Comments on: Subtle and powerful luminosity

By: pandabonium

pandabonium — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 01:56:10 +0000

I agree that the onus should not be on the rider to be seen, but since we ride in environments full of incompetent or non-caring drivers, I think is only prudent to take measures to protect ourselves.

An analogy might be that better policing might prevent thefts, or a better education and social conditioning of citizens, and I will support such efforts, but in the meantime I’m going to use a good lock.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 19:31:10 +0000

It looks good, and myabe is a good thing.
But still, I don’t see why I have to go around dressed like a Christmas Tree because of someone else’s fault.
I mean, if you say “I didn’t see you” in conditions where someone can be seen, it means you drive careless, you can’t argue with it. If you are driving in dark or dusk conditions you have to be twice as careful, you cannot pretend that childs, litter bins, cows (on the countryside), light poles and so on, have a reflective thing on it.
Open your eyes, instead.

Proof of this; the only accident I had was in daylight, squeezed by a SUV on a van parked, the driver did not get that my handlebars were almost ripping his car. What difference would have made wearing flash clothes?
Again, one rider squeezed by a van while riding his Christiania tricicle (with a big ORANGE box…!), broken leg only because the width of the trike protected him from the impact.
’nuff said.

So, the point is: let’s forcus on the main, FIRST problem. Which is WHO makes the error, and not how someone else has to avoid it…

By: pandabonium

pandabonium — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:04:42 +0000

That’s cool. We don’t ride after dark very often, but when we do, I’m always concerned about overall visibility (rural Japan narrow roads).

By the way, I have one of those rear lights made up of leds that has three settings – on, flashing, and sequential flashing. It’s mounted just under my seat. I’ve experimented with it and have found that if I put it in flashing mode – even in the daytime – cars slow down and give me more room as they pass.

The Lumistrip looks like an excellent safety product. We’ll have to get it.