Cycling UK Forum

My impression: Probably the best one can hope for in the real world would be through an information campaigns. Make people aware of what they are doing.

Quite probably some of those with overbright lights also moan about others with overbright lights but "mine are properly adjusted ..." (1001 excuses why "me" doing something is acceptable where others doing the same isn't).

I can't see regulation have any meaningful impact as they wont be any enforcement. People who couldn't care less about others and the impact they are having will ignore regulation and just keep doing it pretty well whatever.

Ian

ANTONISH wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 8:52am +1 - My front "flasher" is tilted downwards but is bright enough to be seen.
I often encounter other cyclists similarly equipped - I can't recall being dazzled.

I've got a Garmin radar on the back which I also keep tilted downwards unless visibility is poor. I think the only excessively bright bike headlights I've encountered are on e-bikes where power consumption is not a consideration.

cycle tramp wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 8:35am

Nicholas wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 7:01am Good grief ... some folks love to catastrophize! What started out as a few seconds minor annoyance for the OP has been blown out of all proportion ... again.

I think you've left your front light on..... and there's no evidence to actually suggest day time lights actually work....

I've left it on deliberately rather than forgetting about it, but equally, I haven't chosen to leave it on. It's just that the switch is unreliable so I leave it on all the time rather than be unable to turn it on at night. It doesn't flash and I have it aligned flat; if it's dazzling, it means the bracket has slipped and I'll appreciate being told. I don't greatly appreciate the dramatic tuts some cyclists (never, IME, walkers – I did once have a comment from a dog walker on a railway path, but it was "That's the best bike light I've ever seen") give on tow paths and railway paths, but I don't really pay attention to them either; and they're far fewer now. It's just like DRL on cars really.

To return to the OPs question.
My two bits.
No, I don't think it is unreasonable, but stopping someone and telling them they are doing wrong may cause annoyance and possibly anger.
So probably inadvisable.
Perhaps better to make plain by other means that you are being dazzled. Shading your eyes from the glare makes it pretty obvious that the over bright lights are causing you difficulties and is less likely to lead to conflict.

There's flashing LEDs and there's flashing LEDs. If you run the ones that are not unlike a camera flash running at about 1 Hertz then you can get in to the sea as fas as I'm concerned. I only see these very rarely (say about once a year or even less) but I despise them every time I do. They're unpleasant, distracting and unnecessary.
The other, far more common sort, I don't have a problem with.

Pete.

I usually shield my eyes with a hand to make it obvious that I'm adversely affected by the light; I will even exclaim about how bright/dazzling the light is as we pass.

I hardly ever use it on the bike now, but I have a 1000 lumen torch that I would strap to the handlebar (as a secondary lamp to my StVZO lamp) with a rubber block and velcro straps, switching it on for rare off-road or even on-road moments out in the middle of nowhere, usually winding single-track lanes. The light was mounted pointing more or less straight ahead. If ever a road user came the other way with a dazzling light, I would switch it on. Car drivers often quickly went from full beam to dip and I would then switch it back off. I didn't see many cyclists then but I'm half tempted to put it on the commuting bike next winter for the bike lane - all those super-bright helmet lights!

I dislike very bright flashing lamps, especially front ones - I find them not only dazzling but distracting almost to the extent of disorientating (especially if there's several of them).

Many years ago, before LED lamps were made, I replaced the bulb of my plastic Eveready Frontguard with a halogen one. That was the height of high-tech in those days.
I was pleased to draw a complaint of dazzle from a driver on a lane. Perhaps wrong, but better to have that, I thought, than the usual complete ignoral. At least he had seen me.

Please don't dazzle other road and path users. However you or they are travelling. Whether it's in response or otherwise. Someone might get hurt.

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: ↑20 Mar 2024, 6:23pm Please don't dazzle other road and path users. However you or they are travelling. Whether it's in response or otherwise. Someone might get hurt.

Jonathan

Compared to modern bike lights, and more especially to motor lights, a 3 volt halogen bulb is as a candle to a lighthouse. This was my only complaint.

I was once brought to a halt by the blinding light of a building supplies yard.

Mike Sales wrote: ↑20 Mar 2024, 6:46pm I was once brought to a halt by the blinding light of a building supplies yard.

You should write lyrics for Morrissey.

gbnz wrote: ↑19 Mar 2024, 9:39am ...
It's a pity the smart phone approach may not work. I find it very useful to walk in a straight line and then the dumb, smart phone users who don't look where they're going, literally bounce off. May be too dangerous on a bicycle, c/w bright lights ?
...

It's too dangerous off a bicycle as well. And sounds like assault, especially as you're doing it on purpose.

Jonathan

freiston wrote: ↑20 Mar 2024, 6:12pm I usually shield my eyes with a hand to make it obvious that I'm adversely affected by the light; I will even exclaim about how bright/dazzling the light is as we pass.

I hardly ever use it on the bike now, but I have a 1000 lumen torch that I would strap to the handlebar (as a secondary lamp to my StVZO lamp) with a rubber block and velcro straps, switching it on for rare off-road or even on-road moments out in the middle of nowhere, usually winding single-track lanes. The light was mounted pointing more or less straight ahead. If ever a road user came the other way with a dazzling light, I would switch it on. Car drivers often quickly went from full beam to dip and I would then switch it back off. I didn't see many cyclists then but I'm half tempted to put it on the commuting bike next winter for the bike lane - all those super-bright helmet lights!

I dislike very bright flashing lamps, especially front ones - I find them not only dazzling but distracting almost to the extent of disorientating (especially if there's several of them).

Indeed, and this is an aspect many people ignore;
imagine if every cyclist that wants to be more visible started using flashing lights. It would be chaos in many locations/roads.

(Hopefully it will be obvious to everyone how bad it will be when/if car users start using the things as well ... )