Visibility at night

[Newboy]

I was driving home last night at about 6.15 on the Kyalami road when I passed a cyclist going towards Woodmead. Although this guy had a reflective vest on I was right behind him when I first saw him. Please guys if you ride in the dark have a red flashing light on your bike. They cost little enough.

I can just see the headlines and the outrage on the hub had I collided with this guy.

[Merida002]

Well said TryBoy, I couldn't agree with you more. I ride at the moment with two rear red lights on the back of my bike and two red knog frogs on my helmet facing back-wards (the front is almost as well lit), I know that this might be overkill (had some guy on a MTB behind me making sarcastic remarks about how he almost didn't see me the other day!!) but rather that than being rear ended by a car or vehicle. And I have to say that even with four highly visible red lights there are still a number of cars and busses (my pet hate) that try and pass you as close as they possibly can. As mentioned by TryBoy please guys and girls make sure you are visible when riding in the dark or even just in poor light conditions it might not look cool riding around with enough lights to classify as a search and rescue helicopter but what is the alternative being taken out by a vehicle? Give me uncool any day.

[Red Zone]

People also need to learn that some silly little single LED lights are a total waste of money and effort, you need something bright - 5 LEDs at the back (flashing) and a front light that can throw a beam.

[AndreZA]

People also need to learn that some silly little single LED lights are a total waste of money and effort' date=' you need something bright - 5 LEDs at the back (flashing) and a front light that can throw a beam.

[/quote']

 

thank you for telling that to people. I've seen them mostly on the bikes of those two big cycling clubs in JHB north where they don't want to ad weight to their R50 000 bike.

 

Last time I mentioned it people said "but they had 10 of the stuff on the bike".  Rhis things don't wotk if you do not look straig at them. The light needs to be diffused. I bought me a little RavX one last year. It's got 3 LEDs pointing straight back and one on each side. It came with batteries that lasts for almost forever and it only cost me R65.

 

 

[Slowbee]

 

People also need to learn that some silly little single LED lights are a total waste of money and effort' date=' you need something bright - 5 LEDs at the back (flashing) and a front light that can throw a beam.

[/quote']

 

 

my pet hate !! single light LED .... your life has to be worth more than the weight !

 

[DRIVETRAIN]

I want to add my bit : I ride with 2 red flashing lites on the rear & 2 clear on the front since I've been commuting to work --- Without FAIL I was cut off twice by motorists from the front turning left just as they overtook me -  as well as motorists "chancing" turning out of a road as I approach --Yet I'm also wearing "Bright clothing" We can ride with a floodlight on our heads for crying out loud and it won't make a difference

"DT"

[Mark]

DT: Take them off and see if you are around next Friday to tell the tale.

[The Saint]

Just on this issue of safety. A few weeks ago there was in insert on Super Cycling on a product called ICE ID.

 

I ordered one and it arrived in the post 2 weeks later as promised. Fantastic little band which goes around your ankle or wrist with all your info on it. Nice thing about this is it is also a once off cost unlike some other products out there and you get to choose what text you want on it.

 

Check it out on http://www.iceid.co.za

 

 

[Pocketbikes]

DT, I don't disagree with you. There will always be idiots on the road. The way I see it though, we have 2 options:

1. Lights and theres a chance we will only get taken out by idiots.
2. No lights and we risk a chance of getting taken out by everyone

I also read that a flashing light is a lot more visible than a steady one.

 

Safe riding

 

[slowpoke]

end of the day we all hav to decide - do we want to LOOK lik christmas trees so that we have a better chance of seeing one again, or are we too cool and thus would prefer to risk never seeing one again just so we don't ever look like one.

 

(i know that i don't mind looking the part - christmas trees all decked in lights and shiny stuff are pretty!)

[Li Mu Bai]

Funny though, last Oct at Kyalami I still had some old geezer ride into the back of mike bike, despite my flashing light, and there was still daylight out. Pay attention to whats going on around you!

 

Knog bullfrog on the back is the business.