Lights and safety stuff

[Scott D]

Last night cycling home from work I was wearing a bright orange top, and had the 2 brightest LED lights cateye sell (the 500 rear, 1000front) when a motorist cut in front of me at a well lit roundabout (again). Fortunately this time I was able to just break in time, although he probably wondered why I was being so abusive. No harm done mate and all that In all fairness I might have been the first cyclist he'd encountered in days at night on a roundabout, so it reminded me again of the need for high visibility clothing to compensate for the inattention of drivers.

 

I recommend the Altura high vis vest/ gillet, to wear over normal clothes, and also the Altura "Nevis" luminous yellow jacket, fitted, with reflective panels and air vents for under the arms. Anybody else have recommendations? How about for side visibility.. any suggestions?

 

Scott

[Darryl Gunson]

Make sure all your lights are at the right height and adjusted to the correct angle for maximum visibility. Remember you want the light to make an impact (!) on someone sitting in a car...

[Tony]

I've just bought 2 metres of 3M "Diamond Grade" reflective tape (1m in yellow and 1m in "Police Blue" from this site:

http://www.bikeseen.com

...planning to cover my rear mudguard (and the mudflap I'm about to fit) in alternating blue & yellow stripes, also similar bands along my top tube for side visibility.

 

There's also this site:

http://www.beseenonabike.com/

..they sell similar reflective tape etc but not the "Police Blue" which took my fancy....

 

Got these links from the Commuting section of the "Cycling Plus" forum which has a lot of good info on lights etc especially around this time of year.

[Ironman]

In road safety at night you have to be very vigilant you safety is in your hand and ears so now ipod you will quit often hear the drivers car that's going to cut in on you before you see it. I have been riding to work for 20 years and the best and cheapest garment you can get is the yellow florescent work's waistcoat that can go over what over you ware.

 

As for lights I have 3 rear led flashing and two led front lights one flashing and also the new super bright on fixed. all my led lights are cateye I also replays batteries ever 4 week wither you need them or not on my survey of batteries I find the German made Ikea batteries the best and the cheapest.

 

Campbell

 

Ps this mornings cycle to work was great dew to the full moon

[Dougie Da Rosa]

This is a big problem,you must always be on the lookout for these idiots,always expect the unexpected!!,I reckon I experience at least one close shave on my bike every day and have recently reported someone to the Police for trying to run me off the road, completely unprovoked,they issued a warning to him.As for the weather and ride to work this morning Campbell it was lovely and fresh,the view I had of the Science Park as the sun rose was top stuff,a change from the rain over the last few weeks for sure.

[Stevie Blom]

Your right Dougie!

People's perception of the road is pretty bad.

Especially this morning with icy roads fogg bound etc.

Best advice is to wear clothes that make be seen(Ironman's idea Hi Viz Vest) and if you can, always get the Eye contact of the drivers around you.

Like most cyclists who ride to work they will encounter atleast a few close encounters each and every day.

 

My setup is an expensive one but since i dont drive its worth my while to keep me safe.

I use a Lupine Edson 4 front light.

65 Watt light with a dip switch down to 40 watt.

65 watt full power will last little longer than one hour and 40 watt will give you 2 hours.(Has factory option of reducing power output for longer light-time)

Recharge time is only 6 hours and the batt is very small and very very light in weight which is smartly wrapped round your top tube.

If you can afford it and ride your bike like me everyday to work regardless of conditions then i would highly recomend it.

Retails for £450.00 - im sure if you call in at dooleys as club members he might give you a deal????

 

My rear light is the £29.00 Cat eye.

Its ok and does the job but it has a fault(a few riders i have spoken to have said this) - every so often the batterie points losen up and fails to make contact which results in light dim or no light at all.

Cuts out from time to time.

if it works then its the bomb!

 

 

Main part from the clothing and lights is keep your steed well kept.!!!!!!!

Most peole tend to use old stuff for the winter period.

I would say use equipment that is going to get you on your destination in one piece.

the last thing you want is snapped chains - broken spokes - dodgy brake callipers - rusty cables - Cheap hubs or a untidy bike in general.

Remember the stuff has to pile through some bad weather with salt mud rain and all sorts getting in between unseen areas.

So give your bike a regular clean and check obvious items such as brake blocks - for wear and tear.

 

Da rosa's winter steed was one of the best i have seen yet for keeping it immaculate

 

 

All the best,

 

 

Stevie B>

[Darryl Gunson]

Good advice from Stevie who acquired this wisdom the hard way

[simon simpson]

yip it's winter time again.....

 

You have too go hard to beat the cateye kit... last year i had 2 hella micro halogen 3 watt lamps rigged to an Ultegra dynohub; shocking ly good but I put a single Led Cateye (the £45)one on the bars too and had the 3 led torch shaped cateye on the helmet set to flashing ..good for eyeballing sidestreet folks.. my 'viz-me-baby' kit was an old workman's roadside discard with extra sewn on scotchlight from other roadside plunder over a flourescent top..I sewed it myself with 3/4 sleeves with viz bands on..

 

This year I'm missing a 3 watt (through disorganisation and the catyeye single runs off the dynamo; it's not as good as last years but ok- the led uses mass power and flashes at under 12mph due to the dynamo passing over its magnets...the halogen 3 watt only glows white at above 14..nowhere near as good as last year when both went white above 9 and I could switch one out the circuit..

 

 

Clothing; given up th hommade look but like Tony purchased 2 inch wide self adhesive scotchlite and covered my flouro jacket in it ( a ctc activent)..front of arms and rear..plus front and rear faces of helmet

 

 

Talking of being seen..has anyone's seen that guy Dougie da Daddy..I hear he's not been on the bike due to organising a housewarming?

 

ss

[P McDonald]

 

Many of you have seen my lights at Glengarnock. They are Smart Dual Halogen and cost £30. I'm on my 3rd set in 13 years because they are so good and excellent value for money. Reason I'm on 3rd set is they can only be recharged 200 times. The 10w light lasts 2 hours and 2.5 w lasts a lot more. With the 10w you can ride in pitch black and comfortably see pot holes etc. on single track country roads.

 

With respect to general safety I believe the best thing you can get is a high vis reflective vest as worn by guys working on the motorway at night etc.

 

PMcD

 

[Dougie Da Rosa]

Simon,I have seen him recently!!,he is doin good aparently,riding to and from work every day,and when he can he goes out on his new mountain bike thingy.Rumour has it he might even go out on a club run soon!!SHOCKEROONY!!.I asked him about the house warming but he denied knowing anything about it,now there's a surprise eh?.He says to tell you he was asking for you.

[KennyS]

If you can afford it and ride your bike like me everyday to work regardless of conditions then i would highly recomend it.

Retails for £450.00 - im sure if you call in at dooleys as club members he might give you a deal????

 

 

Stevie,

 

For this price I'd be looking for a diesel generator on a tag-along

 

 

 

 

.

[mclardie]

If you can afford it and ride your bike like me everyday to work regardless of conditions then i would highly recomend it.

Retails for £450.00 - im sure if you call in at dooleys as club members he might give you a deal????

 

 

Stevie,

 

For this price I'd be looking for a diesel generator on a tag-along

 

 

yeah i think the car battery under the seat with a cibie super oscar on the bars works good and far cheaper and that eaxtra weight is good for the training

 

.

[Tony]

My setup is an expensive one but since i dont drive its worth my while to keep me safe. I use a Lupine Edson 4 front light.

65 Watt light with a dip switch down to 40 watt. Retails for £450.00

 

£450? They must have seen you coming....

 

...which is more than can be said for the gentleman I saw cycling up Finnieston St on Thursday morning, wearing a thigh-length camouflage smock and matching balaclava (teamed with black shoes and black trousers). At least he'll be safe from snipers, artillery spotters etc

[Stevie Blom]

Thanks for all the friendly feed back regarding my light.

the end of the day im happy with it and remember i dont drive !!!!!

 

 

Cheers,

 

S

[simon simpson]

Stevie... stop the bollocks about worrying about how much you've spent on your lights.... most of us would love to spend a few hundred pounds on a light... and as for cycling to work...that means at a minimum that your 'carbon footprint' is minimised.

 

Think of this.... every km my car does puts 200 grammes of co2 in the air... 3 miles (on average once warmed up ) is a kilo.... 12000miles is 4 tonnes of co2...... we did 20000 last year.....

 

a single seat on ryanair to a week in the sun... 1.25 tonnes co2.....so a family car for a year is better than 4 seats to majorca..in fact you could run a 3 litre auto and still feel 'green' as long as you drive to Spain

 

a degree or two too hot in the heating in the house..who knows...

 

Out of season Organic Zimbabwean Mange Tout from Sainsbury's who cares..

 

There's a Hopi Indian saying: We don't inherit the Earth..we borrow it from our children.... and carbon footprint is so much the new black that even petrol companies are into it :

http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle ... Id=7009881

 

 

 

 

Oh it's too confusing......enjoy your lights..... and get the CTC Euro Bike Express to Europe next summer.... 30 hours with a bus full of bike geeks.. but...but...but...low carbon footprint..

 

cheers ss

[Dougie Da Rosa]

Simon,I reckon you and Scott D should stop going out for those 30hr runs where you disect all the techno gadgettery in the world,ma heids nippin wi' figures!!!

[Stevie Blom]

Thats has to go down as the best reply on this forum yet!

Now thats a classic simon!!!

 

 

Stevie B

[KennyS]

Stevie... stop the bollocks about worrying about how much you've spent on your lights.... most of us would love to spend a few hundred pounds on a light... and as for cycling to work...that means at a minimum that your 'carbon footprint' is minimised.

 

Think of this.... every km my car does puts 200 grammes of co2 in the air... 3 miles (on average once warmed up ) is a kilo.... 12000miles is 4 tonnes of co2...... we did 20000 last year.....

 

a single seat on ryanair to a week in the sun... 1.25 tonnes co2.....so a family car for a year is better than 4 seats to majorca..in fact you could run a 3 litre auto and still feel 'green' as long as you drive to Spain

 

a degree or two too hot in the heating in the house..who knows...

 

Out of season Organic Zimbabwean Mange Tout from Sainsbury's who cares..

 

There's a Hopi Indian saying: We don't inherit the Earth..we borrow it from our children.... and carbon footprint is so much the new black that even petrol companies are into it :

http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle ... Id=7009881

 

 

 

 

Oh it's too confusing......enjoy your lights..... and get the CTC Euro Bike Express to Europe next summer.... 30 hours with a bus full of bike geeks.. but...but...but...low carbon footprint..

 

cheers ss

 

 

This from the guy who is personally responsible for thousands of miles of land erosion caused by those tyres he stole off Farmer Broon's Massey Ferguson