The Chainlink

Super Bright Bike Lights: Annoying? Arms race?

Is it just me or are some of these front bike lights getting more and more annoyingly bright and blinding, to the point where it's rude to other bikers?

First we had 500 lumens.  Then 750. Then 1000.  Now 3000 lumens. I get that you want to illuminate the road and alert others to your presence, but I feel like it's getting out of control.

It's like when you're driving a car, and someone in oncoming traffic is driving with their brights on -- it's widely considered rude, it blinds oncoming drivers, it's dangerous, etc.  A lot of times drivers will blink their lights at someone who's driving w/ their brights on, as in, "Hey dude, turn off your gdf'n brights!"

I commute on the Lake Front bike path, and when someone comes up with one of these blindingly bright lights, you can't look directly forward and you have to look away, which is a bit dangerous.  Also, b/c the light is so bright, you can't see anything behind that biker.

Again, I do get that you want to have some light, and certainly something so that other bikers and cars and pedestrians can clearly tell you're there, but these lights are getting TOO bright.

So what do you think, are these ultra-bright lights obnoxious, or are they just fine?

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Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on January 9, 2012 at 7:49pm

I didn't know how to feel about this until I rode the LFP just before dark tonight and my memory was refreshed.  I encountered 1 person with a steady blinding beam, everyone else's light was pretty weak comparatively.  But that one glaring beam, it does kind of throw you off.  I was trying to look away from the damn thing but it was hard to for some reason.  Maybe this thread is to blame.  

My current light is a single beam, 10 dollar usb rechargeable light I bought at Performance.  I think Axiom or something makes it.  I know its good enough to be seen if aimed correctly (not to mention pretty bright for it's size), but it has a tendency to slide on the bars even on a tight grip and I notice it pointing downward a bit after riding a while.  I've been looking to upgrade and checked out the Planet Bike Beamer 3 and 5, and both can be had at 20 bucks or less if you shop around.  But so many people on Amazon have complained that the mount is shit, and my handlebars are pretty thin so I think that's out of the question.  I think I found my next light in this one, though http://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Tec-Eos-LED-Headlight/dp/B001K36ZC8...

Anyone here use it?  Waterproof, good mount, 1 watt.  Seems like a winner...  

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on January 9, 2012 at 7:50pm

$40 from Amazon for the blinky ones.  

$41 from Amazon for the headlight.

Seems like they are available stateside, no problem.

But it still beats me why someone wouldn't just build a wheel around one of these.  A new spoke set + your own rim would be just under $100 in parts.   There are cheaper dynos to be had without a hub brake but while one is building a wheel one might as well go Lexus and put in hub brakes.  I can't imagine running an all-weather all-season bike on rim brakes -regardless of how good they are in the dry. 

Maybe that is just me...

Lights, brakes -it's a safety issue IMHO.

Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on January 9, 2012 at 8:05pm

That Princeton Tec Eos light made me wonder.  If people get these crazy 3 watt or whatever beams, why don't they mount them lower on the front fork instead of up in people's faces?  Seems like you could light the road ahead more effectively this way.  And then maybe get a 5 or 10 dollar light for your handlebars as a 'be seen' light.  

Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on January 10, 2012 at 10:15am

I have a 350 lumen light on the front on my bike.  I bought it because a driver who nearly hit me said I was hard to see with the weaker front light I had been using.  My 350 light is very bright.  I worry sometimes that it is obnoxious.  In my opinion anything more would definitely be over the top.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on January 10, 2012 at 10:30am

I think that a brighter light than 350 lumen is OK as long as it is hard-mounted and low.  I've got my own light mounted on a bracket to my cantelever boss at the left side of my fork.  It's low and aimed so that the light is where I need it.  

A bright light on a helmet can be pretty obnoxious.  But one mounted on the fork leg or at the fork crown is not going to be blinding anyone but the biggest whiner unless it is not aimed correctly and pointing up at the trees. 

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on January 10, 2012 at 11:32am

I really like my  IQ Fly dynamo light because it can be hard mounted, but still has three distinct tilt levels to aim the light higher or lower. I'll aim it at it's highest level (at the level of a car's side mirror) when I'm commuting home on Kimball during rush hour; because at that hour the traffic is always backed up and i'm spending most of my time in the door zone.

It IQ Fly is 140 lumens (i think), but it's functionally much brighter than that because of the more efficient optics and beam shape.

Permalink Reply by John S. on January 13, 2012 at 8:19pm

You can have a 3000 Lumen light and not blind people.  I built my light.  It's about 2600 lumens on high.  I have a remote switch that controls the light level.  It works like the low / high beam on a car.  I can program the low setting to be as low as 10 lumens, as dim as a candle.  With the flick of a switch I can go from 10 lumens to 2600.  I can also program the low setting while I'm riding along, just by holding the remote button in and watching the light get progressively dimmer or brighter.   When it reaches the appropriate level, I let go and the low setting has been programmed.

I ride in many different conditions and situations.  I trails through the forest preserve where it can get pitch black, suburban paved trails and on the road.  I adjust the light to the conditions. 

I agree, it's rude and it's dangerous to both me and oncoming traffic (bicycle, pedestrian or car) to blind people.  On the other hand, it's also not safe to ride with too little light. 

It's the ability to control the light and have as much light as you need, when it's appropriate, that's important.

One of my recent night rides started at 10:00 PM and ended at 3:00 AM.  It was about 60 miles.  When you're the only person on a dark stretch of trail, having a light bright enough to blind someone if needed,  is part of my defense.  Anyone that's done enough night riding usually has some stories to tell about being concerned for their safety.  Having power when you need it is important.  Like anything else, it needs to be used responsibly.

A light similar to mine on high (32 watts) burning a thin piece of paper:

Permalink Reply by Kevin K on January 29, 2012 at 12:49pm

Thanks all who replied to this topic -- got more responses than I expected!  

My own summary:  Super Bright lights on the LFT certainly aren't the end of the world, but following the Golden Rule vis-a-vis your fellow cyclists is a good thing.

So if you ride with a super-bright light system, try to find one with adjustable beam strength, and when you're sharing the trail with oncoming cyclists please put it in a reasonable mode. For instance, if you're on the LFT (and not on a dark one-way mtb trail), please don't ride with your system in "Literally-Lighting-Objects-on-Fire" mode.

Last but not least, all cyclists should verify that their light-system adheres to the 1995 UN Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons.

Peace,

Kevin

Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on January 29, 2012 at 1:20pm

I just bought an 80 lumen light.  It's waterproof, has a blink setting and 3 adjustable beam settings.  When it's on the blink setting I can see street signs and other reflective things bouncing back light to me REALLY far away.  Like, blocks... I was pretty surprised.  It's got a great mount and doesn't weigh a lot.  That light combined with a cheap 10 dollar led rechargeable on my front fork is enough for me. 

32 watts seems excessive.  Remember that bright lights like that can cause serious permanent damage to eyes (let alone skin?), something a typical can of mace cannot.  I'm quite sure you could more than adequately illuminate a darkened forest preserve trail with way less than half of that.  On top of that, it gets to a point where it's light pollution.  I know it's fun to build stuff with your own hands and also to feel safe, but the line is being crossed with some of these mega watt lights. 

Kevin Mulcky just mentioned optics efficiency and beam shape, something the new lights are getting better and better at.  They generate less heat, use less energy, and are much brighter than their 'stats' would lead you to believe. 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on January 29, 2012 at 1:31pm

I can use my excessively-bright non-complying 1995 UN protocol on BLW's light and use it as a weapon of self-defense when out late on deserted trails.  I can not only permanently blind an attacker by searing his retinas but I can melt their skin and cause 3rd-degree burns on their underlying flesh and newly-exposed bones. 

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