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Main
Date: 25 Sep 2007 00:01:55
From: Gooserider
Subject: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
I am going to commute by bike all this fall and winter. I missed most of the
spring and summer prime daylight hours due to nagging injury and FEAR. I'm
ready to hit it full time again.
I live in Florida, so in the middle of winter it gets dark really early. My
commute is an hour each way, so I've got 30 minutes in darkness in the
morning and evening. Last year I did the ride with a DiNotte 5W Ultralight
and a couple of Planet Bike Superflash blinkies. It was an excellent setup,
but battery life with the 5W on high was close to tapped with each leg.
Nashbar was running a sale on the new DiNotte 600L in their last catalog AND
a 15% off coupon, so I managed to lock one in for $320 shipped. It's on
backorder, unfortunately. I contacted DiNotte to see if they could price
match on one in stock. They couldn't, but Rob at DiNotte made me an
excellent deal on a taillight and offered to trade me a new 200L(200 lumens
5W) for my old 5W headlight. So, my setup will be:
600L on bars
200L on helmet
Superflash on helmet blinkie strap
DiNotte taillight on seatpost
Superflash on seatbag
LED reflective vest
Road ID reflective ankle strap
Reflective tape on fenders and crankarms
I'm not sure about the helmet light. I've never used one, and my commute is
100% pavement. I think it will be useful for getting the attention of
drivers, and more light won't hurt.
Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
with no street lighting whatsoever.
Mike
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Date: 29 Sep 2007 03:03:04
From: Tom Keats
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
In article <13fqjhungdphj07@corp.supernews.com >,
"Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ®" <bjit@bellsouth.net > writes:
>
> <frkrygow@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1190988093.308196.17200@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com...
> On Sep 28, 2:50 am, "Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ®"
> <b...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>> "SMS" <scharf.ste...@geemail.com> wrote in message
>>
>>
>> > As long as you equip your bicycle with a good lighting system, it's not
>> > all that dangerous.
>>
>> Tell that to the friend of mine who hit a baby head rock on a night
>> commute
>> and broke his hand stopping his fall. He had a Light & Motion Arc
>> jobbie,
>> and no, he wasn't drunk, so he says.
>
>>Hmm. Most night commutes don't involve riding rock gardens. Where
>>was this guy riding?
>
>>But more to the point, it's a bit silly to say "I know a person hurt
>>doing xxxx, so xxxx must be dangerous."
>
>>I know a woman who ended up in the hospital with fairly serious facial
>>and head injuries, because she tripped while taking a stroll at lunch
>>time.
>
>>Should she be telling everyone that strolling is dangerous?
>
>>- Frank Krygowski
>
>
> He was riding on a semi-rural mountain road in the Catskills in upstate NY.
> My only point is that the visibility FOR the rider is significantly
> diminished at night, even with the latest and greatest HID lights.
Not everywhere, under all circumstances. Maybe it's a little
unfair to dismiss night riding everywhere because it's
inadvisable in certain locales.
> I've
> been to one too many mountain bike night rides where somebody missed seeing
> something on the trail or road to have gotten hurt before giving up on night
> time riding.
One thing I've noticed is some people's tendencies to challenge
and do battle with adverse conditions, rather than to adapt to
them. This applies to drivers as well as riders. For example,
if it's raining, some drivers will actually become even more
aggressive (and less adaptive) in their approach to the task-at-
hand than if it was fair weather. Same with cyclists.
"I can handle it" are as famous last words as: "Don't worry --
it's not loaded."
> I'm not talking about a rider's visibility TO car drivers,
> which is another concern altogether. There are a few things I don't do at a
> pitch black night any more. Hunting, pitching a tent, riding a bike.
> That's just me.
Ride intelligently within your limitations & adversities,
and you'll be all right. Most of all, don't over-ride
your headlight's "spot" -- if you're gonna do that, might
as well not have a headlight at all.
cheers,
Tom
--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
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Date: 28 Sep 2007 14:01:33
From:
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
On Sep 28, 2:50 am, "Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition =AE"
<b...@bellsouth.net > wrote:
> "SMS" <scharf.ste...@geemail.com> wrote in message
>
>
> > As long as you equip your bicycle with a good lighting system, it's not
> > all that dangerous.
>
> Tell that to the friend of mine who hit a baby head rock on a night commu=
te
> and broke his hand stopping his fall. He had a Light & Motion Arc jobbi=
e,
> and no, he wasn't drunk, so he says.
Hmm. Most night commutes don't involve riding rock gardens. Where
was this guy riding?
But more to the point, it's a bit silly to say "I know a person hurt
doing xxxx, so xxxx must be dangerous."
I know a woman who ended up in the hospital with fairly serious facial
and head injuries, because she tripped while taking a stroll at lunch
time.
Should she be telling everyone that strolling is dangerous?
- Frank Krygowski
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Date: 28 Sep 2007 14:51:36
From: Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ®
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
<frkrygow@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1190988093.308196.17200@19g2000hsx.googlegroups.com...
On Sep 28, 2:50 am, "Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ®"
<b...@bellsouth.net > wrote:
> "SMS" <scharf.ste...@geemail.com> wrote in message
>
>
> > As long as you equip your bicycle with a good lighting system, it's not
> > all that dangerous.
>
> Tell that to the friend of mine who hit a baby head rock on a night
> commute
> and broke his hand stopping his fall. He had a Light & Motion Arc
> jobbie,
> and no, he wasn't drunk, so he says.
>Hmm. Most night commutes don't involve riding rock gardens. Where
>was this guy riding?
>But more to the point, it's a bit silly to say "I know a person hurt
>doing xxxx, so xxxx must be dangerous."
>I know a woman who ended up in the hospital with fairly serious facial
>and head injuries, because she tripped while taking a stroll at lunch
>time.
>Should she be telling everyone that strolling is dangerous?
>- Frank Krygowski
He was riding on a semi-rural mountain road in the Catskills in upstate NY.
My only point is that the visibility FOR the rider is significantly
diminished at night, even with the latest and greatest HID lights. I've
been to one too many mountain bike night rides where somebody missed seeing
something on the trail or road to have gotten hurt before giving up on night
time riding. I'm not talking about a rider's visibility TO car drivers,
which is another concern altogether. There are a few things I don't do at a
pitch black night any more. Hunting, pitching a tent, riding a bike.
That's just me.
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Date: 27 Sep 2007 16:43:31
From: Lynne Fitz
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
one item you might consider adding are Glo-Gloves. They are used by
public safety personnel (you'd be getting the non-police version), and
they make your hands wonderfully reflective. Great for signaling
turns in the dark.
http://www.gloglov.com/
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Date: 28 Sep 2007 20:52:21
From: Gooserider
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
"Lynne Fitz" <fitzbase@comcast.net > wrote in message
news:1190936611.885317.147020@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> one item you might consider adding are Glo-Gloves. They are used by
> public safety personnel (you'd be getting the non-police version), and
> they make your hands wonderfully reflective. Great for signaling
> turns in the dark.
>
> http://www.gloglov.com/
Those are pretty interesting, but there's no way I'm giving up my Spenco
Ironman gloves. I'll trade a little less visibility for no hand numbness
anyway. :-) Thanks, though.
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Date: 28 Sep 2007 16:19:04
From: Dane Buson
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
Lynne Fitz <fitzbase@comcast.net > wrote:
> one item you might consider adding are Glo-Gloves. They are used by
> public safety personnel (you'd be getting the non-police version), and
> they make your hands wonderfully reflective. Great for signaling
> turns in the dark.
>
> http://www.gloglov.com/
Verrry interesting... I see one of the shops that carries them is only
about two miles away and just about next door to my REI. I have to make
a stop at REI anyway this weekend, so I think I'll drop in and check
them out.
--
Dane Buson - sigdane@unixbigots.org
Adler's Distinction:
Language is all that separates us from the lower animals,
and from the bureaucrats.
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 15:42:29
From:
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
On Sep 26, 6:07 pm, "Gooserider" <Gooseri...@mouse-potato.com > wrote:
>
> I've thought about a dynohub system for years. If I ever set up a bike for
> touring, I will definitely spec a Schmidt SON and dual Lumotecs. But the
> DiNotte should be magnitudes brighter.
Think about the difference between "magnitudes brighter" and "enables
you to see much better." They are not the same thing!
- Frank Krygowski
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Date: 27 Sep 2007 07:34:52
From: Roger Zoul
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
frkrygow@gmail.com wrote:
:: On Sep 26, 6:07 pm, "Gooserider" <Gooseri...@mouse-potato.com > wrote:
:::
::: I've thought about a dynohub system for years. If I ever set up a
::: bike for touring, I will definitely spec a Schmidt SON and dual
::: Lumotecs. But the DiNotte should be magnitudes brighter.
::
:: Think about the difference between "magnitudes brighter" and "enables
:: you to see much better." They are not the same thing!
I would have thought he meant "magnitudes brighter = enables you to see much
better".
I guess there are ad specs and there is the real world. Since we all can't
test out every lighting systems, it's hard to really know when the two
things mean different things.
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 20:29:01
From: DennisTheBald
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
> In fact, with good lights, the night bicyclist is more visible to
> vehicles than in the daytime.
Yeah, I generally get a wider berth at night than I do in the day...
but my lights don't all come from the bike catalogs and they don't
really scream "soft fleshy thing that will bounce off your hummer
without so much as scratching the fender" as much as they tend to
invoke more a "what the #$!* is that" reaction. Being mistaken for a
tractor is not necessarily a bad thing, hang your lights high and
wide, don't use one tail light when you could very well get three or
four matching lights.
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 20:20:38
From: DennisTheBald
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
> Is this overkill? :-)
Yer lights CAN NOT EVER be too bright (no matter how much you bolt,
strap, or duct tape on), 'cause the motorists that you share the roads
with ain't.
You should seriously consider adding blinking Christmas tree lights
wrapped around your rear rack, not only do they throw light but they
add a festive atmosphere to the season of darkness, hohoho.
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 14:56:06
From: Dane Buson
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
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DennisTheBald <DennisTheBald@gmail.com > wrote:
>> Is this overkill? :-)
>
> Yer lights CAN NOT EVER be too bright (no matter how much you bolt,
> strap, or duct tape on), 'cause the motorists that you share the roads
> with ain't.
Not always true. A large part of my commute (by necessity) is on a MUT.
People with megawatt lights often blinded me in the past, and now that I
have a brighter light I will have to be careful not to blind others
myself.
> You should seriously consider adding blinking Christmas tree lights
> wrapped around your rear rack, not only do they throw light but they
> add a festive atmosphere to the season of darkness, hohoho.
I believe I have a half dozen or so of those, I'm saving them for a
Critical Mass ride though.
--
Dane Buson - sigdane@unixbigots.org
"They don't hardly make `em like him any more - but just to be on the
safe side, he should be castrated anyway." - Hunter S. Thompson
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 09:34:12
From:
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
On Sep 26, 10:03 am, Will <waller.will...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Sep 24, 11:01 pm, "Gooserider" <Gooseri...@mouse-potato.com> wrote:
>
> > Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
> > with no street lighting whatsoever.
>
> You didn't choose the equipment I'd have chosen which would be a
> generator system, either a B&M bottle or a Dynohub, and Lumotec lights
> but you've got
> plenty of light. A number of posters upthread have disagreed with
> your helmet system. They are wrong. If you need to fix a flat or make
> any adjustment what-so-ever to cables, drive train, etc... you will
> appreciate having the helmet light.
I carry one of those coin-sized pocket LED flashlights for those
occurrences. Weighs a couple grams, costs a couple bucks.
Or at least, I think I carry one. It's been so long since I've needed
to use it, I can't be sure it hasn't fallen out of my bag! If I were
leaving on a tour, I'd double check.
- Frank Krygowski
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 07:03:14
From: Will
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
On Sep 24, 11:01 pm, "Gooserider" <Gooseri...@mouse-potato.com > wrote:
> Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
> with no street lighting whatsoever.
You didn't choose the equipment I'd have chosen which would be a
generator system, either a B&M bottle or a Dynohub, and Lumotec lights
but you've got
plenty of light. A number of posters upthread have disagreed with
your helmet system. They are wrong. If you need to fix a flat or make
any adjustment what-so-ever to cables, drive train, etc... you will
appreciate having the helmet light.
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 18:07:43
From: Gooserider
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
"Will" <waller.william@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1190815394.540423.186200@w3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> On Sep 24, 11:01 pm, "Gooserider" <Gooseri...@mouse-potato.com> wrote:
>
>> Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
>> with no street lighting whatsoever.
>
> You didn't choose the equipment I'd have chosen which would be a
> generator system, either a B&M bottle or a Dynohub, and Lumotec lights
> but you've got
> plenty of light. A number of posters upthread have disagreed with
> your helmet system. They are wrong. If you need to fix a flat or make
> any adjustment what-so-ever to cables, drive train, etc... you will
> appreciate having the helmet light.
I've thought about a dynohub system for years. If I ever set up a bike for
touring, I will definitely spec a Schmidt SON and dual Lumotecs. But the
DiNotte should be magnitudes brighter.
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 14:49:55
From: Dane Buson
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
Will <waller.william@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Sep 24, 11:01 pm, "Gooserider" <Gooseri...@mouse-potato.com> wrote:
>
>> Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
>> with no street lighting whatsoever.
>
> You didn't choose the equipment I'd have chosen which would be a
> generator system, either a B&M bottle or a Dynohub, and Lumotec lights
> but you've got
> plenty of light. A number of posters upthread have disagreed with
> your helmet system. They are wrong. If you need to fix a flat or make
> any adjustment what-so-ever to cables, drive train, etc... you will
> appreciate having the helmet light.
I've considered tucking one in my bag for just that sort of eventuality
I must admit. A hands free light can be a mighty fine thing at night.
Mostly mine lives on my workbench and gets used when I'm working on my
bike or running network cable.
--
Dane Buson - sigdane@unixbigots.org
"I'll carry your books, I'll carry a tune, I'll carry on, carry over,
carry forward, Cary Grant, cash & carry, Carry Me Back To Old Virginia,
I'll even Hara Kari if you show me how, but I will *not* carry a gun."
-- Hawkeye, M*A*S*H
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 20:29:01
From:
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
On Sep 25, 9:19 pm, "Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition =AE"
<b...@bellsouth.net > wrote:
>
>
> I don't think there is such thing as overkill when it comes to safety.
Really?
How much padding are you wearing now, as you read this at your
computer? ;-)
> And
> riding at night is just about the most dangerous acticity you can do on a
> bike.
Why do you say that?
- Frank Krygowski
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 21:19:04
From: Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ®
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
"Gooserider" <Gooserider@mouse-potato.com > wrote in message
news:46f88830$0$26356$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>I am going to commute by bike all this fall and winter. I missed most of
>the spring and summer prime daylight hours due to nagging injury and FEAR.
>I'm ready to hit it full time again.
>
> I live in Florida, so in the middle of winter it gets dark really early.
> My commute is an hour each way, so I've got 30 minutes in darkness in the
> morning and evening. Last year I did the ride with a DiNotte 5W Ultralight
> and a couple of Planet Bike Superflash blinkies. It was an excellent
> setup, but battery life with the 5W on high was close to tapped with each
> leg. Nashbar was running a sale on the new DiNotte 600L in their last
> catalog AND a 15% off coupon, so I managed to lock one in for $320
> shipped. It's on backorder, unfortunately. I contacted DiNotte to see if
> they could price match on one in stock. They couldn't, but Rob at DiNotte
> made me an excellent deal on a taillight and offered to trade me a new
> 200L(200 lumens 5W) for my old 5W headlight. So, my setup will be:
>
> 600L on bars
> 200L on helmet
> Superflash on helmet blinkie strap
> DiNotte taillight on seatpost
> Superflash on seatbag
> LED reflective vest
> Road ID reflective ankle strap
> Reflective tape on fenders and crankarms
>
> I'm not sure about the helmet light. I've never used one, and my commute
> is 100% pavement. I think it will be useful for getting the attention of
> drivers, and more light won't hurt.
>
> Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
> with no street lighting whatsoever.
>
> Mike
>
I don't think there is such thing as overkill when it comes to safety. And
riding at night is just about the most dangerous acticity you can do on a
bike. I say brighter the better.
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 22:05:26
From: Paul Myron Hobson
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ® wrote:
> I don't think there is such thing as overkill when it comes to safety. And
> riding at night is just about the most dangerous acticity you can do on a
> bike. I say brighter the better.
If you think night riding with lights is the most dangerous activity (or
did you mean 'atrocity'?) one can do on a bike, well...umm...no.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ASAWLeiSJE
\\paul
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 19:02:34
From: SMS
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ® wrote:
> I don't think there is such thing as overkill when it comes to safety.
Sure there is.
> And
> riding at night is just about the most dangerous acticity you can do on a
> bike. I say brighter the better.
I can think of many other more dangerous activities on a bike then
riding at night with a good lighting system.
In fact, with good lights, the night bicyclist is more visible to
vehicles than in the daytime.
As long as you equip your bicycle with a good lighting system, it's not
all that dangerous.
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Date: 28 Sep 2007 02:50:08
From: Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ®
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
"SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com > wrote in message
news:46f9bd68$0$27210$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 - Global Warming Edition ® wrote:
>
>> I don't think there is such thing as overkill when it comes to safety.
>
> Sure there is.
>
>> And riding at night is just about the most dangerous acticity you can do
>> on a bike. I say brighter the better.
>
> I can think of many other more dangerous activities on a bike then riding
> at night with a good lighting system.
>
> In fact, with good lights, the night bicyclist is more visible to vehicles
> than in the daytime.
>
> As long as you equip your bicycle with a good lighting system, it's not
> all that dangerous.
Tell that to the friend of mine who hit a baby head rock on a night commute
and broke his hand stopping his fall. He had a Light & Motion Arc jobbie,
and no, he wasn't drunk, so he says.
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 08:17:41
From: SMS
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
Gooserider wrote:
> I am going to commute by bike all this fall and winter. I missed most of the
> spring and summer prime daylight hours due to nagging injury and FEAR. I'm
> ready to hit it full time again.
>
> I live in Florida, so in the middle of winter it gets dark really early. My
> commute is an hour each way, so I've got 30 minutes in darkness in the
> morning and evening. Last year I did the ride with a DiNotte 5W Ultralight
> and a couple of Planet Bike Superflash blinkies. It was an excellent setup,
> but battery life with the 5W on high was close to tapped with each leg.
> Nashbar was running a sale on the new DiNotte 600L in their last catalog AND
> a 15% off coupon, so I managed to lock one in for $320 shipped. It's on
> backorder, unfortunately. I contacted DiNotte to see if they could price
> match on one in stock. They couldn't, but Rob at DiNotte made me an
> excellent deal on a taillight and offered to trade me a new 200L(200 lumens
> 5W) for my old 5W headlight. So, my setup will be:
>
> 600L on bars
Funny, I don't see the 600L on DiNotte's site. I presume you can use
one, two, or three, emitters as fits the need.
> 200L on helmet
> Superflash on helmet blinkie strap
> DiNotte taillight on seatpost
> Superflash on seatbag
> LED reflective vest
> Road ID reflective ankle strap
> Reflective tape on fenders and crankarms
>
> I'm not sure about the helmet light. I've never used one, and my commute is
> 100% pavement. I think it will be useful for getting the attention of
> drivers, and more light won't hurt.
The helmet light is overkill with such a good headlight. Helmet lights
may be good for off-road, but for on-road riding they're unnecessary if
you have a good headlight, as you do.
I don't think such a bright tail light is necessary. I would have gotten
one of the several available LED flashers that have 180 degree
visibility, such as the Trek Disco Inferno, Cat Eye LD1000, and
Blackburn Mars 2.0 or 3.0.
> Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
> with no street lighting whatsoever.
I think the headlamp is overkill, and that you could have done with a
less expensive tail light.
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 14:07:41
From:
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
On Sep 25, 12:01 am, "Gooserider" <Gooseri...@mouse-potato.com > wrote:
> ...Last year I did the ride with a DiNotte 5W Ultralight
> and a couple of Planet Bike Superflash blinkies. It was an excellent setup,
> but battery life with the 5W on high was close to tapped with each leg....
> [this year:]
> 600L on bars
> 200L on helmet
> Superflash on helmet blinkie strap
> DiNotte taillight on seatpost
> Superflash on seatbag
> LED reflective vest
> Road ID reflective ankle strap
> Reflective tape on fenders and crankarms
...
>
> Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
> with no street lighting whatsoever.
Is this overkill? You shouldn't be asking us!
If you've got any concern (or even any curiosity) about how
conspicuous you are on the road, you should test your setup with a
friend! Have a friend drive by you and note what he sees, and when
(i.e. how far away) he sees it. Do this from various angles, such as
overtaking, approaching from a side street, etc. Do it in traffic and
on a deserted road.
Then reverse roles. You pass by in his car while he rides your bike
for you.
By the time you've done this, you should know what's overkill and
what's not.
Now, since you asked: Based on my experience, yes, you're indulging
in overkill. I've never had problems being conspicuous enough at
night, using far less hardware. In fact, I've gotten spontaneous
compliments, such as "Wow, I could see your lights from half a mile
back," and "What's that super-bright light down by your axle?" (It
was a reflector.)
But if overkill makes you feel better, that's fine.
- Frank Krygowski
|
| | |
Date: 26 Sep 2007 11:19:46
From: Roger Zoul
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
frkrygow@gmail.com wrote:
:: On Sep 25, 12:01 am, "Gooserider" <Gooseri...@mouse-potato.com >
:: wrote:
::: ...Last year I did the ride with a DiNotte 5W Ultralight
::: and a couple of Planet Bike Superflash blinkies. It was an
::: excellent setup, but battery life with the 5W on high was close to
::: tapped with each leg.... [this year:]
::: 600L on bars
::: 200L on helmet
::: Superflash on helmet blinkie strap
::: DiNotte taillight on seatpost
::: Superflash on seatbag
::: LED reflective vest
::: Road ID reflective ankle strap
::: Reflective tape on fenders and crankarms
:: ...
:::
::: Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG
::: stretches with no street lighting whatsoever.
::
:: Is this overkill? You shouldn't be asking us!
::
:: If you've got any concern (or even any curiosity) about how
:: conspicuous you are on the road, you should test your setup with a
:: friend! Have a friend drive by you and note what he sees, and when
:: (i.e. how far away) he sees it. Do this from various angles, such as
:: overtaking, approaching from a side street, etc. Do it in traffic
:: and on a deserted road.
::
Sunday morning I was driving to the place where I like to start my rides.
It was before daylight, but only by about 10 or 15 minutes. I was driving
along a narrow two-lane road and saw something in the darkness as the road
was curved at that point so my headlights didn't really get it. Well, it
turned out to be a guy on a bike. Looked to be dressed full kit, too. Except
this kit appeared to be mostly black! And, dude didn't even had a tail
light and no reflectors or rear lights. He was really hard to see. In
front, he did have a headlight which made him more visible, but I had my
doubts if he could really see.
So, Gooserider, I think your setup is infinitely better than dudes'. The
reflective wear should help a lot, I think. I do have concerns about the
helmet light, as you may be blinding some drivers. If you can be turned
on/off easily, though, it would be really useful for looking off ot the side
into those dark places from where noise comes.
Frank's advice is really the only way to be sure in your own mind, though,
which seems to be the most important thing.
:: Then reverse roles. You pass by in his car while he rides your bike
:: for you.
::
:: By the time you've done this, you should know what's overkill and
:: what's not.
::
:: Now, since you asked: Based on my experience, yes, you're indulging
:: in overkill. I've never had problems being conspicuous enough at
:: night, using far less hardware. In fact, I've gotten spontaneous
:: compliments, such as "Wow, I could see your lights from half a mile
:: back," and "What's that super-bright light down by your axle?" (It
:: was a reflector.)
::
:: But if overkill makes you feel better, that's fine.
::
:: - Frank Krygowski
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 09:44:52
From: SMS
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
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Roger Zoul wrote:
<snip >
> Frank's advice is really the only way to be sure in your own mind, though,
> which seems to be the most important thing.
There is an inherent problem with asking someone who knows that you are
there and is looking for you, whether or not they can see you.
It's as incongruous as the "Did you ever not see a legally lit cyclist?"
Well gee, how would you know if you didn't see him (or her). I've often
barely seen a legally lit cyclist, but at least at the last minute I did
see them, though not because of their lights because of my car's
headlights.
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Date: 26 Sep 2007 15:06:10
From: Roger Zoul
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
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SMS wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::
:: <snip >
::
::: Frank's advice is really the only way to be sure in your own mind,
::: though, which seems to be the most important thing.
::
:: There is an inherent problem with asking someone who knows that you
:: are there and is looking for you, whether or not they can see you.
Perhaps...but there is little question as to "comfort zone" when riding your
bike at night.
After all, you can never guarantee that anyone will see you. One can be
"too afraid" for one's own good.
::
:: It's as incongruous as the "Did you ever not see a legally lit
:: cyclist?" Well gee, how would you know if you didn't see him (or
:: her). I've often barely seen a legally lit cyclist, but at least at
:: the last minute I did see them, though not because of their lights
:: because of my car's headlights.
:)
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 00:39:58
From: David L. Johnson
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
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Gooserider wrote:
> I am going to commute by bike all this fall and winter. I missed most of the
> spring and summer prime daylight hours due to nagging injury and FEAR. I'm
> ready to hit it full time again.
>
> I live in Florida, so in the middle of winter it gets dark really early. My
> commute is an hour each way, so I've got 30 minutes in darkness in the
> morning and evening. Last year I did the ride with a DiNotte 5W Ultralight
> and a couple of Planet Bike Superflash blinkies. It was an excellent setup,
> but battery life with the 5W on high was close to tapped with each leg.
> Nashbar was running a sale on the new DiNotte 600L in their last catalog AND
> a 15% off coupon, so I managed to lock one in for $320 shipped. It's on
> backorder, unfortunately. I contacted DiNotte to see if they could price
> match on one in stock. They couldn't, but Rob at DiNotte made me an
> excellent deal on a taillight and offered to trade me a new 200L(200 lumens
> 5W) for my old 5W headlight. So, my setup will be:
>
> 600L on bars
So, that 600L has 3 5W emitters? Wow. I use one, and think that that
is enough light.
> Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
> with no street lighting whatsoever.
Well, overkill is certainly better than underkill --- as the name
suggests. You will be the brightest thing in the night sky, unless
there is a full moon. But that's cool. Let us know the burn time on
those 600's.
--
David L. Johnson
Let's be straight here. If we find something we can't understand we
like to call it something you can't understand, or indeed even
pronounce.
-- Douglas Adams
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 07:44:00
From: Gooserider
Subject: Re: Ordered my fall lighting setup
|
"David L. Johnson" <david.johnson@lehigh.edu > wrote in message
news:46F8911E.2000408@lehigh.edu...
>>
> So, that 600L has 3 5W emitters? Wow. I use one, and think that that is
> enough light.
It's not so much the light, at the burn time. I don't think I'll run the
600L on high very often, but it's low setting is brighter than the 5W's
high, and is supposed to offer 14 hours on low power.
>> Is this overkill? :-) My commute is semi-rural, and I have LONG stretches
>> with no street lighting whatsoever.
>
> Well, overkill is certainly better than underkill --- as the name
> suggests. You will be the brightest thing in the night sky, unless there
> is a full moon. But that's cool. Let us know the burn time on those
> 600's.
I am amped to get the 600L, but the tail light is what really impresses me.
It should definitely get drivers' attention.
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