Commuter – Bicycle Light - University survey

[AdamMortlock]

Hi fellow cyclists,

I am currently proceeding through my major project work for my final year product Design degree at the University of derby and I have, as you may already know, been posting many different things on this forums. I have now established that one of the major problems with cycling is safety, focusing on commuter/ urban cyclists. I am now looking into the current problems that are faced with cycling lights. I have a survey that I would really appreciate if you could fill it in, the point of the survey is to establish what problems you have with current lights you use and what you think could be improved.

I will be looking back at this thread daily to give replies and would appreciate any further thoughts to discuss on here.


https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MLWVQ8H

Thanks,

Adam

[[XAP]Bob]

I'm not convinced safety is that huge a problem, but putting that to one side the biggest problem is that cyclist safety is best improved by modifying motorist behaviour - not something we can easily modify.

Commuters are quite likely to run proper lights, with a road oriented beamshape, sharpcut off etc. We are also quite likely to power them ourselves....

[AndyK]

I'm not convinced safety is that huge a problem, but putting that to one side the biggest problem is that cyclist safety is best improved by modifying motorist behaviour - not something we can easily modify.

Commuters are quite likely to run proper lights, with a road oriented beamshape, sharpcut off etc. We are also quite likely to power them ourselves....

Give him a break, he's a product design student so designing a product really has to be involved somewhere - he's not going to be able to change society. Unless he invents some kind of motorist mind-control beam, of course. [Hmm... ]

That does beg the question, where are all the psychology students, or the politics students, or the sociology students? (Is sociology still a thing?) Why aren't they here surveying us? Why do we only get the well-meaning but unfortunately misguided product design students?

[gordy]

Two things; As above, I am not convinced that safety is either a problem or a huge concern. However, peddling "safety" to the cycling community is a good way to sell accessories and new products. Ho hum.

As with your other surveys, could I suggest you have a quick look at the cities and countries just over the Channel/North Sea where cycle-commuting is ten times more popular than in the UK. Regular, all-year, all-weather commuters ride bikes with dynamos. Their front and rear lights are bolted on to the fork crown and a plate fixed to the rear rack respectively. Neither dynamos or lights are "accessories".. they come already fitted.

You have omitted those options from your survey completely, although that's how most bike lights in the world are powered and fixed.

Good luck!

[andrewk]

That does beg the question, where are all the psychology students, or the politics students, or the sociology students? (Is sociology still a thing?) Why aren't they here surveying us? Why do we only get the well-meaning but unfortunately misguided product design students?

Thankfully sociology and non productive sociologists seem less popular now. Product designers on the other hand are wealth producers, less sociologists and more product designers is IMO a step in the right direction.

[Si]

That does beg the question, where are all the psychology students, or the politics students, or the sociology students? (Is sociology still a thing?) Why aren't they here surveying us? Why do we only get the well-meaning but unfortunately misguided product design students?

Thankfully sociology and non productive sociologists seem less popular now. Product designers on the other hand are wealth producers, less sociologists and more product designers is IMO a step in the right direction.

Rather we have a good number of both working together - then we don't find ourselves in the situation where we are constantly being given new products that solve non-existant problems.

[gaz]

* 2. Do you use lights whilst commuting to work? (If 'No' please do not carry on with this survey)

Technically no, but I do use them on the commute home from work when it's dark .

Increasing numbers of cyclists are using lights routinely in daylight, as well as in darkness. The survey doesn't seem to make any distinction between these groups.

[[XAP]Bob]

Give him a break

I did, I gqve constructive feedback, both the perception of requirement and where any real solutiin to that requirement lies.

Then I talked about the things likely to be kmportant to many commuters.

I would really like a full beam, with remote switch...

[fluffybunnyuk]

I'd like a pair of blue flashing lights one at the front and the rear. I'm guessing the traffic would part like the river nile then in front of me ...

[meic]

I would really like a full beam, with remote switch...

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m ... aid:620049

or did you mean

I would really like a full beam, with remote switch for under £100

[Brucey]

I would really like a full beam, with remote switch...

Some offroad lights default to 'on' when the battery pack is connected, and use simple connectors for said pack. This means that you can easily configure them for a remote switch.

My 'Pace 310' LED lamp works like this but my e-bay cheapie LED system doesn't.

Since the e-bay cheapie systems can be had for about £20 I have considered hacking one open so that I can fit a remote switch to it.

cheers

[[XAP]Bob]

I would really like a full beam, with remote switch...

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/b--m ... aid:620049

or did you mean

I would really like a full beam, with remote switch for under £100

Actually, that looks nice.
Trying to work out which bit of the name gives it the full beam (and if that is a proper full beam, not just a brighter dipped beam)

looks like a DLR + Dipped beam...
Worth looking at though, thanks.

[Ayesha]

My e-Bay cheapo system flashes once when the battery is connected. The switch is an illuminated push-push button on the rear of the head unit.
The head unit is underslung on the handlebars ( with the light shining forward if anyone’s interested ).
I have no problem switching the unit off and on while riding.

The battery pack had a Velcro strap which conveniently hooks onto the downtube bottle cage, while my bottle of milk for the day’s coffee is in the seat tube bottle cage.

The LED lamp is rated at 1800 cda, or 20W. Measured, it gave 16W.
Full beam lasts about 90 minutes and half beam approx. double this. I don’t use flashing.

The brightest part of the beam is circular and goes to approx. six feet diameter at twenty feet distance. I have it positioned so the beam is the width of a carriageway at about fifteen yards distance.
The less bright peripheral area of light goes out at approx. 45 deg to the unit, effecting a quarter circle of light to illuminate curb, signs, cat’s eyes and front mudguard.

I find Half Power brightness is sufficient for town riding. A 50 km daily urban commute can be accomplished on one charge.

A replacement battery is less than a tenner.

My other bike for commuting has a Sturmey DynoHub. I swapped out the OE front bulb for a 6V 5W halogen. I used a commercial LED rear lamp.

Experimenting showed the DynoHub was capable with a Full Wave Rectifier, of powering a 3W Ultrabright LED torch. That light was pretty good for urban commuting.

I have since returned the DynoHub bike to standard, as it is a ‘Classic’.