super front light

[willcee]

Driving back home last week around 7ish pm I met a lone cyclist who had the best front light I have ever encountered in my limited ''lights'' experience, not doing any nite time cycling but wish to be seen from a distance in daylight on dull winter days.. this looked a decent light not obtrusive, it attracted my attention half a mile away with a pulse of even brighter light every other second yet the other light didn't dim or change.... now out today riding with a much younger cyclist who needs and uses lights as his bikes are his main transport by choice ,Its Knog most likely he allowed when I described it , so I reckoned on asking the pundits on here.. any ideas chaps?? will

[GeekDadZoid]

My Cateye Volt 400 has a mode like that, they do a few power level versions up to a massive 1200 lumens.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I am not that keen on flashing front lights at all.
Is this somehow easier on the eye for the rider / oncoming other?

[willcee]

I know what you mean.. however in daylight I 'm only concerned about me and my companions, that we are easily seen, its madness to think that everyone driving vehicles coming towards you is as aware as they should be or has good enough distance eyesight if he or she intended to do an overtake on a slower car or tractor in front of them looked at the road hundreds of yards away and failed to notice 3 cyclist 2 abreast.. this couldn't not be noticed half a mile or more away..Its hard to blind anyone in daylight , and if angled correctly shouldn't pose any great problem , suppose that goes for any forward faced lamp.. will

[Pebble]

Driving back home last week around 7ish pm I met a lone cyclist who had the best front light I have ever encountered in my limited ''lights'' experience, not doing any nite time cycling but wish to be seen from a distance in daylight on dull winter days.. this looked a decent light not obtrusive, it attracted my attention half a mile away with a pulse of even brighter light every other second yet the other light didn't dim or change.... now out today riding with a much younger cyclist who needs and uses lights as his bikes are his main transport by choice ,Its Knog most likely he allowed when I described it , so I reckoned on asking the pundits on here.. any ideas chaps?? will

I have a cateye 800 and it has a mode that you describe, a combination of 200 lumen steady with a 800 lumen pulse.

I often use the pulse mode as it starts to get dark, but never the combination.

In fact I have two cateye 800. both on at 400 is my favourite setting - much better than one at 800.
even two on at 200 is great if moving slow on dry roads.

both on 800 is a bit OTT, can comfortably descend at 30+ on wet roads.

[GeekDadZoid]

The 400 has a 400 mode & 200 mode

I usually run it on 200 lumens and it's perfect for my need. I usually change to the pulse when it his dawn / dusk from looking at it in similar light from 100 meters away it does give it a kick and the beam angle is in no danger of dazzling anyone.

[chris_suffolk]

Maybe (well certainly) overkill on the road, but check this one out

https://www.torchy.co.uk/product/m-tigersports-superion-6200-lumen-bike-and-head-light-for-31-8mm-bars/

Measured at a tad over 8500 lumens (which is MUCH brighter than a mainbeam car headlight). I would suggest this would be visible well over 1/2 a mile away which was the distance that captured the OP's attention.

[oneten]

I know what you mean.. however in daylight I 'm only concerned about me and my companions, that we are easily seen,

I know the post is about being visible during daylight so forgive me for adding a nighttime anecdote. When I used to cycle-commute to work, I remember hearing an angry voice along a dark section of a cycle path say, " Oi, that light is way too bright, it's dazzling me!" I did manage a reply along the lines of, " All the better for seeing people wearing dark clothes then." I bet the bloke would've moaned even more if a cyclist with no lights had bumped into him.

[willcee]

+1 and I know what YOU mean as well. imo, and i emphasise 'my' ...the thing many cyclists don't get is that there is an us and them from both walkers and motorists.. neither like sharing any space... period.. we're never in this together...!!! however back to the daylight issue, have one en route from Wiggle, a 400 @ 25 quid.. hope it does my job.. will

[PH]

I know the post is about being visible during daylight so forgive me for adding a nighttime anecdote. When I used to cycle-commute to work, I remember hearing an angry voice along a dark section of a cycle path say, " Oi, that light is way too bright, it's dazzling me!" I did manage a reply along the lines of, " All the better for seeing people wearing dark clothes then." I bet the bloke would've moaned even more if a cyclist with no lights had bumped into him.

First it's not cycle path, it's shared use.
Second, people are entitled to wear what they like, it isn't their responsibility to be visible to you.
Third, do you really think the only options are a blinding light or not being able to see where you're going? If so you need to do a bit more research, there's plenty of lights that are excellent for illumination without ever being antisocial to other road or path users.
The sort of light in the OP is very much in the anti-social class, if fitted to an motorbike it'd be a MOT test failure. It caught Willcee's attention from half a mile away, if you're a cyclist going in the other direction that a dangerously long time to have such a light blinding you. As for them increasing the safety of the user, lets see some evidence.

[pwa]

I know the post is about being visible during daylight so forgive me for adding a nighttime anecdote. When I used to cycle-commute to work, I remember hearing an angry voice along a dark section of a cycle path say, " Oi, that light is way too bright, it's dazzling me!" I did manage a reply along the lines of, " All the better for seeing people wearing dark clothes then." I bet the bloke would've moaned even more if a cyclist with no lights had bumped into him.

First it's not cycle path, it's shared use.
Second, people are entitled to wear what they like, it isn't their responsibility to be visible to you.
Third, do you really think the only options are a blinding light or not being able to see where you're going? If so you need to do a bit more research, there's plenty of lights that are excellent for illumination without ever being antisocial to other road or path users.
The sort of light in the OP is very much in the anti-social class, if fitted to an motorbike it'd be a MOT test failure. It caught Willcee's attention from half a mile away, if you're a cyclist going in the other direction that a dangerously long time to have such a light blinding you. As for them increasing the safety of the user, lets see some evidence.

And if I were a pedestrian repeatedly blinded by an inconsiderate cyclist on a shared use path at night I would start returning the favour with an even brighter hand held torch! It doesn't help any of us if some road / path users are dazzled.

[willcee]

GUYs Lets not annoy those with different takes on this...Basically I am only concerning myself and those with me on the road in daylight just want to be seen in poor light or dark dull winter misty environs , I'm on country roads, not urban territory, and really being brutally honest I cannot see who or why I would be worried about blinding during daylight hours, I don't use cycles in the dark but I have excellent headlights on both cars, modded so I can see where I'm going , then reset for MOT's. MOT setting is OK in town absolutely no use for country road driving with the hi beam set for maybe 45 yards and the dim cut off 17 yards from the bonnet...will

[mattsccm]

Intrigued why you feel that you know better than the car designers or the ministry regarding headlight settings. Car lights were fine 50 years ago. You just drive slower, at their limits.

[pwa]

Intrigued why you feel that you know better than the car designers or the ministry regarding headlight settings. Car lights were fine 50 years ago. You just drive slower, at their limits.

Silly me, all these decades living and driving in the countryside, not realising my MOT compliant headlights are not good enough. I always wondered why some idiots have such blinding headlights even on dip, but now I know.

Back to the main topic, this rather expensive light looks to me to be a lovely bit of kit for a commuter with a deep wallet:
https://www.bikester.co.uk/supernova-ai ... 78294.html

[rmurphy195]

Hi,
I am not that keen on flashing front lights at all.
Is this somehow easier on the eye for the rider / oncoming other?

Not the one described by the OP, no - I've seen these, they are often badly aligned and cause quite a distraction, if used at night its more difficult to pinpoint its position even if correctly aligned than a steady light (think lighthouses!).

By day if conditions require it I use a cateye Omni, with a good spread of light, in flashinbg mode, this I've found very effective at quite long distances when under trees, dull weather at twighlight etc. (by effective I mean got a friend to watch as I approcahed from several hundred yards away, and also parked the bike and looked at it from a distance myself) and it does so without confusing the eye.

By night I have a steady lamp to see by and have the Omni on as well.

BTW I've been dazzled by lights such as the one described both at night and in daylight on the bike (where my eye level is quite high) and its much worse when driving, where my eye level is lower down. All very well having the eye "drawn" to a bright flashing light, but its not the only thing one should be looking at!