October 25, 20223 yr I read a very recent accident resulting in the death of the rider and the driver was released because he claims it was a momentary lapse on concentration. It seems if you wanted to randomly murder someone just for the thrill, killing a cyclist with a car would get you the minimum sentence, which at worst could be 18 months or at best a £500 fine and a 12 month ban.
October 26, 20223 yr Author Can I suggests a comparison test ? Take a picture at a distance, in twilight, of the lights you have been trying, lined up in a row, at the same height that they would be if on a bike and next to a car with its rear lights on. And for a real comparison for us oldies, have one of the cycle lights an old grey plastic rear light, the type that were powered by two U2 batteries. I didn't want to lug around the DSLR this morning - so for your delectation, here are the lights I have at the moment, snapped using my phone camera... which will serve as "Before" pics. These lights are clearly not bright enough! MORE! I NEED MORE LIGHTS! Dark path, combined beams Close-ish to car headlights - the new headlight in the fork lights up the foreground better than the useless (for illuminating the road)Junstar 6V 5W did, and it doesn't dazzle drivers - stVZO approved beam (I'd much rather it dazzled drivers). The top headlight does dazzle, but I usually direct it down towards the road - imagine that in red and flashing rapidly as a rear light. Two of those on the handlebar could be OTT, but I think we cyclists need OTT. The other bright parts are reflective. I should also cover the mudgaurds with reflective material. One more 1800LM headlight should do for the front, pointed slightly to the left to blind drivers at intersections. Edited October 26, 20223 yr by guerney
October 26, 20223 yr Author It seems if you wanted to randomly murder someone just for the thrill, killing a cyclist with a car would get you the minimum sentence, which at worst could be 18 months or at best a £500 fine and a 12 month ban. This makes my blood boil
October 26, 20223 yr Author I'm going to keep the rapid switching ability to the scary flashing mode that I have for my one 1800LM headlight, and because I anticipate having all three on the same mode most of the time (either flashing bright, dimmer constant or bright constant), I've decided to have a main switch and two sub switches. The main switch will be near my right thumb (it's already there), the dual near my left. This way I'll have fast access to the very enjoyable rapid scary flashing mode for all three at the same via the main switch (quickly flick main switch off+on+off+on), plus I can also choose other modes for the other headlight and the rear light independently when required, via the sub switches. All three flashing bright, is going to look utterly bonkers. Wakey wakey texting drivers! And if one 1800LM rear light doesn't do the trick, there's room for more... Edited October 27, 20223 yr by guerney
October 27, 20223 yr Author I was stalked by a red hatchback tonight at about 12.14am while towing home my final trailer full of home grown pumpkins. First, it screeched to a halt appraching on the other side of the road, then it turned and followed me slowly, then sped by shouting, turned around and passed again on the other side shouting and looking, then stopped again down the road, and started to turn again... I thought I was about to get bikejacked so I started the mad flashing mode for their next approach, which seemed to scare them off - they took a right turn and didn't return. Glad that was the last haul. Three 1800LM (5400LM) flashing lights will be more alarming to look at. I really must get 3M Scotchlite for those mudguards, and fit the wheel reflectors which came with the Homcom trailer. Not yet bright enough... Deliveries are too slow. The foreground is mostly illuminated by the new light on the fork. Edited October 27, 20223 yr by guerney
October 27, 20223 yr it doesn't dazzle drivers - stVZO approved beam (I'd much rather it dazzled drivers). The top headlight does dazzle, but I usually direct it down towards the road When lights dazzle me the nearby background isn't visible and neither is the vehicle. Without that frame of reference it quite often looks to be stopped and it can be a shock to discover it heading for me once it gets close enough to make out. What we should do to alert phone users I don't know but I'd be wary of trading one problem for another.
October 27, 20223 yr Author When lights dazzle me the nearby background isn't visible and neither is the vehicle. Without that frame of reference it quite often looks to be stopped and it can be a shock to discover it heading for me once it gets close enough to make out. What we should do to alert phone users I don't know but I'd be wary of trading one problem for another. Because the bright 1800LM headlight is on the handlebars, it waggles side to side a bit, and because it's a spotlight/headlight rather than a floodlight, there is variance in brightness as it does so. It's made a huge difference to my getting noticed by drivers at night - I particularly enjoy that drivers often stop and wait at intersections thinking I'm a motorcycle approaching, only to see it's just a bloke on a bicycle slowly pedalling by. In my experience, using that bright headlight has made a huge difference to my safety, and as I said, I usually have it pointed down at the road, making itself useful illuminating the area in front of my bike, which should make distance easier to judge for drivers - that also waggles a bit side to side, illuminating nearby things. When I fit the second light, that illuminated area in front of my bike will be larger. Without this bright headlight, I was practically invisible at night, even with two 6v 5w headlights on the handlebars and another on the fork, plus those were utterly useless at revealing potholes etc. It also has the positive effect of alerting drunk pedestrians wobbling about in the dark. I also keep a flashing torch on my handlebar pointed backwards at my hi-visibility blouson, because that only actually has the possibility of being "Highly" visible when light is shone upon it. I might keep one of the constant 6v 5w lights to do that job instead (if there is room on the handlebar, and if it doesn't impede the folding of my bike), so I don't forget to charge that torch like last night. Edited October 27, 20223 yr by guerney
October 27, 20223 yr Author Cyclist in his 70s dies after crash with lorry in Felixstowe https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/23076273.cyclist-70s-dies-crash-lorry-felixstowe/
October 27, 20223 yr Author Cyclist dies after being knocked down by van in hit-and-run The man was taken to hospital from the scene but has since sadly died from his injuries https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/breaking-cyclist-dies-after-being-25334796
October 27, 20223 yr Author Cyclist seriously injured in Knutsford hit and run crash https://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/23083297.police-appeal-knutsford-cyclist-seriously-injured-hit-run/
October 27, 20223 yr Author Man dies after serious crash shuts Cwmavon road in both directions Police are appealing for help https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/serious-crash-closes-road-cwmavon-25364938
October 27, 20223 yr Author Police name boy, 11, who died after being knocked over by bus while riding bike near South Shields Northumbria Police have named the boy who tragically died as Mason French of Whitburn https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mason-french-whitburn-cyclist-killed-25370346
October 27, 20223 yr Author 'Too little too late': Cyclist slams plan to improve bike lane after crash leaves him needing stitches Middlesbrough Council has announced plans to replace the rubber dividers with visible upright poles to make the new cycle route safer https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/too-little-late-cyclist-slams-25360744
October 27, 20223 yr Author Ribbleton Lane crash sees Preston cyclist knocked over and rushed to A&E with head injury The cyclist was rushed to Royal Preston Hospital https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/ribbleton-lane-crash-preston-cyclist-25350376
October 27, 20223 yr Author Pensioner dies after being struck by vehicle in Lanarkshire town centre car park The 84-year-old was hit by a blue Honda Civic and tragically passed away in hospital a short time later https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lanarkshire/pensioner-dies-after-being-struck-28342164
October 27, 20223 yr Author Cyclist taken to hospital after crash on A430 The incident took place in the early hours of the morning https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/cyclist-taken-tohospital-after-crash-7748292
October 29, 20223 yr I spotted this twonk slowly edging forwards, so I slowed down to enable a stop if needed, because he didn't appear to be stopping. He might have interpreted this as an indication I was allowing him to pass, which I wasn't. I simply didn't want a crash. I beeped, swore and gave him a hard stare. He didn't stop until I beeped, I think he might have been drunk. I've edited out my swearing. Edited October 29, 20223 yr by I893469365902345609348566
October 30, 20223 yr Author All three 1800LM headlights are installed on my bike. The rear 1800LM is fearsomely bright, even with two layers of heat-resistant red acetate behind the glass. And of course, I now have twice the brightness on the handlebars: 3200LM. Still waiting for the dual switch - wires are in the right place for when it arrives next week, and for whenever I next have time to splice that second (dual) switch in... The second switch will enable different mode per light. For now all three are either bright, dimmer or flashing scarily, with modes changed via a single handlebar switch. I'll take some photos when I'm next out in the dark... Both of the front lights flash in sync. When the other switches arrive, that'll be optional - out of sync flashing may make for easier viewing while riding. Rapid variance of brightness might make video capture of number plates at night clearer, as numberplates weree overblown at the lowest exposure settings of my action camera, when using one bright steady light. Here's a brightness comparison of the now red 1800LM with my Bafang 6v 5w rear light, which switches on automatically when the DPC-18 display detects low light conditions. It's on, but doesn't look it, and this photo has an exposure time of 1/54,191th second. ISO is 320. The red light is confusing the Luxmeter app on my phone, the only reading I can get is 32,767 max lux, regardless how far away I hold the phone camera. Too fast for human eyes, LED lights do flash very rapidly. Probably a measure of the peaks of bursts. Might explain why the flashing mode is so disconcerting to view. A bright sunny day measures a steady 8,000 - 10,000 Lux. I've bulked up the end of the rear rack, using some old hi-viz cut hosepipe, so that the light can be angled down for a smaller folded size, and for those rare occasions when I'm feeling generous towards drivers. The clamps are pretty sturdy, but if anyone does buy these lights, bear in mind that the threads are not clean - pooled paint inside the holes, I think. I found it best to clear the way by first driving the hex bolts through the opposite side of the holes, otherwise you risk fouling the threads. But if you do ruin a clamp thread fear not, because there is room for slightly filed down locknuts on top (bolt to the right), to hold the clamp firm. I've pointed a 5W 6V light backwards, to illuminate my hi-viz blouson at night - that lit one is connected to the output for low power lights on the controller, for now. And that's my 120db Hornitt in the middle. Cheap - and it'll be circa £77 well spent, if these lights prevent my being squashed by a driver. 3X 1800LM headlights 45 5m 11A 0.5mm 2 core automotive wire 5 Red heat resistant acetate sheet 2 2 X waterproof handlebar switches: 1 single, 1 dual 25 77 Plus a bit of solder and blade fuse I already had. If you don't have a suitable ebike battery, a separate small bottle battery could be used. There's a 0.2V drop in voltage when all three lights are on full constant, 0.1v when all are dimmed, and switching between both voltage reductions when three are flashing. Hope these keep the fuckers away... Edited October 30, 20223 yr by guerney
October 30, 20223 yr Author When lights dazzle me the nearby background isn't visible and neither is the vehicle. Without that frame of reference it quite often looks to be stopped and it can be a shock to discover it heading for me once it gets close enough to make out. If you slow down in those situations, that's a plus - lower speed crashes hurt less. Beats not being seen at all.
November 1, 20223 yr Author Ebiker dies after crash at night 'Loving father' killed in Cardiff crash involving e-bike Police are appealing for information about the incident https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/loving-father-killed-cardiff-crash-25399866 Edited November 1, 20223 yr by guerney
November 1, 20223 yr Author The new dual switch arrived yesterday, but now I'm waiting for waterproof 4:1 self-adhesive marine heat shrink sleeving to be delivered, so I can complete the wiring to enable different modes for each light. Marine heat shrink can be shaped while hot, to set soldered cables into neater curves under the handlebars. The rear 1800LM light is much more effective than my two flashers + Oxford lollipop + one steady GPS tracker light. Drivers this morning gave me extremely wide berths while passing. It's a very bright rear light, here are some phone camera snaps. This red rear 1800LM light stands out even more when flashing (I might add more red acetate sheet layers to it) No lithiumed available I'm pleased with how well the two 1800LM headlights on the handlebars, with the 70 lux light on the fork, illuminate my way: I usually have the two 1800LM headlights angled down lower. This photo was snapped from slightly downhill: Undipped: Edited November 1, 20223 yr by guerney
November 2, 20223 yr Ebiker dies after crash at night 'Loving father' killed in Cardiff crash involving e-bike Police are appealing for information about the incident https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/loving-father-killed-cardiff-crash-25399866 Bit close that, been in Caerphilly road (where the accident was) twice today ....... My elder brother said he recognised the cyclist .............
November 4, 20223 yr Author He got off lightly Addenbrooke's: Tanker driver sentenced over cyclist's death https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-63474122 Blocked off safety camera https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2022-11-01/tanker-driver-who-killed-cyclist-blocked-safety-camera-with-his-coat
November 4, 20223 yr Author Girl, seven, died after cycling into HGV outside Wiltshire home, inquest hears Lorry traffic is turning picturesque village into ‘wild west’, say residents after death of Eloise Jackson https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/02/girl-seven-died-after-cycling-into-hgv-outside-wiltshire-home-inquest-hears
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