Laser projector bike light for the front

[NRG]

I suspect that one reason that the cat strategy of staying absolutely still works is as much down to mice being relatively short sighted and unable to detect stationary things a little distance away as it is due to cat camouflage.

I agree with that, we've been having a bit of a mouse issue in our garage. I was moving some boxes to find where the little blighters where nesting and something caught my eye, I froze and this brown mouse casually scampered in front of me stopped, sniffed about and carried on totally unconcerned I was a few feet away from it. Been catching them all week and re-locationg them a few miles away!

 

[103Alex1]

As for front lights. I have just got a single LED Cree T6. This is very good light for unlit roads. I match it with a B&M. See every pothole for 50 metres, can follow the kerb and am seen by oncoming traffic.

Well, braved 2 miles of A40 unlit dual-carriqageway heading into Gloucester earlier this evening and threw my 1,200Lm Cree T6 with wide angle lens onto full power. The whole road was lit up pretty much as well as effectively as any car headlight managed when they passed me, and the light pattern cast was very similar to that generated by a car headlight. Was very interesting to see this in action and managed to successfully snake round every surface water drainage grill /pothole with ease at a steady 17mph.

Two unmarked police cars sped past during the ride with their front grill blues going - but thankfully not a hint of any interest in me at all. Cars all gave me a decent berth. Dipped it down to lower setting when I hit street lighting again and again no sign of annoyance from any drivers or police cars in the City. It does seem a really good solution for an appropriate useable riding light (rather than "being seen" which is a slightly different issue).

I think that would be likely to apply mainly to those in helicopters etc viewing cyclists against the road background, much less to road users on the same level. However the main point I was making was the one colour approach, whichever colour is suitable, to give the greatest chance of the "object" being seen.

Agree with this in principle and especially about the multicolour thing, but do think that because motorbikes are generally faster-moving, and the bulk of those on them (as well as the bike itself) is often far greater due to the leathers and seated stance (well, certainly compared to someone well under 60kg like me, on a bicycle, in shorts and a jersey) the principles of a single block of black maybe work more effectively in those circumstances. Short of wearing a zoot suit one-piece, being a single block of colour on a bicycle isn't really quite so practical in real life.

You also have to balance the need to be able to wear something which fits, you like, is effective weatherproofing, and you can get away with wearing wherever you're going. Don't think the hi-viz yellow/orange is actually needed to the extent it's worn in the daytime (a bit like cycling helmets - but don't get me started on those). Something commuters have been persuaded is essential and litigation-wary corporates want to be seen to be promoting.

My outer layer is usually a large block of red with silver reflectives especially on sleeves and in ordinary conditions it's fine. It may not be "best" but it gets adequate attention and isn't a colour I wince from when it's hanging up at home. At dusk or if it's really gloomy/rainy and the dark-coloured stowaway is on, I just chuck a featherlight roll-in-the-pocket acid green/yellow gilet over the top (don't even notice I'm wearing it). It's a decent enough compromise until dark when only reflectives really make any difference, and can be whipped off without even stopping cycling. By the time darkness falls it's mainly about your lights.

On the black & white idea mentioned earlier in the thread, the fact that white will stay white for about one "normal" ride in reality before becoming a grimy, grubby shade of grey with oil marks and general scuzz, likely to be completely impractical for anyone other than a roadster out on a fashion parade. However effective it might be in theory in a visibility trial, just can't see it ever catching on.

 

[flecc]

(well, certainly compared to someone well under 60kg like me, on a bicycle, in shorts and a jersey)

Understood. But I'm a street clothing rider, never wearing shorts/lycra etc for cycling, hence my all black/dark clothing practicality.

 

[103Alex1]

I saw a Mythbusters a few weeks back where they tested if you could cycle under water (tested in a swimming pool) and to show when the back wheel was moving but not giving any traction they painted the wheels+tyres a 'checker' white, it was extremely effective and I wonder how such a tyre colour scheme would work in relation to being more visable on the roads:

This biker seems to reckon black and white is a good combo. Can't get enough of it by the looks of things ...

 

[RobF]

It appears the designer has the funding to produce the first batch:

BLAZE Bike Light by Emily Brooke — Kickstarter