Get Some F**king Lights

Richmond this evening

Full lycra, lightspeed carbon bike, possibly a CR1. If so how the fuck can you spend £2.5K on a fucking frame and yet only be able to afford one light that is merely clipped to your backpack and no front light.

As you had a backpack on, you are clearly commuting. Are you afraid of messing up the beautiful lines of your aero carbon frame with lights?

What BMMF said. Rechargeable batteries are great, only buy one set of duracells as emergency spares for longer rides, and never use them.

Re reflective sticky materials: you can get excellent colours of adhesive reflective, stick them on your stays/forks. Choose the colour to match your bike! Francis Thurmer sells strips of blue, green, red, yellow and even black! Awesome.

Rechargeable lights are awesome

But at least buy some fucking lights!

First thing to rip off a new bike :-). But if you lack the miminum requirement you can be held partly responsible for any accidents. There are some caveats around the age of your bike if pre-1985

Details on CTC site: http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=4071

I will still not roll with reflectors though.

The tube type that clip on the spoke are barely visible during daylight hours, but very effective at night.

Driving last night I overtook a cyclist who I thought had no lights on, as I passed him I noticed he only had one of these mounted on his helmet:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Topeak-Headlux-Bicycle-LED-Helmet-Head-and-Tail-Light-/170598973709?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item27b87dc10d

With his head down and a backpack on the rear light was hidden and pointing upwards, the front was pointing directly downwards!

I will ask again: how does having a light on your helmet affect its performance? Can't help but suspect it makes them less effective.

maybe he was on his way home after a day down t'pit.

I will ask again: how does having a light on your helmet affect its performance? Can't help but suspect it makes them less effective.

I have found no affect at all... battery life the same, but the advantage is being able to direct the light, very useful on roundabouts to help other drivers coming onto the rab to see you.

But ffs.... 6am this morning on Kings Road a bloke riding fixed, with a muddy rear reflector only.... completely ninja to any drivers approaching you... I know, I was the bloke in the BMW who mentioned that you needed some lights & you even apologised ! Pm me and I have a set you can have gratis!!

Hi there.
found some LED bike lights red and white (one LED each) in HEMA shop (NL), cost me 2,00 Euro / pair incl. batteries, holding for weeks! There´s an upgrade with 2 LEDs which cost 5,95 Euro / pair. Really tiny and really bright, have two modes, flashing and permanent (okay, three - the third is off). Got me a couple of em.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/5427182035_4ec41f96f4.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5220/5427786184_b2b16676ce.jpg

Can be attached and removed in seconds and fit in every pocket...

Hi, I got knocked down at the weekend which smashed my front lights so I am in the process of replacing and making myself as visible as poss...

Regarding rear lights, I only have space for one as my saddle is fixed so low. I have seen 'pendulum' rear lights that seem to swing down from the saddle- does anyone know where to buy these and if they are good? Seemed v visible..

Can we rename this thread, "get some decent fucking lights!"?

Single LED blinky should generally be used as a back up, not as a main light.

It may cost a few pounds more but your life is probably worth it.

kateraw4

you can attach lights to your seat stays.

I would question why your saddle is quite so low, is your bike the right size for you?

I have found no affect at all... !!

Ah, didn't make myself clear. I meant what effect would it have on the helmet in the event of an impact. I just wonder if having a chunk of fairly hard plastic attached would compromise its ability to protect your head.

Loads more peeps riding around Regents Park last night without lights. So dim.

Joe - lights were dim or the riders?

(both am sure)

Ah, didn't make myself clear. I meant what effect would it have on the helmet in the event of an impact...

I'm pretty sure every helmet manufacture has a disclaimer saying that under no circumstances should you attach lights to your helmet. Make of that what you will.

I'm still in two minds about them (both as a driver and cyclist). But I think overall I'm in favour of them.

I have decent non-flashing ones attached to the bike and then smaller, but still bright, flashing ones on my bag - so chest and back.

I don't like helmet lights. They make you look like a helmet.

But seriously, I saw some guy going over London Bridge yesterday with 4 helmet lights, like some kind of UFO had attached itself to his scalp without him realising. They don't show you're on a bike, and as your head moves around a lot it might make it hard for people to judge how far away you are.

I passed someone in the dark last night with lights on the front and rear of his bike. Were they turned on*?

No!

*The lights, not the rider.

were you turned on?

I saw a woman the other day with a light up vest like some kind of wearable flux capacitor. "Great idea", I thought, "Except that the lights on her front were red".

I saw a guy the other day with some interesting (but in a good way) lights - he had pretty decent F&R lights (about as good as you need) but also had some very bright red lights tucked into his drops instead of bar ends - if you get my meaning.

I thought they were a good idea as they did make him seem wider as opposed to lights just being in the center of the bike - maybe already well known but I'd never seen them before so thought they were worth mentioning as a secondary light set. Made a nice change to see someone that actually had a decent light set-up in a commute that is otherwise full of wannabe ninjas.

Froogle bar end lights, they are pretty cheap and you can get designs for both drops and flats.

I like them, although obviously only as secondary... Or even third (can't spell terchirary!) lights.

I've got two front and back (incase of failure) and another red and a flare on my bag for the sides... Would like more...

Is there widely accepted hand signal/gesture for other road users to warn them to turn their lights on? The I saw 4 cars on my way home today without either lights on...I must have been doing something wrong because none of them knew what I way trying to convey with my random waving of hands.

Are those god awful pale green front lights I see some people using actually legal?

I usually swear at them, spit on their window, then cycle off into the night.