Brightside - Side Lights For Cyclists

[Cudzoziemiec]

(I find the term irksome, because it changes the meaning of 'dongle' for the sake of alliteration, but I'm not disabled so I don't get to complain.)

Thanks for the explanation.

But as for this, of course you get to complain (or praise or change or whatever). Just as does everyone else who uses the phrase, or even who would like to express the same concept but doesn't know the phrase. Just as language is not the exclusive property of grammarians and dictionary compilers, so it equally doesn't exist in single-use ghettoes. Every phrase belongs to everyone who uses it.

[chrisbainbridge]

Oh yay, the cycle equivalent of a disability dongle...

Whilst I understand the sentiment, I think this could be considered offensive toward people who may be reliant upon mobility vehicles.

I suspect that you may not understand the sentiment.  "Disability dongle" is the disabled community's term for assistive technology developed by well-meaning non-disabled design/engineering types without bothering to do any research, and therefore tends to be obvious, over-complicated, expensive and neatly oblivious to the underlying cause of the problem it aims to solve (which may not even be an actual problem).  Think stair-climbing wheelchairs, robotic exoskeletons, machine-vision glasses and the like.

Assistive technology that's actually appropriate isn't a disability dongle.  Though obviously this is going to vary from person to person.  Similarly, there are a subset of cyclists who find indicators or solid tyres or whatever genuinely useful.


(I find the term irksome, because it changes the meaning of 'dongle' for the sake of alliteration, but I'm not disabled so I don't get to complain.)

Robotic exoskeletons are very much a coming thing wanted by people with amputations and brachial plexus injuries. However the costs are astronomical. The latest ones with nerve pickups are amazing.

[Kim]

Robotic exoskeletons are very much a coming thing wanted by people with amputations and brachial plexus injuries. However the costs are astronomical. The latest ones with nerve pickups are amazing.

Yes, the tech is awesome and will doubtless have some niche applications.   But not for the people who aren't allowed to afford wheelchairs and just want a ramp.

[Afasoas]

What has dawned on me, is that the town bike doesn't have any reflectors.

I don't know how I'd not noticed, but the town bike (aka gas pipe hybrid) actually has a full set of reflectors - front, rear, wheel, pedal. Pedal reflectors aside, they are all BS stamped.
StVZO compliant rear light will arrive tomorrow.

[Morat]

Robotic exoskeletons are very much a coming thing wanted by people with amputations and brachial plexus injuries. However the costs are astronomical. The latest ones with nerve pickups are amazing.

Yes, the tech is awesome and will doubtless have some niche applications.   But not for the people who aren't allowed to afford wheelchairs and just want a ramp.

The Mobile Infantry will probably get first dibs.

[chrisbainbridge]

I suspect there are American units experimenting with exoskeletons but robotic upper limbs are now routinely available if you have the cash.
During the amputation the various nerves are brought to the skin surface and left essentially protruding through the skin. It is the fairly trivial to place an electrode over the exposed nerve. With 3 main nerves to the limb you can get multiple movements. If you split the nerve (which we do routinely for nerve - nerve transfers) then you can have crease the number of functions by a factor of 2-3.

[fruitcake]

I've been waiting for exo-skeletons since Alien (or was it Aliens).  Initially they'll be military kit, but there are a limited number of buyers for military tech, so commercial models could be designed for businesses. There will be a brief period when it will be much easier to work in a warehouse / vehicle assembly plant / building site, until expectations rise.

Am I doing thread-drift right?
 

[Afasoas]

Okay, I bought one of these and I've been using it on and off for over a month. And I think I'm a convert.

We've got a lot of country A and B road, with tall verges and hedgerows. The light casts a yellow glow onto unlit roads, and also onto the nearside adjacent hedge/verge. Hard to say whether that's effective in reducing SMIDSY moments, but hypothesizing that it will do seems fair.

When I'm bimbling along in the quiet and the dark, I quite enjoy seeing what's in the hedgerows too.

The light does have flashing and steady modes. Needless to say I don't use the flashing mode as I think that could be confused with indicating.

[sam]

When I'm bimbling along in the quiet and the dark, I quite enjoy seeing what's in the hedgerows too.

And what's seeing you.