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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 14:01 
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only just picked up on this sorry.... dont remember seeing it mentioned.

http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/daily-news/article.php?id=5976

also makes for an interesting legal anomoly as stated.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 14:25 
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The article makes several references to the brightness of the lights. On Friday night the car in front of me suddenly braked and dived to the right. I had plenty of time to slow down, but the problem was a cyclist with extremely dim flahing lights. He was basically invisible against the headlights of oncoming vehicles.

I can't understand why it is still possible to buy such poor lights.

Do these people really put so little value on their lives that they won't buy decent lights and fresh batteries?


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 16:39 
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well at least now there IS a standard that you can check they conform to before you buy them...

...since they weren't legal before goodness knows whats out there.

no idea what the new brightness requirement actually looks like anyway.
and i suspect some of them flash faster than 4Hz too.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 17:02 
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I don't mind (fellow) cyclists having flashing lights, just so long as they are actually visible & of a correct colour. There are plenty of nice, quality LED lights out there in Ultra-bright RED & 'WHITE'. Unfortunately, there are many thousands of crappy steady / flash GREEN LED lamps which besides giving off no light to speak of, confuse other road users. Whilst batteries SEEM to last forever in these units, a couple of hundred hours normally, low battery power will still produce the faintest of glows which is enough for said cyclists to see 2' away from it, but nowhere enough to be seen at any distance. I've got a nice bright LED rear - been using them for many years, and a good white LED for a back-up on the front in-case I'm caught short and don't have ye olde 6w+20w twins on / forgot to recharge :roll:
'Front Lights' should mean something to potentially illuminate the road ahead, not just a token effort.
Reflectors on the other hand would go a LONG way to improving cycle visibility. BUT, it is only illegal to SELL cycles without them (thereby not conforming to some BS standard), but not illegal to remove them once money has changed hands. :x go figure.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 17:50 
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hobbes wrote:
BUT, it is only illegal to SELL cycles without them (thereby not conforming to some BS standard), but not illegal to remove them once money has changed hands. :x go figure.


do they have to be attached?
sure mine came in a plastic bag :roll:


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 18:08 
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ed_m wrote:
hobbes wrote:
BUT, it is only illegal to SELL cycles without them (thereby not conforming to some BS standard), but not illegal to remove them once money has changed hands. :x go figure.


do they have to be attached?
sure mine came in a plastic bag :roll:


A proper bike shop should BUILD your bike, checking EVERY nut, bolt, cable & component, not just 'put it together'.
ToysRus, ASDA, Argos or whoever else are not selling built bikes....just ones removed from their boxes with handbars straightened out a bit!!

There is usually a sticker somewhere on the bike "Conforms to BSxxxx", this is ONLY applicable when correectly built..to include supplied reflectors, Front & Rear mandatory - pedals & spokes sort of optional as far as I can remember (you try fitting reflectors to a set of clipless....).

Yes, I'm sure there are a LOT of lazy suppliers - or those who don't get visits from "trading standards" & the like to ensure a modicum of quality and legality in what they sell. And YOU being the sensible type would of course IMMEDIATELY have fitted them on :lol: ...or are you like the rest of humankind that sees them as mud-catching excess weight :twisted:

OK, I can get a bit "ranty" over bikes & build quality etc. as I used to work in a proper bike shop...the type with an open policy to making coffees in the workshop for the regulars :) .... repairs, bike & wheel building. Ah, happy days.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 19:15 
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i only put them on if i'm going out in the dark.....

....which on my race steed happens. .. ermm... mabe twice ever?


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 Post subject: Blue flashing lights
PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 19:17 
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Related question for the BiB's - where I live several cyclists use blue flashing front lights. These things are bright, and make the bike really stand out. However, on a couple of occasions, I've mistaken them for emergency vehicles.

Are these lights legal?

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 Post subject: Re: Blue flashing lights
PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 20:30 
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willcove wrote:
.......... several cyclists use blue flashing front lights. These things are bright, and make the bike really stand out. However, on a couple of occasions, I've mistaken them for emergency vehicles.

Are these lights legal?


Are these BLUE/blue or WHITE/blue?

The 'White LED's' do have a fairly blue tinge to them, and are sold to all-and-sundry as front lights/torches. I've got one on my bike (see here) but always set it to 'steady' and not 'flash'. (about as blue as 4500k HID lights)

Proper BLUE LED's are extremely blue - very much like BiB :lol: , so are probably not 'cycle' related, but some crappy car gizmos that's been slapped on - like dustcap lights (why?)


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 01:50 
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I have one of thesemounted on my helmet. Set to flash on rural A road, but steady in the village where I work.
Flashing in town where there is adequate street lighting.
Useful as you can see where you look - into a turning, alleyway, or at oncoming motorists who are slow to dip their main beam!

I have one of thesemounted on the handlebar, set to illuminate ahead (not in front of the wheel) which allows the helmet lamp to fill in the gap.

The flashing option is easily the most easilty seen, and to this end, I have Scotchlite Reflective dots on moving surfaces - cranks etc, and a swinging plastic reflector hanging off the off side bar.

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