Advocacy & Safety - To the night cyclists, who ride without lights...

As fall is upon us, I find myself riding more and more at night. What surprises me is how unbelievably common it is for cyclists (and runners/walkers, you too, but this is a cycling form!) to ride on the local bike path--only small portions of which are lit--with absolutely no lights.

Law aside, what does it take to convince you that this is not a good idea? I feel like I'm preaching to the choir, as most here are safety advocates. But if you know someone who doesn't ride with lights, please show them this.

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/1773/wwys.gif
This is the same bike, taken with the exact same exposure settings, one with all lights off, and the other with all of my lights on.

Invisible cyclists can't see obstacles, can't avoid other invisible people in the path, and can't be seen by other cyclists/pedestrians. Lights are not that terribly expensive, and I can guarantee you, far cheaper than just one trip to the hospital or personal injury suit.

Reflectors are good. Lights are better. Lights and reflectors are best.

The people you're urging to change their behavior don't read this forum.

If you live in an urban area, you can avoid most "bike ninja" problems by sticking to the roadway and avoiding multi-use or bike paths.

the cyclists with poorly aimed too-bright lights are just as bad as the ones with no lights at all

The people you're urging to change their behavior don't read this forum.

If you live in an urban area, you can avoid most "bike ninja" problems by sticking to the roadway and avoiding multi-use or bike paths.

in my observation, this not true for San Jose.....most bike ninjas are on the streets and rarely on paths. I see two basic ninja types, what appear to be homeless and the cool fixie crowd. The cool fixie crowd do not feel their mortality and are prone to to cut across lanes with no notice. It is interesting to note that many of what appear to be working immigrants have lights...perhaps to avoid any discussion with law enforcement.

what is that light on the downtube? i like it.

the cyclists with poorly aimed too-bright lights are just as bad as the ones with no lights at all

Yep.

I don't understand why people have a problem aiming their headlights.

what is that light on the downtube? i like it.
The lights on the downtube are one half of a strip of LEDs I ordered. The exact product is here (http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=477). The other half is on the left chainstay. You can cut them every 3 LEDs, but the .5m strip only comes with two leads, so cutting one into 3 or more parts would require some soldering directly on to the contacts on the flexible PCB. Any cutting of it though will require additional waterproofing in order to stay waterproof, and for this I just dipped the cut end of each in some epoxy.


the cyclists with poorly aimed too-bright lights are just as bad as the ones with no lights at all
I would rather see a cyclist with a poorly aimed light than not see one with no light at all. Still, I agree, one should take the time to properly adjust and secure a light for night riding.

in my observation, this not true for San Jose.....most bike ninjas are on the streets and rarely on paths.

Even still, the streets tend to be lit much better than paths. That's not always the case, but in a lot of cities you can at least reduce your chances of being taken out by a ninja this way.

the cyclists with poorly aimed too-bright lights are just as bad as the ones with no lights at all

As a courtesy I normally tilt my light down while riding on a MUP. But closing speed with an oncoming ninja cyclist can be pretty fast, so I'll only limit my light beam so far. Car headlights don't bother me, and I take those from oncoming cyclists in stride as well.

Law aside, what does it take to convince you that this is not a good idea?

A serious accident at night.

How far down does it really have to be though? I don't usually ride on MUP's but I do typically like to ride at speeds in the upper teens to low twenties. I like to point my lights a bit forward so I can see the road ahead.

I only ride on roads and point light toward horizon, that is very slightly angled downward.
The only other cyclists it may bother are those riding the wrong way.

How far down does it really have to be though? I don't usually ride on MUP's but I do typically like to ride at speeds in the upper teens to low twenties. I like to point my lights a bit forward so I can see the road ahead.
My rule of thumb? Far enough forward that I can avoid obstacles at my highest speeds, but as low as possible otherwise. I also am in the process of making a hood to reflect some of the light shining up back down to the road (not shown in the photo), but I still want some to go out horizontally, to keep me visible to approaching cars/cyclists/pedestrians.

To get an idea of how much the beam spreads now, you can take a look at another image of my bike from a different angle (http://yoitsmeremember.deviantart.com/art/HDR-Night-Ride-180074382).

The bike ninjas feel they can see well enough with dark adapted eyes that they don't need lights. This works up to a point, on the pathways, until they meet another ninja at the bottom of a dip on a blind curve. Last year, such an incident sent 2 of them to hospital with serious injuries. It appears that other ninjas did not hear of this....:mad:

If I was a ninja, there's no way I would ever make it to my destinations and back. At 11pm on a wooded, deserted country road with no streetlights in sight, i wouldn't want anything less than what I use now: a P7 'flood' flashlight, a Q5 'throw' flashlight, and two taillights.

If I was a ninja, there's no way I would ever make it to my destinations and back. At 11pm on a wooded, deserted country road with no streetlights in sight, i wouldn't want anything less than what I use now: a P7 'flood' flashlight, a Q5 'throw' flashlight, and two taillights.

unless and until you turn off your lights, you won't ever develop the night vision necessary to be a ninja

true ninjas prolly use night vision goggles they smuggled back from Iraq

;)

the cyclists with poorly aimed too-bright lights are just as bad as the ones with no lights at all

There's a time and a place for everything. I keep the mount of my headlight loose enough to adjust it on the fly. If I'm on a dark MUP, it'll be aimed correctly for the speed I'm traveling. On a busy and well lit street with the possibility of left-crosses and right-hooks, it'll be aimed higher.

I'm just thinking that the term "bike ninja" sounds kind of cool, and might give people the wrong idea, even though there's nothing cool about riding without lights. Remember, kids: better to be a live geek with lights than a dead bike ninja.

There's a time and a place for everything. I keep the mount of my headlight loose enough to adjust it on the fly. If I'm on a dark MUP, it'll be aimed correctly for the speed I'm traveling. On a busy and well lit street with the possibility of left-crosses and right-hooks, it'll be aimed higher.

Exactly. It makes it easier to change the intensity that way when needed too.

Remember, kids: better to be a live geek with lights than a dead bike ninja.

About 700 cyclists a year die in the USA. You can see that many ninjas in a week, this time of year. Bike ninjas are annoying and obnoxious, but they aren't especially deadly.

http://bikebarings.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/lego-bike-ninja.jpg?w=300&h=199

unless and until you turn off your lights, you won't ever develop the night vision necessary to be a ninja

true ninjas prolly use night vision goggles they smuggled back from Iraq

;)

You could use this glasses-TV-monitor thingy: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.42437
Connected to this camera: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15756 (you might need a 12V battery pack to go along)
and Voila, you can now see IR light!

All that's left is to drop a couple of IR LEDs: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14061 in your existing flashlights, and now you're safe to turn your flashlights off. Of course, I'm not quite ready for the $200 investment to become a ninja.

true ninjas prolly use night vision goggles they smuggled back from Iraq

;)

Why smuggle when you can buy the good stuff here in the USA?
As far as riding with NV. I can not do it. The NV throws off my balance.

About 700 cyclists a year die in the USA. You can see that many ninjas in a week, this time of year. Bike ninjas are annoying and obnoxious, but they aren't especially deadly.

http://bikebarings.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/lego-bike-ninja.jpg?w=300&h=199

It's usually the ninja who winds up dead or maimed, usually as the result of a collision with a motor vehicle. Bike-on-bike crashes you can usually walk or crawl away from, not so when it's a car.

About 700 cyclists a year die in the USA. You can see that many ninjas in a week, this time of year. Bike ninjas are annoying and obnoxious, but they aren't especially deadly.
Yet, 60% of bike collisions in Florida are caused by cyclists riding at night without lights. In Austin, Texas, while only 22% of all injuries occurred at dusk or at night, 46% of fatal and incapacitating injuries did. Most importantly, in Canada, over 90% of bicycles involved in night time fatalities have inadequate lighting.

Nighttime riding is disproportionately dangerous, probably largely due to people without lights, who are just asking to be hit.

the cyclists with poorly aimed too-bright lights are just as bad as the ones with no lights at all

once I did a 25 km ride home on the local bike corridor, while using only a pitiful PB blaze 1/2 watt for my headlight on a very dark in places but familiar and straight trail. The only time I went off the trail was when I encountered a cyclist on an electric bike with an extremely bright headlight. That said, I still think no lights at all is worse than poorly aimed ones.

My rule of thumb? Far enough forward that I can avoid obstacles at my highest speeds, but as low as possible otherwise. I also am in the process of making a hood to reflect some of the light shining up back down to the road (not shown in the photo), but I still want some to go out horizontally, to keep me visible to approaching cars/cyclists/pedestrians.

To get an idea of how much the beam spreads now, you can take a look at another image of my bike from a different angle (http://yoitsmeremember.deviantart.com/art/HDR-Night-Ride-180074382).
That's amazing. As I look at how to best use lights, as I will soon be commuting in the dark, can you give me details as to what you use to get light like that. I'll probably forego the LED lights on the downtube, but am certainly interested in such great head and taillights.

Id prefer to be seen and recognized as a bike, and not a UFO or drunken school bus on a bender.

That said, I could live with your approach. I like it!

What do you power all the illumination with?

http://rockthebike.com/files/u1/dereks-garage2.jpg

Down Low Glow (http://rockthebike.com/node/82/features)

The people you're urging to change their behavior don't read this forum.

If you live in an urban area, you can avoid most "bike ninja" problems by sticking to the roadway and avoiding multi-use or bike paths.

You'd think this would be true, but I've been known to do quick local early morning or late night rides without a light. I stay on known streets with little traffic and good escape routes, consider myself a prime target for all cars and owls, and end up feeling safe.

No good excuse for this habit except that I enjoy it.

That's amazing. As I look at how to best use lights, as I will soon be commuting in the dark, can you give me details as to what you use to get light like that. I'll probably forego the LED lights on the downtube, but am certainly interested in such great head and taillights.
The headlight is a MagicShine. I believe it is now considered the "older" model, as it has only high, low, and flashing modes. IIRC, the newer one has a "medium" setting, and may be brighter on its highest setting, but the one I have is perfect for my needs. I would definitely spend a little time to make a coke can reflector to direct some of the light sent up into the sky back down at the road. Just not so much that cars at the top of a hill can't see you on a flat plane below. The rear light is a Radbot 1000, which just replaced my PB Superflash. While I think the Radbot is much better all-around than the Superflash, it's especially useful in my case--where I have to tuck it between the seat stays. It also has a built in reflector, unlike the Superflash. Also, my Radbot is likely the later one, as I have not had any issues with it turning itself off, as some people reported about the earlier models.


What do you power all the illumination with?
The MagicShine came with a battery pack. It's tucked between my aerobars, and rests on a crossbar that spans between them (made from the left over remains of my old aerobars). It's velcrod in, so it can't fall off, and doesn't bounce around while riding. The Radbot has internal AAA batteries, which it runs off happily--for 50 hours, or so they claim. Lastly, the lights on the bottom are powered by a 11.1V Li-Ion battery that is made by Tenergy. I soldered on a switch, and a Tamiya connector to make things easy to connect. The battery itself is in my rear pack, with cable running down the side of the seat tube, and splits to go to each light strip immediately below where the front derailleur is mounted. When I find time (a rainy day?) I will take detailed pictures of the whole setup, and post them here too if people are interested..

the cyclists with poorly aimed too-bright lights are just as bad as the ones with no lights at all

I would have to agree with this - many a time I have to ride with my eyes looking away from the cyclist approaching me with these new lights. I always think how it increases the risk of a head on accident.

The headlight is a MagicShine. I believe it is now considered the "older" model, as it has only high, low, and flashing modes. IIRC, the newer one has a "medium" setting, and may be brighter on its highest setting, but the one I have is perfect for my needs. I would definitely spend a little time to make a coke can reflector to direct some of the light sent up into the sky back down at the road. Just not so much that cars at the top of a hill can't see you on a flat plane below. The rear light is a Radbot 1000, which just replaced my PB Superflash. While I think the Radbot is much better all-around than the Superflash, it's especially useful in my case--where I have to tuck it between the seat stays. It also has a built in reflector, unlike the Superflash. Also, my Radbot is likely the later one, as I have not had any issues with it turning itself off, as some people reported about the earlier models.


The MagicShine came with a battery pack. It's tucked between my aerobars, and rests on a crossbar that spans between them (made from the left over remains of my old aerobars). It's velcrod in, so it can't fall off, and doesn't bounce around while riding. The Radbot has internal AAA batteries, which it runs off happily--for 50 hours, or so they claim. Lastly, the lights on the bottom are powered by a 11.1V Li-Ion battery that is made by Tenergy. I soldered on a switch, and a Tamiya connector to make things easy to connect. The battery itself is in my rear pack, with cable running down the side of the seat tube, and splits to go to each light strip immediately below where the front derailleur is mounted. When I find time (a rainy day?) I will take detailed pictures of the whole setup, and post them here too if people are interested..
For an awful lot of fuss, it has turned out worth it. I would like to see the pics.

I've seen quite a number of people riding bike after dark with a helmet on but without any light. Do they think their helmets can save them from all disasters brought on by the absence of a light? They don't seem to care about prevention. Helmets seem to give them a sense of safety?

For an awful lot of fuss, it has turned out worth it. I would like to see the pics.
Alright, I took some today. First, as far as the LED light strips, take a look at the instructable I put up (http://www.instructables.com/id/Waterproof-nighttime-LED-running-lights-for-your-b/). There's a video there on the last step if you're curious how it looks to a stationary person, with the video camera held at eye-level.

As for everything else, here are some pics as promised.

Crossbar on aerobars (http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/5535/p1040008.jpg) (MagicShine attached)
- Another angle (http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7844/p1040010m.jpg)
Battery pack for MS secured (http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/6914/p1040023b.jpg)
- Another angle (http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/1207/p1040024g.jpg)
Radbot 1000 mounting (http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7349/p1040013r.jpg)

I've seen quite a number of people riding bike after dark with a helmet on but without any light. Do they think their helmets can save them from all disasters brought on by the absence of a light? They don't seem to care about prevention. Helmets seem to give them a sense of safety?
That pretty much sums it up, for some.

I've seen quite a number of people riding bike after dark with a helmet on but without any light. Do they think their helmets can save them from all disasters brought on by the absence of a light? They don't seem to care about prevention. Helmets seem to give them a sense of safety?
Sounds like the idiot salmon rider I saw yesterday evening. He had a skidlid, but nothing to protect.

Alright, I took some today. First, as far as the LED light strips, take a look at the instructable I put up (http://www.instructables.com/id/Waterproof-nighttime-LED-running-lights-for-your-b/). There's a video there on the last step if you're curious how it looks to a stationary person, with the video camera held at eye-level.

Thank you so much! I've wanted downtube lighting for a while, but have been unwilling to spring for a down-low-glow light. Guess I don't mind looking like a UFO (URO, maybe? Unidentified Rolling Object).

Sounds like the idiot salmon rider I saw yesterday evening. He had a skidlid, not nothing to protect.

I really think those people mistake the helmet to be an armor.

(Btw, not to offend anyone, lots of helmet-wearing is unsightly, e.g. someone wearing over-sized baggy T-shirt, baggy pants, then a helmet on top of their head ;).)

Thank you so much! I've wanted downtube lighting for a while, but have been unwilling to spring for a down-low-glow light.

http://www.bikebrightz.com It's a pain to change the batteries in when it's mounted, but you get the hang of it after a couple sets.

I really think those people mistake the helmet to be an armor.

(Btw, not to offend anyone, lots of helmet-wearing is unsightly, e.g. someone wearing over-sized baggy T-shirt, baggy pants, then a helmet on top of their head ;).)
Hey, now - I like baggy shirts and shorts! Im not so keen on the helmet, though.

Hey, now - I like baggy shirts and shorts! Im not so keen on the helmet, though.
My kit usually consists of Carhartt shorts and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt.

Don't ride at night without lights.

Those riding without lights in the dark should be ashamed of themselves: even the homeless I saw today, who was pushing a cart of (perhaps all of?) his belongings, had a little red light affixed on top of his belongings. Admitted, the light was too tiny (about the size of a coin) given the large volume of belongings, but hey, even he understood the importance of using light at night! :D