Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc

In rec.bicycles.soc, JForester@cup.portal.com (John - Forester) writes:

*      On the other hand I disagree with those who say that only very
*   fancy lighting systems are adequate for cycling on normal roads. For

*   that cyclist is accompanied by a motor vehicle with bright lamps. It
*   is true that bicycle lamps don't light up all the small items on the
*   road, so you will get more flat tires at night than in daylight, but
*   I consider this a minor problem. One rainy night when following a
*   bike-lane stripe on an unfamiliar road I ended up in the mud of an
*   orchard, but that was because the bike-lane stripe so directed me.

On the roads that I ride I need a serious headlight to see the road
hazards.  Generators don't cut it.  As for being seen-it is the taillights
that concern me the most.  Generator taillights are pathetic.  Cars
have 8 watt taillights for a reason.

*   For normal roads the illumination is quite adequate for normal
*   cycling speeds.

In town with streetlights-yes.  Outside the city limits-no.  

The other big problem with generators is that when you stop they go
out.  I was stopped at a stop sign at a T intersection one night.
Outside of the city limits-no streetlights.  A car was approaching 
from the right.  Since I was stopped, I had no lights.  They were 
coming pretty fast, and made a left into the road were I was.  They 
cut the turn and used all of both lanes.  I don't think they ever saw 
me.  I dove into the ditch and was ok.

*      The idea that cyclists cannot keep their lights operating is
*   disproved by European experience. There, you get a ticket for riding
*   at night without a light and most lights work. It just takes a bit of
*   care by someone above the age of childhood.

Americans are not Europeans.  I have worked several summers in bicycle
shops.  Most Americans can't even keep their brakes working.  I have 
seen countless riders without *any* brakes.  My favorite was one night
driving home from work (in the car) as I got to the top of a hill I
caught up to a cyclist.  It was dark, no street lights, no moon.  The
bicyclist had no lights.  It was a steep downhill ahead, with some
turns, on a narrow road with a blind sweeping turn most of the way, 
so I just kept back behind the cyclist.  As we went along I noticed
the cyclist dragging his foot on the ground a few times.  Then we got
to the steep part (17% grade).  He went flying down the hill, around
a left turn, past a couple of side streets, and dragged his foot 
somemore on the straight not as steep part after that.  When he got 
the 4 way stop a short ways later he used the *entire* road 
making the jog across the intersection (the two straight roads were
offset about 3 lanes width) at 30 mph or whatever speed he was going.
No brakes, no lights, on a road most cyclists wouldn't ride on under
any conditions.  I caught up to him later (we turned out to be going
the same place) and he thanked me for not passing him on the hill.
He was pretty casual about not having any brakes or lights, it didn't
seem to be any big deal to him.

Frank Ball   1UR-M          frankb@hpsad.sad.hp.com
Hewlett Packard             (707) 794-4168 work, (707) 538-3693 home
1212 Valley House Drive     (707) 794-3844 fax, IT175, XT350, Seca 750
Rohnert Park CA 94928-4999  KC6WUG, LAW, AMA, Dod #7566, I'm the NRA.
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc