MP calls for new bikes to have lights

[mattc]

(look out, some more thinking-out-loud, could be more bollox:)

My feeling on this is a little like h****ts. Enforcement will put *some* people off riding. Sure, better to ride with lights than without, but how much of a problem are these ninja cyclists that drivers are always spotting and moaning about?

Which is more dangerous: a ninja cyclist, or a law-abiding cyclist who decides it's much less hassle to use their car through the winter?

n.b. matt is not advocating riding without lights, kids!

[Efrogwr]

*I bought a Murdoch title from the Co-op, does that make it ironic or ultra-capitalist?/quote]

Er, Post-Modern?

[Charlotte]

Thinking about it, there's a definite gap in the market for a cheap set of lights that could be permanently attached to a bicycle.  Maybe something that uses a really hefty plastic zip tie or a crimp-on metal fixture?

It would have to run on cheap, ubiquitous batteries (AAs front and rear, for preference) and they should be swappable once the light was mounted without any fiddly battery door hinge or pingfucket to go missing or get thieved.

[clarion]

So, matt, you think it's OK for cyclists to ride without lights, do you?

My wife's friend's cousin's sister in law nearly got hit by a cyclist without lights in the daytime, even, that's how bad and eevil they are.  If she'd taken three steps out into the middle of the lane, which could have happened, she would probably have been dead or injured, or slightly offended, or something.

[mattc]

So, matt, you think it's OK for cyclists to ride without lights, do you?

    

[ are we still allowed to use those? ]

[Kim]

Thinking about it, there's a definite gap in the market for a cheap set of lights that could be permanently attached to a bicycle.  Maybe something that uses a really hefty plastic zip tie or a crimp-on metal fixture?

Those Excellent Infini Apollo Rear Lights were pretty good in that respect.  Cost all of four quid, bolt to the rear rack and require a tool to get at the batteries.  Only downside was the pingfuckit rating of the self-tapping screw that holds the case on, but given the life of a decent set of AAs in a rear light, that wasn't too big a deal.  Pretty bright and had a really good reflector, too (and would probably pass as a reflector to the untrained observer, which is a security bonus).  I wish I'd had the sense to stock up on a few more before they became unobtanium.  B&M's equivalent offerings are an order of magnitude more expensive, and marginally less visible.

Something similar with a seatpost mount where the fittings are only accessible from inside the light wouldn't be beyond the wit of man, surely?


Front lights are trickier, if only for the higher frequency of battery changes.  Self-tappers are right out.  But still, it's not rocket surgery.  All you need is a sturdy bracket that requires tools and faff to remove, and some sensible, durable way of getting at the batteries (possibly also involving tools, but trivial ones like a flathead screwdriver or 2p coin or something).

[rower40]

[tongue firmly in cheek.  Maybe...]
Make it legal for lights to be on the rider, not the bike.
Then make lights compulsory for pedestrians at night.

Then the clothing manufacturers will take up the challenge of integrating lights with hip & cool threads.

Those of us who want to mount FRIKKIN' LAZERS can still do so.
Lights won't be stolen from bikes, because the BSO rider will take the lights with him - he's wearing them.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I'm not even sure which of my bike lights are even legal these days.

Point. If a compulsory lights on new bikes rule were brought in, would those lights be halfway decent ones like the dynamos on German etc bikes, or crappy but legal BS6102 (or whatever it is) jobs?
Also, would it then become illegal to remove the lights in the daytime, or would this be a purely token law like the one on bells?

[MikeFromLFE]

Thinking about it, there's a definite gap in the market for a cheap set of lights that could be permanently attached to a bicycle.  Maybe something that uses a really hefty plastic zip tie or a crimp-on metal fixture?

This is where the concept of Reelights (remember them?) was spot on - they were permenantly attached, permenantly on, and completely vandalproof. But the stupidity of the magnet mounting on the spokes and the finikityness of the distance between said magnet and light was its letdown.
Sturmey-Archer Dynohubs anyone?

[Pancho]

I doubt this will come to pass.

Remember, we only recently discussed the review of legislation that proposes to scrap the shortlived requirement for bells.

I know politicians are dumb and malign beasts but I find it hard to imagine that even they will strike out one stupid law only to replace it with another. Then again...

[Diver300]

If bikes had to be sold with lights on them, would the long-term effect be to include integrated lights into the design of bikes?

Look at Boris Bikes for an example. I don't think many of them get relieved of their lights while in the stands.

I've lost more money replacing stolen lights from a car than I have from bikes, but you don't hear car owners complaining about useless crap like dim-dip headlights or B*W indicators foisted onto them by the law.

[Pickled Onion]

(1) Equip police cars with sets of front and rear bicycle LEDs and empower officers to offer unlit cyclists the choice of a £100 fine or the immediate purchase of a set of jolly expensive blinkylights.  All profits to feed the starving orphans.

+ infinity.

This is the sort of proportionate, sane and actually constructive enforcement that we badly need more of.

It already happens:

A mate of mine was nicked for "anticipating a red-to-green light change"  and offered a choice of FPN or attending a road safety session. Other than a mild telling off, the session consisted of handing out sets of reasonably good lights and a bunch of reflective stuff - all free.

[Notsototalnewbie]

Thinking about it, there's a definite gap in the market for a cheap set of lights that could be permanently attached to a bicycle.  Maybe something that uses a really hefty plastic zip tie or a crimp-on metal fixture?

This is where the concept of Reelights (remember them?) was spot on - they were permenantly attached, permenantly on, and completely vandalproof. But the stupidity of the magnet mounting on the spokes and the finikityness of the distance between said magnet and light was its letdown.
Sturmey-Archer Dynohubs anyone?

My Gazelle came with a Sturmey Archer dynohub for the front light (no standlight unfortunately, so I still need another light as I have a slightly dicey right turn on my commute).

To get the next model up with a dynamo back light was a stupidly big jump in price for some reason, so I fitted a Reelight to the back. Unfortunately the bit with the coil in was prone to getting bashed at work or banged out of alignment when I clattered over a pothole, no matter how tight I screwed it on, and one day when I was trying to adjust it yet again because it had stopped working, it came apart in my hands like cheese, including the wiring inside snapping. I only had it a month in the end. Rob looked at it as I swore copiously, and said ‘Only someone like Kim would be able to fix that’ (I don’t really want it fixed, it’s too fiddly a design IMO and in hindsight it’s probably easier just to charge the batteries for standard lights every few weeks)

The Gazelle does have a fixed rear light on its mudguard, which opens for battery changes with a screwdriver, but it’s a bit low down.

[Regulator]

(1) Equip police cars with sets of front and rear bicycle LEDs and empower officers to offer unlit cyclists the choice of a £100 fine or the immediate purchase of a set of jolly expensive blinkylights.  All profits to feed the starving orphans.

+ infinity.

This is the sort of proportionate, sane and actually constructive enforcement that we badly need more of.

Something similar happened in Cambridge last year.  Cyclists without lights were being offered the chance to avoid a FPN if they produced a receipt for lights at the police station within a certain period of time.

[Adam]

If I could just work out some system were I could just use my iPhone as lights in an emergency, I'm never without that, even on the shortest ride.

There is a genuine app to provide a bright red screen for Android phones, as an emergency rear bike light.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I called out "Lights!" to an unlit cyclist (who was actually perfectly visible... ) this evening and he replied "Cameras! Action!" which I thought was rather witty.