Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

mmhbeer
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Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby mmhbeer » Sun Dec 19, 2010 1:33 pm

I recently bought some of these from Deal Extreme;

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.48297
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.48296

I mounted a red light on one side of the bars and a blue light on the other. Since I got these motorists give way to me and give me more room when passing me. The difference is amazing. Im not sure if I'll remove my "christmas Lights" once the festive season is over.

rkelsen
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby rkelsen » Sun Dec 19, 2010 1:40 pm

mmhbeer wrote:The difference is amazing.
Hehe :lol:

Dunno if I'd be doing it if the cops were around, but funny nonetheless...

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Aushiker
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Aushiker » Sun Dec 19, 2010 2:17 pm

Hi

Interesting ... do you have them just on the back or just on the front or both?

Andrew

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Nate
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Nate » Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:17 pm

hmmmm its illegal not to have white front - red rear...
but what if you had extra colours??? hmmmm

I dont think they'd be too happy

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x8pg2qr
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby x8pg2qr » Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:34 pm

I do not know why, when discussing something as important as lights, contributors do not take into account the placebo effect.

“I shaved today, and notice all the girls standing closer to me! It was great fun, especially when I could see their expressions. No one spoke to me, but I could tell.”

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Max
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Max » Sun Dec 19, 2010 4:11 pm

x8pg2qr wrote:“I shaved today, and notice all the girls standing closer to me! It was great fun, especially when I could see their expressions. No one spoke to me, but I could tell.”
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Max
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mmhbeer
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby mmhbeer » Sun Dec 19, 2010 4:25 pm

Aushiker wrote:Hi

Interesting ... do you have them just on the back or just on the front or both?

Andrew
The lights come as a pair so ive got a red and blue on the front on either side of the handlebars and a one on each seat stay. I also have Ayups on the bars and a red light on the seat post.

It was just an interesting experiment to do and results are outstanding. It just goes to show that motorists do see you yet they choose to pull out in front of you and cut you off. Once you fit flashing red and blue lights they dont take the chance.

I rode through a breatho on Thursday night but didn't get stopped. Hopefully the police wouldnt mind my festive lights.

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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby russellgarrard » Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:01 pm

I used my crimestoppers reflective backpack cover one night... :shock:

The fastest anyone went past me was 45 in a 60. Well...if it helps slow them down...

Rhubarb
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Rhubarb » Mon Dec 20, 2010 3:59 pm

bendertiger wrote:I used my crimestoppers reflective backpack cover one night... :shock:
How can I get one of those ???

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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Rhubarb » Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:01 pm

I rang the cops a while back and asked about the validity of a blue flashing light for the bike. They gave a definite NO !!!

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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Rhubarb » Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:09 pm

Oxford wrote:there's the problem you sought permission instead of forgiveness.
Yeah I use that technique at work to get stuff done, but with things like that I think it might attract police attention as well as other motorists.

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elStado
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby elStado » Wed Dec 22, 2010 1:35 am

Just a heads up- having flashing blue and red lights would be illegal or at least borderline illegal in most states. You'll eventually be pulled up by the Police and they'll tell you to get plain white+ red lights. You may even get in more strife than that, but I doubt they would bother unless you were wearing a police looking uniform, then they might get stroppy for impersonating a police officer which is quite illegal.

I also have a feeling that it is illegal to have red lights facing forwards or white facing back, not sure if it actually is, but if you think about it it's common sense to have red at the rear only and white at the front only.. you don't want to confuse a motorist and end up getting squashed.
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il padrone
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby il padrone » Wed Dec 22, 2010 1:40 am

elStado wrote:I also have a feeling that it is illegal to have red lights facing forwards or white facing back, not sure if it actually is, but if you think about it it's common sense to have red at the rear only and white at the front only.. you don't want to confuse a motorist and end up getting squashed.
This has apparently been happening on some Melbourne shared paths at night. It really has the potential to be a killer in that scenario.

If it's you, please don't do it.

RED = REAR, WHITE = FRONT. Pretty simple really.
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elStado
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby elStado » Wed Dec 22, 2010 2:07 am

il padrone wrote:
elStado wrote:I also have a feeling that it is illegal to have red lights facing forwards or white facing back, not sure if it actually is, but if you think about it it's common sense to have red at the rear only and white at the front only.. you don't want to confuse a motorist and end up getting squashed.
This has apparently been happening on some Melbourne shared paths at night. It really has the potential to be a killer in that scenario.

If it's you, please don't do it.

RED = REAR, WHITE = FRONT. Pretty simple really.
Yeah a mate of mine near ran over a guy riding a bike as he reversed out of his driveway at night a couple of months ago. The guy was riding a bike with a flashing red LED at the front so my mate (who rides occasionally himself) thought it was a bike which had just gone past and was heading the other way. It's pretty much asking to have an accident doing something like that, people rely on those lights to help them identify other vehicles.
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eeksll
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby eeksll » Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:38 pm

clearly the intention is to impersonate a police officer ...

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il padrone
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby il padrone » Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:34 pm

Oxford wrote:a couple of flashing blue and red lights comes nowhere near impersonating a police officer
Yeah, guess you're right there. Vicroads even make the roads impersonate a police officer, to wake drivers up.

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alf
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby alf » Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:26 am

il padrone wrote:
Oxford wrote:a couple of flashing blue and red lights comes nowhere near impersonating a police officer
Yeah, guess you're right there. Vicroads even make the roads impersonate a police officer, to wake drivers up.
I seem to recall that the blue reflector is meant to indicate that a fire hydrant (above or below ground) is close by.

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il padrone
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby il padrone » Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:50 am

alf wrote:I seem to recall that the blue reflector is meant to indicate that a fire hydrant (above or below ground) is close by.
OK. A bit of googling seems to indicate this is correct Image
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Aushiker
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Aushiker » Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:15 pm

alf wrote:
il padrone wrote:
Oxford wrote:a couple of flashing blue and red lights comes nowhere near impersonating a police officer
Yeah, guess you're right there. Vicroads even make the roads impersonate a police officer, to wake drivers up.
I seem to recall that the blue reflector is meant to indicate that a fire hydrant (above or below ground) is close by.
Hi

Ahh, so is it illegal to impersonate a fire person? :)

Andrew

eeksll
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby eeksll » Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:57 pm

Oxford wrote: ... my flashing blue light is a novelty, but one that I hope alters driver behaviour even if only temporarily.
if the intention of using the blue light is not to impersonate why not user another colour?

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elStado
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby elStado » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:44 pm

Just on these lights, and discussions in another thread about lights, the black pair which have 1x white and 1x red are great. I got a pair last week and have used them a couple of times since and for $5 they work a treat as a attention/hazard light.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/2-led-3-mo ... 2032-51737
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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Quinns Rocks Roadie » Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:47 pm

[quote="x8pg2qr"“I shaved today, and notice all the girls standing closer to me! It was great fun, especially when I could see their expressions. No one spoke to me, but I could tell.” [/quote]
Yeah yeah, and there are fairies down the bottom of my garden...I haven't seen them but I know they are there. :lol:

Cool little lights but prohibitive battery cost.

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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby cp123 » Mon May 09, 2011 11:08 am

I have had a blue flashing light attached to my backpack for about the last 6 or 7 years. As well as my reds of course. No police have ever pulled me up on it and last week I rode through a random breath test station with about 6 police there with it blazing away.


It just stands out that little bit more - and no - i'm not impersonating anyone by any means.

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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby cp123 » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:35 pm

Oh well - it happened tonight. Riding down the main drag and I hear the siren behind me. I got pulled over by an unmarked police car. The copper got out and I'm thinking what the hell have I done. Well, he took offence to my blue light and told me it was illegal.

I said I've been riding for years with it and pass the local cop shop each night and nobody gives a toss. He kept on saying it was illegal and he turned it off. I did say I couldn't remove it as I needed a screwdriver. (of course I had one in my backpack).

I was also involved with another copper last night on another issue - will repost that one later - and last night's cop didn't give a fluff about my lights. When I said that to today's guy he said he was probably a general duties copper and not a traffic cop. so while it started off a bit prickly I have enough nouse to know when not to pick a fight and he turned it off and while I said my piece he went on his merry way with just warning me.

he's obviously never seen me in the last 10 years.... :roll: not sure what I think to be honest....

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Re: Lights - my $10 experiment for riding at night

Postby Dr_Mutley » Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:00 pm

I have been using one of these (cheap) blue tail lights for over a year... Quite a bit of added respect when combined with my brilliant redzone 8... I have been passed by SAPOL a hundred times at night and never been pulled up or asked to explain....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/310657415466" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


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