{Melb}So - who got a caution this morning?



Euan wrote:
> Stuart Lamble wrote:
>
>> On 2006-06-21, Zebee Johnstone <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> I do note that in low light conditions if I have my lights on so I can
>>> see well, I can only see what the light shows. If I turn it off and
>>> let the eyes adjust I can see a fair bit.

>>
>>
>> I think it's fair to say that the point of lights is not about *you*
>> seeing -- it's about *others* seeing you.
>>
>> Which means that, with all these SMIDSYs we see every day, they're
>> utterly useless.

>
>
> Case in point fifteen minutes ago, went to cash point to get folding
> stuff and was riding through the car park as any other vehicle would
> when a car starts revering out in to me.
>
> My rather loud remonstration caused a cessation of movement from the
> aforementioned vehicle. I pulled forward and gestured around me.
>
> Three rear lights, one on the rack, one on the saddlebag and one on the
> helmet. Batteries fresh as of yesterday.
>
> One ten watt Halogen, one five LED flasher on the handlebars and one
> front flasher on the helmet. Pretty loud cycling top too.
>
> Window rolls down, ``I'm sorry mate, I didn't see you.''
>
> Suggestion that she should try using her eyes results in a ``Get
> f&^ked'' response, maybe it's the volume with which I made the
> suggestion that caused that.
>
> My theory, a lot of ambient light which makes flashers pretty much
> useless. I far prefer riding on roads with no lights than roads with
> for that reason.


The correct response is "Lady I nearly was thanks to you."

Dave
 
Zebee Johnstone said:
depends where you ride. There are places on my commute where I can't
see well enough without them.

But mostly I think the people who don't have them think they can see
you so why can't you see them? Not realising that those who have
lights have light-adjusted eyes.

Well yes, in the day. Now the SMIDSYs you see (or don't...) every
night, that might be different.

Zebee

I am trying to make myself SMIDSY proof after a ride a few week ago that included 3 morons pulling out in front of me.
My Cateye Stadium died (long and painful story) so I ordered some new lights from www.batteryspace.com
I am now using a 12 degree 30watt HID light mounted on the bike and a 13watt HID light on the helmet. This light is a spot with a 6degree beam that is just perfect for shining into drivers faces on the approach to intersections. The 13 watt is hooked up to an old NiCad batterypack that last for about 2.5 hrs. The new 14.8v 5amp/hr Li-ion battery should be ready tomorrow and should last about 5 1/2 hrs.

It might be overkill but I'd rather be seen

A friend who was clipped by a SMIDSY taxi in a round-about 2 weeks ago. He wasn't badly damaged and his bike is in Ashfield cycles being repaired.
He had a reflective vest on and flashing lights everywhere. He is also going to try out the headlight to see if it will make a difference at being seen

Cheers

Geoff
 
Euan said:
Stuart Lamble wrote:
> On 2006-06-21, Zebee Johnstone <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I do note that in low light conditions if I have my lights on so I can
>> see well, I can only see what the light shows. If I turn it off and
>> let the eyes adjust I can see a fair bit.

>
> I think it's fair to say that the point of lights is not about *you*
> seeing -- it's about *others* seeing you.
>
> Which means that, with all these SMIDSYs we see every day, they're
> utterly useless.


Case in point fifteen minutes ago, went to cash point to get folding
stuff and was riding through the car park as any other vehicle would
when a car starts revering out in to me.

My rather loud remonstration caused a cessation of movement from the
aforementioned vehicle. I pulled forward and gestured around me.

Three rear lights, one on the rack, one on the saddlebag and one on the
helmet. Batteries fresh as of yesterday.

One ten watt Halogen, one five LED flasher on the handlebars and one
front flasher on the helmet. Pretty loud cycling top too.

Window rolls down, ``I'm sorry mate, I didn't see you.''

Suggestion that she should try using her eyes results in a ``Get
f&^ked'' response, maybe it's the volume with which I made the
suggestion that caused that.

My theory, a lot of ambient light which makes flashers pretty much
useless. I far prefer riding on roads with no lights than roads with
for that reason.
--
Cheers
Euan

My HID lights will make a driver wince in daylight heheheheheh

Geoff
 
TimC said:
The bright ones on top are just HID lamps.

I know that the legislation sets limits for how blue a light can be --
in some cases, "blue" lights are merely HIDs which are really white,
but because your colour balance is off in the dark, appear blue. But
some blue lights truly are blue -- they are cheap imported halogen
bulbs from Taiwan with glass that is dyed blue to make them look
expensive. They actually cut the performance of the bulb, because you
remove useful light from the spectrum (and convert it to heat, yay!).

Not just cheap Taiwanese globes. I had to replace the H4's in my Liberty last week and when I was in the auto parts shop there were rows of both Hella and Phillips "cool blue" globes. These were available in different shades of blue which I thought was illegal. I have yet to see someone pulled over by the police for this, although unfortunately that doesn't mean much.

Cheers

Geoff
 
geoffs wrote:
> Euan Wrote:
>
>>Stuart Lamble wrote:
>>
>>>On 2006-06-21, Zebee Johnstone <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I do note that in low light conditions if I have my lights on so I

>>
>>can
>>
>>>>see well, I can only see what the light shows. If I turn it off

>>
>>and
>>
>>>>let the eyes adjust I can see a fair bit.
>>>
>>>I think it's fair to say that the point of lights is not about *you*
>>>seeing -- it's about *others* seeing you.
>>>
>>>Which means that, with all these SMIDSYs we see every day, they're
>>>utterly useless.

>>
>>Case in point fifteen minutes ago, went to cash point to get folding
>>stuff and was riding through the car park as any other vehicle would
>>when a car starts revering out in to me.
>>
>>My rather loud remonstration caused a cessation of movement from the
>>aforementioned vehicle. I pulled forward and gestured around me.
>>
>>Three rear lights, one on the rack, one on the saddlebag and one on
>>the
>>helmet. Batteries fresh as of yesterday.
>>
>>One ten watt Halogen, one five LED flasher on the handlebars and one
>>front flasher on the helmet. Pretty loud cycling top too.
>>
>>Window rolls down, ``I'm sorry mate, I didn't see you.''
>>
>>Suggestion that she should try using her eyes results in a ``Get
>>f&^ked'' response, maybe it's the volume with which I made the
>>suggestion that caused that.
>>
>>My theory, a lot of ambient light which makes flashers pretty much
>>useless. I far prefer riding on roads with no lights than roads with
>>for that reason.
>>--
>>Cheers
>>Euan

>
>
> My HID lights will make a driver wince in daylight heheheheheh
>
> Geoff



When Ian got SMIDSYd he had a battery pack headlight on that is in fact
brighter than my motorcycles headlight.
Didnt help.

Mind you I was there once when a bloke with a headlight out got taken
out by the guy in front of me turning across him
He was honest. "Sorry mate I thought you were a motorbike"

Dave
 
On 2006-06-21, geoffs (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> Not just cheap Taiwanese globes. I had to replace the H4's in my
> Liberty last week and when I was in the auto parts shop there were rows
> of both Hella and Phillips "cool blue" globes. These were available in
> different shades of blue which I thought was illegal. I have yet to see
> someone pulled over by the police for this, although unfortunately that
> doesn't mean much.


I keep on getting a catalog in the junk mail pile -- autoparts or
something? And it seems like that particular shop must be a real
ricer-haven. Blue globes, cold cathode lights, subwoofer sick mate
sick, subwoofers everywhere.

Jaycar used to be a good electronics shop until it got taken over by
the ricers.

--
TimC
When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
Euan <[email protected]> wrote:

> Case in point fifteen minutes ago, went to cash point to get folding
> stuff and was riding through the car park as any other vehicle would
> when a car starts reversing out in to me.


To be fair, you can drive through most car parks in a car or even a
truck and have the same thing happen to you. What, look first? You mean
turn my head around? You're joking...

--
Shane Stanley
 
I think the SMIDSY case is usually more complex, due to an interesting quirk in human make-up. It's called paradigm blindness. If you are looking for something specific, then you tend not to see other stuff; likewise, if you are looking for something in a specific place, you will tend to not see it if it is slightly misplaced. Your brain simply filters it out, and the effect is exactly the same as if it is not there. I have seen this countless times in myself.

So drivers are looking for something specific, which is other cars, and even if you are blindingly obvious, you can still easily go unnoticed simply because the driver wasn't looking for a bicycle. So when they say, SMIDSY, that is likely due to this paradigm blindness effect.
 

> When Ian got SMIDSYd he had a battery pack headlight on that is in fact
> brighter than my motorcycles headlight.
> Didnt help.
>
> Mind you I was there once when a bloke with a headlight out got taken
> out by the guy in front of me turning across him
> He was honest. "Sorry mate I thought you were a motorbike"
>
> Dave


So the fact that he thought he was turning across the front of a motorbike
made it ok? I'm not sure I follow the logic.
 
jur said:
I think the SMIDSY case is usually more complex, due to an interesting quirk in human make-up. It's called paradigm blindness. If you are looking for something specific, then you tend not to see other stuff; likewise, if you are looking for something in a specific place, you will tend to not see it if it is slightly misplaced. Your brain simply filters it out, and the effect is exactly the same as if it is not there. I have seen this countless times in myself.

So drivers are looking for something specific, which is other cars, and even if you are blindingly obvious, you can still easily go unnoticed simply because the driver wasn't looking for a bicycle. So when they say, SMIDSY, that is likely due to this paradigm blindness effect.
correct

Yau cen wrgte a semtigce lohe tkus and shull riad it ckeurky bagaise you afe onhy lcchjmg at tke 1st & last letters....your mind has developed a paradigm of perception to familiar words and word shapes.

that is why we as cyclists have to be more visible, take the lane, wear bright clothes, use your bell, use your lights, ride in groups, use the cyclists box at traffic lights, come to the front, do not slink into the gutter and be obviously in all other path, road and bike lane users faces.

NOW FOR SOME CREATIVE ATTITUDE

I like the idea of a "bicycle bus", where commuting cyclists build up their group as they ride a regular route, at a regular time and have safety in numbers and "stop"at scheduled places and times on route between their start point and destination. It is a valid approach to a cummuting dilemna for many and would bring many more cyclists onto the road as commuters...

OK who is going to start their bus?...we need a BusBUG perhaps...but it makes sense and will revolutionise bike/motorists interaction and make darn sure that the pollies and other head-in-sand decision makers have to work harder to improve road safety and driver attitudes and behaviour.....because it is so darn obvious and so darn beneficial to increasing cycling numbers and reducing motorised road traffic.

Slow Bus, Express Bus, Shopping Bus, School Bus, WetBus, RoadieBus, Hybrid Bus, LateBus, BroomWagon...all valid, all have a place and across Melbourne could be filled on all the major ( and minor) commuting routes...

I dont ride to the city to commute to work ( I walk in my slippers from the kitchen to my home office with java in hand) but I would certainly do this Bus trip daily from Beaumaris to Southbank every day of Mon to Fri ( I need the workout and it would add 72klms daily to my weekly training (2x36klm per day)...

Route 1 : Beach Road express Bus:

Timetable Weekdays except Pub Hols:

Dep 7-30 Black Rock LeKnicks arrive Southbank Eureka Tower 8-15am...(back at Black Rock at 9 to clock in) -after shower and a juice of course!
Afternoon Bus, depart 5:30 Eureka, Arrice 6:15pm at Black Rock.

what say you...anyone...anyone?...Bueller???

What about other routes ??
Route 2: Dingley Vill to St Kilda,
Route 3: Baldwin to Carlton
Route 4: a)Werribee to Footscray (pheeeeuw)
b)Footscray to Swanston Street mall
Route 5: Mt Waverly to East Melbourne
Route 6: Bell Street, Coburg to University
and a Country Express Route "B-Line" - Sunshine or Bulla to Essendon Pick Up Route 3:b)

ah, we could put Metlink out of business, better still get a subsidy from Bracksie for shower facillities and secure parking at CBD locations..lots of room in Flinders Street Station's cavernous building to do this easily...and other half used city public buildings...

go team...you got homework!!
 
In aus.bicycle on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 00:37:59 +1000
rooman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> _NOW_FOR_SOME_CREATIVE_ATTITUDE_
> I like the idea of a "*bicycle bus",* where commuting cyclists build up
> their group as they ride a regular route, at a regular time and have
> safety in numbers and "stop"at scheduled places and times on route
> between their start point and destination. It is a valid approach to a
> cummuting dilemna for many and would bring many more cyclists onto the
> road as commuters...


There are 2 bikes buses near me.

And both leave at horribly unsocial hours!

Zebee
 
Resound wrote:
>>When Ian got SMIDSYd he had a battery pack headlight on that is in fact
>>brighter than my motorcycles headlight.
>>Didnt help.
>>
>>Mind you I was there once when a bloke with a headlight out got taken
>>out by the guy in front of me turning across him
>>He was honest. "Sorry mate I thought you were a motorbike"
>>
>>Dave

>
>
> So the fact that he thought he was turning across the front of a motorbike
> made it ok? I'm not sure I follow the logic.
>
>


Yes exactly. To both parts of your statement

Dave
 
Zebee Johnstone said:
In aus.bicycle on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 00:37:59 +1000
rooman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> _NOW_FOR_SOME_CREATIVE_ATTITUDE_
> I like the idea of a "*bicycle bus",* where commuting cyclists build up
> their group as they ride a regular route, at a regular time and have
> safety in numbers and "stop"at scheduled places and times on route
> between their start point and destination. It is a valid approach to a
> cummuting dilemna for many and would bring many more cyclists onto the
> road as commuters...


There are 2 bikes buses near me.

And both leave at horribly unsocial hours!


Zebee
...time to start your own ZbJ...add in local paper ( community add maybe they are free!, search the BUG's, ask on the road, talk to other commuters, build up as you get closer to destination... up to you...make the bus route have several more "services"...you already have another one..."yours". invite others to join you as you go and you will get a nice big group in time...
 
531Aussie wrote:
>I bet 80% of drivers don't know they can't
> adjust their headlights up, down, etc


My wife's 1994 Renault had a knob on the dash to adjust the lights up or
down. As will my new car.

Theo
 
531Aussie wrote:
>I bet 80% of drivers don't know they can't
> adjust their headlights up, down, etc


My wife's 1994 Renault had a knob on the dash to adjust the lights up or
down. As will my new car.

Theo
 
Euan wrote:
<snip>
> My theory, a lot of ambient light which makes flashers pretty much
> useless. I far prefer riding on roads with no lights than roads with
> for that reason.


I concur, and have been pondering my visibility as of late... especially
since I cut off my long, flowing locks that seemed to get driver
attention...

Perhaps we should all carry some flares, and set them off at random
times, to increase our visibility? That sounds like fun!

Tam
 
Euan wrote:
<snip>
> My theory, a lot of ambient light which makes flashers pretty much
> useless. I far prefer riding on roads with no lights than roads with
> for that reason.


I concur, and have been pondering my visibility as of late... especially
since I cut off my long, flowing locks that seemed to get driver
attention...

Perhaps we should all carry some flares, and set them off at random
times, to increase our visibility? That sounds like fun!

Tam
 
Tamyka Bell wrote:
> Euan wrote:
> <snip>
>
>>My theory, a lot of ambient light which makes flashers pretty much
>>useless. I far prefer riding on roads with no lights than roads with
>>for that reason.

>
>
> I concur, and have been pondering my visibility as of late... especially
> since I cut off my long, flowing locks that seemed to get driver
> attention...
>
> Perhaps we should all carry some flares, and set them off at random
> times, to increase our visibility? That sounds like fun!
>
> Tam



Flares. Chaff. Steyr. ALl usefull techniques.
And Flares Chaff and 308 Winchester have all been trialed on stealth
Kat. With the chaff you risk being done for littering I think

308 absolutely works. Even with it in rifle case you seem to be
visible at about 15 miles

Dave
 
Tamyka Bell wrote:
> Euan wrote:
> <snip>
>
>>My theory, a lot of ambient light which makes flashers pretty much
>>useless. I far prefer riding on roads with no lights than roads with
>>for that reason.

>
>
> I concur, and have been pondering my visibility as of late... especially
> since I cut off my long, flowing locks that seemed to get driver
> attention...
>
> Perhaps we should all carry some flares, and set them off at random
> times, to increase our visibility? That sounds like fun!
>
> Tam



Flares. Chaff. Steyr. ALl usefull techniques.
And Flares Chaff and 308 Winchester have all been trialed on stealth
Kat. With the chaff you risk being done for littering I think

308 absolutely works. Even with it in rifle case you seem to be
visible at about 15 miles

Dave
 
Tamyka Bell wrote:
> Euan wrote:
> <snip>
> > My theory, a lot of ambient light which makes flashers pretty much
> > useless. I far prefer riding on roads with no lights than roads with
> > for that reason.

>
> I concur, and have been pondering my visibility as of late... especially
> since I cut off my long, flowing locks that seemed to get driver
> attention...


I find making eye contact, and at night, I have a LED on my helmet that
I aim at cars looking to turn into my path, to be beneficial.
 

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