Front Light for daytime

[Mick F]

So what do you suggest, meic?

That if you want daylight lights on your bike go ahead and have them.
If you want to disable the DRLs on your car go ahead and do so.

Not fussed about them on a bike, I tend to be quite visible generally when riding, but I can understand why people like them. Not sure that other road users like them because generally they are WAY TOO BRIGHT.

As for the car, I quite like them.
The Fiat500 we had up until recently had them, and in the three years and 15,000miles we owned it, I'd changed blown bulbs six times. You could turn them on and off through the car menu, but I left them on.

We now have a Toyota Yaris, and as far as I know, they can't be turned off. They are LED so should be a damned sight more reliable then the Fiat's ever were.

The thing is, DLRs on cars are there by design, and have a legally approved brilliance etc.
With a bike, people seem to use their brightest light that is actually designed to show the way when it's dark. Yes, they can be on flashing mode, but they are STILL TOO BRIGHT.

[mjr]

But I like many am a Mr Toad too and to work towards a more courteous tolerant society on the road is the goal is it not?

I'm a motorist - I ain't no Mr Toad - and daytime "look at me! look at me! look at me!" lights seem the opposite of courteous behaviour to me.

[Sum]

Hi All,
Just got back into Cycling & I'm loving it. All of my Cycling is done during daylight hours & I'm looking for a bright front light to alert Car drivers that I'm there. Can anyone recommend a bright front light (LED perhaps). I've seen the flashing ones & they get my attention whilst I'm in the Car so was thinking flashing is the way to go. I am on a budget & would prefer to pay less than £35.
Thanks.

OP, assuming you haven't been scared off the forum, I have a Magicshine MJ 890 on the commute bike. TBH I don't actually to use it as a DRL, it's there mainly as an emergency back-up to a Philips SafeRide when commuting at night but I have used it occasionally during daylight fog and it does the job well enough. Side visibility is limited though. The "USB charger included" is actually just a USB lead. You will need to factor in the cost of a USB wall-wart if you don't have one.

[Warin61]

daytime "look at me! look at me! look at me!" lights seem the opposite of courteous behaviour to me.

Unfortunately the 'safety messages' all say 'be seen, use a light' .. so people put lights on. Police use hi vis cars and jackets .. bring back the dull black Police vehicle and force people to LOOK, I say.

The reality is that some don't see large red things with flashing lights and loud noise making devices .. called fire engines by many. These people should not be allowed licences rather than forcing the rest of us to use and put up with DRLs.

In the mean time .. flashing LED lights are the go ... if you want to dull them down something like a white ping pong ball cut to fit over the front will provide visibility, in more directions and in a less annoying manner.

[Tigerbiten]

I use steady DRL on my bent trike for two reasons.

1:- I've a dynamo hub, so it's just as easy to leave them on as it is to switch them off. So I picked on.

2:- In case of an accident, I've another boxed ticked. So on the very very outside possibility they may help with compensation after an accident, I'm happy to leave them on.

Where I think they help the most is if you go into a shady patch on a sunny day. That's when a DRL stands out the most. But it doesn't need to be super bright to show up, it just need to be different from the background light level.
I like DRL on cars for a silly reason. A car with DRL has to be moving, so I need to think less as I can take in more info with a very quick glance in the mirror. I said it was a silly reason ......
Also remember I'm on a recumbent. So my eye height is the same level as most 4x4/suv's/bikes. So badly adjusted lights can blind me more easily.

[mjr]

Yes, "be seen" messaging is a problem and a great example of the illogical road safety doctrine which is why we should move on to road danger reduction, sustainable safety and vision zero.

[pwa]

"Be Seen, Be Safe" was a mantra for cyclists and pedestrians in the 1970s. Rightly or wrongly. Motorcyclists have been using daytime lights as a defensive measure as long as I've been cycling. It is an old idea, and for that reason it is kind of a default assumption. People assume it is correct as a starting point, and will continue with that assumption unless convinced otherwise.

On this Forum there are people who challenge that assumption. Some of them put forward coherent and interesting arguments that deserve consideration. But the overwhelming majority of people out there on the streets are still in the default mode of thinking "being seen" is wise, and when one of them ventures onto this Forum with a query about choice of daytime lighting they don't know what a can of worms they are jumping into. It would be best, I think, to give a straight answer to such queries and and restrict reservations about the "be seen" approach to a few friendly comments and maybe a link to another thread. I think some here have shown such restraint, much to their credit.

[squeaker]

Army trucks have (did have, what army?) head lights on all the time following an extensive study in the 70's showing reduced collisions. I appreciate that army trucks are camouflaged, but so are some cyclists
It always struck me as the thin end of the wedge, though: once we are all lit up we're back to square one

[old_windbag]

all

all, how many are there of us . Squeaker I'll give you a pound for every cyclist you count on a busy road in my area over 24hrs. I think I can stretch to a fiver ok.

Edit: NOT when tour of britain passes through!

[squeaker]

all

all, how many are there of us . Squeaker I'll give you a pound for every cyclist you count on a busy road in my area over 24hrs. I think I can stretch to a fiver ok.

I think your money's safe

[rmurphy195]

There's a lot more going on than just "I'm a cyclist they should be looking for me".

Quite so - I do look for cyclists along with other traffic. But I don't have eyes in the back of my head, and I can't watch all of my mirrors, and out of all of my windows, simultaneously. So while I'm moving off from traffic lights, having checked my mirrors, I'm then checking to see if anyone is coming from my right as I'm driving off - and perhaps turning left - just in case something coming up. An slower cyclist, for example, who may be taking a while to get across the junction. That's why when I'm on the bike I don't pass anything on the left that's just starting to move, and at traffic lights I usually stop behind the first car in line if its indicators are going (unless there's an advance stop line) - because at some point during the manouevre the driver will be looking away from me - he/she HAS to.

So wizzing up the inside of a vehicle at lights just as they change is bound to cause problems. And a flashing light (that doesn't dazzle) can attract that little bit of attention in a person's peripheral vision.

[pwa]

There's a lot more going on than just "I'm a cyclist they should be looking for me".

Quite so - I do look for cyclists along with other traffic. But I don't have eyes in the back of my head, and I can't watch all of my mirrors, and out of all of my windows, simultaneously. So while I'm moving off from traffic lights, having checked my mirrors, I'm then checking to see if anyone is coming from my right as I'm driving off - and perhaps turning left - just in case something coming up. An slower cyclist, for example, who may be taking a while to get across the junction. That's why when I'm on the bike I don't pass anything on the left that's just starting to move, and at traffic lights I usually stop behind the first car in line if its indicators are going (unless there's an advance stop line) - because at some point during the manouevre the driver will be looking away from me - he/she HAS to.

So wizzing up the inside of a vehicle at lights just as they change is bound to cause problems. And a flashing light (that doesn't dazzle) can attract that little bit of attention in a person's peripheral vision.

I think that is a good point. If that little something extra gets you a glance at that crucial moment it may be worthwhile.

[old_windbag]

So wizzing up the inside of a vehicle at lights just as they change is bound to cause problems. And a flashing light (that doesn't dazzle) can attract that little bit of attention in a person's peripheral vision.

I've often thought that drivers should start on a bicycle before proceeding to drive a car. Clearly that would be unrealistic in many ways but it gives them the experience of seeing things from the other side. Likewise cyclists benefit from being a car driver too and being aware of the many blindspots and notice of a cyclist say approaching along their inside at speed, and how short the view may be when they are travelling at speed. When I see london traffic on television with cyclists whizzing about in and out of traffic streams it's quite worrying. Also some of the cycle facilities seem to have raised islands/kerbs as dividers which to me seem like "trip hazards". Especially when forced into one by another fast passing cyclist. When I started cycling I was in an urban city setting, the benefits being traffic to cycle speed differentials aren't too high. I would sit in the traffic queue at lights( still do ) rather than filter to the front... but that was me cycling as if I was driving my car. I don't feel it is a bad way to mix with traffic and I too will sit behind a vehicle often to one side to be visble in at least one mirror( and make movements to draw attention ). I feel a flashing light adds to that.

Cyclists have to be responsible and look out for potential hazards in exactly the same way drivers do, but they should be aware of vehicle blind spots( very important for HGV's etc ) and show caution when passing or approaching rather than going at high speed and with the expectation that their presence is know by that vehicle occupant.We can be our own worst enemies at times.

My earlier post has an interesting video that shows how we don't always see all details in a busy situation. As we age that may be exacerbated by many parts of our brain being utilised to a greater level in decoding faded vision and reduced/muffled hearing. When young we never think of these limitations unfortunately we can't run out and upgrade our processor.

[Debs]

Hi All,
Just got back into Cycling & I'm loving it. All of my Cycling is done during daylight hours & I'm looking for a bright front light to alert Car drivers that I'm there. Can anyone recommend a bright front light (LED perhaps). I've seen the flashing ones & they get my attention whilst I'm in the Car so was thinking flashing is the way to go. I am on a budget & would prefer to pay less than £35.

Thanks.

Hi, i've been using the Bontrager Ion 100 R and Flare R City for past 4 months and can highly recommend them!

Priced up at £29.98 each, but i purchased a front and rear set for £51 which included a kindly 15% discount from my LBS

Both are worth having imo, they are super lightweight, easy to attach and release from bike, easy to recharge using the provided micro USB charging cable, i simply plug them into my macbook to re-charge, each one takes less than an hour to charge up, and the front one lasts around 3 hours and rear up to 4 hours.
Alternatively you can buy a USB charger plug [from Amazon or eBay] for a few quid ; )

[fatbelly33]

Thanks to all for the replies. I will be getting a daytime running light because I want to be seen & give myself the best chance of finishing my ride.
With regards to these who posted that we shouldn't use DRL's for the "greater good", I have got a family, mortage & bills to pay & if I a DRL keeps me a tiny bit safer then I will use them.

Thanks to all.