Off road, night riding, do you "dip" your lights?
Discussion
So, I rode home from work twice this week, off road. It's the South Downs Way, it's properly dark, I usually turn the rear light off once away from the road at the start because I never have others overtaking me. Might have to rethink that!
Anyway, the first night, there are 2 - 3 cases of others riding towards me in the 70 or so minutes it takes. All are very bright, I have to squint to see anything, and I slow down. I don't know how my light affects them, I am conscious of NOT dazzling others so I have it pointing down maybe 3m in front of me, on one of the lower settings. Nobody has ever said my light is too bright, but that doesn't mean it isn't.
The second night, I don't see any other riders until I'm almost home. It's a long rolling stretch, way in the distance I can see a bright white glow - their lights are so bright, I can see them coming before they come over the horizon! It gets brighter and brighter, slowly, eventually they crest the rise, and I can see 4 bright lights, in a square shape.
It could be anything, although it's dark and off road, and after 6 pm, the farmers can be up there in their tractors or pick ups, or even tipper trucks if they're sorting the land out, I know it's probably bikes or runners, but it's so bright, I can't see anything apart from these bloody lights.
I decide to stop, if it is a vehicle, the trail is only just wide enough for us to pass and I don't want to have an accident a couple of miles from home in the dark. As they get closer I realise it's two bikes, each with a light on the bars and a head torch. I switch my light to flashing I don't think there's anything else I can do. They're so bright, as they pass I shout "I can't see a effing thing " and they reply but I don't hear.
Thinking about it today, I wonder if they're on Strava, can I see them on Flyby? One of them was, so I commented "Thanks for blinding me!" As soon as I sent that, I started thinking what if they're a psycho and come looking for me?
We're having a talk about it, he keeps on about how I switched my light to flashing, but he doesn't seem to think he's done anything wrong. When you're driving, you don't leave your lights on full beam when another car comes towards you do you?
Anyway, the first night, there are 2 - 3 cases of others riding towards me in the 70 or so minutes it takes. All are very bright, I have to squint to see anything, and I slow down. I don't know how my light affects them, I am conscious of NOT dazzling others so I have it pointing down maybe 3m in front of me, on one of the lower settings. Nobody has ever said my light is too bright, but that doesn't mean it isn't.
The second night, I don't see any other riders until I'm almost home. It's a long rolling stretch, way in the distance I can see a bright white glow - their lights are so bright, I can see them coming before they come over the horizon! It gets brighter and brighter, slowly, eventually they crest the rise, and I can see 4 bright lights, in a square shape.
It could be anything, although it's dark and off road, and after 6 pm, the farmers can be up there in their tractors or pick ups, or even tipper trucks if they're sorting the land out, I know it's probably bikes or runners, but it's so bright, I can't see anything apart from these bloody lights.
I decide to stop, if it is a vehicle, the trail is only just wide enough for us to pass and I don't want to have an accident a couple of miles from home in the dark. As they get closer I realise it's two bikes, each with a light on the bars and a head torch. I switch my light to flashing I don't think there's anything else I can do. They're so bright, as they pass I shout "I can't see a effing thing " and they reply but I don't hear.
Thinking about it today, I wonder if they're on Strava, can I see them on Flyby? One of them was, so I commented "Thanks for blinding me!" As soon as I sent that, I started thinking what if they're a psycho and come looking for me?
We're having a talk about it, he keeps on about how I switched my light to flashing, but he doesn't seem to think he's done anything wrong. When you're driving, you don't leave your lights on full beam when another car comes towards you do you?
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