A
Andre Jute
Guest
TOWARDS A NORMATIVE CASE FOR BICYCLE LIGHTS
1. Bicycle lights are for seeing and being seen.
2. In my opinion, bicyclists are not lesser human beings than
motorists. It should be stressed that bicyclists have responsibilities
to motorists as motorists have to cyclists. To meet their
responsibilities, I think cyclists presently require two sets of
lights:
3. One set of lights, driven by batteries, for making a lot of light
that permits the cyclist to see and, more important, to be seen by
motorists.
4. The other set of lights, powered by a hub dynamo, will be always
available as an emergency backup. If these dynohub-driven lights are
LED they can be run constantly because their lifetime is for practical
purposes infinite; they may be used as daylight running lights.
Currently the best front dynohub light is the LED BUMM Fly IQ; it has
no flashing facility. German and Dutch rear bicycle lights, if used
outside their native milieu, need to be supplemented with a brighter
light, preferably flashing. See point 7 below.
5. We can hope in the light of recent events that sometime in the the
next decade LED dynamo front lights will be powerful enough for both
functions, see and being seen. Unfortunately there seems to be no
impetus for mainstream dynamo light makers to make a brighter rear
light than currently available, and German and Dutch law, in their
major markets, forbid flashing lights. Decent rear dynohub lights (or
battery lights for that matter) with more output and flashing modes
will thus have to come from specialists and will accordingly be
relatively more expensive.
6. It is my opinion that any cyclist who is not one of a mass of
cyclists in places where motorists routinely expect to see cyclists
should have flashing lights front and rear to establish his presence.
7. The only rear lights that are good enough to be primary lights are
made by Dinotte and Cateyes (TL-LD1100). German and Dutch lights are
simply too limp, and in any event do not have a flashing facility.
8. I'm working on finding front flashing lights; my current idea is to
add simple electronics to a BUMM Fly IQ to make it flash; the
Reelights may suit others but won't fit my bike.
Thoughts, expansions, alternative ideas welcome.
Andre Jute
If at first you don't succeed, try again.
1. Bicycle lights are for seeing and being seen.
2. In my opinion, bicyclists are not lesser human beings than
motorists. It should be stressed that bicyclists have responsibilities
to motorists as motorists have to cyclists. To meet their
responsibilities, I think cyclists presently require two sets of
lights:
3. One set of lights, driven by batteries, for making a lot of light
that permits the cyclist to see and, more important, to be seen by
motorists.
4. The other set of lights, powered by a hub dynamo, will be always
available as an emergency backup. If these dynohub-driven lights are
LED they can be run constantly because their lifetime is for practical
purposes infinite; they may be used as daylight running lights.
Currently the best front dynohub light is the LED BUMM Fly IQ; it has
no flashing facility. German and Dutch rear bicycle lights, if used
outside their native milieu, need to be supplemented with a brighter
light, preferably flashing. See point 7 below.
5. We can hope in the light of recent events that sometime in the the
next decade LED dynamo front lights will be powerful enough for both
functions, see and being seen. Unfortunately there seems to be no
impetus for mainstream dynamo light makers to make a brighter rear
light than currently available, and German and Dutch law, in their
major markets, forbid flashing lights. Decent rear dynohub lights (or
battery lights for that matter) with more output and flashing modes
will thus have to come from specialists and will accordingly be
relatively more expensive.
6. It is my opinion that any cyclist who is not one of a mass of
cyclists in places where motorists routinely expect to see cyclists
should have flashing lights front and rear to establish his presence.
7. The only rear lights that are good enough to be primary lights are
made by Dinotte and Cateyes (TL-LD1100). German and Dutch lights are
simply too limp, and in any event do not have a flashing facility.
8. I'm working on finding front flashing lights; my current idea is to
add simple electronics to a BUMM Fly IQ to make it flash; the
Reelights may suit others but won't fit my bike.
Thoughts, expansions, alternative ideas welcome.
Andre Jute
If at first you don't succeed, try again.