Commuting - "Turn down that light . . . ---hole"

Been commuting same route for 7 years. Most of my commute is on Capital Crescent Trail in DC/MD. In the past 60 days, I've gotten complaints from passing riders that my lights both front and rear are too bright. My current set up is: B&M Lumotec Oval in front and B&M DToplight XS Plus in rear. These are dynamo powered lights that do not seem to me nearly as bright as the Dinotte lights now gathering dust in my garage. For some reason, I've had a dozen on more complaints from oncoming riders and twice from passing rider that complained the rear light was too bright. I've checked the angling and the rear is as downward as I am comfortable given the two miles of DC streets I need to travel each night. The front is clearly focused on my side of the path. (I admit it throws a wider beam of light that the more pinpointed Dinotte bu when riding side-by-side with my battery powered friends, it is completely drowned out by their lights.) Once, during the day, I got yelled at for having my light on in the tunnel under McArthur Blvd. It could not possible have been too bright.

What gives? In seven year I've never encountered the road rage (called ---hole and worse) I seem to get over the lights in past few months. Am I in bringing too powerful a light to a trail?

Lol thats just ridiculous... They are just hating on you, and they have nothing to pin on you so they go with the obvious.... Haterz are gonna h8

Is it the same people making the complaints?

What do you care about more being able to see where your going or if your gonna piss people off? If i were you id just give a friendly wave and go abouts your way:)

Cannot tell if the same people. Usually only hear the comment it as we are side-by-side or they are already past me going the other direction.

If you are not directing the lights at peoples eyes then they need to get over it. I suspect they are not aware of the broad spectrum of lights available to cyclist. They are probably used to the $25 lights available at their LBS.

My LBS also services and outfits our local Police departments bikes. I've occasionally run into them and even compared lights with them.

Mine: (2 P7's, 2 fenix o-lights, NR cherrybomb, PB superflash, Mars 3.0, PB rack blinky 5, 2 Ultrafire 501b red) different bike
Theirs (Niterider Police Bike (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-YvvDlWbcI)Lights)

They never complain my lights are to bright. Now If they saw Cyccomutes Retinal Burners that would be another story.

I'd check the throw of the front light above horizontal. It really is annoying to run into poorly aimed lights, though they're usually on cars of course. Maybe ride toward your bike in all its lit up glory and see if it's actually a problem or not.

Since you are not shining your lights in their eyes, it means they are riding with lights that are not bright enough, especially since i suspect you ride faster than the whiners and thus know the benefits of adequate lights.

Buy some cheap sunglasses and hand them out to those complaining mole people.

Since you're using a headlight with a cutoff optic, it's the same as people around here complaining about my IQ Cyo. I actually stopped and talked to a guy about it once after he yelled at me. I explained that the horizontal cut wasn't even reflecting off his top tube, and that if he can't help but to stare at my headlight like a moth, that's not my problem.
After that, he quit complaining about my headlight but he did call me a nickname for Richard a couple of times as he rode past.

Happens every year about this time that the "people complaining about lights" threads start up. Get an E3 Triple and aim it straight forward off your handlebars. The B&M lamp will seem like a children's nightlight be comparison.

Since you are not shining your lights in their eyes, it means they are riding with lights that are not bright enough, especially since i suspect you ride faster than the whiners and thus know the benefits of adequate lights.

Well stated. If people are having problems coping with a dyno-powered steady-burning taillight, they seriously need to get themselves a real headlight. I have a $19 one-AA flashlight from ShiningBeam that would be enough for that. It's not you.

I've not done much night riding. I've done much more night driving. Now that I don't drive I've had to get up close and personal with the range of bike lights available. The last light I got was a NiteRider Classic and it was so bright (not) that the first night we had it on our tandem we hit a raised section of concrete at a fair amount of speed and wrecked. We were not seriously hurt but the left side brake levers, shifters and the NiteRider itself were toasted. A $125.00 light and it lasted one night. Currently I am using two $25 lights on my commuter (no tandem riding at night anymore) and thanks to another thread I am considering the Magicshine light or at least a tactical flashlight for the same $25 as the POS bike specific LED lights I am running now. No one says a thing to me as I stumble along with my 1/2 watt LED's lighting the way. For one thing I live in bike country, for another, although bike country I am in the 'burbs and there is very, very, very rarely the night when I see another cyclist in the bike lane using a light. Usually they are on the sidewalk and often without even basic blinkies to protect them. They probably think my lights are too bright. They know the idiots driving in town on their high beams need a smack in the head but they can't get to him so they will give a cyclist that is close enough to be heckled the business. I can't wait to see the reception I get when I have a MagicShine mounted. I will definitely aim it properly. After that. I dont give a flying. No one helped us when we smacked that bollard that night. NiteRider won't answer my calls or emails about a replacement light, not that I want one anymore. When it comes to riding at night selfish is survival.

H

After that, he quit complaining about my headlight but he did call me a nickname for Richard a couple of times as he rode past.
I'm assuming your name isn't Richard? ;)

I guess it all depends on the cutoff between getting noticed and blinding drivers to the point of them becoming more of a risk.

I've personally never seen a cyclist who's lights where too bright, but I've seen plenty of cars, and man do they piss me off.

Given the number of complaints, it would be pretty awful if you didn't take them seriously. Your best bet is to have someone else ride your setup and see if you passing in a car or on a bike if it's distracting.

Since you're using a headlight with a cutoff optic, it's the same as people around here complaining about my IQ Cyo. I actually stopped and talked to a guy about it once after he yelled at me. I explained that the horizontal cut wasn't even reflecting off his top tube, and that if he can't help but to stare at my headlight like a moth, that's not my problem.
After that, he quit complaining about my headlight but he did call me a nickname for Richard a couple of times as he rode past.

Happens every year about this time that the "people complaining about lights" threads start up. Get an E3 Triple and aim it straight forward off your handlebars. The B&M lamp will seem like a children's nightlight be comparison.

If that happened to me I think I'd just have to turn my head and light up his face at point-blank-range with my helmet-mounted light.

If I'm gonna be called one, I might as well earn it. :D

I once had an oncoming cyclist wave me down, only to tell me that the strobe mode on my PB Blaze 1W was liable to send him into an epileptic fit. I fretted about it for awhile, even posted a thread about it here, but finally decided that my safety was more important to me and my family than the risk my light may or may not have posed to him. If anyone complains today I tell them that if they can see me then my lights are doing their intended job.


Buy some cheap sunglasses and hand them out to those complaining mole people
I was thinking the exact same thing! :lol:

Get an E3 Triple and aim it straight forward off your handlebars. The B&M lamp will seem like a children's nightlight be comparison.

:roflmao: :thumb:


Been commuting same route for 7 years. ...

I think I'd get a very small light and mount it to the end of the middle finger of my left hand ...

"Can you see this light?"

I was coming home a few weeks ago and someone in the other direction had a really bright light. Once it got me in the eye it caused a blind spot (like if you accidentally look at a welding arc). This is quite dangerous. If you blind an oncoming cyclist they might have a head-on collision with you. I think you should get your bike and go to a place where you can do some tests. Take your wife or GF along to give you some feedback. People have been cycling at night since the bicycle was invented. What is it that makes some of these new systems cause a problem? Are they brighter or perhaps the light is very broadly dispersed? I can't see the need for any light to be directed high enough to be in someones face. It could be the answer is better designed reflectors. Could it be that the OP has mounted his light upside down?

Last year I recall several regular CCT commuters with mis-aimed (too high) bright lights, and one guy with a helmet light and an annoying habit of staring straight at oncoming traffic. I did mention to the latter guy, but didn't Richard him. It really can be annoying.

However, if you are appropriately aimed, you're fine. I'll note that it can also be easy for rookies to get lured in by candlepower alone (moth analogy mentioned earlier) and some of the more vocal ones might give you a shoutout that is heartfelt but demonstrates their own foolishness. I take those shout outs as reminders to confirm or adjust my aim, but not necessarily to worry. Go with what you think is right.

BTW, I noticed the Magicshines are touting a new model and there are multiple power levels (perhaps that was on the prior model, too?). Plenty of other lights have a few levels. On a very dark trail like the Capital Crescent, there is NOT much need for high power until you depart it. I think it is considerate to fellow commuters to power down a bit for those meeting engagements, if and only if you have the technology. I'm not a fan of being strobed by taillights myself, so as a courtesy to anyone behind me I also turn off my seatpost mounted blinkie for the CCT portion of the ride since I can reach it easily enough while riding. When I'm on my bike with the rack mounted blinkie, oh well, I'm not dismounting and it stays on.

Oddly enough, some overtaking opinionated sort ripped into me one night for not having my rear blinkie on -- as if I was a ninja and my reflective stuff and the healthy wash from my headlight weren't enough to see me on the otherwise pitch black trail. Living proof that you can't please all of the people all of the time. I think he was having a disco ball fantasy and I let him down.

Been commuting same route for 7 years. Most of my commute is on Capital Crescent Trail in DC/MD. In the past 60 days, I've gotten complaints from passing riders that my lights both front and rear are too bright. My current set up is: B&M Lumotec Oval in front and B&M DToplight XS Plus in rear. These are dynamo powered lights that do not seem to me nearly as bright as the Dinotte lights now gathering dust in my garage. For some reason, I've had a dozen on more complaints from oncoming riders and twice from passing rider that complained the rear light was too bright. I've checked the angling and the rear is as downward as I am comfortable given the two miles of DC streets I need to travel each night. The front is clearly focused on my side of the path. (I admit it throws a wider beam of light that the more pinpointed Dinotte bu when riding side-by-side with my battery powered friends, it is completely drowned out by their lights.) Once, during the day, I got yelled at for having my light on in the tunnel under McArthur Blvd. It could not possible have been too bright.

What gives? In seven year I've never encountered the road rage (called ---hole and worse) I seem to get over the lights in past few months. Am I in bringing too powerful a light to a trail?

That trail can be pitch black in the evening. Many lights will seem too bright.

Do you have the LED version of the Oval? That's the same one I have. It has a bit of a cutoff, but it's not that clean since the LED itself has a clear shot above horizontal. I can reach down and nudge mine lower or higher depending on where I am.

You also can't assume that people aren't *****ing at other riders with their bright lights, either. The one who complained about you in the tunnel in midday was out of hand, though -- it's hard to see people in that tunnel if they don't use lights since the daylight at the other end seems bright and washes out shadows nearby.

I remember being forced to walk on the trail near Arlington Cemetery one 4th of July evening because the oncoming bike lights were so bright I couldn't see anything further away than the ground under my front wheel. Most bike lights in the US have beam patterns that are simply awful for onlookers -- plus they tend to get used in areas that have little to zero overhead lighting, making them seem brighter than usual.

BTW, I noticed the Magicshines are touting a new model and there are multiple power levels (perhaps that was on the prior model, too?). Plenty of other lights have a few levels. On a very dark trail like the Capital Crescent, there is NOT much need for high power until you depart it. I think it is considerate to fellow commuters to power down a bit for those meeting engagements, if and only if you have the technology. I'm not a fan of being strobed by taillights myself, so as a courtesy to anyone behind me I also turn off my seatpost mounted blinkie for the CCT portion of the ride since I can reach it easily enough while riding. When I'm on my bike with the rack mounted blinkie, oh well, I'm not dismounting and it stays on.

That's why I'm hesitant to part with the Dinottes I've accumulated -- the O-ring mounts are easy to adjust on the fly. I've pointed mine downwards as soon as I see someone coming the other way, and they've sometimes said "Thank you," but never "Turn down that light, *******!" Same with the Dinotte taillight. Turn it on low and point it at the wheel.

Part of the annoyance is the sheer brightness, but another part is that the point of light obliterates the rest of you and the ground around you, making it very hard to judge distance at times. Lighting up the ground under you helps counter that problem.

there are some major trail self appointed cops on that trail. Id say if you are not blinding people coming towards you, then its fine. I've had my headlight aimed high a few times, and i learned after passing one bicycle to aim it down. So aim your light a little bit down, or better yet when you see a cyclist coming, just put your hand slight above your light to block the light from shining in their eye.

If people are telling you your lights are bothering them, the obvious answer is to aim them lower. Once in a while, someone tells me my lights are aimed too high, and I immediately aim them lower. I take my lights off every day so they don't get stolen, so sometimes I don't realize they are a little too high.

As a daily commuter on the CCT, I find most riders courteously aim their light down at the path, lighting up maybe the 10 feet in front of them. In the evening commute home from downtown DC, oncoming riders are usually riding much faster (20+ mph) on the downhill portions, so a light aimed slightly too high is a real hazard, and should be called out. Even a momentary blinding can cause a crash, and at a minimum, causes unnecessary stress and aggravation.

As this is a completely unlit trail, it is tempting to aim your lights a little higher to light the path ahead. Not only is this unnecessary, but the sightlines and closing speed do not give much time for shielding your lights or temporarily aiming them down. The only part of my ride where I aim my lights up is on the towpath, which generally has far less traffic and much longer sightlines.

Light is a very psychological phenomenon; people have difficulty discerning the light output between to light sources even if one of them are 100% stronger. Here is what I think is happening and why you are getting complaints this season:

Since last year very powerful LED lights like the Magicshine have become cheap and have therefore sold very well. So this fall season some people are using retina searing strong lights on the MUP's as a common thing. I do think that this regular blinding of people on the MUP's are what is causing the "MUP rage" against you, because even though your lights are designed to play well with the traffic, they _look_ powerful because they have such good optics and side visibility. In short, you are being called ---hole because other people are.

This is 1908 all over again :D When the Ford T became common, there was a public outrage against being blinded by car headlamps.
Being blinded once in a blue moon isn't a problem, but when it is a regular event, people become angry indeed. So the high-low lamp was invented and it became a common courtesy among car drivers to dip the lights when there was oncoming traffic.

I would say that this aggression will only become more and more common the next couple of years. In society behavior is either self-regulated or governed by law. And since few countries besides Germany have laws against blinding bicycle lights, this is mostly a self-regulating affair.

But people with powerful lights tend to think they aren't causing problems, and any aggression they meet is because _other_ people are wrong. Since the "never can have enough bright light"-brigade aren't going to regulate themselves, their surroundings will; it will start with yelling, then abuse, and finally outright violence. In a year or two I wouldn't be surprised to see stories here on people being maced, punched or having stones thrown at them on the MUP's at night, not by criminal types but by normal joggers, cyclists and dog-walkers.

--
Regards

Rude.

The only place i'd think about bothering is on a MUP... because you're head-on a few feet away.

Get an E3 Triple and aim it straight forward off your handlebars. The B&M lamp will seem like a children's nightlight be comparison.

I like my E3 Triple because I have some very fast downhills on unlit sections of road on my commute and really need the extra brightness to see far enough ahead but I modified it with a shield so that it is less of a problem.
http://wendell.shidler.hawaii.edu/TripleE3.jpg

Wow, that CCT must really be hopping. Wonder if there is anything equivalent in PDX. There must be. As I said though my commute is from one burb of PDX to another. Specifically, from Hillsboro, OR to Forest Grove, OR and back - 7.5mi each way. You guys on MUP's likely have to play by different rules. I can see what some of you are saying. Makes sense to 'dip' your lights somehow when approaching another cyclist head on or even while overtaking. You'd do the same thing without thinking in a car. Driving at night in a rural area is a real exercise in high-beam management. I've gotten pretty good at it but I notice some other drivers not so much. If they were on bicycles or some other kind of open vehicle they would hear me calling them @$$h*le in much the same manner as a cyclist who has let the aim of his handlebar mounted laser drift upward in the heat of battle. I am thinking that even if your light has some kind of level switch that it will not be a Hi/Low with separate On/Off the way car headlights are setup. So what about a simple, low tech covering of your headlight when you see oncoming traffic? Make it a habit. Even if you KNOW your headlight is aimed at the ground three feet in front of you, dip your light for oncoming traffic? Waddaya say? I don't want to hear about any trail rage taking place between any members of the cycling fraternity.

H

Wow, that CCT must really be hopping.

At times, yes. On nice weekends like today, there are parts where it's just plain crowded -- you'd have to have a very quick jump sprint to pass slower riders safely and get back on the right side after being stuck behind them at 8 mph. As the days get shorter, more of the weekday commuters are riding in the dark, and again, it can be pretty busy. You'd see ten bike commuters for every recreational trail user, whether those users are on bikes or not.


So what about a simple, low tech covering of your headlight when you see oncoming traffic? Make it a habit. Even if you KNOW your headlight is aimed at the ground three feet in front of you, dip your light for oncoming traffic? Waddaya say?

It works. There's really no need to be doing interval training on a tree-lined twisty MUP at night, so it's no big deal to point the light down, sometimes blocking the direct light with one hand. I'd like to see more glare shields like what akohekohe made for his E3.

I like my E3 Triple because I have some very fast downhills on unlit sections of road on my commute and really need the extra brightness to see far enough ahead but I modified it with a shield so that it is less of a problem.

I remember seeing you post that in another thread. Excellent idea, and nice design.
Do you find that it helps reflect some of the light back down to the road?

I'm sending my 1st gen E3 (Seoul P4 LED) for a service upgrade with the Terraflux lens and Cree R3 LED that the new E3 Pro lamp uses.

Have you used other LED lamps to compare for your downhill before coming up with that design with the E3t? I only ask since my club does a lot of nighttime descending of mountain passes during brevets, and I've only seen 1 rider using the E3t. The most popular lamps with our club seem to be the Edelux and the IQ Cyo.

I don't have a problem with bright headlights on the mup and there are lots of folks around here running some high lumen equipment. But I really hate the idiots who run them on flash.:notamused:

When you are riding in traffic, flash away - it's a safety issue, I get it. But when there is no lighting other than my headlight and your strobe light, it is really disorienting. And, no, I am not epileptic. Thanks for your consideration.:)

I don't have a problem with bright headlights on the mup and there are lots of folks around here running some high lumen equipment. But I really hate the idiots who run them on flash.:notamused:

When you are riding in traffic, flash away - it's a safety issue, I get it. But when there is no lighting other than my headlight and your strobe light, it is really disorienting. And, no, I am not epileptic. Thanks for your consideration.:)

I've yet to figure out how people can see where they're going with a strobe, on a pitch black MUP. Their whole commute must look like a rave.

I've yet to figure out how people can see where they're going with a strobe, on a pitch black MUP. Their whole commute must look like a rave.

Oh yeah... that sounds fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3doJvB-Y75s

I consider the "do unto others" approach... you might be surprised how bright your lights are under certain conditions when viewed by others.
I set my bar lights at the aim/angle I want them in order to see the road, then under dark conditions with my lights on, I set the bike against something then walk out in front of it 10ft, 30ft, etc... only then will you see what others do. You might want to readjust things.

Based on this test, and similar to the other post, I made a hood for my MS light to cut off the light above a certain angle while still allowing me to easily see the road/path. I also agree that with dark conditions on a bike path, a front strobe is annoying, I think it's OK on a street or when the conditions are brighter.

There is no way, we will all agree on this subject.
But remember, some of us also have helmets with visors, and very bright lights that can be aimed at oncoming light intensity abusers as a bit of optical feedback (use only sparingly).

As a daily commuter on the CCT, I find most riders courteously aim their light down at the path, lighting up maybe the 10 feet in front of them. Only 10 feet of visibility in front of a cyclist is not sufficient, unless of course you are using training wheels as well.

Only 10 feet of visibility in front of a cyclist is not sufficient, unless of course you are using training wheels as well.

I'd agree. I don't ride the CCT, but I ride the W&OD and find I have to keep my lights aimed much further forward if only to catch the critters reflections from their eyes. That said, I either palm my light for an approaching rider or have a remote switch for the one bike that shuts it down entirely.

I did frequently deal with an oncoming rider in the wee am hours that has a bar light, a fork light and a helmet light - all high lumen. He has been called an ******* by me a few times because he does nothing to not blind oncoming riders. I got tired of it enough times that finally I dragged along my million candlepower torch one morning and made the point... easily done from 1/4 mile away :)

here in Monterey, Ca we also have a bike path
wreck trail, or whatever the controversy of the day begs to pull out of the closet....

I've heard of people being ticketed for helmet lights.
Now I'm a big fan of helmet lights....

but lately I've been using a Stella 200L mounted to the bar
its bright enough for bike path stuff no doubt....

and in congested areas I'm typically slowing down, with the light tilted down a bit...

however, I've been thinking of dragging out my ARC, which is about 650 lumens.
for bike path stuff its really freaking bright.
even in traffic its really bright.

and to top it off I like to use it on my helmet

what it comes down to is discriminate use of lights.

gee... thats just great... right
here we are as cyclists and we get to be subjected to the complaints of the public en mass about lights
gee how about the rampant musings of exhaust pipes, ad nauseam...

here in Monterey, I believe there is the beginning of movement to remodel the bike path and waterfront (fisherman's wharf) area(s)
there seems to be constant conflict on the "wreck trail" (aka: rec trail) between user groups.
while The City seems intent on becoming a "bicycle friendly" city, from what I can tell of the situation is that really they want the Tourist Attraction to allow people to cruise down the bike path and look at seals on the rocks.

thats all fine and great.
but as a car free cyclist, trying to get around town, the congestion is a definitive challenge.

just the other night, a worker had a steam cleaner blasting away at the sidewalk with black hose spaghetti'd around in the wet, inter-mingling with the parking lot lights and shadows...

at 200 lumens it was difficult enough to make out the inherent hazard, and exactly how to bunny hop a section of twisting high pressure steam hose...

I've had a dozen on more complaints from oncoming riders and twice from passing rider that complained the rear light was too bright.

That tells me that the volume on your i-pod is way too low.

That tells me that the volume on your i-pod is way too low.

People are great at telling other people how they ought to ride a bicycle huh.

I got tired of it enough times that finally I dragged along my million candlepower torch one morning and made the point... easily done from 1/4 mile away :)
Light saber wars? Instead of "I'm you're father" sounds like you gave him the lumen version of "who's your daddy" :). Beware the dark side, CCrew. But it's a very Biblical eye-for-an-eye approach and far more elegant than the various other forms of assault that one might occasionally ponder.

Light saber wars? Instead of "I'm you're father" sounds like you gave him the lumen version of "who's your daddy" :). Beware the dark side, CCrew. But it's a very Biblical eye-for-an-eye approach and far more elegant than the various other forms of assault that one might occasionally ponder.

Hey, I won't do it much, trust me! That bugger weighs a ton :P After the second week or so with "Dim the light!" not working, I had to resort to true firepower :)

Maddraven,

Try this before you complain any more about people complaining about your bright light:

Find someone you know and swap bikes with them some night. You go to where you were yelled at and head off in different directions, go at least a mile so your eyes get adjusted to the light levels on the pathway or wherever you were when yelled at. Then turn around with lights on and head back towards each other. You might be surprised at how bright your light is to an oncomming cyclist and how quickly it demotes your own ability to see at night.

It's good to be seen and be able to be seen, but it ain't so good to be temporarily blinded by the light of someone else.

It's good to be seen, but it is a bad idea to temporarily blind oncoming motorists or cyclists.

YMMV, flame suit on, engage....

Been commuting same route for 7 years. Most of my commute is on Capital Crescent Trail in DC/MD. In the past 60 days, I've gotten complaints from passing riders that my lights both front and rear are too bright. My current set up is: B&M Lumotec Oval in front and B&M DToplight XS Plus in rear. These are dynamo powered lights that do not seem to me nearly as bright as the Dinotte lights now gathering dust in my garage.

What gives? In seven year I've never encountered the road rage (called ---hole and worse) I seem to get over the lights in past few months. Am I in bringing too powerful a light to a trail?

I have a IQ Cyo R headlight and the Toplight Line Plus taillight, and I haven't had any negative comments but lots of smiles or surprised looks (and lights this bright or brighter are nearly non-existent around here). But the headlight is hella bright if shined directly into one's eyes so I always make sure it is not aimed too high.

I use it on a mup/bike-path and it is great both because I can see the surface of the path in the dark spots, but because I can see the other rides with no lights but lots of reflective clothes :)

One last factor is that I never trail anyone at night. I either rush past slower riders or get dropped by the faster ones (very rare at night, as most speedier racers only ride in daylight). I'm not sure how people would like my headlights shining in their mirror for 45 minutes straight...

One last factor is that I never trail anyone at night. I either rush past slower riders or get dropped by the faster ones (very rare at night, as most speedier racers only ride in daylight). I'm not sure how people would like my headlights shining in their mirror for 45 minutes straight...

With the Cyo mounted and aimed properly it's not as bad as you'd think. I did a lot of night riding with my rando club this year and there was nary a complaint about anyone's headlights being a bother, even in a pack of 15 riders zipping down an unlit MUP in the dark.

The bigger issue in a pack like that is rear blinkies. Solid lights are OK to trail, even if they're bright. Blinkies will drive someone behind you stark raving bonkers.

I'm also a CCT commuter (til I jump up to the Towpath). I'll say that I have noticed that, as it gets dark, a really bright bike light is pretty hard to look away from. It appears that the skills learned in the car world do not transfer quite as directly to the bike world - I'm guessing the main issue is the relative narrowness of the trail, versus the spread of some very bright lights. In any case, I suspect both sides bear some responsibility - the one with the lights to manage his intensity and aim, and the oncoming cyclist to mitigate the dazzle as best he/she can.

I suspect the main problem, though, is the time of year -- folks who've been riding all summer in daylight only are just getting used to riding at dusk or after dark, and haven't (re-)acquired the skills necessary to deal with bright lights. Also, the weather is still good enough to have a generous load on the trails, which will subside as the weather gets cooler. I know that I've been dazzled a couple of times, esp. the first time or two that I rode during the hours of impending and actual darkness.

This thread is also a wake-up call for me to carefully consider the management of my own lights (none as powerful as what's being discussed here -- but bad aiming is its own hazard, right?).

So the high-low lamp was invented and it became a common courtesy among car drivers to dip the lights when there was oncoming traffic.

This is what I thought of when reading the first post. I don't know what the OP's lights are like, but I can certainly imagine riding on a MUP being very much like driving on a rural road. When there are no other cars, you need your high beams. When a car approaches your high beams will blind them.

This is what I thought of when reading the first post. I don't know what the OP's lights are like, but I can certainly imagine riding on a MUP being very much like driving on a rural road. When there are no other cars, you need your high beams. When a car approaches your high beams will blind them.

I believe they're German dynamo powered lights that are required by law (in Germany) to act like low-beams (asymmetric beam with most of the light ending up down on the roadway). Of course that only works if they are indeed aimed down at the roadway :)

Other than the Supernova E3 triple and E3 Symmetrical, neither street legal in Germany, all German dynamo lights have asymmetric beams that are designed to put the light on the road like an automotive low beam when properly aimed. Peter White cycles also imports some German street legal battery lights with the same cutoff feature. Relatively few such battery lights are made as most bikes sold in Germany are required by law to have dynamo lights. Exceptions are MTBs and competition type road bikes.

Few other bike lights have asymmetric beams as there are no bicycle lighting regulations in the USA or most other countries requiring them unfortunately. Therefore most bicycle headlights need to be aimed quite low to avoid blinding oncoming riders. If bike riding for transportation becomes common enough here I suspect that lighting regulations will follow.

Either the OPs light is aimed a bit high or the complaining riders are just not used to seeing bikes with adequate lighting IMO.

All the special beam shaping is still only helpful as long as the terrain's flat, keeping the beam aimed as designed. Come over a rise, and your beam's aimed up. And so is theirs. I deal with this every night on my way home at Monroe & Broadway. Life goes on :)

Just wanted to clarify that the Oval the OP mentioned (I'm still not sure whether it's halogen or LED; maybe he said so and I missed it) does not have a cutoff via a glare shield, but more of a directed beam pattern. You can still see the LED on mine directly from any angle ahead of the light, but the reflector and lens work to put most of the light on the pavement with little upward spill.

Just wanted to clarify that the Oval the OP mentioned (I'm still not sure whether it's halogen or LED; maybe he said so and I missed it) does not have a cutoff via a glare shield, but more of a directed beam pattern. You can still see the LED on mine directly from any angle ahead of the light, but the reflector and lens work to put most of the light on the pavement with little upward spill.

None of the commercial lights I've seen use a glare shield, so the Oval (halogen) isn't anything different. The entire Lumotec series of halogen lamps, IQ LED lamps, the Schmidt E6 halogens, and Schmidt Edelux LED light all use shaped reflectors and/or focusing lenses to direct light at the pavement.
The IQ series of lamps is better at keeping primary light glare away from oncomers because they use rear-facing LEDs unlike the old halogen lamps which worked more like an old automotive headlight.