Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Look at the market that bicycle lights are designed for. High power lights in the outputs you are talking about are still aimed at the off-road rider but not at the commuter. Off-road a cut-off or a highly shaped beam wouldn't be of much use. You want all kinds of light sprayed all over the trail so that you can see obstacles that you need to negotiate.
3000 lumens is about what a car puts out on two beams. Motorists have to deal with that kind of light coming at them all the time. Although some beams have a very tight cutoff, that's not the case universally. SAE rules in the US even call for a significant amount of upward spillage to illuminate street signs. And there are enough older cars without any kind of cutoff on them that bicycle lights shouldn't be all that much of a problem.
Additionally, look at where we ride as cyclists. We don't spend a whole lot of time over next to the center line. We are usually outside of the right wheel track (US) by 2 to 3 feet. Any stray light sprayed out isn't likely to interfere with motorist come at us nor, for that matter, motorists that have passed us. A approaching motorist is going to see more sideways light much closer from an on-coming motorist within 3 feet of his driving position than from a bicyclists that is located 10 to 15 feet further away. Even with a 35 degree beam, you won't even get close to putting enough light onto the other side of the road to cause an issue.
Personally, I rather have lights that are an issue for motor traffic since those get seen (given our road location). The bicycle market is far too filled with 'polite' lights, aka 'be seen lights', that are absolutely inadequate for what they are being used for.
I like that thinking because that's pretty much how I feel. There are moments or times where I did feel the need for a cutoff reflector out on the road. Lucky that's only three places for me. There is this parking lot I cut through and the street sweeper driver got a little piss at my lights so it seems lately he purposely sweep around the area I ride through creating a cloud of dust. Little bugger.
Then there is the bus stop where there are two or three passenger waiting and I see them shielding their eyeballs when I pass. Lately the one guy wear his sunglasses at 4am. The last place is the police station I pass. Police had shielded their eyes coming out the drive way. One even had his spotlight flashed at me while he was making a left turn from the opposite side on a three lane road each direction. I was only running my BRIV on low and two P Rocket XPG on low. I don't even dare have them on high at those area. My extra modify 2500 lumen flashlight remain off and only on for two minute in a totally lightless small stretch of area in the parking lot for safety.
I think the issue is most likely that these LED light are produce from a very small area point where it is hard for the eyes to be able to adjust. When I had my friend rode my bike with three lights on at about 1500 OTF lumens, those three bright spot looks light laser dots coming at you. Much better if tilted down but not much useful as throw.
What will be interesting to see is when more 2000-3000 lumens start to be use by commuter on the road. What will be the reaction of drivers and pedestrian or even LEO? Who knows? Probably nothing since the cost of these lights will likely be expensive and beyound most the reach for the time being. However if the Asia market start producing these super lumen lights at a low price.......we will rule the road with our lights
