Because you brought it up.

At night, I don't use bicycle paths. Partly because they are closed in my area and the other part is because it is rude. People walking on the few paths that are open at night are doing just fine without lights and they don't need me to come along an plunge them into darkness after I pass.

Come now. It doesn't take a linguist to know what you are saying or what you mean.

That's why I love my zoomable head. I can select a beam width that is pencil thin (1 foot wide at maybe 20-30ft), or maybe max 30-45deg wide. It's pretty easy to find a central pointing direction, and beam width, that gives a nice large spot that is all on the ground.

Look man. It's a *******-ish thing to due ... blind other people. It's very egotistical.

Most of the cycling I'd done is quite similar to this, where the non-cut-off beams are extensively tested.

Especially the MagicShine (which we over here call the MagicScheiße / Magic**** as they're quite annoying to other bike/road users.)

https://swhs.home.xs4all.nl/fiets/te.../index_en.html

yeah that's what I have. wish there was a product I could just clip on that would eliminate the whole top half of the beam. something designed by an lighting engineer that would not fall off & not be card board & duct tape cuz they do get hot. I have no need to illuminate the trees above me, just the road in front of me

aluminum foil

that's been linked to Alzheimer's

So don't lick it

The wide angle lens does that. Ad a thrower on the helmet for longer distances and your set.

hmmm cheap enough, I'll try it. thanks!

Are all cutoff beam assynetrical beam patterns? Trying to be considerate of others while using a symmetrical or typically round beam pattern by pointing it down might really limit how far away you can usefully see.

I'm curious about the cutoff patterns myself but, I don't happen across too many other bike commuters or cars that seem to mind how my cygolite is oriented. At least no one has told me...

I use about 1500 lumens with 3 lights on the front, just enough.

I have a B&M Ixon Core which has the same kind of beam a dynamo headlight has. It's very nice. I get my European-made lights from xxcycle.com. Prices are very good, and so is shipping. Selection is excellent. You have to navigate the half-English-half-French web site, but it isn't hard.

It works great for spotting skunks by the side of the trail for me. Just don't forget to have another light for distance as you sacrifice distance for the wider dispersion. I got mine from Action, and was only about $5

I'll just leave these here

http://john-s-allen.com/blog/wp-cont...d_blinding.jpg

http://john-s-allen.com/blog/?cat=186

(these signs aren't working)

I've been aiming mine down but considering getting one of the lights mentioned below

Peter White's discussion of Lighting systems

headlight beam patterns from Peter White Cycles

ordered a wide angle lens on Amazon, should be able to test it next week

wonder if we just need to cover half the headlight like they did during WWII when driving cars at night

for the DIY hood idea, this guy took a whack at it but never posted a photo showing the beam pattern on the road

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/...=174&t=1632527

I'm not usually a fan of extra laws, but the German law about headlight cutoffs has led to the production of some really excellent products and the U.S. lack of such a law has led to a whole lot of really bright headlights with terrible optics. I know I could just buy the German lights, but I'd like for there to be a more competitive market of inexpensive LED lights with good optics.

We've reached the point where $50 will get you a brighter light than you need for anything short of midnight trail bombing. I can only hope that beam characteristics will be the next market differentiator.

When I first started using lights I used a Road Toad my GF had but wasn't using. That lead to a series of flashlights and bike lights that were brighter and better, but it wasn't until about 5 years when I got the "1,000 lumen" Magicshine did I finally have enough light.

I hope they do improve the optics. If you can ad a $5 wide angle lens to the Magicshine you'd think someone would make better lenses for the other lights that are out there now too.

amen to that. btw if you come across some of those you were mentioning would love to see them

In the electronics subforum, someone posted a wonderful list of shaped-beam battery headlights. Let me see if I can find it. You have to hunt these lights down.

I have two magicshine clones from amazon, both with the disperser lens. It starts with a spot that's about 9" wide, and spreads it into a bar that's maybe like 9" by 5'. If you rotate it so the length is forward, then you have light in exactly your straight-ahead path, but to me it's disconcerting to be so dark to the sides.

My own light, as I said earlier, zoomable head cree led flashlight. Pointed at a downwards angle and zoomed to give me a spot that is maybe 6' across and 12-15' forward. I run it on medium, and in dead 'winter', when I use the light both ways, a single 18650 2400mAh battery goes a whole week. I have two batteries, and rotate them weekly.

This shows how my Cygolite is aimed downward. This light puts out a brighter center "hotspot" area, with a dimmer outer area. I have it so the hot spot area never goes above horizontal. Instead it shines out onto the ground about 30-40 feet in front of me. Oncoming traffic will see the outer area of light, but it wouldn't be any worse than looking at normal car headlights from the side.

https://instagram.fmem1-2.fna.fbcdn....64690944_n.jpg

:lol: Maybe soon I ought to try x-mas bikelights (if these exist)?

What a beautiful bike. I have a felt z85 and this looks awesome. I commute on a GT Grade but your felt looks nice. And I have a cygolite metro 1100. Good taste there, sir.

tried it out. works pretty good

https://i.imgur.com/g45Q5pSl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/afTFd3Pl.jpg

but I still had to point it down when passing ppl

blurry I know but it shows the beam pattern pretty well. instead of a circular hot spot it's laterally linear? plus there's a closer lit area as well. but the top is probably as bright as the bottom, so it remains offensive to oncoming traffic & ppl


https://i.imgur.com/SN3qYPkl.jpg

it's nice to burn a hole in the darkness but there's something pleasing about this instead

https://i.imgur.com/BTADXzNl.jpg

My next battery light will be a German one with the focused beam like I have with my dyno. But the reason for this response is that this morning I had a close call on the way to work on the MUP: Oncoming cyclist with his flashlight blinding me. All I could see is that glowing globe. It turns out that next to him and between him and me was his buddy. I DID NOT SEE HIS BUDDY UNTIL WE WERE ALMOST HANDLEBAR TO HANDLEBAR. It could have ended badly.

yeah shared mups don't need the same kind of light as we need on the roads. aiming them down helps a lot. I've noticed ppl riding together, & the rider following does not use a light. makes sense, maybe, like if they are following (but not if they come side-by-side), but a reflector please?, or another light on, pointed down? what's wrong w the 2nd rider having a light?

That's been debunked. Try to keep up: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disea...alzheimers.asp

Also, I'm disappointed by the lack of Beholder content in this thread:

https://geekandsundry.com/wp-content...e-Beholder.jpg

Exactamundo ;-)

"failed to confirm" is not debunked. Dow Chemical pesticides are linked to ADHD & Autism but because studies have "failed to confirm" & more studies are needed, they are now allowed to test the pesticides on you, me, our children & our daughters' children