Do you guys commute in the winter? - Page 14 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

12-18-2003, 08:10 AM

In article <7Q0Cb.133700$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com>, Buck < @>
wrote:

> "Doug Purdy" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:b00c2b9f.0312100956.787e3bd5@posting.google.c om...
>
> > Why don't they mount strobes vertically? That way they should produce
> > more light to the sides instead of up-down.
>
> Another option would be a strobe mounted on top of a whip antenna much like
> the safety flags some people put on kids bikes and trailers. Whip-mounted
> strobes are commonly used on dune-buggies for nighttime sand dune fun! The
> high mounting position would keep it from blinding fellow riders, but would
> make for a very unusual sight for drivers, thus commanding their attention.
> The legalities and the "fredliness" that would certainly be associated with
> such a setup is up for debate.
>
> -Buck

The whip antenna light mounted at the side of bikes was popular in Asia
and I still think it is. It is mounted either on the right front fork
leg near the quick release or at the rear near the chainstay (location
determined by generator's location. I used to have that when I lived
in Asia for awhile and is powered by a bottle generator (sidewall or
tire type). Cool little buggers and a very hot commodity I might say.
This stuff gets stolen easily.

12-19-2004, 10:31 PM

Brent Hugh wrote:
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Fritz M) wrote in message
news:<2c505724.0311101540.44fd93f8@posting.google. com>...
> > [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Steven Scharf) wrote:
> > > though a better option is one of the Lightman bicycle
> > > Xenon strobes, also designed for bicycles:
> > My newest toy is an amber Lightman xenon strobe. When I received it
I
> > immediately turned it on and was stunned by its brightness.
> >
> > I did a conspicuity test Friday night. I have two Vistalite "Super
> > Nebula" 5 LED lights mounted side by side on the back of my rear
rack,
> > . . .
> > From very close up (i.e. less than 6 feet away and outside of my
> > vehicle), the xenon is almost blindingly bright compared to the red
> > LEDs. As I moved further from the back of the bike, however, the
> > difference became much less apparent. I don't know if it's the
inverse
> > cube law kicking in or what, but the LEDs seemed in my subjective
> > judgement to be just as attention getting as the strobe, especially
> > from several car lengths away. . . .
>
> I did a similar test on my bike with similar results. I found that 2
> Lightman strobes about perceptually equal to one red LED blinky light
> set on "fast strobe".
>
> My red LED was a basic "Bell" 5-led red rear light (the older
> model--you can't seem to buy these any more).
>
> The strobe was a bit brighter to the side, but it was surprisingly
> small.
>
> It took two Lightman strobes to equal one LED light because the
> strobes have such a long cycle. The blinky light is going about 4x
> per second while each strobe goes about 1x or 2x per second (and
slows
> as the batteries die).

I don't have the Lightman strobe, but the flash rate on my 12V strobe
is 120 flashes per minute. I don't ever let the power source get run
down to a level where the flash rate decreases.

I see that the Lightman AA powered strobe is only 83 per minute on
fresh batteries, and the xenon strobes flash at a slower and slower
rate as the batteries are depleted (as a camera flash takes longer and
longer to charge up as the batteries get weaker).

12-19-2004, 10:31 PM

Brent Hugh wrote:
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Fritz M) wrote in message
news:<2c505724.0311101540.44fd93f8@posting.google. com>...
> > [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Steven Scharf) wrote:
> > > though a better option is one of the Lightman bicycle
> > > Xenon strobes, also designed for bicycles:
> > My newest toy is an amber Lightman xenon strobe. When I received it
I
> > immediately turned it on and was stunned by its brightness.
> >
> > I did a conspicuity test Friday night. I have two Vistalite "Super
> > Nebula" 5 LED lights mounted side by side on the back of my rear
rack,
> > . . .
> > From very close up (i.e. less than 6 feet away and outside of my
> > vehicle), the xenon is almost blindingly bright compared to the red
> > LEDs. As I moved further from the back of the bike, however, the
> > difference became much less apparent. I don't know if it's the
inverse
> > cube law kicking in or what, but the LEDs seemed in my subjective
> > judgement to be just as attention getting as the strobe, especially
> > from several car lengths away. . . .
>
> I did a similar test on my bike with similar results. I found that 2
> Lightman strobes about perceptually equal to one red LED blinky light
> set on "fast strobe".
>
> My red LED was a basic "Bell" 5-led red rear light (the older
> model--you can't seem to buy these any more).
>
> The strobe was a bit brighter to the side, but it was surprisingly
> small.
>
> It took two Lightman strobes to equal one LED light because the
> strobes have such a long cycle. The blinky light is going about 4x
> per second while each strobe goes about 1x or 2x per second (and
slows
> as the batteries die).

I don't have the Lightman strobe, but the flash rate on my 12V strobe
is 120 flashes per minute. I don't ever let the power source get run
down to a level where the flash rate decreases.

I see that the Lightman AA powered strobe is only 83 per minute on
fresh batteries, and the xenon strobes flash at a slower and slower
rate as the batteries are depleted (as a camera flash takes longer and
longer to charge up as the batteries get weaker).

12-19-2004, 10:31 PM

Brent Hugh wrote:
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Fritz M) wrote in message
news:<2c505724.0311101540.44fd93f8@posting.google. com>...
> > [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Steven Scharf) wrote:
> > > though a better option is one of the Lightman bicycle
> > > Xenon strobes, also designed for bicycles:
> > My newest toy is an amber Lightman xenon strobe. When I received it
I
> > immediately turned it on and was stunned by its brightness.
> >
> > I did a conspicuity test Friday night. I have two Vistalite "Super
> > Nebula" 5 LED lights mounted side by side on the back of my rear
rack,
> > . . .
> > From very close up (i.e. less than 6 feet away and outside of my
> > vehicle), the xenon is almost blindingly bright compared to the red
> > LEDs. As I moved further from the back of the bike, however, the
> > difference became much less apparent. I don't know if it's the
inverse
> > cube law kicking in or what, but the LEDs seemed in my subjective
> > judgement to be just as attention getting as the strobe, especially
> > from several car lengths away. . . .
>
> I did a similar test on my bike with similar results. I found that 2
> Lightman strobes about perceptually equal to one red LED blinky light
> set on "fast strobe".
>
> My red LED was a basic "Bell" 5-led red rear light (the older
> model--you can't seem to buy these any more).
>
> The strobe was a bit brighter to the side, but it was surprisingly
> small.
>
> It took two Lightman strobes to equal one LED light because the
> strobes have such a long cycle. The blinky light is going about 4x
> per second while each strobe goes about 1x or 2x per second (and
slows
> as the batteries die).

I don't have the Lightman strobe, but the flash rate on my 12V strobe
is 120 flashes per minute. I don't ever let the power source get run
down to a level where the flash rate decreases.

I see that the Lightman AA powered strobe is only 83 per minute on
fresh batteries, and the xenon strobes flash at a slower and slower
rate as the batteries are depleted (as a camera flash takes longer and
longer to charge up as the batteries get weaker).

12-19-2004, 10:31 PM

Brent Hugh wrote:
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Fritz M) wrote in message
news:<2c505724.0311101540.44fd93f8@posting.google. com>...
> > [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Steven Scharf) wrote:
> > > though a better option is one of the Lightman bicycle
> > > Xenon strobes, also designed for bicycles:
> > My newest toy is an amber Lightman xenon strobe. When I received it
I
> > immediately turned it on and was stunned by its brightness.
> >
> > I did a conspicuity test Friday night. I have two Vistalite "Super
> > Nebula" 5 LED lights mounted side by side on the back of my rear
rack,
> > . . .
> > From very close up (i.e. less than 6 feet away and outside of my
> > vehicle), the xenon is almost blindingly bright compared to the red
> > LEDs. As I moved further from the back of the bike, however, the
> > difference became much less apparent. I don't know if it's the
inverse
> > cube law kicking in or what, but the LEDs seemed in my subjective
> > judgement to be just as attention getting as the strobe, especially
> > from several car lengths away. . . .
>
> I did a similar test on my bike with similar results. I found that 2
> Lightman strobes about perceptually equal to one red LED blinky light
> set on "fast strobe".
>
> My red LED was a basic "Bell" 5-led red rear light (the older
> model--you can't seem to buy these any more).
>
> The strobe was a bit brighter to the side, but it was surprisingly
> small.
>
> It took two Lightman strobes to equal one LED light because the
> strobes have such a long cycle. The blinky light is going about 4x
> per second while each strobe goes about 1x or 2x per second (and
slows
> as the batteries die).

I don't have the Lightman strobe, but the flash rate on my 12V strobe
is 120 flashes per minute. I don't ever let the power source get run
down to a level where the flash rate decreases.

I see that the Lightman AA powered strobe is only 83 per minute on
fresh batteries, and the xenon strobes flash at a slower and slower
rate as the batteries are depleted (as a camera flash takes longer and
longer to charge up as the batteries get weaker).