Advocacy & Safety - Xenon strobes

I got a xenon strobe light for my bike to replace my LED blinkies. This thing is extremely visible. At night, I can see the yellow flash in my peripheral vision, even though the light is mounted behind me. If I wanted to check my blinkie, I had to stop and look behind me.

Does anyone else use a xenon strobe? Where did you get it? How bright is it? How did you like it? How much did it cost? I'm curious, as I had to get mine from Radio Shack and it required a 12V power source. I wonder what's out there for bikes.

http://www.lightmanstrobes.com/bike.htm

You can check these out too.
Although I'm not sure how good an idea it is to put something blindingly bright at eye level with other cars.

That's like you're on a dark trail with your halogens and someone with dual HID's is going the other way and it's right in your eyes.

Just curious, as I'm pretty well lit now (my bike, I mean) -- how much does this sort of lighting system cost? I notice that the lightmanstrobes site allows you to 'request a quote'; this usually bodes ill for the wallet. :rolleyes:

The lightman safety strobes come in a bunch of different colors and cost $22.95

http://www.storesonline.com/site/440848/product/AllPSLK-XENONSTROBE

Trek sold a xenon strobe, called the Disco Inferno, a while back that was uber-bright.

I think flashing lights can be too bright. The benefit of flashing leds is that they are highly visible without the need for being very bright/high powered, thus saving on weight and battery life. Using a light as bright as these strobes are that also flashes could be a distraction for following drivers, or even hinder their ability to see the road clearly.

Before you use it too much more I suggest getting someone you trust to be objective to follow behind and see if it is dangerous. My gut feeling is that for safety a regular blinky or two and a reflective vest will be safer than one super bright strobe.

Yeah there are limitations to how bright something can be before it becomes a distraction and road hazard.

You have to draw the line somewhere, aiming your 20watt HID backwards is a no no, as is this:

Yeah there are limitations to how bright something can be before it becomes a distraction and road hazard.

You have to draw the line somewhere, aiming your 20watt HID backwards is a no no, as is this:

I take it, mounting one of these (http://www.landfallnavigation.com/sglf1.html) on your saddle would be out of line too wouldn't it? :)

I take it, mounting one of these (http://www.landfallnavigation.com/sglf1.html) on your saddle would be out of line too wouldn't it? :)

Too directional to be useful under the seat. Mounted on your helmet to aim at clueless drivers, then we're talking about something useful.

I got a xenon strobe light for my bike to replace my LED blinkies.
Does anyone else use a xenon strobe? Where did you get it? How bright is it? How did you like it? How much did it cost?
I have two of the Vistlite Strobes. I'm not sure if Vistalite still makes them. They look just like the Super Nebula 5 (size and shape) except it comes with a clear lens and an amber lens.

I got them at Intown Bicycles (1035 Monroe Drive, Atlanta 404-872-1736). The owner (Mike) carries a lot of bike commuter stuff.
I think they cost $25 each. The batteries (2 AA) only last about 15-20 hours, so NiMH might be a better choice.
They are VERY bright and get a driver's attention in any light or weather conditions.

I have two of the Vistlite Strobes.

I got them at Intown Bicycles (1035 Monroe Drive, Atlanta 404-872-1736). The owner (Mike) carries a lot of bike commuter stuff.
Ron,

I know Mike! I always patronize him because...well, I like him! :) Plus, he's a bike commuter and like you said, he has the bike commuter in mind. His shop is only a couple of miles from work and though he's far from home, no bike shops are close to me anyway since Pedal Power closed (remember Margaret?)

Next time you're in there, ask him if he knows me. When he tells you, "yes," look alarmed and warn him about me before it's too late!

:D

So has anyone used this Strobe light and by chance compared it to the Cateye TLLD600 (5 led taillight)?

Are you putting a "white" light on the back?
Cars (and the law) expect a red at the rear and white at the front.

Are you putting a "white" light on the back?
Cars (and the law) expect a red at the rear and white at the front.
Amber, in combination with a steady red bulb.

Trek sold a xenon strobe, called the Disco Inferno, a while back that was uber-bright.

Yup, I have 2 of them(One for each bike). My wife followed me part way home one night and told me it was really obnoxious. If someone hits me and says they didn't see me, she will know they are lying. :D

I think flashing lights can be too bright.

Before you use it too much more I suggest getting someone you trust to be objective to follow behind and see if it is dangerous.
That's a good idea.

I did have my wife look at me on the bike and she said I wasn't overly bright (she says that frequently, however. :) ) I think I'm ok on brightness, but I'll give it another check myself.

It's mounted with the reflector pointed directly upwards, away from anyone's direct line of vision. I know that when I stared directly into the reflector at close range (8 inches or so) I walked away with the concentric ring pattern of the globe imprinted on my field of vision...

;) especially when I blinked ;)

I think we need to remember that being bright and being recognisable are not necessarily one and the same. The goal in increasing visibility is to capture the attention of the other road users just long enough for them to recognise you on the road and to somehow signal to them that you are a cyclist along with your position on the road, velocity and direction of travel. It is not to blind them into causing the type of accident you are probably aiming to avoid in the first place.

I have a bit of a light fetish maybe, I love lights - I'm definately going to pick up a pair of these - white for the front and amber (yay for orange) for the rear - to augment the drop bar end lights (which are SO cool). But why stop there... let's all get nautical strobes on the rear racks! Then, I'll rig up a stereo and ride to the tune of "Ride of the Valkyries" and "Night on Bare Mountain."

I did a search on xenon strobes.

This is for school buses:

http://commerce1.cera.net/tacbusparts/sections/catalog/catalog.asp?cat_id=1327



This is for emergency vehicles and is 10 times as bright as mine:

http://www.caraccessorieszone.com/Ultra_Bright_Xenon_Strobe_Lights_12ZX6946U.html


Now, I do have an issue with blue lights police use, they drive me nutz, but I guess they need it thataway.

I sent an e-mail to LightmanStrobes and got a fast response in regards to relative brightness between theirs and the Cateye 5 LED. They said that the Strobe is far brighter than any LED and theirs can be seen in at the same brightness whether straight on or 160 degrees off axis. BUT they also admitted that the only drawback was that the Strobe would eat batteries in about 6 hours with the flashing slowing down as the battery gets closer to death; much like a flash in a camera, you sometimes have to wait 5, 10, 30 seconds or longer between flashes, so the idea battery life is closer to 3 hours if you want roughly 84 flashes per minute whereas the LED would last about 30 with the light getting dimmer instead of the flash slowing down. And the Cateye LED does not have more than 80 degrees off axis viewing.

I think I will stay with my Cateye. But if you want something really bright than consider the Strobe, just be mindful of the batteries, because you don't want that thing blinking real slow. You could supplement the Strobe with those new bar end lights which is what I did anyway with the Cateye.

Yes, let's all get giant camera flash units with a trigger mounted onto our handle bars ;)

Well, I had to report in this morning after my morning commute. Vehicles always passed me with a comfortable berth and exercised more care when passing, whether in complete darkness or after sunrise. I was more confident, too, because I knew everyone noticed me when approaching.

Last night I re-did my "visibility test," in which I propped my bike up in the dark and walked away from it to view it from a motorist's perspective. Visibility was perfect. The yellow flash drew attention to it immediately. Yet even as I approached it, the brightness was never uncomfortable on my eyes. Just very visible.

Since battery drain is not significant for me (it draws about 0.2 amps from my 12V battery, as opposed to the 1.67 amps my 20W headlight draws,) I will run it night and day, along with my headlights.

The other day, I was talking to a policeman while my strobe was flashing. He commented that he "liked my light."

Did you ask him what colors are legal?

Did you ask him what colors are legal?

In Georgia--

GEORGIA CODE UNANNOTATED

40-6-290 G
*** GEORGIA CODE SECTION *** 10/14/96

40-6-296.
(a) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a light on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of 300 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety which shall be visible from a distance of 300 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlights on a motor vehicle. A light emitting a red light visible from a distance of 300 feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.

No specific prohibitions against additional equipment is mentioned.

No law enforcement officer has ever made an issue out of it to me, even though I pass police representing three different jurisdictions on my commute.

Indiana law requires this: 9-21-11-9. Times when bicycles to be equipped with lamps.--A bicycle operated on a highway from one-half (1/2) hour after sunset until one-half(1/2) hour before sunrise must be equipped
with following:
(1) A lamp on the front exhibiting a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred (500) feet to the front.
(2) A lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear or a red reflector visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear.

But what struck me odd was this next law: 9-21-11-8. Bicycle to be equipped with bell or similar device.--A person may not ride a bicycle unless the bicycle is
equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred (100) feet. A bicycle may not be equipped with and a person may not use upon a bicycle a siren or whistle.

I have lights front and rear easly exceeds the lighting requirement but the bell? So I go to 2 LBS's and tried out about 8 different bells, and you know what I discovered? These bells are totally useless and the LBS's agreed! These bells could not even attract the attention of a pedistrian walking where there is traffic noise! So I E-mailed this letter to Purdue university since they did the original study and kept a copy to e-mail to others when I find out where.

"To whom it may concern:

I'm new to Indiana and a avid bicyclist; I'm from California which is the most pro-active bicycling state in the United States. But the one part of the Indiana law that makes no sense to me is the law requiring a bell:

9-21-11-8. Bicycle to be equipped with bell or similar
device.--A person may not ride a bicycle unless the bicycle is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred (100) feet. A bicycle may not be equipped with and a person may not use upon a bicycle a siren or whistle.

I went down to both of Fort Wayne's bike shops and tried out various bells, and too my surprise found them to be quite inadequate to attracted any attention from a motorist driving at 30+ mph even with the window down! I don't even think a pedestrian on the street would be able to hear a bell if traffic is around! I find this absurd, the law enforcement agencies must realize that the bells are a waste of time. In fact a bell could be more dangerous because if I have to activate the bell in an attempt to warn someone I just increased my stopping distance due to not having both hands on the brakes, plus could loose control of the bike because only one hand is on the handlebar.

If the law enforcement agencies want to have some method of attracting more attention to cyclist then the better thing to do is require a taillight visible for at least 500 feet to be on day or night. This would much more effective than some useless bell.

What is your opinion on this, and who can I write about the situation who might take notice?

Thanks for any help you could offer.


Sincerely:"


Maybe I just being stupid, but a bell seems ridiculas, what do you guys think?

A bell on a bicycle is a joke. The reason most municipalities suggest a bell for a bike is that it is a recognizable sound for a bike. However, I have used the Incredibell XL for the last 6 months on a walking/biking path. What i have found is that it is basically useless unless it is a perfectly calm day. If there is any wind you may as well forget it.

BTW, this path is atleast 1 mile from the city and free of car/city noise. This bell is supposed to be the best bell going and it doesn't do didly most of the time. I have gotten within 6 ' of people before and they still couldn't hear me. (When wind is high)

A bell on a bicycle is a joke. The reason most municipalities suggest a bell for a bike is that it is a recognizable sound for a bike. However, I have used the Incredibell XL for the last 6 months on a walking/biking path. What i have found is that it is basically useless unless it is a perfectly calm day. If there is any wind you may as well forget it.

BTW, this path is atleast 1 mile from the city and free of car/city noise. This bell is supposed to be the best bell going and it doesn't do didly most of the time. I have gotten within 6 ' of people before and they still couldn't hear me. (When wind is high)


Thats the same bell amoung others that I tried and they all were jokes. It seems to me that if a state required some sort of noise maker while on a bike why not a whistle? just wear it around your neck, at least the whistle would be loud.

Thats the same bell amoung others that I tried and they all were jokes. It seems to me that if a state required some sort of noise maker while on a bike why not a whistle? just wear it around your neck, at least the whistle would be loud.
I wore a whistle for years because I got tired of shouting at deaf drivers. (They weren't deaf, of course, just hearing impaired.) I used a $3 sports whistle with a rubber sleeve to protect my teeth. I actually got used to keeping it ready in my teeth and could awake a slumbering motorist instantly.
I felt really naked on those rare occasions in which I didn't have it with me.

I never gave it up until I installed my car horn. It was only $12 and smaller than a small can of tuna. (You also need an activator button and a small 12V battery, or two 6V batteries wired together properly.)

Motorists often don't notice you and need a heads-up!

It's interesting how you guys mention the inadequacy of the bicycle sound devices required by law. I find light and reflector requirements similarly inadequate, which led to my installing my 12V light system w/xenon strobe.

I have probably gone overboard but I have 3 red blinky lights on my rear (One one the back of my head attached to my helmet and two on the back of my rack (middle and left). Also have a headlight and a yellow blinky up front. The LED blinkies are quite bright and motorists seem to notice them. I am still fearful of the cell phone talker that is out to lunch and rams me.

I am still fearful of the cell phone talker that is out to lunch and rams me.

You're right... no number or intensity of bright lights will save you from those types. The only blinkies that work on inattentive motorists are those that come coupled with a police cruiser.

Here is what the Louisiana code has to say on strobes:

§327. Special restrictions on lamps

C. Flashing lights are prohibited except on authorized emergency vehicles, school buses, or on any vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn, or the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing.

On the face of it, this prohibits blinkies & strobes. However, I would use the 'unusual care' clause as my justification. When the weight differential is on the order of a factor of 10, I sure a heck want drivers to take 'unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing.'

http://www.lightmanstrobes.com/bike.htm
Although I'm not sure how good an idea it is to put something blindingly bright at eye level with other cars.That's like you're on a dark trail with your halogens and someone with dual HID's is going the other way and it's right in your eyes.
I use a red-white-blue strobe set-up when on lighted city streets so the brightness is not lost among the other bright light sources on the street. I've been told the cops won't like it, though I've never been pulled over yet.

A bell on a bicycle is a joke. The reason most municipalities suggest a bell for a bike is that it is a recognizable sound for a bike. However, I have used the Incredibell XL for the last 6 months on a walking/biking path. What i have found is that it is basically useless unless it is a perfectly calm day. If there is any wind you may as well forget it.
I have that bell with a built in compass. Granted it's not loud but most of the time I only use it in residential areas. I ring it at attractive women who are walking, 90% smile and wave. I mounted it for the compass actually.
I have thought about getting a xenon strobe. Maybe one that is a rescue beacon for life jackets since I have several Marine supply stores near me.

I have probably gone overboard ...
Good for you.

:D

Here is what the Louisiana code has to say on strobes:

§327. Special restrictions on lamps

C. Flashing lights are prohibited except on authorized emergency vehicles, school buses, or on any vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn, or the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing.
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

"...on any vehicle...[in] the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual car in approaching, overtaking or passing."

If flashing lights in general are prohibited, let's all throw away our blinkies.

I wore a whistle for years because I got tired of shouting at deaf drivers. (They weren't deaf, of course, just hearing impaired.) I used a $3 sports whistle with a rubber sleeve to protect my teeth. I actually got used to keeping it ready in my teeth and could awake a slumbering motorist instantly.
I felt really naked on those rare occasions in which I didn't have it with me.

I never gave it up until I installed my car horn. It was only $12 and smaller than a small can of tuna. (You also need an activator button and a small 12V battery, or two 6V batteries wired together properly.)

Motorists often don't notice you and need a heads-up!

It's interesting how you guys mention the inadequacy of the bicycle sound devices required by law. I find light and reflector requirements similarly inadequate, which led to my installing my 12V light system w/xenon strobe.
I have a large selection of whistles .I like my marine saftey whistles the best they are loud light and little. You hardly know they are there but they wake up motorists. Drivers with cell phones also scare me. I see them coming in to work in the morning driving through the parking garage still on the phone. James

Here I am again, touting my $8 xenon strobe. :)

I couldn't help but notice how drivers gave me plenty of room and courtesy when passing me in the dark this morning. This afternoon, I will use it (and my lights) again because these seem to make me more visible in the daytime, as well.

No, I'm not repeating myself because I'm getting older. I am getting older and I'm probably repeating myself, but I'm not repeating myself because I'm getting older. (Am I repeating myself?)

Here I am again, touting my $8 xenon strobe. :)

I couldn't help but notice how drivers gave me plenty of room and courtesy when passing me in the dark this morning. This afternoon, I will use it (and my lights) again because these seem to make me more visible in the daytime, as well.

No, I'm not repeating myself because I'm getting older. I am getting older and I'm probably repeating myself, but I'm not repeating myself because I'm getting older. (Am I repeating myself?)

I hate to repeat myself but don't ever repeat yourself again, do you understand what I'm saying or must I repeat myself? :p

i saw this shcwin led at target for $9.. good buy?

does plainview make the batteries needed for the non led lights?

does anyone know of any led's that use 9v? (plainview 9v can be recharged around 1000 times before losing capacity.. i don't think there is a fast charge potion)

and littlebigman, where did you get this $8 xenon? what type of battery does it use? lifetime? what color is the light from this strobe light of yours?