I cringed slightly watching Dan ride in the "door zone" along those parked cars. But then I remembered with his superhuman strength, Dan would just smash through any car door like Superman taking out a wall.
I've found recently that night rides are the most enjoyable, quiet roads, time to get lost in my thoughts etc. The Superdrive XL works well for me on the back roads.
Cycling in Phoenix this summer I got lots of use from my NiteRider 750. Most group rides during the week would start around 7-8pm... aka when the temps get down to about 90-95 degrees. Rides out in Sun City (a city where most residence are retirees and generally are off the roads by about 6pm) is was always quiet, relaxing, and surprisingly cool once the sun went down. Those rides gave me an extra 20-60 miles per week which has translated into about 3-5mph more speed and about double my max distance now that we are in our peak season. Last weekend, our group did one of our monthly rides it is about 40 miles and is full of rolling hills on the first half and gentle declines on the second half. They split into 2 groups, faster and slower. My first time was in April and I was at the back of the slow group at an average speed of 11.7mph. This past time I was riding with the leader of the faster group with an average speed of 17.9mph. Without that night riding mileage, I can't imagine having gained that much this year. Next year, my goal is to be fast enough to be able to justify deep section wheels (so be able to consistently solo 18-20 mph on relatively flat rides). That and increasing my yearly goal from 3500 this year to 8000 next year. That's going to involve plenty of time at night! 750 lumens seems like plenty even on darker multi-use trails. But around here, I doubt road cyclists get all that dark anywhere. I guess I can see the need for 800-1000 lumens if you are riding on country roads. I rarely go above low (350) or medium (500). And I do definitely feel more comfortable with my high vis jersey. That thing lights up like a Christmas tree when someone flashes a light on it!
Best light I have used since I riding bikes is the exposure lights strada. Very bright, build in battery, remote switch for the handlebar, provides up to 36 hr run time and a very solid mount. Yes it is expensive, but it is really worth it. Good video guys, mentioned all the important stuff, including that you should not blind other road users!
You guys forgot to mention the UK Legal requirement for Rear reflector - this is required. It must be coloured red and marked as complying with BS6102/2 (or equivalent). And also. Pedal reflectors - these must be amber in colour, marked as meeting BS6102/2 (or equivalent) and positioned so that one is visible to the front and another to the rear of each pedal.
Here where we live there are lots of deer 🦌 and foxes and raccoons coming out at night ! You can’t b prepared for everything! + crazy drunk drivers at night !
You guys forgot to mention that light is additive. Instead of buying one 1200 Lumen light (expensive), two 600 lumen lights will do just as well. Of course that means two batteries in most cases, but it's nice if you have a "dimmer" road light that you can use as an extra light for off-road stuff. Otherwise, I agree with the light recommendations (400 at least for general commuting.) I personally ride with an 800 lumen light for commuting (generally I keep it on 400 lumen mode). For mountain biking at night, I ride with ~2000 lumens downhill.
Remember that high-vis does nothing at night. You can be dressed in all black with lots of reflective strips, and be far more visible to a motorist than someone wearing high-vis without anything reflective.
Not wanting to be an alarmist, but the explanation for Michael Schumacher's injury was the helmet cam mount punched through the helmet and fractured his skull when he hit his head. I have been a little wary of mounting anything to the helmet since then. Combine that with the swim cap warning (Helmets are designed to be slippery) and it makes me question anything attached to a safety item.
4:06 best point of the video, I hate seeing other cyclists with bright lights pointed parallel to the ground, sure you'll be seen but you're also blinding everyone!
This is just a small thing, I'd normally ride with a blinker and a main light, but I position them opposite to Simon. My main light is on the ditch side because that's where most of the obstacles are and I have my front blinker on the oncoming traffic side. This stops the blinker getting washed out by the main light and allows me to aim my main light at the most likely source of road obstacles.
2022, and a novice cyclist here. I have 'running lights' during daytime, plus a 1000 lumen headlight for night rides. I also mounted a taillight and illumination light on my helmet to see my cockpit and be seen by truck drivers in our area.
Another useful thing to buy is yellow lens sunglasses. They really work well during the night and you don't have to worry about the car that's coming in front of you with super bright lights. No more glare. I also wear led safety arm bands. $5 a pair at Home Depot.
I chuckle a bit at the 1100 Lumen recomendation for trail riding. I started riding at night back when halogens were king. A 350 Lumen LED light is so much brighter than all but the best halogens. On familiar trails I can run a 650 lumen helmet with a 600 lumen bar light quite comfortably. If I really want to light things up, I can bump the bar up to 1200 lumens, but I rarely find I need that much light.
Work colleagues : "Are you mad, cycling home after an 8 hour shift?" Me : " Well as long as my brakes are okay, I get no punctures and there's no morons out I'm fine", in fact I enjoy it in the cooler weather if it's not raining after the night in the warehouse - it clears the mind and the cobwebs allowing me to sleep soundly. I also plan new bike rides and possible YT content for my channel for the future. I bought 3 light sets, 2 cheap ones and one fancy usb charging jobs. Well, £3 light pack won out, brighter, better definition, fixtures and the point that if I'm daft and don't remember to take them off if i need to pop into Asda on the way and get them nicked it was £3 and not £12. I keep spares in my bag. Plus I get an extra 30 - 65 km every shift which includes at least 3 hills, i'm in the Pennines.
The combination of high intensity LEDs and Lithium cells is revelatory, having returned to cycling after about 15 years the different in the performance of lamps is the most impactful advance in technology. Cycling at night is a different experience.
Back in the day when the speed limit was upto 30mph - now it's about 50! you lessen fast to ride a flasher on the front in fact I've 3x AND a blue led as well THAT really slows cars down, tho I don't use that as cars literally stop! The 3 flashers are enough tho...I use these as I've nearly died many a time!
"Knight Rider. A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight: a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law."
So I'm going on an early morning bike ride in Colorado. I'm really excited, I have in fact a 200 Lumen LED headlamp, and yesterday I purchased an Excel C buy flights which I imagine is almost a hundred lumens
Probably the most important thing missed in this video is to bring along spare lights. Battery could die before expected, it could simply malfunction as all electronics eventually do, you might have an issue with your bike, or (as I find is the most common occurrence) you might end up out longer and further away from home than you initially planned. I also bring along a small portable battery charger. I have lower power front and rear lights that can both operate while plugged into that charger even if the light battery is completely drained. I can also at least slightly recharge a dead light while riding with my spare.
The bike I train on has a lot of dings. Reflective tape covers the dings and helps to be seen. Races are never, (Almost Never) done after dark, so the competition bike doesn't need as much reflection!
Just curious if the product manufacturers pay for this GCN sight? There isn't overt product recommendations but you can see the brands. Having said that the information is good and well intended.
If you're using a focused beam in the front "to see" then aim the stupid thing properly before you head out on a ride. Also, don't be afraid to buy more than one light rather than one "mega" light. I use a Bontrager Ion Pro because I want to have a very powerful light to see the roads but I also have smaller lights if I want a flashing mode plus an uninterrupted beam for me to see what I'm sailing towards. I also found out by chance that my Forerunner 935 will run the thing (via Ant+) and that turned out to be a nice bonus. So yeah, I ordered the Flash RT rear to go with the "system." Note that not all of the Bontrager lights have Ant+.
I ride with a bright light to see obstacles in the road and to be seen. My high beam light is so bright that some vehicles approaching flash their lights for me to dim my light. In my UT Moxnix Stuff I tell about some advantages of night riding. If someone is biking behind me I have to put my red flashing light on low, or blind them
If anyone is interested, I just purchased a Proviz 360+ and it 's an AMAZING jacket for nighttime riding. My commute takes me through the middle of nowhere for quite a few miles and while riding home tonight, this big bloody pickup pulls alongside and the window winds down. I'm thinking "oh crap, I'm miles from nowhere, what the hell is happening!" The driver calls out and tells me the jacket is brilliant, he could see me incredibly well not only from the back but from the side as well as he turned on to the rode". Needless to say I was slightly relieved.
What jacket is Simon wearing? I really like it and I need to buy a hi vis one as I was hit by a car despite having good lights and wearing clothes with reflective patches
I think it was Cateye who lobbied to have the law changed. They used to have to be constant on only and British Standards approved, but it was amended to allow any LED Flashing light - as long as it only had Flashing modes. So the vast majority of LED lights aren't actually legal. Not that I imagine anyone cares, any light is better than no lights...so many idiots with no lights!
Planning to buy a reflector and saw these 2 unique yet similar things on Kickstarter. Blincclip and Flectr clip. not sure which one to get. Blincclip flips and 'blink' though, interesting. any suggestions?
I never ride in the super dark only in low light so what I did is a got a phone mount and use my phones flash that is very bright I can not only see the road but people can see me and I can use my navigation listen to music and answer calls with my earphones attached.
I was hoping they would discuss reflectors, i don't seen any on their bikes but i thought it was law to have both reflectors and lights on front and back?
It doesn't take a bright light to blind people. A 100 lumen light can remove your eyes adaptation to the darkness in a fraction of a second, especially if that light is flashing, and pointed right at your eyes.
I had someone today when i was riding my bike. It was about 4:10 so it was still pretty light, id stopped in front of a parket car right to the very edge of the road let a few cars go past me and some chap stopped lowered his window and complaned about me not having lights on? Even though you could easily see everything without them. Is there a set light level where you should turn your lights on or was it him having bad eyesight and being a prick?
Also, check your local laws. My city bans anything over 500 lumens inside the city. Obviously they don't care outside the city limits, and the parks have their own rules. I'm not sure anyone has been arrested here, but it does set a good guide on how bright you can go before the cops start complaining. Also, no blinking lights allowed either. Steady on only.
Philips Saferide rear lights were just much better than anything else, but they didn't seem to sell well...so now they don't make them any more. Sadly I had my rack mounted one stolen :(
When i first started cycling, i went for a night ride on a road with no street lights. I got a light for €1.50 in the 2 euro shop. It broke after 10 mins.
How is your experience with the Lezyne Macro Duo? (in pitch dark) I'm thinking about buying one to put on my helmet, and I already have a Super Drive Xl (500 lumens) mounted on my handlebars and a BBB taillight of around 10-15 lumens underneath my saddle.
For side visibility? SPOKE LIGHTS. I run with Monkeylectric M204 kits, one on each wheel. When I'm out after dark, I am in a pool of colored light (happens to be blue 'cause that's my favorite color). When moving, the kits "paint" a circular pattern around the rim. So at night, in addition to my head and tail lights (my headlight is 3000 lumens at it's highest setting, creating a positively HUGE swath of light on unlit roads) ...? Because of those spokelights, I am readily visible from the side at a distance of AT LEAST 100 yards / 100m. Probably 200-ish, and maybe much further than that.
Road traffic regulations might have (lot more than) something to say about what colour ligths you can use on roads. Some colours can be reserved for emergency etc vehicle use. Also in most civilized countries lights blinding/dazzling other road users are likely offense police can fine you from. And nowadays anything but the dimmest lights are blinding/dazzling, unless light pattern has hard cut off done using reflector design.
@@tuunaes Those regulations, where I live and cycle, generally only specify limits for motor vehicles, and especially for roof-mounted light bars. For bicycles, the only color restrictions are white (for headlights) and red (for tail lights), along with white or yellow for spoke _reflectors_. As for blinding others? The centerpoint of my headlight is aimed at the ground about 2- or 30 feet ahead of me. The likelihood of anyone being blinded, who isn't already on the wrong side of the road and within a very short distance, is so imperceptibly small as to be, for all practical intents and purposes, effectively zero.
a 3200 lumens on turbo should be enough as front light... ofc i keep it at 600 lumens, pointing just 3 meters away(but is floody) and slightly to the right. i sometimes keep it at 1200 or 3200 when i pass cars parked at my side. for rear i have 2 awesome lights and as a backup, the helmet light. but im not the kind who forget to charge those little lights.
I actually have those round lezyne lights. They're dim AF, but that's not a big issue. I have a stronger light, but I barely ever use it. Try riding without them, your eyes automatically adjust to the darkness.
So, you're saying it's best to experiment? Nothing wrong w/ that; however, we should know what the-law-of-the-land might have to say (depending on one's location) w/ regard to min & max lumens or wattage required. Your thoughts? And if lumens are not like watts, how do they differentiate? For example, my color-blindness (vision) is affected by the light intensity behind the colored lense.
Annoyingly, the number that most manufacturers don't quote is the illuminance (measured in lumens per square meter, or lux) - this is the brightness measured from a given vantage point, and is as useful as the luminous flux (lumen count) - even more so if you want to know how far away that driver is going to notice your helmet light or how much side visibility you're going to get out of your bike lights. The difficulty for manufacturers is that it's angle-dependent, so unless you only want a peak value then they can't just quote a single number but have to provide a polar graph.
How cheap can I get a bright light for. I can only afford less than about 50 quid but need a bright enough light for me to be able to see on unlit lanes. Any ideas? Cheers
Look at Cree lights on eBay.. There cheap but the just as good as any other light.. My mate has had one for over to years now and it's still going strong..
+British Cycling Channel www.dx.com/c/sports-outdoors-1699/cycling-1607/bike-holder-1643?sort=price&sortType=asc "Universal Adjustable Bicycle Mount for Flashlights (2cm~4cm Diameter)" is good.
William Keys I'm thinking you could get very cheap (say building) floor and reflective, then cut out panels and sew them the same places they would be anyway?? good idea with tape :)
Don't know, you could definately try. But you have to consider that your cycling kit is more than just a covering for your body. Good kit is made to move sweat away from your skin and help regulate your temparature. If you start slapping a layer heavy floor material on top of it, I don't see that helping. I suppose if you keep it to small patches in strategic positions......... Lots of winter riding kit has reflective material built into the design. My shoe covers have reflective strips by the zippers and reflective logos. My leg warmers have reflective logos and panels. I have a jersey with reflective piping around the rear pockets. So, if you pay attention when picking out your winter gear, you will have the reflective bits you are looking for without having to resort to some sort of bodge to make it happen.
bear in mind you can have the most expensive brightest light you can find and people will still ignore you. Be safe!
I cringed slightly watching Dan ride in the "door zone" along those parked cars. But then I remembered with his superhuman strength, Dan would just smash through any car door like Superman taking out a wall.
I've found recently that night rides are the most enjoyable, quiet roads, time to get lost in my thoughts etc.
The Superdrive XL works well for me on the back roads.
Check out my video cycling helmet vs bottle. That was a night ride.
4:42 Flashing, throbbing, and pulsing? We're talking about lights still, right?
Let's hope so.
😂
THANK YOU! It never came to my mind until you brought it up😤😤
They should have mentioned knowing your battery life! Been caught out with a dead battery before haha
Cycling in Phoenix this summer I got lots of use from my NiteRider 750. Most group rides during the week would start around 7-8pm... aka when the temps get down to about 90-95 degrees. Rides out in Sun City (a city where most residence are retirees and generally are off the roads by about 6pm) is was always quiet, relaxing, and surprisingly cool once the sun went down.
Those rides gave me an extra 20-60 miles per week which has translated into about 3-5mph more speed and about double my max distance now that we are in our peak season. Last weekend, our group did one of our monthly rides it is about 40 miles and is full of rolling hills on the first half and gentle declines on the second half. They split into 2 groups, faster and slower. My first time was in April and I was at the back of the slow group at an average speed of 11.7mph. This past time I was riding with the leader of the faster group with an average speed of 17.9mph.
Without that night riding mileage, I can't imagine having gained that much this year. Next year, my goal is to be fast enough to be able to justify deep section wheels (so be able to consistently solo 18-20 mph on relatively flat rides). That and increasing my yearly goal from 3500 this year to 8000 next year. That's going to involve plenty of time at night! 750 lumens seems like plenty even on darker multi-use trails. But around here, I doubt road cyclists get all that dark anywhere. I guess I can see the need for 800-1000 lumens if you are riding on country roads. I rarely go above low (350) or medium (500). And I do definitely feel more comfortable with my high vis jersey. That thing lights up like a Christmas tree when someone flashes a light on it!
the things i thought of when i heard "throbbing and pulsing" made me realize how teenage my mind still is. (and probably always will be)
Best light I have used since I riding bikes is the exposure lights strada. Very bright, build in battery, remote switch for the handlebar, provides up to 36 hr run time and a very solid mount. Yes it is expensive, but it is really worth it.
Good video guys, mentioned all the important stuff, including that you should not blind other road users!
You guys forgot to mention the UK Legal requirement for Rear reflector - this is required. It must be coloured red and marked as complying with BS6102/2 (or equivalent).
And also.
Pedal reflectors - these must be amber in colour, marked as meeting BS6102/2 (or equivalent) and positioned so that one is visible to the front and another to the rear of each pedal.
Due to my schedule and the hot SoCal weather right now, I do my riding at night. Totally agree with what you two said...
Here where we live there are lots of deer 🦌 and foxes and raccoons coming out at night !
You can’t b prepared for everything!
+ crazy drunk drivers at night !
You guys forgot to mention that light is additive. Instead of buying one 1200 Lumen light (expensive), two 600 lumen lights will do just as well. Of course that means two batteries in most cases, but it's nice if you have a "dimmer" road light that you can use as an extra light for off-road stuff. Otherwise, I agree with the light recommendations (400 at least for general commuting.)
I personally ride with an 800 lumen light for commuting (generally I keep it on 400 lumen mode). For mountain biking at night, I ride with ~2000 lumens downhill.
I commute a lot early morning and late evenings, so I make sure I have a good light; niterider, I love it.
Remember that high-vis does nothing at night. You can be dressed in all black with lots of reflective strips, and be far more visible to a motorist than someone wearing high-vis without anything reflective.
Unless your lights and reflectives are shrouded by a headlight behind you, ie coming upto a junction or the other side of a mini roundabout x
Great video, Nice of you to shed some light on the subject! Very illuminating!!
You two do have a good point because it is true
Well done GCN. Shared it to my local club. Thanks very much.
I love to ride at night under a full moon. I sometimes turn off my headlight(on a road or trail without any cars) and it is a surreal experience!
Not wanting to be an alarmist, but the explanation for Michael Schumacher's injury was the helmet cam mount punched through the helmet and fractured his skull when he hit his head. I have been a little wary of mounting anything to the helmet since then. Combine that with the swim cap warning (Helmets are designed to be slippery) and it makes me question anything attached to a safety item.
4:06 best point of the video, I hate seeing other cyclists with bright lights pointed parallel to the ground, sure you'll be seen but you're also blinding everyone!
This is just a small thing, I'd normally ride with a blinker and a main light, but I position them opposite to Simon. My main light is on the ditch side because that's where most of the obstacles are and I have my front blinker on the oncoming traffic side. This stops the blinker getting washed out by the main light and allows me to aim my main light at the most likely source of road obstacles.
Good advise greetings
Just wear the Tinkoff-Saxo kit and use a few lights. And you're set.
2022, and a novice cyclist here. I have 'running lights' during daytime, plus a 1000 lumen headlight for night rides. I also mounted a taillight and illumination light on my helmet to see my cockpit and be seen by truck drivers in our area.
Glad you mentioned dimming the light in traffic. Blinding a driver is a great way to get hit.
you guys light up my world...
Great info on lights hope I get one for Christmas and if I don't will be following you
Chapeau GCN!
Thank you for this great Night Ride video.
I have loved night rides for years.
Another useful thing to buy is yellow lens sunglasses. They really work well during the night and you don't have to worry about the car that's coming in front of you with super bright lights. No more glare. I also wear led safety arm bands. $5 a pair at Home Depot.
GCN boys getting lit on those OG roads.
Love riding at night! The best!
I chuckle a bit at the 1100 Lumen recomendation for trail riding. I started riding at night back when halogens were king. A 350 Lumen LED light is so much brighter than all but the best halogens. On familiar trails I can run a 650 lumen helmet with a 600 lumen bar light quite comfortably. If I really want to light things up, I can bump the bar up to 1200 lumens, but I rarely find I need that much light.
I got a micro drive 900xl last week. It's a monster! moon shield on the back
Very informative and very helpful.trying to start the the night cycling
Aha, that's Bath! I cycle into work there every week. It's a lovely place to cycle around, however the roads are odd.
Work colleagues : "Are you mad, cycling home after an 8 hour shift?" Me : " Well as long as my brakes are okay, I get no punctures and there's no morons out I'm fine", in fact I enjoy it in the cooler weather if it's not raining after the night in the warehouse - it clears the mind and the cobwebs allowing me to sleep soundly. I also plan new bike rides and possible YT content for my channel for the future. I bought 3 light sets, 2 cheap ones and one fancy usb charging jobs. Well, £3 light pack won out, brighter, better definition, fixtures and the point that if I'm daft and don't remember to take them off if i need to pop into Asda on the way and get them nicked it was £3 and not £12. I keep spares in my bag. Plus I get an extra 30 - 65 km every shift which includes at least 3 hills, i'm in the Pennines.
thanks for all the tips on riding G.C.N. made me a better rider today.. working harder to race mi way to the top ;-) :-D
thanks for the video
handy for the night rides here in ireland
honestly this is a great video. additional helmet rear lights are very effective by the way.
GCN boys need to visit Los Angeles and ride the Wolfpack Hustle. That is a great night time group ride.
The combination of high intensity LEDs and Lithium cells is revelatory, having returned to cycling after about 15 years the different in the performance of lamps is the most impactful advance in technology. Cycling at night is a different experience.
Back in the day when the speed limit was upto 30mph - now it's about 50! you lessen fast to ride a flasher on the front in fact I've 3x AND a blue led as well THAT really slows cars down, tho I don't use that as cars literally stop! The 3 flashers are enough tho...I use these as I've nearly died many a time!
what jacket is Simon wearing?
2 x 100 Lumen Strip lights
1 x 1200 Lumen Light (Portable sun xD)
1 x Cheapo eBay torch (120Lumen approx)
Pretty set lmao
"Knight Rider. A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight: a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law."
So I'm going on an early morning bike ride in Colorado. I'm really excited, I have in fact a 200 Lumen LED headlamp, and yesterday I purchased an Excel C buy flights which I imagine is almost a hundred lumens
A throbbing light?! - Si I think we need a video on this
If anyone is interested in a light that has side protection, get orfos lights, they can be seen effectively from the sides.
Probably the most important thing missed in this video is to bring along spare lights. Battery could die before expected, it could simply malfunction as all electronics eventually do, you might have an issue with your bike, or (as I find is the most common occurrence) you might end up out longer and further away from home than you initially planned. I also bring along a small portable battery charger. I have lower power front and rear lights that can both operate while plugged into that charger even if the light battery is completely drained. I can also at least slightly recharge a dead light while riding with my spare.
The bike I train on has a lot of dings. Reflective tape covers the dings and helps to be seen. Races are never, (Almost Never) done after dark, so the competition bike doesn't need as much reflection!
Excellent video!
Just curious if the product manufacturers pay for this GCN sight? There isn't overt product recommendations but you can see the brands. Having said that the information is good and well intended.
This one was really well filmed, much appreciated
If you're using a focused beam in the front "to see" then aim the stupid thing properly before you head out on a ride. Also, don't be afraid to buy more than one light rather than one "mega" light. I use a Bontrager Ion Pro because I want to have a very powerful light to see the roads but I also have smaller lights if I want a flashing mode plus an uninterrupted beam for me to see what I'm sailing towards. I also found out by chance that my Forerunner 935 will run the thing (via Ant+) and that turned out to be a nice bonus. So yeah, I ordered the Flash RT rear to go with the "system." Note that not all of the Bontrager lights have Ant+.
I ride with a bright light to see obstacles in the road and to be seen. My high beam light is so bright that some vehicles approaching flash their lights for me to dim my light. In my UT Moxnix Stuff I tell about some advantages of night riding. If someone is biking behind me I have to put my red flashing light on low, or blind them
I really enjoyed this video!
If anyone is interested, I just purchased a Proviz 360+ and it 's an AMAZING jacket for nighttime riding. My commute takes me through the middle of nowhere for quite a few miles and while riding home tonight, this big bloody pickup pulls alongside and the window winds down. I'm thinking "oh crap, I'm miles from nowhere, what the hell is happening!" The driver calls out and tells me the jacket is brilliant, he could see me incredibly well not only from the back but from the side as well as he turned on to the rode". Needless to say I was slightly relieved.
What jacket is Simon wearing? I really like it and I need to buy a hi vis one as I was hit by a car despite having good lights and wearing clothes with reflective patches
+Paweł Bogacki Just remember that hi-vis does zilch at night.
simons sportful jacket really kicks that santinis ass
Nice video guys and informative too.
ay-up lights the best you cam buy for night riding get the MTB set up and you get helmet and handle bar lights best buy for
Hi just got my new bike thank you for everything
Just to let you know: UK law states that a constant light is required. Additional lights may be flashing, but at least one must be constant
"Lamps to show steady state"
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/13/made
Ah 2005 amendment: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2559/regulation/6/made
My mistake
I think it was Cateye who lobbied to have the law changed.
They used to have to be constant on only and British Standards approved, but it was amended
to allow any LED Flashing light - as long as it only had Flashing modes.
So the vast majority of LED lights aren't actually legal.
Not that I imagine anyone cares, any light is better than no lights...so many idiots with no lights!
Planning to buy a reflector and saw these 2 unique yet similar things on Kickstarter. Blincclip and Flectr clip. not sure which one to get. Blincclip flips and 'blink' though, interesting. any suggestions?
owh forgot the link. (blincclip) www.kickstarter.com/projects/blincclip/blincclip-the-super-bicycle-reflector?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=blincclip
( Flectr clip ) www.kickstarter.com/projects/outsider-team/flectr-clip-the-ultimate-safety-accessory-for-the-dark?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=flectr%20clip
It must be difficult to ride at night facing those video lights that kill your night vision. Si & Dan=heroes.
i saw this video being filmed as they cycled up from the abbey, towards waitrose :)
I love sunset rides! Do a video about that. I think riding/ driving in sunrises and sunsets can be trickier at times than night rides.
So at what lumens would potentially be blinding other road users? (: thanks
Which make of lights have the throbbing and pulsing mode? Mine only strobe and flash....
+Tjaabr The sexy kind.
+Tjaabr Where can you find a throbbing light?
+Homini Lupus lmao
Does anyone know what jacket Simon is wearing? Thanks!
lighting- 204 led light panel, bright as anything
Hi 👋 what do you think about the mirror glasses? I bought a mirror to put on the handle bars and it was no help... lol
I never ride in the super dark only in low light so what I did is a got a phone mount and use my phones flash that is very bright I can not only see the road but people can see me and I can use my navigation listen to music and answer calls with my earphones attached.
I was hoping they would discuss reflectors, i don't seen any on their bikes but i thought it was law to have both reflectors and lights on front and back?
It doesn't take a bright light to blind people. A 100 lumen light can remove your eyes adaptation to the darkness in a fraction of a second, especially if that light is flashing, and pointed right at your eyes.
what is the jacket simon is wearing?
I had someone today when i was riding my bike. It was about 4:10 so it was still pretty light, id stopped in front of a parket car right to the very edge of the road let a few cars go past me and some chap stopped lowered his window and complaned about me not having lights on? Even though you could easily see everything without them. Is there a set light level where you should turn your lights on or was it him having bad eyesight and being a prick?
Dan's coat reminds me of Simon on that infamous gcn show
I love riding at night with lots of lights on my bike
In the US we are supposed to go with the traffic, so the head light should be not too bad.
And you always have to bare in mind that even with the biggest lights the cars may not see you in some cases
Also, check your local laws. My city bans anything over 500 lumens inside the city. Obviously they don't care outside the city limits, and the parks have their own rules. I'm not sure anyone has been arrested here, but it does set a good guide on how bright you can go before the cops start complaining. Also, no blinking lights allowed either. Steady on only.
Philips Saferide rear lights were just much better than anything else, but they didn't seem to sell well...so now they don't make them any more.
Sadly I had my rack mounted one stolen :(
So how much did lezyne pay ya to give a close shoot of their lights?
When i first started cycling, i went for a night ride on a road with no street lights. I got a light for €1.50 in the 2 euro shop. It broke after 10 mins.
I only ride at night I love it
How is your experience with the Lezyne Macro Duo? (in pitch dark)
I'm thinking about buying one to put on my helmet, and I already have a Super Drive Xl (500 lumens) mounted on my handlebars and a BBB taillight of around 10-15 lumens underneath my saddle.
For side visibility? SPOKE LIGHTS. I run with Monkeylectric M204 kits, one on each wheel. When I'm out after dark, I am in a pool of colored light (happens to be blue 'cause that's my favorite color). When moving, the kits "paint" a circular pattern around the rim.
So at night, in addition to my head and tail lights (my headlight is 3000 lumens at it's highest setting, creating a positively HUGE swath of light on unlit roads) ...? Because of those spokelights, I am readily visible from the side at a distance of AT LEAST 100 yards / 100m. Probably 200-ish, and maybe much further than that.
Road traffic regulations might have (lot more than) something to say about what colour ligths you can use on roads.
Some colours can be reserved for emergency etc vehicle use.
Also in most civilized countries lights blinding/dazzling other road users are likely offense police can fine you from.
And nowadays anything but the dimmest lights are blinding/dazzling, unless light pattern has hard cut off done using reflector design.
@@tuunaes Those regulations, where I live and cycle, generally only specify limits for motor vehicles, and especially for roof-mounted light bars.
For bicycles, the only color restrictions are white (for headlights) and red (for tail lights), along with white or yellow for spoke _reflectors_.
As for blinding others? The centerpoint of my headlight is aimed at the ground about 2- or 30 feet ahead of me. The likelihood of anyone being blinded, who isn't already on the wrong side of the road and within a very short distance, is so imperceptibly small as to be, for all practical intents and purposes, effectively zero.
What kind of jacket is the bright yellow one?
a 3200 lumens on turbo should be enough as front light... ofc i keep it at 600 lumens, pointing just 3 meters away(but is floody) and slightly to the right. i sometimes keep it at 1200 or 3200 when i pass cars parked at my side. for rear i have 2 awesome lights and as a backup, the helmet light. but im not the kind who forget to charge those little lights.
@GCN I do road biking on a regular basis on some pretty busy roads. How many lumens should a trail light have so I can easily be seen?
I actually have those round lezyne lights. They're dim AF, but that's not a big issue. I have a stronger light, but I barely ever use it. Try riding without them, your eyes automatically adjust to the darkness.
also don't ride without lights at night. That's stupid.
I am just a guy 18 year old going to college my schedule is from 5 PM end to 9 PM. just watching this to do not get killed on the road.
lumens is not like watts, the higher the better. I have a 60 lumen rear light which can blind you if look directly. It is SUPER bright! Nice Video!!
So, you're saying it's best to experiment? Nothing wrong w/ that; however, we should know what the-law-of-the-land might have to say (depending on one's location) w/ regard to min & max lumens or wattage required. Your thoughts? And if lumens are not like watts, how do they differentiate? For example, my color-blindness (vision) is affected by the light intensity behind the colored lense.
I love to ride at night! lol I was told not to.. however there are no cars 🚗 it's awesome
This video was most enlightening. Get it lightening enlightening. Haha ok I'm getting my coat.
Anything on the effects of strobe lighting?
Annoyingly, the number that most manufacturers don't quote is the illuminance (measured in lumens per square meter, or lux) - this is the brightness measured from a given vantage point, and is as useful as the luminous flux (lumen count) - even more so if you want to know how far away that driver is going to notice your helmet light or how much side visibility you're going to get out of your bike lights. The difficulty for manufacturers is that it's angle-dependent, so unless you only want a peak value then they can't just quote a single number but have to provide a polar graph.
Please, if you can, address my question given to Flor.e. Cultura. above. Thanks
How cheap can I get a bright light for. I can only afford less than about 50 quid but need a bright enough light for me to be able to see on unlit lanes. Any ideas? Cheers
Ebay solarstorm
Look at Cree lights on eBay.. There cheap but the just as good as any other light.. My mate has had one for over to years now and it's still going strong..
+Chris Nt thanks this looks like a good torch. But does it come with any straps or anything that will allow me to attach to my handlebars?
+British Cycling Channel www.dx.com/c/sports-outdoors-1699/cycling-1607/bike-holder-1643?sort=price&sortType=asc
"Universal Adjustable Bicycle Mount for Flashlights (2cm~4cm Diameter)" is good.
so- would foil work the same as the flouro on bike clothing? I'm thinking stick it to frame and self :P
+marcus allison No
William Keys fair enough- you could still get floor material very cheaply I'm sure and sew it on- much cheaper than all new cycling kit :P
+marcus allison Reflective tape on strategic parts of the frame. Clothing is a bit more of a challenge because of movement.
William Keys I'm thinking you could get very cheap (say building) floor and reflective, then cut out panels and sew them the same places they would be anyway?? good idea with tape :)
Don't know, you could definately try. But you have to consider that your cycling kit is more than just a covering for your body. Good kit is made to move sweat away from your skin and help regulate your temparature. If you start slapping a layer heavy floor material on top of it, I don't see that helping. I suppose if you keep it to small patches in strategic positions.........
Lots of winter riding kit has reflective material built into the design. My shoe covers have reflective strips by the zippers and reflective logos. My leg warmers have reflective logos and panels. I have a jersey with reflective piping around the rear pockets. So, if you pay attention when picking out your winter gear, you will have the reflective bits you are looking for without having to resort to some sort of bodge to make it happen.