Fitted lights & bike reflectors... How 'legal' are we all really?

[flake99please]

In light of recent 'discussions' regarding the legality of BS approved/non approved lights, light colours, reflectors, etc. I am genuinely interested in the number of forum users that are truly 'road legal' when they are riding. I myself fall into the non BS approved lights, and no reflectors category.

For what its worth, my lighting set up is...

Front
2 x Cateye Volt700 (continuous, and angled well towards the road), 2 x Cateye RapidX (flashing)

Rear
1 x Exposure Tracer (pulse), 2 x Cateye RapidX (flashing)

Although the likelihood of being pulled over for non compliance of fitted reflectors, it does bother me that there is a potential for a driver to argue this fact in a court case should there be an RTA between us (assuming they're at fault).

 

[glasgowcyclist]

With my current setup my bike is fully compliant with the lighting regs. In fact they are to STVZO (Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung) standard so exceed the British requirements. No surprise really as it's a new bike bought from a German outlet online.

I have additional non-compliant lights.

GC

 

[fossyant]

No BS crap lights here. No pedal reflectors.

Lit up like a Christmas Tree on fire.

 

[Drago]

Legal light front and rear as backups, effective lights front and rear as my main lamps.

Pedal reflectors I technically miss the boat. On my 520s and 540s I got the reflectors, but on others I've improvised with Amber reflective tape.

Rear reflector on all bikes I use on the road.

 

[glenn forger]

Cat eye EL320 front, been a star that light, had it years, that's on flash and a tenner Aldi torch zip locked to the bars is on steady so drivers can judge speed. Pedal reflectors that came with the bike and seventy spoke reflectors, rear is the Smart keyhole shaped one and that flat one that can strobe backwards and forwards like off Close Encounters, dunno what it's called. I am entirely legal apart from the class A drugs in the panniers.

 

[Simpleton]

I have one rear blinky and one front. No reflectors at all.

Don't fall into the trap that being lit up like a christmas tree will be safer - because it won't.

 

[glenn forger]

I would feel uncomfortable with one light in case of failure, and drivers seem to be able to judge speed better with a steady light.

 

[Drago]

Don't fall into the trap that being lit up like a christmas tree will be safer - because it won't.

Here we go...

 

[Simpleton]

Here we go...

''How could you not see me?"

Famous last words, riding defensively will reap more benefits then riding with enough lumens you are seen from outer space.

 

[Drago]

I'm not arguing the case either way. I'm simply predicting a, er, 'lively' discussion about that point.

 

[mjr]

With my current setup my bike is fully compliant with the lighting regs. In fact they are to STVZO (Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung) standard so exceed the British requirements.

Same here, so I picked "Non BS" even though they are legal. Actually, I still have a BS Cateye light amongst the fleet in the shed and it's surprisingly good. Is the only widely-available BS light now the Askalitt one in Clas Ohlsen?

 

[Slioch]

With the advancements made in LED technology I think the BS for bicycle lighting is no longer fit for purpose and should be reviewed. The current standard puts cyclists who have lighting that is superior to the BS into a "grey area" both from a legal and an insurance point of view should they be involved in an incident.

I have more than adequate lights front and rear to ensure I can be both seen, and to see by, but I am not BS compliant.

 

[summerdays]

Reflectors fitted as arrived with the bike (even got the ones on the spokes - as well as some aldi spoke reflectors).

Lights non compliant - the need for bright, easily removable, transferable, bright lights outweighs the need to meet the standard. So a mixture of lights from Electron nano?, cateye volt, smart superflash, hope etc, and some of those blinky ones that are based on the original frog design ones.

 

[MontyVeda]

I have no idea if my lights are BS approved or not. but there's no poll option for that.

 

[fimm]

On the Brompton - two lights front and rear (a Cat-eye set and an Edinburgh Bike Co-op set that they don't make any more). Front and rear reflectors. Pedal reflectors (except two have fallen off! I really should see if I can superglue them back on...)

On the road bike - two "be seen" lights at the rear plus a wee blinky thing hanging off the pannier. Two powerful (one is a Leyzane) lights at the front (I have a section without streetlights on the commute I do on that bike). No pedal reflectors (I run clipless pedals and the pannier obscures the pedal that side anyway). I do use reflective ankle straps.

EDIT - a few spoke reflectors on both those bikes.

I also own a TT bike that has neither lights nor reflectors - because I never ride it in the dark... (I think the OP was trying to stop smart-arse answers like this with the line about "most used" bike)