Lights - May be stale conversation but still relevant

Riding on the LFT this evening from the Loop I initially estimated that only 30% of the bikes on the trail had lights.   So, I decided to actually count.   From about Irving Park for the rest of my commute home it was more like 50% - far less depressing than my initial impression.

With the time change this weekend late afternoon and evening rides are going to be in the dark.   Please use your lights.

Is there a program, initiative that we can start to encourage people to get lights?  I am not sure why people ride in the dark without them.   This evening I can only surmise that some the first group of riders I encountered made their initial trip during daylight and were caught out when it got dark.  That is conjecture however.  I really do not understand why people do not use lights.

Looking for constructive suggestions to advocate/educate/elucidate for more lights

Thank you.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Bedno on November 10, 2016 at 10:30am

Bike headlights are among my top peeves, especially since they're one of our ONLY legal requirements in Chicago: 9-52-080(a): Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a head lamp which shall emit a white light visible from a minimum distance of 500 feet from the front...

Occasionally organizations like Chicago Bike Ambassadors and Active Transit give away some at cycling hotspots, but they're unpredictable.

I keep cheap front/rear sets (from Target) among my bike stuff, and bring them on group rides, and give away several a year to unlit friends and acquaintances.

My personal fave, 500 lumens max, USB charging, under $20: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M8SZX04/

Permalink Reply by Ryan C on November 10, 2016 at 12:22pm

Andrew, props to you for giving away lights - very honorable indeed. If you need a source I've ordered a bunch of very cheap bike lights from AliExpress - $1.xx-2.xx with free shipping. Usually take a bit under a month to arrive. Obviously not the best quality but for giveaways/throwaways you may want to consider checking out what the site has to offer.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on November 14, 2016 at 10:20am

IMHO front helmet lights are a great idea for trail riding.  City riding? Not so much. If your light is correctly aimed and is on your handlebar it can be quite bright without being a problem. In general I set my light to blink when on major city streets as that is all that is really needed and it saves battery.  My light goes up to 350 lumens and in the suburbs or on darker streets I will use it all. The light is aimed about 25 feet in front of me on the pavement. All this being said I think ninjas are a much worse problem than blinding bikers.  

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 15, 2016 at 4:28am

I use a tiny LED light mounted on my helmet for extra visibility. When a driver doesn't appear to see me and looks like they'll do something that may cause a crash (like crossing the centerline, failing to stop, etc.), I point it at them very briefly (a second or two) then turn it away. It ALWAYS get their attention, they go back across the centerline, slow down, and generally get their s@!t together.

Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on November 15, 2016 at 10:33am

Right-on, Anne. Since I mounted little lights on my helmet I've noticed that a simple head turn toward the lead car in an intersection has upped my visibility/driver awareness a lot, too. Surprisingly effective.

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on November 15, 2016 at 2:57pm

While driving a car I do not use my bright lights, because it can blind oncoming traffic. My headlights are installed pointing down, not up, and they do not blink; nor do my brake lights blink.

I take this same attitude and setup on my trike. All I need is about 100 lumens on my headlight to see ten to twenty feet in front of me. The headlight is pointed down, so I do not blind oncoming riders and drivers. It does not blink.

My rear light does not blink. It is easier for car drivers to judge distance and speed when a rear or front light is a steady light.

From this good read, The Case Against Bright-as-the-Sun Flashing Bike Lights, is this summary: Using flashing bike lights at night doesn’t make you safer, can create medical problems for people, can be dangerous for other bicyclists and is definitely obnoxious to be around. So really, why on earth would you do it?

As for helmet vs. handlebar, I prefer a helmet mount. I like turning my head and light ahead of the turn to see what is there before I get there.

Permalink Reply by BikeScnhook on November 21, 2016 at 7:31am

I don't know how many people I almost crashed into on the LFT head-on when passing because I couldn't see them. I'm so tempted to "accidentally" knock 'em over and say, "oops, sorry, man; didn't see you!"

Okay, maybe someone can make me understand something:

1) Sun is shining bright as anything. There's no way *ever* that anything outside will *not* be seen...yet I still see the occasional biker with lights on. WHY???? (I'm not talking about Divvy bikes, whose lights are always on.)

2) I've tried the blink setting on my headlight. Result: it really gets to me, pretty badly. Makes me understand how people can get seizures from flashing lights. Why do so many people use blinking as opposed to steady? I always use steady, myself. Only possible explanation I can think of is that a blinking light lasts longer than a steady light -- my lights, for example, are rated for 2 hours for steady, 5 for blinking. And I'm never out for more than an hour at night anyway.

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on November 23, 2016 at 5:00am

It is a law in Illinois that motor cycles have a headlight on at all times, many cars now operate with daytime running lights.

But as with just about anything there are conspiracy theories.

The horror!

Permalink Reply by Mike Muczynaki on November 23, 2016 at 5:28am

As to #1, many (maybe all?) dynamo/generator light sets are "always on."  I have a set of Reelights, and there's simply no switch.  Also, no batteries, which is nice.

As to #2, I think you're right about the run time being a factor.  But the "being seen" part is also another factor IMO.  After reading this thread, I'm fully convinced that steady lights are the right way to go.  It will take a big effort to get the word out, though, and change people's minds.

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on November 27, 2016 at 2:45pm
Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on December 1, 2016 at 7:10pm
"Flare R City tail light make you the biggest distraction on the city streets, day or night."

Dunno if that's necessarily a good thing? I prefer a steady light because I also read that it's easier to gauge distance and relative speed when viewing a steady light. But as far as daylight goes, my routes often take me under bridges or through tunnels and it's just easier to have the lights on all the time...
Permalink Reply by Jasmin on November 23, 2016 at 12:24pm

My headlight has 800lumens, which I mostly use during late group rides, not commuting. I think flashing lights may catch drivers' attention more than steady ones, but I do not like the blinding kind either...

I definitely love everything reflective, i.e. using cars' lights to my benefit.

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