Cyclists with dazzling lights

[Skink 10]

As a regular road cyclist I know it is important to be seen, but I do get frustrated by the odd rider who thinks its ok to blind other road users - is it just me?

 

Tonight I was taking the kids to cycle speedway (ironically) when this chap absolutely blinded me, it was so disorienting I nearly crashed! Shouted to the rider to dip his lights and just told me to shut up- hey ho

[Dimple 10]

The cycle lights that bother me are the super bright flashing ones that are pointed straight forward and not even pointed towards the ground in front of them.

My cycle lights a quite bright but directed towards the ground so I can see the road in front and not dazzle other road users pretty much like car head lights.

[carosio 185]

Going back a couple of years now; I was being followed by one in slowish traffic and his front light (non-flashing) was so bright I had to flip the rear mirror, and even then it was too bright. Appeared to be a larger lens than usual.

[choogling 14]

in the sixties I had a bike with a dynamo lighting system the faster you went the brighter it glowed, prone to blowing bulbs going down east bank rd.

[Skink 10]

dynamo is a great idea, would stop these crazy bright lights that seem to be trendy right now - but, if I recall correctly, they go out when you stop ie at junctions

[Padders 2,833]

in the sixties I had a bike with a dynamo lighting system the faster you went the brighter it glowed, prone to blowing bulbs going down east bank rd.

 

Ey up choogling, that brings back memories, the one I had was as big as a bloomin house brick.

[stifflersmom 11]

dynamo is a great idea, would stop these crazy bright lights that seem to be trendy right now - but, if I recall correctly, they go out when you stop ie at junctions

 

That was a flaw in old tyre driven systems...newer hub based ones have a built in capacitor so the lights stay on when the wheel is stationary. Most dymamo systems are designrd to comply with German lighting laws on cycle lights which specify beam design etc so they dont annoy other road users.

Edited October 26, 2017 by stifflersmom

[El Cid 210]

I have just bought a LED torch that takes 1 AAA battery, its very small, but very bright.

 

I find some of the LED side lights on cars very bright, certainly 10+ times brighter than the old 5w side lights. How can both be legal, with very different qualities?

[Cyclone 10]

I keep mine angled slightly down, I want to be seen (and sometimes being lit up light the sun apparently isn't enough), but I don't want to blind or dazzle anyone.

[Guest sibon]

Whilst I’m not keen on being dazzled, it is preferable to encountering an unlit cyclist.

[Cyclone 10]

I've seen a few in the last couple of weeks. Incredibly dangerous, and mostly to themselves. I don't get it, lights are so cheap.

[El Cid 210]

I keep mine angled slightly down, I want to be seen (and sometimes being lit up light the sun apparently isn't enough), but I don't want to blind or dazzle anyone.

 

Cars generally travel in a straight line, but a cyclists lights would be all over the place, and be unlikely to be a constant dazzle.