Do people ever laugh or make fun of you for having TOO many bike lights?
11-13-07, 10:22 PM
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Do people ever laugh or make fun of you for having TOO many bike lights?
Was wondering if while doing a ride, or commute, or whatever on your evening bike ride, if you've ever had drivers, pedestrians, or spectators laugh / chuckle / point at your ridiculously bright and flashing lights all over your bike.
I know it won't stop you (it shouldn't!) but was wondering how commonplace this was.
Here in LA, I don't get any comments for a tail-light, or even a headlight. Now however, if I threw on dual HIDs and a Wilma on top, that would almost certainly get some words.
An even more interesting phenomena I've observed is that when I run (I know, running's evil ... blah blah blah!) at night and wear a headlamp and a rear blinkie, those two lights ALONE are enough to get all the motorists and pedestrians chuckling and pointing, saying "look at his lights!" WTF?!
I know it won't stop you (it shouldn't!) but was wondering how commonplace this was.
Here in LA, I don't get any comments for a tail-light, or even a headlight. Now however, if I threw on dual HIDs and a Wilma on top, that would almost certainly get some words.
An even more interesting phenomena I've observed is that when I run (I know, running's evil ... blah blah blah!) at night and wear a headlamp and a rear blinkie, those two lights ALONE are enough to get all the motorists and pedestrians chuckling and pointing, saying "look at his lights!" WTF?!
11-13-07, 11:14 PM
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Nope and I wouldn't care if they did. I was using 3 lights up front. 2 Cateye LED lights (one steady and one flashing) and a Niterider 10 watt halogen. The Nightrider and one Cateye are being replaced with the DiNotte light I received in the mail today.
The Niterider is pretty old and I had the other two lights as backup just in case it finally gave up on me. I ride some unlit country roads on my way home and I feel better having some kind of backup in case something goes wrong.
If they do make fun of me, it's done behind my back. I can take a joke so it's OK.
The Niterider is pretty old and I had the other two lights as backup just in case it finally gave up on me. I ride some unlit country roads on my way home and I feel better having some kind of backup in case something goes wrong.
If they do make fun of me, it's done behind my back. I can take a joke so it's OK.
11-13-07, 11:40 PM
#3
hello
I live in LA also but since I don't understand Spanish, I have no idea if they're making fun of my lights.
11-14-07, 04:25 AM
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I bet if you were laying under their car as they stood around and tried to figure what to do the first thing they'd say was that you didn't have enough...
My kid (10 yo) is the only one that really notices mine, but I honestly think he's jealous.
My kid (10 yo) is the only one that really notices mine, but I honestly think he's jealous.
11-14-07, 10:54 AM
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Let's see.
On the back: Mars 2.0, Cateye TL-LD600, helmet mounted Knog Frog (blue and some have called it my trademerk), still considering adding my Mars 3.0 to jersey or helmet.
On the stem: 2 Knog Frogs for direct side visibility
On the forks: 2 Knog Frogs pointed diagonally to attract attention as I approach interstections.
On the helmet: Fenix L2D CE Premium Q5
On the bar: Princeton Tec Switchback 3
I still have available my Light and Motion Vega that was my only front light last year as backup or could be used as a flasher.
They are calling me "Dwight the Light", but everyone in our group is safety conscious so it is good natured. Several people are interested and adding more lights for safety. We had 17 people last night for our ride and we were well lit. Cars don't know what to make of us and either stop or approach very cautiously.
On the back: Mars 2.0, Cateye TL-LD600, helmet mounted Knog Frog (blue and some have called it my trademerk), still considering adding my Mars 3.0 to jersey or helmet.
On the stem: 2 Knog Frogs for direct side visibility
On the forks: 2 Knog Frogs pointed diagonally to attract attention as I approach interstections.
On the helmet: Fenix L2D CE Premium Q5
On the bar: Princeton Tec Switchback 3
I still have available my Light and Motion Vega that was my only front light last year as backup or could be used as a flasher.
They are calling me "Dwight the Light", but everyone in our group is safety conscious so it is good natured. Several people are interested and adding more lights for safety. We had 17 people last night for our ride and we were well lit. Cars don't know what to make of us and either stop or approach very cautiously.
11-14-07, 05:41 PM
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My wife says I'm lit up like a Christmas tree (but doesn't really laugh at me too much), but compared to many on this forum I'm barely visible. I use the PB Superflash and Cateye LD-1000 for tail lights and a Dinotte 200L and PB Blaze for headlights. That is probably considered the bare minimum, but I'm comfortable with it.
11-14-07, 07:37 PM
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Yes they do here in Toronto. I use dual headlights for redundancy and safety. I get chuckles from time to time. I don't get any comments on the tail light sinceI've used a Dinotte. I started using the Dinotte for riding on my other bike while my main bike is in the LBS (god damn going to cost ~$255 for tuneup + parts (chainring,chain, cogset, rim, spokes) + lacing of the spokes) and noticed a massive difference to the cars passing me when I have the tail light on high. I literally had a convoy of cars yesterday and I was on the far right riding and no cars on the other side so the cars could have passed but the car behind me seemed to be be amazed and mesmerized by the ball of blinding red light rarely seen on a bike. I estimated about 5 cars driving slow behind that one car behind me. At the red light the driver rolled down the passenger window and asked what light that is because it was the brightest 'insane/sick' (his words now mine 
) light he's ever seen and basically gave me 'props/respect' on that and said on a safety note that normally people riding have weak small lights that you hardly notice till you're close to them and it's worst in haze/fog conditions.
Now for the front with the dual lights I do get chuckles and cat calls from time to time. While the drivers that cat call normally are gone quickly after the call but the ones that bug me most are the other riders on the road or humans that smirk some comment about the lights then you flick the 'high' switch and aim at thier head level and they quickly shutup saying 'that's bright man'.
) light he's ever seen and basically gave me 'props/respect' on that and said on a safety note that normally people riding have weak small lights that you hardly notice till you're close to them and it's worst in haze/fog conditions. Now for the front with the dual lights I do get chuckles and cat calls from time to time. While the drivers that cat call normally are gone quickly after the call but the ones that bug me most are the other riders on the road or humans that smirk some comment about the lights then you flick the 'high' switch and aim at thier head level and they quickly shutup saying 'that's bright man'.
11-14-07, 07:59 PM
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Yes they do here in Toronto. I use dual headlights for redundancy and safety. I get chuckles from time to time. I don't get any comments on the tail light sinceI've used a Dinotte. I started using the Dinotte for riding on my other bike while my main bike is in the LBS (god damn going to cost ~$255 for tuneup + parts (chainring,chain, cogset, rim, spokes) + lacing of the spokes) and noticed a massive difference to the cars passing me when I have the tail light on high. I literally had a convoy of cars yesterday and I was on the far right riding and no cars on the other side so the cars could have passed but the car behind me seemed to be be amazed and mesmerized by the ball of blinding red light rarely seen on a bike. I estimated about 5 cars driving slow behind that one car behind me. At the red light the driver rolled down the passenger window and asked what light that is because it was the brightest 'insane/sick' (his words now mine ) light he's ever seen and basically gave me 'props/respect' on that and said on a safety note that normally people riding have weak small lights that you hardly notice till you're close to them and it's worst in haze/fog conditions.
Now for the front with the dual lights I do get chuckles and cat calls from time to time. While the drivers that cat call normally are gone quickly after the call but the ones that bug me most are the other riders on the road or humans that smirk some comment about the lights then you flick the 'high' switch and aim at thier head level and they quickly shutup saying 'that's bright man'.
) light he's ever seen and basically gave me 'props/respect' on that and said on a safety note that normally people riding have weak small lights that you hardly notice till you're close to them and it's worst in haze/fog conditions. Now for the front with the dual lights I do get chuckles and cat calls from time to time. While the drivers that cat call normally are gone quickly after the call but the ones that bug me most are the other riders on the road or humans that smirk some comment about the lights then you flick the 'high' switch and aim at thier head level and they quickly shutup saying 'that's bright man'.
But yeah, a bunch of loud and rowdy punks, near Yonge-Dundas, shouted out at me about my lights just as I biked by, then the idiots started laughing like what he said was funny. Then they proceeded to smoke. I had two cree lights on my handlebars at the time.
11-14-07, 09:07 PM
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I can't say it's a problem.
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11-14-07, 11:04 PM
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What the heck is an agarose anyway? Some kind of candy? Oor is that some sort of matrix gelatin with pores to distinguish biomolecular sizes and bioelectrical properties of molecular species? 
11-15-07, 11:16 AM
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Most people are freaked out by all of this light coming from what they perceive to be a kids toy.
11-15-07, 01:34 PM
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No, actually have people say they wish all cyclists were lit up like me...much easier to see...one said that I should be visible from outer space and that is a good thing...they also love the HiVis yellow jersey or jacket...
11-15-07, 03:34 PM
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Some ****** kept staring at me, then smirked at me, in the Bathurst and College area. So I looked at him, and stared at him, then he winced and whipped his head away so quick I thought he had whiplash. Btw, I had a Fenix Cree on Turbo on my helmet.
But yeah, a bunch of loud and rowdy punks, near Yonge-Dundas, shouted out at me about my lights just as I biked by, then the idiots started laughing like what he said was funny. Then they proceeded to smoke. I had two cree lights on my handlebars at the time.
But yeah, a bunch of loud and rowdy punks, near Yonge-Dundas, shouted out at me about my lights just as I biked by, then the idiots started laughing like what he said was funny. Then they proceeded to smoke. I had two cree lights on my handlebars at the time.
Then go beaming SOB's that are being pricks.
11-15-07, 05:07 PM
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I've had a couple of stupid comments, one regarding my blowtorch HID. A motorist yelled out "I thought you were a car". I guess he is not very perceptive. A kid laughed at me for having a light on my helmet as though that was somehow worthy of derision. I get way more dumb comments about my megahorn, though. Typically they start with "I thought it was a bird" and I suppose that is why they continue blocking the whole bike path after I sound it,since they don't yield to birds and are too lazy/mindless to turn around and see what's making the noise...
11-15-07, 06:15 PM
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My goal is to have a drunk driver run off the road trying to avoid the UFO that landed in the roadway in front of him...
As to whether or not others find it amusing...I don't give a damn what they think. They're not the ones playing in traffic...in the dark...while wearing underwear.
As to whether or not others find it amusing...I don't give a damn what they think. They're not the ones playing in traffic...in the dark...while wearing underwear.
11-15-07, 08:03 PM
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My goal is to have a drunk driver run off the road trying to avoid the UFO that landed in the roadway in front of him...
As to whether or not others find it amusing...I don't give a damn what they think. They're not the ones playing in traffic...in the dark...while wearing underwear.
As to whether or not others find it amusing...I don't give a damn what they think. They're not the ones playing in traffic...in the dark...while wearing underwear.
11-16-07, 06:31 AM
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"Do people ever laugh or make fun of you for having TOO many bike lights?"
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11-19-07, 02:53 PM
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For all I know people might be laughing behind my back, but not to my face. The emotion people express is generally more along the lines of awe.
11-19-07, 04:46 PM
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Was wondering if while doing a ride, or commute, or whatever on your evening bike ride, if you've ever had drivers, pedestrians, or spectators laugh / chuckle / point at your ridiculously bright and flashing lights all over your bike.
I know it won't stop you (it shouldn't!) but was wondering how commonplace this was.
Here in LA, I don't get any comments for a tail-light, or even a headlight. Now however, if I threw on dual HIDs and a Wilma on top, that would almost certainly get some words.
An even more interesting phenomena I've observed is that when I run (I know, running's evil ... blah blah blah!) at night and wear a headlamp and a rear blinkie, those two lights ALONE are enough to get all the motorists and pedestrians chuckling and pointing, saying "look at his lights!" WTF?!
I know it won't stop you (it shouldn't!) but was wondering how commonplace this was.
Here in LA, I don't get any comments for a tail-light, or even a headlight. Now however, if I threw on dual HIDs and a Wilma on top, that would almost certainly get some words.
An even more interesting phenomena I've observed is that when I run (I know, running's evil ... blah blah blah!) at night and wear a headlamp and a rear blinkie, those two lights ALONE are enough to get all the motorists and pedestrians chuckling and pointing, saying "look at his lights!" WTF?!
some of you all are a bit nuts.most cyclists 'round my town are Ninjas.
Peds and cagers normally thank me, if anything, for having lites. i run 2 Fenix up front and a single blinkie. Enough to see & be seen.
Cheers
11-19-07, 06:56 PM
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Best Comment so far! It's freeking funny! 
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11-19-07, 07:34 PM
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It could be a reality if/when li-ion batteries can give out something like 36v @ 30A weighing in at 2lbs. When that becomes a reality (not for a LONG LONG LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time) that's when I'm lining up 8 red LED's which probably then would be 240lm min. each in the tail end and flick the on switch while riding. It would be a rare day indeed if/when a cager tails you at less then 10 meters.
Just imagine 9000 lumens drawing only 10 watt.
11-19-07, 11:48 PM
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I had some 10 year old boys in a good natured way yell "Hey Lights" when I rode by. I've noticed kids in neighborhoods like to see bike riders because that is their transportation too.
11-20-07, 06:53 AM
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I pulled up behind some ped at a crossing (red light), she turned around and stared (is that a word?) at me for a solid 10sec, until the light turned green, her friend had to shake her out of it... Pretty strange, we just rode off.