Cycling UK Forum

I do confess to switching my Magicshine to strobe as I approach red traffic lights on the ride home at 22:00. There is only one set of TLs where it doesn't work but does on the other 6, 4 of which are in the last mile. I do switch the light back to solid once through the lights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N41tipAB8YY

I have one flashing and one steady light on the rear.
I find flashing front lights distracting even when they are on my own bike, so I have two steady lights.
One low-ish power one pointing straight ahead (it also puts out light to the side); this is the 'be seen' light.
One high power light tilted down so it's centre spot is about 15 feet in front of me - this is the one which lets me see where I am going and avoid stones, pot holes, dog walkers, and such like even in pitch blackness; by tilting it down I avoid dazzling other road users.

There seem to be a lot of stupidly bright, poorly aimed flashing lights around this year, none of which has a beam pattern.

Here's a thought for the owners - lights like that may be fine if you want to get into an on-road lighting war with motorists, but on an unlit pitch black cycle path you appear to be a selfish idiot.

s1965c wrote:There seem to be a lot of stupidly bright, poorly aimed flashing lights around this year, none of which has a beam pattern.

Here's a thought for the owners - lights like that may be fine if you want to get into an on-road lighting war with motorists, but on an unlit pitch black cycle path you appear to be a selfish idiot.

Hear hear !

I'm planning to "up" my response to such idiots by adding a third 6 watt 30 degree spot and making it steerable so it's useful as a high beam, but at other times it may accidentally drift to the right.
(I have a flash button taped to my left brake lever - it's the only way any of the DIY lights on my bike can be made to flash)

In my case I'm pretty sure the large numbers of incidents on the Bristol to Bath path are mostly due to me being one of the few cyclists going in my direction. (I live in town and work in the suburbs)

I suspect that apart from sheer bloody-mindedness, a lot of these people are terrified n00bs who really believe someone is going to crash into them otherwise... and judging from their facial expressions when I remonstrate with them, quite a few more are simply gormless idiots.

DavidT wrote:Flashing lights are better at attracting the attention of the viewer
Fixed lights are better at allowing the viewer to establish the distance

That's my understanding. I have my lights set to flash on the grounds that a driver can't judge distance if he hasn't noticed you in the first place. I once conducted an ad hoc experiment at dusk, and found that overtaking drivers all leave much more room when the lights are flashing. I just switch the front one to continuous if I need it to see the way on an unlit road.

I leave my dynamo front and back lights on all the time as its easier than switching them on and off .........
In addition to these two ...........
On the back I have a mix of flashing and solid battery powered lights depending on conditions.
On the front when the roads are well lit I set my battery powered light of flash and running on unlit roads it gets set to solid.
I worked it out, I've spent around £750 for the lights on my trike-trailer ..........

[XAP]Bob wrote:Illegal in the UK - flashing must be even and between 0.5 and 2 hertz IIRC.

Anything goes if it's in addition to a proper (legal) light, apart from redness.
If it's an only rear light, it must be between 1 and 4 Hz and a minimum of 4cd brightness (and not have a steady mode).

To take nit-picking to its limits.

If you have a light which meets the flashing requirements but only has a BS 6102/3 approved constant mode.
eg. Cateye BS100

Does that satisfy the requirements when used in the flashing mode?
Or are you expected to only use it in constant mode if it is the only light!

It would take one very very switched on (pun intended) lawyer/policeofficer to catch you on that technicality.

andrew_s wrote:

[XAP]Bob wrote:Illegal in the UK - flashing must be even and between 0.5 and 2 hertz IIRC.

Anything goes if it's in addition to a proper (legal) light, apart from redness.
If it's an only rear light, it must be between 1 and 4 Hz and a minimum of 4cd brightness (and not have a steady mode).

Is that right? I've not the time at the moment to pore over the RVLR, but I was under the impression that additional lamps still had to obey various rules.

andrew_s wrote:If it's an only rear light, it must be between 1 and 4 Hz and a minimum of 4cd brightness (and not have a steady mode).

....and be approved to Statutory Instrument 2559, which includes being marked "SI2559".

andrew_s wrote:If it's an only rear light, it must be between 1 and 4 Hz and a minimum of 4cd brightness .

I wonder how many police forces have the equipment to check the above specification?

It's hard to examine the circumstances when anybody could care less. The only remotely possible example I can think of would be a serious collision, with a lot depending on the outcome of the enquiries. If there was suspect equipment which the police couldnt test, it would go to experts who could (forensic science lab or similar.)

axel_knutt wrote:

andrew_s wrote:If it's an only rear light, it must be between 1 and 4 Hz and a minimum of 4cd brightness (and not have a steady mode).

....and be approved to Statutory Instrument 2559, which includes being marked "SI2559".

Do you have a source for that marking requirement? I've never seen it mentioned in any of the coverage following the RVLR amendment, and I just took a quick scan through SI2559 and didn't see any direct reference to this. I wouldn't be surprised if it was tucked away somewhere though

That SI2559 in your link is dated 2005 and I think the flashing LED rules were introduced later than that.

meic wrote:That SI2559 in your link is dated 2005 and I think the flashing LED rules were introduced later than that.

I had to check, but the explanatory notes have this to say...

SI2559 wrote:"Regulation 6 amends regulation 13 of the 1989 Regulations so as to permit pedal cycles or trailers drawn by, or a sidecar attached to, a pedal cycle to be fitted with front and rear position lamps which flash. In the case of lamps which must be fitted pursuant to regulation 18, lamps must, when flashing, produce a light with an intensity of not less than 4 candelas."

...so I think it is the right document.