Riding at night: a strategy for survival?

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Tom Keats schrieb:

> The real reason bicycle red rear lights blink
> is to conserve battery juice and avoid expense.

What batteries? Here bicycles need to have a dynamo (by law).

The only exception are racing bikes, "thanks" to Franz-Josef Strauß,
former Prime Minister of Bavaria.

Tom Keats schrieb:

> The real reason bicycle red rear lights blink
> is to conserve battery juice and avoid expense.

What batteries? Here bicycles need to have a dynamo (by law).

The only exception are racing bikes, "thanks" to Franz-Josef Strauß,
former Prime Minister of Bavaria.

"Tom Keats" <tkeats2005@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:nhgivf.053.ln@vcn.bc.ca...
> In article <1auhca968r2go$.15yl7mzrokpf2.dlg@40tude.net>,
> _ <jtayNOSPAMlor@hfDONTSENDMESPAMx.andara.com> writes:
>> On Fri, 02 May 2008 19:36:06 +0200, Jens Müller wrote:
>>
>>> ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>>> On May 1, 5:24 pm, Jens Müller <usenet-11-2...@tessarakt.de> wrote:
>>>>> ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Anyway, now my next door neighbor wants to ride at midnight... And he
>>>>>> ain't one of those crazy bums on a Huffy. He even bought a vest with
>>>>>> blinking lights
>>>>> Args. Please don't use this blinking bullshits. It just distracts
>>>>> other
>>>>> drivers and makes them focus on the blinking.
>>>>
>>>> So how is it the blinking rear lights are OK?
>>>
>>> They aren't ok.
>>
>> Why not?
>
> There's a belief that it's more difficult for
> an observer to determine the speed and vector
> of a blinking, rather than steady light in the
> darkness of night. Perhaps blinking lights
> confuse our human, pathological tendency of
> Persistance Of Vision. What're those things
> called? Oh, yeah: "optical illusions." I
> suppose there's a wariness about blinking
> lights creating optical illusions.

Or epileptic seizures.

"Tom Keats" <tkeats2005@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:nhgivf.053.ln@vcn.bc.ca...
> In article <1auhca968r2go$.15yl7mzrokpf2.dlg@40tude.net>,
> _ <jtayNOSPAMlor@hfDONTSENDMESPAMx.andara.com> writes:
>> On Fri, 02 May 2008 19:36:06 +0200, Jens Müller wrote:
>>
>>> ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>>> On May 1, 5:24 pm, Jens Müller <usenet-11-2...@tessarakt.de> wrote:
>>>>> ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Anyway, now my next door neighbor wants to ride at midnight... And he
>>>>>> ain't one of those crazy bums on a Huffy. He even bought a vest with
>>>>>> blinking lights
>>>>> Args. Please don't use this blinking bullshits. It just distracts
>>>>> other
>>>>> drivers and makes them focus on the blinking.
>>>>
>>>> So how is it the blinking rear lights are OK?
>>>
>>> They aren't ok.
>>
>> Why not?
>
> There's a belief that it's more difficult for
> an observer to determine the speed and vector
> of a blinking, rather than steady light in the
> darkness of night. Perhaps blinking lights
> confuse our human, pathological tendency of
> Persistance Of Vision. What're those things
> called? Oh, yeah: "optical illusions." I
> suppose there's a wariness about blinking
> lights creating optical illusions.

Or epileptic seizures.

In article <683vn2F2qnuprU1@mid.individual.net>,
Jens Müller <usenet-11-2007@tessarakt.de> writes:
> Tom Keats schrieb:
>
>> The real reason bicycle red rear lights blink
>> is to conserve battery juice and avoid expense.
>
> What batteries? Here bicycles need to have a dynamo (by law).

Here in British Columbia bicycles just need to have
lights at all, for riding at night.

I use dynamo lights. They work well for my purposes.
But I supplement them with battery lights which have
the option of flashing or steady beam.


cheers,
Tom


--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

In article <683vn2F2qnuprU1@mid.individual.net>,
Jens Müller <usenet-11-2007@tessarakt.de> writes:
> Tom Keats schrieb:
>
>> The real reason bicycle red rear lights blink
>> is to conserve battery juice and avoid expense.
>
> What batteries? Here bicycles need to have a dynamo (by law).

Here in British Columbia bicycles just need to have
lights at all, for riding at night.

I use dynamo lights. They work well for my purposes.
But I supplement them with battery lights which have
the option of flashing or steady beam.


cheers,
Tom


--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On Sat, 3 May 2008 13:05:11 -0700, Tom Keats wrote:

> In article <1auhca968r2go$.15yl7mzrokpf2.dlg@40tude.net>,
> _ <jtayNOSPAMlor@hfDONTSENDMESPAMx.andara.com> writes:
>> On Fri, 02 May 2008 19:36:06 +0200, Jens Müller wrote:
>>
>>> ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>>> On May 1, 5:24 pm, Jens Müller <usenet-11-2...@tessarakt.de> wrote:
>>>>> ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Anyway, now my next door neighbor wants to ride at midnight... And he
>>>>>> ain't one of those crazy bums on a Huffy. He even bought a vest with
>>>>>> blinking lights
>>>>> Args. Please don't use this blinking bullshits. It just distracts other
>>>>> drivers and makes them focus on the blinking.
>>>>
>>>> So how is it the blinking rear lights are OK?
>>>
>>> They aren't ok.
>>
>> Why not?
>
> There's a belief that it's more difficult for
> an observer to determine the speed and vector
> of a blinking, rather than steady light in the
> darkness of night. Perhaps blinking lights
> confuse our human, pathological tendency of
> Persistance Of Vision.

Well, more than a "belief" would be required for any effort to attempt to
persuade others to adopt the same conclusion.

Unless Muller is being merely religious.

On Sat, 3 May 2008 13:05:11 -0700, Tom Keats wrote:

> In article <1auhca968r2go$.15yl7mzrokpf2.dlg@40tude.net>,
> _ <jtayNOSPAMlor@hfDONTSENDMESPAMx.andara.com> writes:
>> On Fri, 02 May 2008 19:36:06 +0200, Jens Müller wrote:
>>
>>> ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>>> On May 1, 5:24 pm, Jens Müller <usenet-11-2...@tessarakt.de> wrote:
>>>>> ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Anyway, now my next door neighbor wants to ride at midnight... And he
>>>>>> ain't one of those crazy bums on a Huffy. He even bought a vest with
>>>>>> blinking lights
>>>>> Args. Please don't use this blinking bullshits. It just distracts other
>>>>> drivers and makes them focus on the blinking.
>>>>
>>>> So how is it the blinking rear lights are OK?
>>>
>>> They aren't ok.
>>
>> Why not?
>
> There's a belief that it's more difficult for
> an observer to determine the speed and vector
> of a blinking, rather than steady light in the
> darkness of night. Perhaps blinking lights
> confuse our human, pathological tendency of
> Persistance Of Vision.

Well, more than a "belief" would be required for any effort to attempt to
persuade others to adopt the same conclusion.

Unless Muller is being merely religious.

On Fri, 02 May 2008 06:50:35 -0700, Pat wrote:

> On May 1, 5:49 pm, ComandanteBanana <nolionnoprob...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> On May 1, 5:24 pm, Jens Müller <usenet-11-2...@tessarakt.de> wrote:
>>
>> > ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>>
>> > > Anyway, now my next door neighbor wants to ride at midnight... And
>> > > he ain't one of those crazy bums on a Huffy. He even bought a vest
>> > > with blinking lights

....SNIP...

>> I don't think any solid
>> light will be strong enough to be seen by drivers who simply aren't
>> looking for bikes at that time... if they are paying any attention at
>> all.
....SNIP...

>Anything you can do to increase your visible profile is helpful.


Perhaps Cold Cathode Wire is the answer to being seen.

See:
http://www.vibelights.com/elwibikit.html

Now that is being visible!!!
Of course it is a bit gaudy...

Rich B.

In article <zd7ty9kauxwd$.1ugblsmw4ghta.dlg@40tude.net>,
_ <jtayNOSPAMlor@hfDONTSENDMESPAMx.andara.com> writes:

>>>>> So how is it the blinking rear lights are OK?
>>>>
>>>> They aren't ok.
>>>
>>> Why not?
>>
>> There's a belief that it's more difficult for
>> an observer to determine the speed and vector
>> of a blinking, rather than steady light in the
>> darkness of night. Perhaps blinking lights
>> confuse our human, pathological tendency of
>> Persistance Of Vision.
>
> Well, more than a "belief" would be required for any effort to attempt to
> persuade others to adopt the same conclusion.
>
> Unless Muller is being merely religious.

In my own empirical observations I've found my
above statement to be true. I, however, don't
mind that blinking lights may make drivers'
brains work harder. Whatever it takes to keep
'em on their toes & alert. There's been too much
emphasis on dumbing-down driving, instead of
smartening it up. When we dumb something down,
we end up with a bunch o' dummies doing it.

Some jurisdictions in various nations & countries
only allow blinking/flashing lights on emergency
vehicles. Fair enough.

It's been suggested that blinking/flashing lights
attract drunk drivers and cause them to crash into
the vehicle with the light source, but I think
that's just a canard.

I think cyclists should be allowed to have blue
tail lights, either flashing or steady.

Anybody who can't tell the difference between a
Police/Fire/Ambulance cherry & a bicycle light
is too stoopid to be on the street.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

In rec.bicycles.misc _ <jtayNOSPAMlor@hfdontsendmespamx.andara.com> wrote:
>> There's a belief that it's more difficult for an observer to
>> determine the speed and vector of a blinking, rather than steady
>> light in the darkness of night. Perhaps blinking lights confuse
>> our human, pathological tendency of Persistance Of Vision.
>
> Well, more than a "belief" would be required for any effort to
> attempt to persuade others to adopt the same conclusion.

Simply check your preferred library on the topic of visual
cognition, especially in traffic‥


Cutting follow-up to rec.bicycles.misc,

--
MfG/Best regards
helmut springer panta rhei

On May 4, 4:37 am, Richard <bluerandoneeSPAMME...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 02 May 2008 06:50:35 -0700, Pat wrote:
> > On May 1, 5:49 pm, ComandanteBanana <nolionnoprob...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> On May 1, 5:24 pm, Jens Müller <usenet-11-2...@tessarakt.de> wrote:
>
> >> > ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>
> >> > > Anyway, now my next door neighbor wants to ride at midnight... And
> >> > > he ain't one of those crazy bums on a Huffy. He even bought a vest
> >> > > with blinking lights
>
> ...SNIP...
>
> >> I don't think any solid
> >> light will be strong enough to be seen by drivers who simply aren't
> >> looking for bikes at that time... if they are paying any attention at
> >> all.
>
> ...SNIP...
>
> >Anything you can do to increase your visible profile is helpful.
>
> Perhaps Cold Cathode Wire is the answer to being seen.
>
> See:http://www.vibelights.com/elwibikit.html
>
> Now that is being visible!!!
> Of course it is a bit gaudy...
>
> Rich B.

available in UK from BeSeenOnABike.com

http://tinyurl.com/69pbzf
and http://tinyurl.com/62o9lm

On 2 May, 14:50, Pat <gro...@artisticphotography.us> wrote:
> On May 1, 5:49 pm, ComandanteBanana <nolionnoprob...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On May 1, 5:24 pm, Jens Müller <usenet-11-2...@tessarakt.de> wrote:
>
> > > ComandanteBanana schrieb:
>
> > > > Anyway, now my next door neighbor wants to ride at midnight... And he
> > > > ain't one of those crazy bums on a Huffy. He even bought a vest with
> > > > blinking lights
>
> > > Args. Please don't use this blinking bullshits. It just distracts other
> > > drivers and makes them focus on the blinking.
>
> > So how is it the blinking rear lights are OK? I don't think any solid
> > light will be strong enough to be seen by drivers who simply aren't
> > looking for bikes at that time... if they are paying any attention at
> > all.
>
> > I was told the same thing about having blinking lights on the canoe,
> > which I fixed.
>
> 3M makes some pretty spectacularreflectivetape that you can use for
> all sorts of situations. For example, I have a black helmet. I put a
> strip of the blackreflectivetape (which reflects white) on the back
> of the helmet. During the daytime you can't see it (it just looks
> like a piece of electrical tape) but it is BRIGHT during the night.
> Anything you can do to increase your visible profile is helpful.

get it here: http://tinyurl.com/6nnp43