scroca

It is absurd to state "Direct sideways visibility is totally irrelevant, as vehicles approaching from 90 degress are already too close to avoid hitting you."
as if that is true in all cases. You point out that it might be true at times and I agree with you completely on that.

BarracksSi

Not so absurd. Next time you're out, whether in a car or on your bike, look at how often you'd see a rider from directly in front or their rear and how long they remain in your path. Then notice riders crossing your path and how quickly they've gone away.

IMO, if a car's headlights are lighting up my side, one of two things is happening; either I'm crossing an intersection in front of a stopped car (or a car that's far enough away to not matter) or I'm having a heart attack and can't get across the intersection. Since I haven't had a heart attack while riding my bike at night (let alone any other time), it's always been the other.

If I'm stopped and waiting at an intersection, I'm out of the way and won't get hit unless the driver's drunk/texting/having a seizure -- and side visibility won't help at that point anyway.

As I see it (ha! ), the risk is not in spending extra money on things that may not be necessary, but in expecting that they'll save your hide. Decorating everything so you look like you rode off the set of TRON looks cool and all, but the kind of positioning that makes it worthwhile -- stationary and directly in front of a moving vehicle -- is the riskiest kind of road positioning you can, but shouldn't, do.

scroca

Look, if the statement was not absurd, I would by definition get hit by every car coming from the side. I have never been hit. The blanket statement that a car coming from the side is too close to stop unless you have flashing lights light directed at 45 degree angle is absurd.

And, don't get me wrong, I agree that it would help to have the lights! It's just not a guarantee that you'll be hit otherwise.

BarracksSi

I'm not sure what you're getting at...

The idea that someone would get hit by every car coming from the side implies that they've put themselves in an awful position -- right in the path of oncoming traffic.

If a cyclist is going to be that much of an idiot, there's no guarantee at all that any lighting system this side of a bank of flashbulbs is going to help.

scroca

The original statement I called absurd claimed that if you didn't have a light aimed at 45 degrees, cars would hit you because they don't have time to stop. Here's what he said: Direct sideways visibility is totally irrelevant, as vehicles approaching from 90 degress are already too close to avoid hitting you.

This was an unconditional statement that is clearly absurd. That's all I'm saying.

AsanaCycles

Light and Motion Vis 360 & Vis 180
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ghY_P62cQ

KD5NRH

$170? I can get a lot of blinkies and Scotchlite tape for that money. Heck, I could spend it all on BikeBrightz and rechargeable batteries for them and I'd be generating UFO reports.

CB HI

You are not comprehending the statement. Seems you have inserted something into it, that is simply not there.

Mr. Embrey

Wear a Tron guy outfit.

Mr. Embrey

Enough is definitley enough when it can be called "That Pee Wee Herman go-go-gadget looking bike."

QuakerProf

A friend mentioned reflectors called Bike Wraps... I believe it was 45 for a set, and the vendor has great night shots. Can't remember the exact name or the vendor, though.

Also, saw an LBS owner using FibreFlares on his Electra. Pretty neat.

Whatever you do, don't buy the crappy blinkers from LL Bean that fit into your spokes. Both of mine failed within a month, and they weren't that bright.

Booger1

I run my light on my front fork so that it lights up my front wheel at night and I stay out of the front of moving cars.

tligman

+1

HiYoSilver

I think you are missing the 45 degree comment's point. The whole idea here is to reduce left crosses and right crosses. When we are in motion, we are rarely at 90 degrees to potential intersecting traffic. Normal cyclists have a dead spot from +45 degrees to -45 degrees. Usually the rear will be reduced by a rear blinkie/light. But headlights are usually have narrow angles of illumination.

Yes if you have a helmet light you can burn out the eyeballs of drivers, but you have to have time to both seem them and focus on them. Sometimes drivers from the side don't give you time to react. You could be dodging that pothole when a distracted driver pulls out from the side.

KD5NRH

This is part of why I put my BikeBrightz on the left seatstay; it makes a nice bright caution light for anyone to my left front, where left hooks come from. The glow on the frame and ground gives some extra warning to those at left rear, where right hooks and brush passes come from. It also happens to light up my left pedal nicely so I can see to get back into the toeclip when it's being a pain.

I also have a strip of yellow Scotchlite on each crank and pinstripes of it on my helmet and chainstays for 90 degree visibility. Front and rear have lights plus regular reflectors, plus some white (front) and red (rear) Scotchlite just in case. If it looks like an art bike, that just makes it harder for someone to claim that they really were paying attention and just didn't see me.

AdamDZ

I think I'll get a vest for this Winter too, plus one more Magic Shine in the front and two MS tail lights, then I'll mount my existing blinkies on the sides maybe. I also have reflective tire sidewalls, panniers and wear ankle strips after dark. I was also thinking about reflective black tape: it's black during the day and glows white at night when hit with a beam of light.

Pinyon

I don't think that reflective stuff on the bike shows up that well to drivers. Your legs cover most of them, and the bike frame is small and it is hard for the person to see it moving. My strategy involves:

• A 180 lumen light on my handlebars, pointed at eye-height of the average automobile driver. I aim it a little more towards oncoming traffic.
• Another 180 lumen flashlight strapped to my helmet. This is the one that I point at the ground to see the road. I also flash drivers' faces with it coming from the sides, or that look like they are going to turn in front of me.
• A PB Superflash tail light.
• An older 5-led Cateye blinking tail light velcro'd to the back of my helmet.
• About 10 1-inch squares of yellow reflective tape on the back of my helmet.
• Reflective ankle bracelets. People usually notice these first. The movement catches their eye.
• Yellow reflective tape on the back of my cycling shoes, and white/silver reflective tape on the sides and front of my cycling shoes. Again, movement catches their eye.
• Another set of ankle bracelets that I put on my wrists. Good for signaling turns as well.

Bikes are a way of life here, and drivers are used to seeing dozens of bikes on the road every single time they drive across town. If I lived where many of you do, I would have much brighter lights on the front.

KD5NRH

It depends largely on the placement; the rim tape moves, and comes and goes from view at anything other than 90/270 degrees, the crank stripes are alternately exposed and hidden by my legs as I pedal, and the white front and red rear reflectors are more of just a backup in case a light goes out in a place where I can't safely stop and change batteries.

Noobtastic

A bright bike kit costs about 30 bucks and covers your whole frame with material that throws light back to other headlights, it doesn't even have to be a gaudy color like yellow or orange (though they do have yellow caterpillar bands). Even a completely black bike with the kit is perfectly visible to a driver.

fietsbob

How about these : https://clevercycles.com/p/?prod-code=Pedalite#_
each pedal has a power source, the pedal itself rotating to power the 3 colored Diodes , white yellow red
to the front rear and sides

QuakerProf

I mentioned in my earlier post a kind of bike wrap set. Here's the site, including a great video documenting how incredibly reflective they are (yes, from 45 degrees, too).

www.bikewrappers.com

Thank me later.

cod.peace

Anyone use the Rivendell spoke reflector? https://www.rivbike.com/products/show...flector/31-371
For $5 it's a good deal, unless you happen to have velcro and Reflexite tape kicking around. Which I do, but I might buy this from Rivendell anyway 'cause I'm feeling lazy.

Rhodabike

Just ran across these LED pedals.
https://www.velotique.com/light1.htm#Pedalite
e.t.a.: Whoops, looks like someone else posted them as well. Velotique is a Canadian mail order business, for those of us who get fed up with Canada Customs nailing us for fees. Or UPS dinging us for huge brokerage fees.

angerdan

Do you have some images of your setup during night?

chas58

Do you realize that you are asking a question for something that was posted 7 years ago?

FYI, I have a similar setup, but I use 350-800 lumen lights. I rarely turn them up to full power though - unless I'm on a totally unlit path. Getting a bright light means very long battery duration and moderate levels. Lighting has changed hugely in the last 7 years. Modern LEDs are light, long lasting and incredibly cheap (compared to lighting 7 years ago).

A fluorescent/reflective ankle bracelet and fluorescent/reflective gloves make a large difference.