Bright flashing front bike light in daylight - why?

[Ganymede]

Hi chums

A few times recently I've seen a cyclist around our lanes in Kent sporting a searingly bright flashing front light. The reason I take note is that he has it on during the day, in good light or even sunlight. I could understand if it was at night or in bad vis but this is high summer in daylight. I've seen him from my bike and from the car and frankly it's distracting and really painfully strong.

I've just driven from Uckfield through Tunbridge Wells and back to west Kent and saw him again at the Lamberhurst roundabout late this afternoon. We'd seen loads of cyclists all day as there was a triathlon on and they were all extremely visible without any lights on at all, so what's with this? I kinda hope it's nobody on here but if it is, I'm wondering what the rationale is - maybe he has a horrible history of being run over and is into desperate measures?

 

[John the Monkey]

...maybe he has a horrible history of being run over and is into desperate measures?

Bingo.

Or one of being knocked off and arguments with insurers about how visible he should have made himself.

 

[Ganymede]

Bingo.

Or one of being knocked off and arguments with insurers about how visible he should have made himself.

To be honest his light is so bright I could imagine a motorist making a case for being blinded!

 

[Saluki]

I have a flashing light, front and back, even in the day time. An extra bit of something for blind as bats car drivers to see. I ride on a lot of country roads and go through a lot of tree tunnels which have less light in them. If my visibility is impaired as I go into a darker area, so is a car drivers. Those little flashing lights can be seen even more easily then.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

not sure about running a front light in very bright weather in a town, but I always run my rear light on flashing irrespective of the weather. In bright sunny conditions, the shade/shadow under dense tree foliage can hide even cars and cyclists are often not very visible (IMO) so I run with the rear light on all the time (mostly rural Cheshire country lanes here). There are a couple of junctions that I will put my front light on for in the same conditions (one is nasty and cars often pull out because most traffic turns off left and under the dense tree coverage in dark shade and the fact that it is a fast downhill section, I prefer to force vehicles to see me) but it goes off again after the junction.

That said, I too have been knocked off my bike in conditions (totally unsimilar) where I could have done nothing differently from an expert eye-witness (a police officer going on duty).

 

[fossyant]

The guy might have just bought a T6 off ebay for less than 20 squids, and does not read forums about how bright they are. These flash on full power.

 

[Ganymede]

I have a flashing light, front and back, even in the day time. An extra bit of something for blind as bats car drivers to see. I ride on a lot of country roads and go through a lot of tree tunnels which have less light in them. If my visibility is impaired as I go into a darker area, so is a car drivers. Those little flashing lights can be seen even more easily then.

I can understand a "little flashing light" in just the conditions you describe. This is like a lighthouse!

 

[Ganymede]

The guy might have just bought a T6 off ebay for less than 20 squids, and does not read forums about how bright they are. These flash on full power.

It did look like that. Eyeballs still recovering.

 

[ianrauk]

Trying to find that You Tube vid of the angry cyclist getting apoplectic at others cyclists bright lights..

 

[Saluki]

I can understand a "little flashing light" in just the conditions you describe. This is like a lighthouse!

Do you live near the coast??

 

[Ganymede]

Do you live near the coast??

Not any more! Bad simile do you think?!

 

[Saluki]

Edited as I put the wrong post in the wrong thread

 

[Dogtrousers]

There was a cyclist with quite a bright front flashing light at about 0730 near Westerham in Kent. It was daylight, and it looked about as bright as a bike light normally gets. Can't be the one referred to in the OP as I found it neither distracting nor painful, but I did notice it.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I'll use daytime running lights if it is a bit dull or looks like it may rain but its only usually my secondary light. Not in bright summer daylight though.

@Ganymede they maybe don't realise how blinding it is, could be one for having a quiet word if you get near enough to advise them for everyones benefit.

 

[Ganymede]

There was a cyclist with quite a bright front flashing light at about 0730 near Westerham in Kent. It was daylight, and it looked about as bright as a bike light normally gets. Can't be the one referred to in the OP as I found it neither distracting nor painful, but I did notice it.

Only painful when angled right towards me - and I wonder if I partly found it distracting because I immediately started thinking about why etc as above. It made me follow him with my eyes which is perhaps what he was after - a bit like if you see something odd about someone's vehicle or a vintage car or someone spouting oil fumes, it takes your attention. So it could be the same one but perhaps you and I have different reactions to the same thing, which, y'know, is possible