Lights Out

So am doing my once every 5 week stint of taking home the company van to cover our 24 hour a day callout system. Had to traverse backwards and fowards through Old Street, Hackney Rd etc several times over the weekend all during the evening or night. Spotted loadsa fixed/SS/geared riders. But why are there so many fools out there at night in poorly lit streets. wearing dark clothing and got no lights? How hard can it be to carry a pair of Backupz in your pocket? I saw one girl riding down a darkly lit street, guitar case slung over shoulder, completely dressed in black with no lights. Had I been slightly distracted or possibly blinded by bright on coming headlights and hit her I get the distinct feeling people would be thinking I was entirley to blame. Is it just not hip to use lights?

Vice put lights in the DON'Ts and the streets have been a duller place ever since.

Its all about the stealth riding, init!

I think that the point of stealth riding is that with all the Matthew Parris and James Martin wannabes out there, it may be safer to ride unseen than seen.

will you have a go at the brakeless out there while you are at it too please

" But why are there so many fools out there at night in poorly lit streets. wearing hipster clothing and got no brakes "

FIXED

Some fella on Brick Lane yesterday with a brakless conversion with flat pedals. WTF.

will you have a go at the brakeless out there while you are at it too please

" But why are there so many **drunken **fools out there at night in poorly lit streets. wearing hipster clothing no helmets or mitts and got no brakes "

FIXED

And fixed again

will you have a go at the brakeless out there while you are at it too please

" But why are there so many **drunken **fools out there at night in poorly lit streets. wearing hipster clothing no helmets or mitts and got no brakes, with very little bike handling skills "

FIXED

And again

I tend to ride past people without lights and say "your batteries are flat".

Amazingly, this sentence also works for people whose batteries are flat.

P!MP's alive! :)

I'm always impressed by the nodders who are dressed head to toe in high viz yellow garments but fail to have lights. So stupid!

Lights FTW!

^^^ that doesn't make sense at all

a small red light compared to a flouro jacket the size of a human torso i know which i would see first driving my articulated lorry

i always thought a fluro jacket could be used in place of a set of lights
more reflective / brighter / larger target area

Fluoro jackets only work if they have light aimed at them.

So, as truck turns a corner left and lights are pointing over to the right side of the road, cyclist on left is basically invisible.

Fluoro FAIL

Blinking red lights are also far more indicative than a fluoro yellow thing which could be anything on the side of the road. ie. some traffic cones have a similar coating

so if the truck is turning left he's not gonna hit you then is he
the only time he'll hit you is when he's ploughing straight at you and thats when the jacket will work

The blinking red light is far more likely to get his attention BEFORE he plows into you than a reflective vest.

....for darker skys?

Driving in Cheltenham countryside this weekend on the way to the campsite and there was a pair of roadies climbing up a hill out of a village just where it changes to the national speed limit.

I don't think the cars behind me had any idea why I swung into the other lane and floored it until they got very close as the chaps on the bikes had no lights, it was dusk, and they were pretty much invisible.

Nothing I could do to warn the cars behind other than pull as far over as possible after leaving the indicator on for a while.

I'm always rocking 3 lights at a minimum, a dongle from my bag, 4/5 LED front knog thing, uber powerful cat-eye rear light (with a scotchlite 3M strip also on the bag), and occasionally one that goes round my seatpost at the rear as well.
Twat in a fluro vest with no lights
or twat in normal clothes with lots of lights AND some Scotchlite to boot.
I know whats more visible and safer at night time, i'd rather look like a rolling xmas tree than get flattened.

It is difficult to understand the mentality or appreciate the stupidity of stealth cyclists

i'd rather look like a rolling xmas tree than get flattened.

+1

But better to err on the side of blinding them into submission with Exposure kit: MaxxD front + joystick, Red Eye rear, Respro Hump Backpack Lighted Cover with a Blackburn Mars 4.0 - an expensive combination, but whereas I used to get cars pulling out in front of me in dark streets - now they dont - If an oncoming driver tries to give you some full beam - you can press the MaxxD up to full (surely 11) and blind them back

after not being in london for a while, driving back in at night along a dark road was a black guy on a black bike dressed all in black cycling on the wrong side of the road straight towards me with no lights. seriously, are these people actually mentally ill?

racist

It is difficult to understand the mentality or appreciate the stupidity of stealth cyclists

+1

But better to err on the side of blinding them into submission with Exposure kit: MaxxD front + joystick, Red Eye rear, Respro Hump Backpack Lighted Cover with a Blackburn Mars 4.0 - an expensive combination, but whereas I used to get cars pulling out in front of me in dark streets - now they dont - If an oncoming driver tries to give you some full beam - you can press the MaxxD up to full (surely 11) and blind them back

That is an outrageously expensive light set-up, although I am seriously tempted to splash out a little on some decent lights soon, I know they are worth every single last penny, its just a lot of cash!

That is an outrageously expensive light set-up, although I am seriously tempted to splash out a little on some decent lights soon, I know they are worth every single last penny, its just a lot of cash!

Yes - but having mouths to feed, they need me in one piece - getting taken out by a car would cost me far more (and has done!)

If you were trimming down expenditure - the joystick/rear red eye and a battery pack would be a good combination

Yes - but having mouths to feed, they need me in one piece - getting taken out by a car would cost me far more (and has done!)

If you were trimming down expenditure - the joystick/rear red eye and a battery pack would be a good combination

Fair enough mate, I don't doubt its worth the investment, I already have a pretty decent light set-up though, more than enough to be visible but not on the same level as the kit you have clearly!
Seriously considering getting some good kit next month though as the winter months set in its going to be more and more important to not just stay visible but to be so visible you are practically a blinding beacon of light that is impossible to miss :)

I got that. Not sure anyone else did.

....for darker skys?