August 2, 201015 yr If the woman had herself been a cyclist she would perceive the bike differently, she could imagine being knocked off and she would not blithely pull out. It's a matter of training in the end. My own view is that no-one should be allowed a car license until they have first proved themselves competent on a two wheeler. Couldn't have put it better myself, as a cyclist whenever I'm driving I always take when overtaking other cyclists, I rarely feel like the cars overtaking me are ever too close, mostly they give me plenty of room but it's the larger vehicles, busses/lorries that worry me most because of their sheer size and lack of manouverability plus side & back vision compared to a car, a few times I've almost been knocked off from 'blind' bus drivers on bends veering left.
August 2, 201015 yr It's a matter of training in the end. My own view is that no-one should be allowed a car license until they have first proved themselves competent on a two wheeler. That's a good idea, and a nice comeback to use with the all-cyclists-should-be-taxed-registered-insured-helmeted crowd.
August 4, 201015 yr I always ride wirh flashing front and rear lights..... As your last recommendation (the comfort saddle) is now installed on the bike and working wonders, I have appointed you my quartermaster for such things. So, what sort of flashing lights do you use - I know you CAN pay quite large sums for the things, so hopefully you didn't! Allen.
August 4, 201015 yr As your last recommendation (the comfort saddle) is now installed on the bike and working wonders, I have appointed you my quartermaster for such things. So, what sort of flashing lights do you use - I know you CAN pay quite large sums for the things, so hopefully you didn't! Allen.I've tried cheap flashing lights and whilst adequate they are fragile. I got a pair of Cateye lights reduced in Halfords (£20 normally I think), the quality and visibility are far better. If you do a lot of night riding then I recommend going 1 above the bargain basement.
August 4, 201015 yr If you do a lot of night riding then I recommend going 1 above the bargain basement. No, scarcely any night riding. But fairly regularly out in the morning traffic of NW London, and the more things to wake up the dozey motorists that I'm there, the better! Allen.
August 4, 201015 yr Couple of further ideas: a) this looks bright... Bicycle Front Light. 1200+ candlepower, super bright, wide angle: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure b) there IS a fairly bright front light on the Wisper, of course. Would I be pushing my luck if I investigated wiring a flashing light in place of the Wisper light? Allen.
August 4, 201015 yr Couple of further ideas: a) this looks bright... Bicycle Front Light. 1200+ candlepower, super bright, wide angle: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure b) there IS a fairly bright front light on the Wisper, of course. Would I be pushing my luck if I investigated wiring a flashing light in place of the Wisper light? Allen. I'm quite tempted to see what 36V lamps I could fit there, the original one had a bit of an overheating issue so needs replacing.
August 4, 201015 yr I'm quite tempted to see what 36V lamps I could fit there, the original one had a bit of an overheating issue so needs replacing. I'm intersted in the Vision X Solstice Solo. There's a few different models with different beams.
August 4, 201015 yr I'm intersted in the Vision X Solstice Solo. There's a few different models with different beams. The problem is headlights are not yet allowed to be LED, Halogen takes much more power to run and could have a bad affect on my battery.
August 4, 201015 yr The problem is headlights are not yet allowed to be LED, Halogen takes much more power to run and could have a bad affect on my battery. I've had various Cateye LED front lamps for some years now, both on my push bikes and e-bikes. I normally ensure I have at least one LED lamp marked as "UK legal" on the bike as well as other backups. This is going as far back as around late 2003/4. I do remember some initial disagreement over the legality of LED front lamps but it was resolved around that time (this following CTC link claims LED lamps have been permitted since 2003 which ties up with when I first started seeing "UK legal" front LEDs) Lighting Regulations
August 4, 201015 yr I've had various Cateye LED front lamps for some years now, both on my push bikes and e-bikes. I normally ensure I have at least one LED lamp marked as "UK legal" on the bike as well as other backups. This is going as far back as around late 2003/4. I do remember some initial disagreement over the legality of LED front lamps but it was resolved around that time (this following CTC link claims LED lamps have been permitted since 2003 which ties up with when I first started seeing "UK legal" front LEDs) Lighting Regulations Sorry, I meant that they are illegal on a motor vehicle as the lights garrence mentioned are for motorbikes.
August 4, 201015 yr Sorry, I meant that they are illegal on a motor vehicle as the lights garrence mentioned are for motorbikes. Ahhhh, that's why all the reviews just use them as supplementary lights on motorbikes. I'm still thinking about getting one. At £80 for 900 lumens they're cheaper than the super-powerful lights on wiggle and operate at something like 12 to 50V. Perhaps I should use the light my bike came with a bit more though, it's reasonably bright, just not so rediculously bright as the Vision X one!
August 5, 201015 yr These are good, a number of users on the forum...very bright and good value IMHO.... DealExtreme: $77.04 HA-III SSC P7-C (SXO) 3-Mode 900-Lumen LED Bike Light Set
August 5, 201015 yr I`ve got several of the cheap and cheerful Chinese front and rear flashing LED lights. Not for seeing where I`m going as I don`t ride at night but more so that people see me and from feed back I`ve had from motorists the front light really attracts the attention and that`s what I want (even the wood pigeons get the message) they don`t like a flashing light and they certainly don`t like it up Em:D
August 5, 201015 yr That's the sort of thing, OldT, same as me - I don't ride at nights, but want the sods to see ME in the daytime. Any makes, names, of these assorted cheap Chinese types? Allen.
August 5, 201015 yr That's the sort of thing, OldT, same as me - I don't ride at nights, but want the sods to see ME in the daytime. Any makes, names, of these assorted cheap Chinese types? Allen. Allen These are what I have bought before, they look too cheap to work dont they! but they go well and I reckon I get a good 20-30 hrs out of a set of AA batteries. They can be set to flash or not to flash(that is the question:D 21 LED BICYCLE FRONT LAMP + 5 LED BIKE FLASH REAR LIGHT on eBay (end time 19-Aug-10 12:14:00 BST) Dave
August 5, 201015 yr Allen These are what I have bought before, they look too cheap to work dont they! but they go well and I reckon I get a good 20-30 hrs out of a set of AA batteries. They can be set to flash or not to flash(that is the question:D 21 LED BICYCLE FRONT LAMP + 5 LED BIKE FLASH REAR LIGHT on eBay (end time 19-Aug-10 12:14:00 BST) DaveI had one of those ages ago and as a light it was OK but it was so heavy the mounting broke and it went bouncing down the road.
August 5, 201015 yr I had one of those ages ago and as a light it was OK but it was so heavy the mounting broke and it went bouncing down the road. I think you must have had the 53 Led version cos these are fairly light and we have them on a few bikes with no breakages in 6 months.
August 6, 201015 yr Thanks Dave. It's one of those products where you think that for a fiver, you can't really go wrong! I have a dual approach to spending money. a) I have just bought a £1500 Wisper. b) I have just bought a £14.99 Cannondale helmet. So it's not that I'm a cheapskate (my missus complains about the opposite) – I don't mind paying top dollar for top goods, and vice versa. Allen.
August 7, 201015 yr Having read all the replies and ideas to this thread I have invested in some very bright LED Front and rear flashing lights that I intend to keep on ALL the time i am riding.
August 7, 201015 yr Having read all the replies and ideas to this thread I have invested in some very bright LED Front and rear flashing lights that I intend to keep on ALL the time i am riding. Very wise, apetito. I've driven a car for 40 years, and although the roads weren't THAT much better in The Good Old Days, they are certainly WORSE now - driver behaviour, bad manners, disregard for other road users, especially cyclists and pedestrians, etc. Like you, I go out on my bike making myself as CONSPICUOUS as possible. Bright yellow Altura jacket, whatever the weather, and as soon as they arrive, brightly flashing front and rear lights. No, it's no guarantee at all, and some dozey git will one day tell me, like eddieo, that he didn't see me (how?), but it helps. Allen.
August 7, 201015 yr Coincidence .... Went out this afternoon on my Eagle to put a prescription into the nearest chemist (3 Miles each way) It was closed. Anyway on the way home I saw at a distance of a good quarter mile a cyclist coming towards me with a brilliant Flashing headlight. No one could have missed seeing him. As he passed his rear light was doing its bit as well.
August 7, 201015 yr They really work, don't they! Apparently it's the CHANGE that's important, i.e. FLASH-off-FLASH-off etc. So the yellow jackets are okay, but dozey motorist will get used to seeing one after a very short time. What we need are bright yellow jackets that turn from yellow to blue every other second, and back. Inventors please note. A
August 8, 201015 yr They really work, don't they! Apparently it's the CHANGE that's important, i.e. FLASH-off-FLASH-off etc. So the yellow jackets are okay, but dozey motorist will get used to seeing one after a very short time. What we need are bright yellow jackets that turn from yellow to blue every other second, and back. Inventors please note. A Easy way, equip all vehicles with LCD see through windscreens, alternating blue and yellow tints. Alternatively, clear LCD screens that alternate, 1/10th second blanked out for every half second clear. :D .
August 8, 201015 yr People don't disregard bicycles because they don't SEE them. The people who pull out in front of you or turn left against you or overtake too closely do it because they are not concerned that you are there. Flashing lights work at night because you are difficult to see otherwise. In daylight, why should a person who cannot see a two metre high by half a metre wide object, be able to see a yellow jacket or a light any better? There's no reason not to use them but like so much we do nowadays, it is a simplistic knee-jerk answer to a complex problem. Driver training about the value and use of two wheeled vehicles would engender more respect for the people who use them and would achieve far more, more solidly. If car drivers felt that a cyclist was simply one more human being sharing a road with them we would get somewhere towards making cycling safer. Instead we have a 'car driver' seeing or not 'a cyclist'. That's the problem. This objectification is serious. If a car driver saw a cyclist as a person, they would in most cases be less willing to put at risk their lives.
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.