be due to the fact that my light is lost in the wash of light from vehicles and streetlamps behind (nothing really perilous so far, but it has got me wondering if I'm as visible as I could be).
Apart from these, I have strips of reflective tape on my rear fender, seat post, and stem. And I always wear vivid colors.
I've decided my next purchase with be a strong white or green strobe for the front to avoid getting lost in vehicle headlights when approaching intersections and side-streets;
maybe to avoid getting lost in the headlights, a helmet mount blinkie would add a light source outside of the normal placement of light and make one more noticeable?
maybe to avoid getting lost in the headlights, a helmet mount blinkie would add a light source outside of the normal placement of light and make one more noticeable?
Excellent idea! Thank you!
Just the other night I noticed a cyclist who was out of my normal line of sight. He was coming toward me from the side. He had a blinky on the front and one on each arm and leg. The ones on the legs since they were going round and round really attracted my attention. One of the best lit cyclists I've ever seen.
I should add that I've rode through 19 winters and over 2000 trips in the dark with just a white front and red back light and no problems.
Then I'd say your lights are bright enough.
Several weeks ago I saw a cyclist over on the coast with the lights attached to his/her legs.That really caught my attention.You woul have to be blind to miss that.
My vote it takes lots and lots of lights to be over lighted. I don't think that is possible. I vote for as much light as you can place about yourself and your bike. In fact, I wish I could find an outlet for those flashing lights that attach to your calf area. If you have purchased them, please let us know where from...
There's no such thing as too much light on a bike at night. The more, the merrier. I'm planning on adding a couple of more blinkers to my arsenal. Bring the total up to 4. 3 in the back and 1 in front, besides my dual headlight system.
All I use is a dual beam Cygo Metro and a Cateye TLLD600. BUT a friend of mine not only use the same setup as I do but he also added 3 Cateye EL200's with which he connected one to each fork and one to his helmet. I don't know if he's gone overboard or not but if you can't see him your blind! It's amazing seeing him come down the street with all those lights all lit. I am seriously considering doing what he has done.
The ideal lighting depends on circumstances. I'll discuss headlights and taillights separately.
HEADLIGHTS
Good well-focussed headlights are important for on-road riding. I find that the mere 3 W produced by my Lumotec is almost as good as a 10 W MR-11 spotlight. Why? Because the way the reflector is designed. I have also noticed that the larger lightsource of a Lumotec gets more noticed than a tiny source like a MR-11 spotlight (and there is ergonomic "evidence" that support this theory). That being said, for being seen, the adequate lighting level depends on many factors:
- a 3 W Lumotec or 8-10 W MR-11 is plenty for being noticed by traffic stopped on a cross street, unless there is way too much stray light;
- a 3 W may even be enough to be seen by left-turning traffic if the street is narrow; however, if you travel on 6-lane streets with a lot of opposing left-turning traffic, then the ideal might be a proper light source for the road, with a LED auxiliary source -- maybe a flashing one.
For taillights, John Forester and Mr. Allen both say that the best for long-distance viewing is best solved with a large SAE amber reflector (usually legal if you also have a red taillight and/or reflector). The taillight is most useful for circumstances when the reflector isn't effective: close cars, bicycles oblique (ex.: exiting a driveway)... I like having 2 taillights, as batteries may fail during your trip and you won't notice it until you get home.
The ideal lighting depends on circumstances. I'll discuss headlights and taillights separately.
For taillights, John Forester and Mr. Allen both say that the best for long-distance viewing is best solved with a large SAE amber reflector (usually legal if you also have a red taillight and/or reflector). The taillight is most useful for circumstances when the reflector isn't effective: close cars, bicycles oblique (ex.: exiting a driveway)... I like having 2 taillights, as batteries may fail during your trip and you won't notice it until you get home.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought reflectors are only good if the headlights of a car happens to hit it at just the right angle; and I know you cannot see a reflector anywhere near as far as a bright LED taillight. With a quality taillight such as the Cateye tlld600 the led's are arranged in such a way to give off light so someone from off the side should be able to see it, something a reflector cannot do. Also, I just carry 3 fresh AAA batteries in my saddlebag should the taillight go dead, that would seem less of a hassle than having another taillight fighting for seatpost space with another taillight and a saddlebag.
Lights in front and rear are excellent and I'm sure they've saved my life a few times. I've noticed one area that seems to be neglected, however, is the side of the bike. I've been researching options and think I'll go with the Cateye compact safety light attached to my calves/ankles.
http://www.performancebike.com/product_images/400/40_1724.jpg
It's got a flexible attachment option and can be mounted nearly anywhere. The price is also right. I figure if you're more visible from the side, there's less chance of people hitting you when pulling out of driveways, making turns onto side streets, etc.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought reflectors are only good if the headlights of a car happens to hit it at just the right angle; and I know you cannot see a reflector anywhere near as far as a bright LED taillight. With a quality taillight such as the Cateye tlld600 the led's are arranged in such a way to give off light so someone from off the side should be able to see it, something a reflector cannot do. Also, I just carry 3 fresh AAA batteries in my saddlebag should the taillight go dead, that would seem less of a hassle than having another taillight fighting for seatpost space with another taillight and a saddlebag.
You are right, and I'm afraid I didn't speak clearly enough. Reflectors are indeed only good if the headlights of a car happen to hit at the right angle. However, the longest sight distances happen when the cyclist rides on the proper side of the road (i.e. right in Canada and U.S.) and the road is fairly straight. This is a situation most typically found on high speed arterials or on highways, and in those situations, the headlights of a car driver (especially if on "high beam") will do a very effective job on reflectors.
Speaking of reflectors, CPSC-approved bike reflectors have 3 sections and while they are good to identify a cyclist that would be at odd angle with the street, there is only a small section that reflect backwards. OTOH, a 3" SAE reflector only reflects straight to the back, and in a narrow angle, so it is most effective for a cyclist actually riding on the road or parallel to it (on the shoulder, for example).
John Allen illustrates a lot of this on this page: http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/reflectors/index.htm
The fact reflectors need a powerful light source is indeed on of their limitations. This is why John Allen and John Forester (amongst others) consider that side or front reflectors are almost useless. I concur to a point, at least for cyclists who follow the rules of the road.
As for taillights vs reflectors, the taillight starts to work when the SAE reflector becomes less useful: at a closer distance. The taillight also works for drivers with non-functioning headlights, on curved roads, when traffic merges in a freeway-style entrance, etc... or when the cyclist is oblique to the road, whether it is because the cyclist exits a driveway or sidestreet, or because the cyclists waves in and out of traffic. As for taillights with one or more LEDs to the side, it makes positioning less critical and offers better visibility on curved streets, but side illumination often comes at the expense of rear illumination.
Finally, with regard to using 2 taillights vs having spare batteries, both options are interesting. However, 2 tailliights mean a larger lit surface (a good thing), and it also means that if one taillight stops working, there still is one working. When I visit the inlaws 35 km away, I rarely stop along the way, so it's only when I reach my destination that I will see that 1 of the taillights is very dim or dead. In Winter, it often happens that what look like good batteries at home (i.e. not new but very bright) will die in a 1-2 hour route. Besides, replacing batteries at -20 C is not something I like to do...
Regards
I use a strobe front and rear light as well as a nite rider single beam light system. There can be to many lights all the flashing and what not can casue a distraction so I opt for reflective wear and lots of it. I have illumilite vest and tights I put reflective tape on the rear of my shoes as well as my back pack. Last year I added two tireflies and they made a huge difference. They worked so well I had drivers pull me over to ask me about them. since the give your tire a nice red halo you stand out in a crowd :)
How bright is bright enough?
On the low end, I've been able to spot cyclists from behind (while driving) equipped with only a rear reflector. But that does not mean the minimum requirement is adequate.
I suppose that you can have too many flashing do-dads and reflectors, but that's not a problem I worry about. It's better to have too much than not enough, as long as you aren't distracting, confusing or blinding anyone.
On the front, I've also been able to spot cyclists equipped with only a white reflector. But even the law's requirement of a white front light is not adequate, in my opinion. On the front, I would prefer being able to see the road, just like I do when driving. Of course, I don't need to see as far ahead as a motorist, since he/she is travelling much faster. But I probably need to see better than a motorist for close-up problems, since a motorist can bomb over a steel plate, manhole, pothole, stick, sand, etc., while those things could make me go down. Not good.
So I think something bright, but not for distance, would suit me for a front light.
Large reflectors are also a plus, not to mention bright, even reflective jackets.
There are two issues with lighting: visibility and illumination.
Illumination is does your lighting system put out enough light for you to see road kills, pot holes, downed trees, varmints, pedestrians and the like in time to avoid them? What you need is a function of how dark the area you ride in is and your cruising speed. I find that a 15 watt halogen light is not enough for much of 17 mph on dark roads. It is adequate on roads with some lighting though. If you ride fast on dark roads, I think you would need one of those new arc lights.
Now visibility is can the motorists see you so they don't run you down? Oddly enough, I believe that very dark country roads, require fairly minimal lighting for adequate visibility. On a dark road, you can see even a little old blinkie from quite a distance away.
However, on roads where the traffic goes fast like 70 mph+, a blinky or even several would not be enough. They are visible out about .5 mile which is about 25 seconds. An inattentive, fast driving motorist (is there any other kind?) could well run you over.
On roads where there is an abundance of light, I would just advise you to avoid. I have seen roads with so much road side dazzle that I have had a hard time noticing a police car pulled over at the side of the road with its flashers going. A cyclist festooned with christmas tree lights might not get noticed!
However, in most circumstances, a rear blinky and a 5 watt halogen in the front are just fine.
I use a 13 watt lighting system and at 35mph on a pitch dark (paved) bike path (going down a steep hill) I have no problems with visiblity, nor worry about over riding the light. So for most of the time at 15-24mph it's no problem whatsoever.
there have been a couple of instances where motorists have pulled out into my lane, and I suspect this may be due to the fact that my light is lost in the wash of light from vehicles and streetlamps behind
I guess this is also at the heart of my question.
You may suspect that that may be due to the fact that my light is lost in the wash of light from vehicles and streetlamps behind, but I've been cut off like this in the daylight as well. Maybe the motorists see you and go anyhow.
More lighting would make one more visable, but drivers end up cutting us off anyhow.
:mad:
I suspect they cut you off in day time because they really just don't see you. If you're the same color as a parked car you just passed or a car behind you, it's really hard to tell at a glance.
It's actually easier to see you at night cause you're lit up rather than in the day where you just blend in with traffic. I have a light & motion dual that I run and generally it's enough to get me noticed by traffic, from about 2-3 blocks away, people say I look like a motorcycle.
However, if you're in heavy traffic with a lot of cars passing by, even a 25 watt halogen would get lost in the 40+ watt headlights of cars, you might as well be another point of light in their mirror. In that cause, a HID light might be useful since the bright blue/purple-ish light is very easy to distinguish.
I don't think anyone on the road actually wants to run you over whether it be from the side or back. It's just a matter of people not paying attention, not noticing, or misjudging your velocity/position.
I've had times when I have my low beam on aimed forward and I see a car rolling into an intersection and I'm thinking why's he still moving? So i blip my high beams once or twice to get his attention and that's when I see the car actually stopping for me.
The light thing also works in the day, as crazy as NYC drivers may be, I notice when I'm going out to manhattan that I would see a small fuzz in my mirror and when it's about 4-5 blocks, almost half the drivers in their cars actually have enough curteousy to turn on their day running lights and I can see them almost instantly with just a quick glance.
If you imagine a driver at an intersection at night, to them, you're a spot of light. But in the day w/o your lights, you might as well be a pedestrian walking on the side of the street along with the other pedestrians.
You simply blend in, even if they specifically see you, the first thing that registers is a human body, not a bike, so they think you're going a lot slower than you actually are and by the time they make the turn, you're right in their path.
That said, one of those 10-mile orange painful to look at hunting vests would probably be your best bet in day light. If it's designed so you'd be instantly recognizable and won't get shot in a split-second, it's probably also good enough for drivers to see you with.
Or you can get a navy blue/white bike, wear a navy blue collared shirt, blue/white helmet, black pants with black tool belt. Nothing strikes more fear in a driver's mind than seeing a pig on the street.
I suspect they cut you off in day time because they really just don't see you.
The two times I've been hit by cars where I've been able to talk to the drivers after being hit I asked both drivers, "Did you see me coming?" Each time, both drivers said yes.
It's actually easier to see you at night cause you're lit up rather than in the day
I agree with you there. You'd be blind not to see me.
I don't think anyone on the road actually wants to run you over whether it be from the side or back. It's just a matter of people not paying attention, not noticing, or misjudging your velocity/position.
Agree again.
Maybe I'll add that with no threat to the motorist, the cyclist looks like a small problem. The motorists seem to notice vehicles that could harm them and yeild so they're not harmed
you can get a navy blue/white bike, wear a navy blue collared shirt, blue/white helmet, black pants with black tool belt. Nothing strikes more fear in a driver's mind than seeing a pig on the street.
If only they didn't have those police impersonation laws. I'd wear a uniform on the bike every day!
:D
Man I don't know what your drivers are thinking but around here, if they hit someone, even on purpose, fessing up is the last thing they'll do. Admitting "yeah I saw him, I went for it anyway" would probably bring about a conviction of at least reckless endangerment along with vehicular assult, attempted murder, assult with a deadly weapon, criminal negligence and whatever they'll throw at you, especially if the person you hit is rich/politically connected.
My mirror sticks out about 6 inches to my left and I put reflective tape on the edges, to a driver, it looks shiny and sharp. They usually give me room. To them, their paint job's worth more than my life.
I went out once with a tripod strapped to the left side of my backpack, it must've looked like some high tech rifle or something because people left me the hell alone that day. Even had taxi's giving me unusually large clearances.
Wearing bright gang colors also helps, just make sure you don't bike into the wrong part of town and know the proper hand signals for the appropriate gangs in your part of town. Learn to distinguish "ride on homie" and "you best pedal cause im gonna smoke you, foo" when you see a group of people cheering you on from the sidewalk.
Man I don't know what your drivers are thinking but around here, if they hit someone, even on purpose, fessing up is the last thing they'll do.
But the point is, they did see me (even if they wouldn't admit it).
It happens all the time. Cars see me. I see them see me. They go anyway.
Lights help. They attract attention but many drivers still act like they are the most important things on the road and do not yield right of way.
Last night I went to the hardware store and bought a roll of white refelctive tape. Even though I have several blinkies and a 10W headlight, I decided I needed a little more reflectivity. The tape was only 30 inches long, so I had to pick and choose where to place it. I decided to place it on three sides of the crank arms (front, rear and side), rear fender and on the front of the fork. The tape on the crank arms should be the most eye catching as there will be a lot of movement to them.
FYI...My most useful relective device is the safety triangle I have attached to my messenger bag. A co-worker said the triangle looks like a flag man directing traffic. It also works well in the daytime as it is bright yellow and orange.
I bought 2 rolls of 3M white and red reflective tape for one of my commuters. Put sections of it all over the frame, forks, inside of the rims. It's a candy cane bike but it works.
The entire frame lights up in headlights, the key is to look like a huge mass of moving light.
Especially nice if your bike's white, you can wrap the entire thing in reflective tape. That stuff's permenant, doesn't come off.
Strobes can be a bad idea.
A $10 generator light is not a good buy and the light is useless to see the road with, it will barely make you legal as a "too be seen light". Up you cash outlay to buy either a Cateye EL300 LED light for around $30, it's the brightest self-contained (4AA) battery light on the market and the bats will run for 25-30 hours. Or if you want an ideal light for the money look at the Cygo Metro dual beam light for $45. With only one beam on it totally washes out the Cateye; it uses a 6.2 watt flood and a 6.3 spot and the batteries last 2.5 hours with both beams on or 5 with one on, it uses a seperate battery pack than contains 6D batteries that I get at Walmart called EverActiv for $8 for 12. Around town all I use is the flood and it's more than enough for me, when I go to pitch dark bike paths I run both and never have a problem with overriding the light. There are more expensive and some less expensive lights on the market but those two are the best for the money in my opinion. But whatever you do get a brighter light for your safety.
Strobes can be a bad idea.
Why?
A great number of vehicles use strobes much more powerful than those sold for bicycles without causing the slightest problem. Strobes can be visible for as much as 360 degrees. They can also be extremely effective in the daytime, something most LED's can't be.
I have a 12V xenon strobe I got at Radio Shack for only $8. Motorists treat me with markedly greater respect, now. I'll never go back.
would the cateye work on pitch black roads? all these batteries.. man... what type of rechargables do ya'll find have the best durability.. in other words.. how many times can they be recharged without losing capacity?
It's easy to build your own light. For a little over $30, I built a 12V rechargeable system with a 20W halogen light. The 12V battery is probably good for 200-300 recharges and costs less than $20 to replace.
I upgraded my system one piece at a time until I finally built a dual-beam system that puts out from 20W to 55W, with a powerful tail light and highly visible strobe, for a little over $80. It's visibility tops that of systems costing almost $300.
You can probably put your own together, too, if you have a little patience.
would the cateye work on pitch black roads? all these batteries.. man... what type of rechargables do ya'll find have the best durability.. in other words.. how many times can they be recharged without losing capacity?
No the Cateye is not sufficient on pitch dark roads...at least not above 15mph. The light's biggest drawback is that the beam is too narrow, about a foot in diameter. I actually owned the Cateye EL300 for 2 months and took it back to trade it for the Cygo Metro. Yes 6 D batteries is a lot of batteries, but I like it better than the rechargeable systems because I'm not tied to a wall and if the batteries go dead during a ride I can just go into any store and buy more. I do not use rechargeables because the burn time with Alkys is longer and I can get 12 D's from Walmart for only $8 and the 12 last a year. With those rechargeable systems the burn time is only about 2 hours for most accept those real expensive HID units and they can run up to 6 hours; but if one of those batteries go bad they are very expensive to buy.
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