Fairmont

I have a headlight and tail light I use to commute to work in the mornings, but why aren't there any bicycle turn signals? Seems to me that with today's LED technology and carbon fiber technology that someone could easily make a lightweight system.

Is this already a reality?

Or is this my own brainchild that will put me on the cover of Entrepeneurial Magazine?




Seriously, why not???

ban guzzi

https://www.cs.colorado.edu/~buechley...al_jacket.html

there ya go...

Fairmont

Wow, the model who is wearing the gear really knows how to make the "Oh, crap, I'm about to get hit" expression.

A true professional.

J.C. Koto

I owned a Schwinn (?) bicycle turn-signal waayy back when I was about 10. It was useless. At the time, the lights were too dim, the arrows too small and too close together to be of any use. By the time another vehicle was close enough to make out which arrow was blinking, well, too late!

I think I saw someone with a DIY jobbie over in the Electronics & Lighting forum here, but a search isn't turning it up again.

I think if you want to get on the cover of that magazine, then you need to invent some kind of single-purpose kitchen item Maybe an instant ice-cube maker (patent pending)

ban guzzi

model and Designer/programmer of said slick jacket...

joshandlauri

https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3631

tomg

i have one of these sets, it works good!
my problem is i commute year round and when it gets cold, i wear gloves. the switches (L/R signals) are hard to controle with gloves on!

amckimmey

Why don't I see motors on bikes?

It's kind of the same idea, it's not needed.(At least that's what I think.)

Motorist aren't going to be able to tell any different from just a blinking light on a bike(They already think we are crazy) If it was mounted on a bike they would be to close together, let alone more power needed.

And to cyclist I don't really see why it wold be needed, Everyone is normally looking around, and the "ON YOUR LEFT" I don't really get scared about getting cut off by another bike(I do Know it happens sometimes though)


The only turn signal idea that I have come across are wristband that when you raise your and flat out, they turn on. HERE

They are the only ones promising I think. It would be super nice to have it integrated in to the back of a glove. I would be all about it then.

n4zou

Pull up the hoodie and all you see is a flashing crescent moon. Is she a ninja moon biker?

n4zou

Here is a serious turn and brake signal setup.
https://www.k3pgp.org/video/lights3.wmv

sdlm

Personally I like the idea, but they have to be large and further apart then is practical on many bikes to be seen and understood. I have been pondering constructing them into some cases that are going to set on the sides of my rack (they are going to set higher up than traditional panniers, I think it needs to be able to be seen by the average car). I also want them on my handle bar ends, mounted to my mirrors.

Now, some people think that motorists wouldn't understand turn signals on a bike which personally I don't get why they would (when is the last time you seen a scooter when had it's signal on and you became confused?). I argue however that it doesn't matter anyway for two reasons:

1. I would feel better knowing that I did everything in my power to signal my intentions, even at night where many cars seen to not see my hand signals. if they don't understand or see it oh well, at least I will feel like I did what I could.

2.Either way it is more lights, which equal more visibility, personally I think that being seen, is a very, very good thing. I do ride about 40% at night and many times I wish I was more visible,especially when I need to get into the left turn lane.

amckimmey

Now do those bins carry car batteries or something. That's a little over the top.

GearsForFears

I'm a relatively new commuter and I've been thinking bikes should have arrow-type turn signals easily accessible on the bars. It's hard to see arm signals at night, I hate taking one hand off the bars when I'm about to turn in traffic, and yeah, I don't think lots of people in cars even know what the arm signals mean. The other day I was signaling right turn and a person in a car waved back at me.

lil brown bat

Because it's not something they usually see. It's a basic traffic thing: you're moving, there are other things going on, and for a sign or signal to work, it needs to be very identifiable, quickly and easily, so that a driver (or cyclist) knows what to do about it. You need to be able to instantly (and correctly) answer the question, "What do I do about this?" That's why signals and behaviors that fall outside the ordinary are more likely to cause confusion and accidents -- it's not what people are expecting, so they don't immediately know how to react.

GV27

Somehow it seems to me that somewhere along my ride and maybe even while driving I've seen a blinky yellow light on one side of a vehicle and it registered that that vehicle intended to turn in the direction of that yellow blinky.......

CHenry

No one expects them or looks for them, unlike with motorcyclists. Also, unlike motorcycles where there may be a width of a touring bag in the back across which signal lamps could be placed, giving an obvious "sidedness" to the signal, that isn't possible in narrower bicycles.

I think it would almost be better to have a non-directional rear strobe that could be activated right before turning so that following vehicles would at least be alert to a turning cyclist.

kila kila kila

A solution to a problem that doesn't exist. I can't think of a single situation in my years on a bicycle that a turn signal would have served me any better than my hands.

littlewaywelt

An arm signal is much more obvious than a light indicator, imo. I don't see the need for light indicators on a bike.

Takabrash

Mine came built in when I got my bike Unfortunately, most of the time when I turn right oncoming drivers just wave at me.


Seriously though, I don't think they're necessary. Have you ever seen the turn signals on most motorcycles? They're so close together that at night (when they're ostensibly most useful) from a distance of more than a few feet you can't tell which one is on. Hand signals 4 life.

CastIron

I have big arms and I'll be damned if even half the drivers see my hand signals. My DiNotte Tail or HID front lights? I still periodically hear "sorry I didn't see you". Now you want dinky turn signals? I already look like a freakin' UFO.

JMRobertson

I personaly wouldn't rely on a blinkie light no mater how blinkie it was to communicate my intentions to a driver. It's much better to assume we're invisible than to assume we're visible and understood.

Nightshade

"Unfortunately, most of the time when I turn right oncoming drivers just wave at me."
This statement tells it all. Drivers today are ,for the most part, totally ignorant of what the
hell a "hand signal" is or what it's for.

A cyclist never need to add 'turn signals" to a bike unless they never learned anything about
hand signals. God knows under 50yrs old drivers haven't a clue what they are.

Rob_E

I've been thinking about DIY blinkers, too. Of course that's after I get my a regular headlight/tailight combo going via generator, which is after I actually get a generator, so it could be a while, if ever. I agree that it's best to assume you can't be seen at all, but sometimes you simply can't function if you can't assume, or at least hope, that people can see you. It may be difficult to make a turn signal that will be easily understood, but as long as it wasn't misunderstood to your detriment, then it's just one more piece of information for motorists, whether they all use it or not.

Sirnickdon

For this reason, I generally jab my index finger repeatedly in the direction I'm about to turn, making eye contact with anyone whose attention might be relevant.

And then I assume they have no idea what I mean, and that they will turn unpredictably at the worst possible moment. So far, so good.

Geonz

I've been asking that question for years.

A 's0lid on one side, blinking on the other' setup is going to be perceived as a turn signal 'cause that's pretty automatic, regardless of what vehicle is between the lights.

At night, it's a little hard to see my hands.

I can see how when I'm lit up like a Christmas Tree then it's gonna be hard to see a signal... andg enerally I penetrate the "automatic" systems then and people are looking hard enough to see a hand (given the CHristmas Tree effect).

The $7 one probably isn't going to make it through one of my winters. Stuff that cheap is generally... cheap. I'm careful, but I use things and stuff gets bashed around a bit.

IMO, with the recent developments in LEDs, this is a brainchild waiting to happen.