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From: Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: connected lights
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2024 16:10:57 -0400
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On 9/12/2024 9:21 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:
> Am Wed, 11 Sep 2024 16:49:52 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
> <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:
> 
>> On 9/11/2024 3:37 PM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:
>>> Am Wed, 11 Sep 2024 17:23:22 GMT schrieb Roger Merriman
>>> <roger@sarlet.com>:
>>>
>>>
>>>> There is also the fact I like lights that can kick out more oomph that a
>>>> Dynamo can do, and I’m not wild on such cut off beams, while my commute
>>>> light has a low wide beam on low, ie fine around town and so on, with the
>>>> High Beam to give a bit more punch in the woods and so on.
>>>
>>> In my experience, a modern, StVZO-conforming LED based headlight is more
>>> than good enough for riding in city traffic. More power usually only
>>> serves to blind other cyclists and still can't compete with car
>>> headlights. Riding in the woods and in the dark, on the other hand, is
>>> better done using a weaker, but wider beam.
>>>
>>> The only reasonable need I see for more powerful headlights is when
>>> driving on unlit rural roads. Here you need a powerful low beam and
>>> sometimes also a high beam.
>>
>> I agree woods riding is different than road riding. But I've done lots
>> of unlit road riding with dyno lights and no problems. So have countless
>> randonneurs.
> 
> So do I.  But don't make the mistake of using the sparkling light of
> decades-old cars as a yardstick for the lux or lumen that modern cars
> throw your way.
> 
>>
>> Night vision varies, I'm sure; but I believe the general desire for more
>> and more and more lumens is caused by the same mechanism the triggers
>> the desire for more and more rear cogs, less and less bike weight,
>> bigger and bigger pickup trucks, etc. After a while, people are chasing
>> advertising copy or quickly diminishing returns.
> 
> Sure. But nevertheless, modern cars have a lot more potential to blind
> you for a long time, in the dark. Having a good night vision doesn't
> help. In fact, it increases the risk of being dazzled by an oncoming
> vehicle.
> 
> I too believe that most cyclists never experience such situations and
> that a trend to overpowered headlamps is mostly fashion, proven by the
> fact that many if not most cyclists fear using their bicycle in traffic,
> avoid riding on rural roads in the dark _and_ use inferior, ill adjusted
> or broken lights, when they do.
> 
> But there _are_ rare situations where more light helps.  Rural roads
> with occasional car traffic, driven at or slightly above the speed
> limit, with their lights in the high beam mode are an example. ...

Since retiring, I'm doing much less night riding, but I've done plenty 
over the years, including on unlit country roads.

I agree that the most difficult moments are when an oncoming car's high 
beams are in one's face. But I doubt that any reasonably powerful bike 
light can overcome that problem. It's bad enough when it happens while 
driving my car.

When cycling, what's effective for me (and probably much more effective 
than brighter bike lights) is to tilt the brim of my cycling cap 
downward to act as a visor, and prevent or minimize the blinding before 
it happens.

BTW, I've noticed the same problem even with cars' low beams in rolling 
terrain. A car cresting a rise will have me in the "hot spot" of the low 
beams. Again, shading the eyes helps; and thankfully the problem is 
usually very brief.


-- 
- Frank Krygowski