Originally Posted by
RapidRobert
That video clearly shows the curve in the road I mentioned, but the bike might be on a straight section in still above. The video also clearly demonstrates how easily the bike headlight is visible compared to that of the car headlights.
The video also shows, quite clearly, that the position of the bicycle light causes no glare problems for on-coming traffic. The light is easily visible from across the road but at no point is there any possibility that the light would blind a driver from that location.
Originally Posted by
RapidRobert
So if a theoretically 600 lm headlight is that bright from that distance, immagine how bright two theoretically 900 lm lights would be!
I know how bright my lights are. I also know that my lights don't come anywhere closer to on-coming traffic than a normal passenger side light on an automobile would. How, you might ask? Because I can see where the light is going. Two bright lights set next to each other (less than 6 inches apart) aren't going to spread the beam any more than the light you see in mechBgon's video. They are going to be brighter certainly but that makes the road easier to see from the saddle.
I also have valid reasons for running multiple lights. I've had far too many failures to depend on just one lamp. Sometimes even 3 isn't sufficient, as I experienced when I crashed a couple of weeks ago and broke all three of my light mounts. The fact that the helmet light mount didn't break completely through is the only reason I didn't have a long dark walk home.
Originally Posted by
RapidRobert
Then another one on a helmet, pointing at your face while sitting at a red light? That's why I say that LED bike headlights can certainly be too bright, when used on the road. More is not always better.
Without any evidence, you claim that I am "belligerant, selfish and inconsiderate" in the use of a helmet light. Nothing could be further from the truth. When sitting at a light, my helmet lamp is tilted up away from driver's eyes. I don't point my light in anyone's face unless absolutely necessary to keep me from being harmed by an inattentive driver. I, and probably most people who use helmet lights, know exactly where the light goes and exactly what it can do. We don't use them as weapons except in extreme cases. You've been informed of this many times and continue to ignore it.
You have also been informed...again many times... that the statement 'More is always better' and 'retinal burners' were meant as jokes. I coined the term 'retinal burners' as a silly means to convey the brightness of my overvolted halogen system. It does not mean that the lights have any retinal burning capability. They don't put out
that kind of power
Finally, if you wish to buy the 'maximum lumens/dollar' for your own use, feel free. Allow the rest of us to make that same decision to meet our needs. We'll assume that you use your lights responsibly if you make the same assumption about everyone else.