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Author: Subject: Lights
jacko

posted on 8/11/23 at 05:01 PM Reply With Quote
Lights

No not cars but bikes has bike shops stopped selling lights as no one seams to have them fitted and working at night time
Rant over

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nick205

posted on 8/11/23 at 05:48 PM Reply With Quote
With you on this, I'm often told off for shouting at unlit cyclists!
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gremlin1234

posted on 8/11/23 at 08:11 PM Reply With Quote
a couple of years ago, on my way to a pub, a cyclist passed me, and stopped at the traffic lights, I noticed she had lights, but they were not on, I said nice that you have lights, but... she disputed, until I put my hand in front of the front light..., ahhhh thankyou, lights then on and all good.
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rusty nuts

posted on 8/11/23 at 09:22 PM Reply With Quote
Try living in Cambridge! Supposedly the cycling capital of the UK , bike lanes everywhere that cyclists ignore so they ride on the footpaths. There is a woman that insists on wearing dark clothing and very rarely has any lights that rides along the dual carriageway of the A1307 causing chaos , the local council has spent best part of half a million pounds installing a cycle lane that she ignores. Don’t get me started on the Lycra louts that insist on riding 3 abreast along the pathway from our village to Addenbrooks hospital, one shouted at me because I wouldn’t get off the path ! He didn’t stop when I told him he was likely to be wearing his bike as a tooth brace if he said it again!
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PAUL FISHER

posted on 9/11/23 at 02:33 AM Reply With Quote
I remember the days when I was a kid, getting stopped by the local Bobby for no front light on my bike, the battery had gone flat, I still had a rear light, he made my walk home with it, took my name and address and the next day he called my parents, make sure it doesn’t happen again, how times have changed 🤔 and I am not that old🤣
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Mr Whippy

posted on 9/11/23 at 08:00 AM Reply With Quote
Tbh I just blame the parents who let their kids out knowing fine well their riding in the dark with no lights, oh they're all regret when their kids get killed but their not remotely fit to parents imo. Only yesterday night while walking the dog was a young boy riding round the housing estate, on the road while using his mobile in one hand, wearing black on a black bike later on seen pulling wheelies, no helmet and off course no lights.

How much did the phone cost? So his parents where happy enough to buy him that and his bike, but not a £5 set of bike lights.

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jps

posted on 9/11/23 at 08:12 AM Reply With Quote
It’s the Deliveroo riders here that irk me, e-bike so usually travelling fairly quickly, often no lights though and road manners can be a bit lacking too. Hardly ‘kids’…

Although, tbh as a daily commuter by bicycle, you can’t win. LOTS of motorists drive very badly towards cyclists, whizzing by inches from your elbow, cutting in front just before they pull up at junctions or in queues of stopped traffic, moving over to the right when you’re trying to filter. All very ironic really as I’ve never been able to do my commute faster by car than I can do it by bicycle, but “must get ahead of cyclist” is very real…

And don’t get me started on the number of cars I see with headlights out. A lot more than I see bikes without lights!






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Slimy38

posted on 9/11/23 at 08:16 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
No not cars but bikes has bike shops stopped selling lights as no one seams to have them fitted and working at night time
Rant over


They are still for sale, they're usually next to the BMW indicators...

(Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Round here the bikers should take a leaf out of the dog walkers book. As the clocks went back I noticed more and more dogs with lights on them, their owners suitable lit up and even in some cases a fluorescent lead. While they shouldn't have as much impact on car drivers as a bike would, it is good to see that they're willing to take responsibility and keep their pets (and themselves) safe.

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Slimy38

posted on 9/11/23 at 08:18 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jps
And don’t get me started on the number of cars I see with headlights out. A lot more than I see bikes without lights!


Just on this one, I'd include DRL's here. The number of cars I've seen where they think their lights are on because DRL's are so bright, but they don't realise most cars don't have lit rear lights when DRL's are on. Car drivers really do need to read their car manual when they get a new car.

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nick205

posted on 9/11/23 at 08:57 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
No not cars but bikes has bike shops stopped selling lights as no one seams to have them fitted and working at night time
Rant over



To answer the question, NO, bike shops have not stopped selling them (nor eBay, Amazon...etc.).

With 2 sons who are mega into cycling all year round, I know this, because I've recently bought the younger one a new set of front/rear lights for his MTB.

SEE AND BE SEEN

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SteveWalker

posted on 9/11/23 at 04:53 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
quote:
Originally posted by jps
And don’t get me started on the number of cars I see with headlights out. A lot more than I see bikes without lights!


Just on this one, I'd include DRL's here. The number of cars I've seen where they think their lights are on because DRL's are so bright, but they don't realise most cars don't have lit rear lights when DRL's are on. Car drivers really do need to read their car manual when they get a new car.


One of the problems is that many cars now have automatic headlamps and the driver does not have to turn them on and off at all. If someone else has used the car; it's been MOT'd; or the driver has switched them off while waiting somewhere, they don't come on. With DRLs being bright, the driver doesn't notice.

It used to be that most cars' dashes weren't lit unless the lights were on (a simple thing that meant that drivers noticed as soon as they tried to check their speed), but then many manufacturers switched to lighting the dash all the time, losing that safety check. Modern cars now have screens rather than physical instruments and suffer from the same problem.

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jacko

posted on 9/11/23 at 05:39 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
No not cars but bikes has bike shops stopped selling lights as no one seams to have them fitted and working at night time
Rant over



To answer the question, NO, bike shops have not stopped selling them (nor eBay, Amazon...etc.).

With 2 sons who are mega into cycling all year round, I know this, because I've recently bought the younger one a new set of front/rear lights for his MTB.

SEE AND BE SEEN

Nick I’m very pleased you and your sons are trying to keep safe and within the law do they have helmets too

I hope the lights are set right and not blinding drivers coming towards them😀👍
Graham

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Mr Whippy

posted on 10/11/23 at 07:42 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
quote:
Originally posted by jps
And don’t get me started on the number of cars I see with headlights out. A lot more than I see bikes without lights!


Just on this one, I'd include DRL's here. The number of cars I've seen where they think their lights are on because DRL's are so bright, but they don't realise most cars don't have lit rear lights when DRL's are on. Car drivers really do need to read their car manual when they get a new car.


Don't get me started on DRL's, the whole idea is utterly stupid and was solved decades earlier properly by SAAB & Volvo who had the mains come on with the ignition. Instead some idiot comes up with a "fix" that actually makes the issue worse, not helped by dashboards all lighting up now regardless of if the lights were on so there's no visual reminder to turn your lights on.

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swanny

posted on 10/11/23 at 08:07 AM Reply With Quote
I tend to cycle a lot on shared paths, river banks canals etc. very slowly, on comically old sit up and beg bikes.

the truth is that all groups of drivers, riders and pedestrians can be hopeless inconsiderate arses at times.


dog walkers with long leads taking up the whole path, folks seemingly unable to hear a very loud 'ding - dong' old fashioned bell.

ring it too early, they dont hear it. ring it too late and they get arsy as you scare them. then i get the jogger with over ear head phones totally insulated to the world and oblivious to my ringing the bell two feet behind them for a full mile!!!

the only effective thing is a victorian horn. that makes them jump even from miles away, people think they are about to get attacked by a goose, then realise and generally laugh/smile

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nick205

posted on 10/11/23 at 10:53 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
No not cars but bikes has bike shops stopped selling lights as no one seams to have them fitted and working at night time
Rant over



To answer the question, NO, bike shops have not stopped selling them (nor eBay, Amazon...etc.).

With 2 sons who are mega into cycling all year round, I know this, because I've recently bought the younger one a new set of front/rear lights for his MTB.

SEE AND BE SEEN

Nick I’m very pleased you and your sons are trying to keep safe and within the law do they have helmets too

I hope the lights are set right and not blinding drivers coming towards them😀👍
Graham



Always with helmets (they moan about cyclists without them) and yes the lights are set right to avoid dazzling oncoming road users (been dazzled myself)!

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Slimy38

posted on 10/11/23 at 02:17 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy

Don't get me started on DRL's, the whole idea is utterly stupid and was solved decades earlier properly by SAAB & Volvo who had the mains come on with the ignition.


I totally agree, so much so that I'm tempted to wire my kit car lights to be Saab-like in their operation. I just need to make I still meet IVA regs.

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