Perils and Dilemmas

There are some very useful and useable bike paths around here. As I noted recently, the one soon to be completed from SW 91st to Archer is a great addition to the bike travel infrastructure for both recreational and commuting riders. Many of the paths within the city are transit routes are convenient ways for recreational riders using them to get to places beyond the urban area. For daily commuters and life-stylists they take on a different and much more familiar role. Where we go and how we get there can pose problems that the motoring public and recreational riders might never understand.

I use Kermit Sigmon Bike Trail and the bike path paralleling Archer Road where it ends at SW 16th Avenue to very near the intersection of SW 34th Street and Archer Road. At that major intersection I am faced with a dilemma. Should I cross to the north side of Archer Road and ride on the sidewalk with traffic or remain on the south side and ride against the flow of traffic?

The decision is actually a very easy one. I have ridden along the sidewalk fronting Butler Plaza. It is always a perilous ride and when I must ride on that side of Archer Road I try to use Windmeadows Blvd. instead. The alternative is to remain in the south side of Archer and be aware that drivers will seldom glance to the right (eastward) as they pull from parking areas onto Archer Road. One might expect that drivers making right turns into Butler Plaza would be more alert to pedestrians and bicycle riders. There seems to be a let down in attention when leaving Archer Road. Maybe drivers feel safer then. And those exiting Butler are no better at looking for pedestrians or bikes coming from the east.

For about a mile and a half I ride the sidewalk being very aware of cars leaving end entering parking for businesses along the southern side of Archer Road. Interestingly, riding along there at night seems less dangerous because of headlights. Literally, the Princeton Tec EOS mounted to my helmet often attracts the attention of drivers who otherwise might not look to their right. No false sense of security here. Caution and patience remain the primary directives. After passing under I-75 there are no more businesses with which to contend and as soon as possible I cross to the north side of Archer to ride in the bike lane.

The decisions we make as bike riders may not always (or ever) make sense to drivers and many may make no sense at all. The best decision we can make is to not challenge drivers and their vehicles because we have the right-of-way. It may infuriate me when a driver fails to look right and left or when a driver is texting or talking on the phone and doesn't yield. My frustration is brief. Injury or death is too damn permanent.

 

Lighting the Way #2

Is it possible to spend too much time researching and planning? Of course, if it becomes an excuse for not acting. Years ago I accepted "Car and Driver" as my definitive guide when buying tires and light and other devices useful for being highway scofflaw. Basically, at the time, there were two publications that talked about the things I wanted to know and only "C and D" spoke to driving faster than the speed limit on a budget. Forty years later I have no interest in exceeding the speed limit and my budget is much less than it was back then. There's also much, much, much more information available because of the internet. Researching a single item can take as long as a transcontinental tour.

Everything I purchase carries a definitive requirement. It has to remain within budget. Applying this single requirement while researching lighting eliminated many of the lights I would have liked to have. Both "Bicycle Times", which is my current-day "Car and Driver", and road.cc provided basic and deeper technical information, along with comparison pricing. After that I was left to read purchaser reviews on various on-line retailer sites.

Spending more time riding after sundown changed getting additional illumination from a want to a need. My 70 lumens Princeton Tec EOS is adequate as a be-seen light and is very useful when helmet mounted. It is less successful at lighting the path ahead, especially where substantial ambient lighting exists. At those times obstacles not visible under the ambient light are also not made visible by the EOS until quite close, requiring a dramatic reduction in speed. Where nearby street lights cannot cast ambient illumination on a tree lined bike path the EOS works ok at only moderate speed reduction. The variability of lighting is one of the issues needing to be overcome if one is going to ride typical urban streets and bike paths.

Eventually, Ben's Cycle made the decision much easier when I found a NiteRider Mako 150 on their ebay listing. The price was better than good and I ordered it immediately. Sent by USPS it arrived in three days. Nice price. Nice service. Why the NiteRider? Price, of course. Why the Mako 150? Because it was dramatically less than the Mako 200 or 300 I was considering, but, additionally, the price was such that I could view this purchase as an experiment if the Mako turned out to be significantly less than I hoped. The EOS had been my first venture into bike lighting and all I really wanted was something demonstrably better than it was.

Several night rides later I know that the Mako was a good purchase beyond price. It is not rechargeable, which was a requirement based on my touring experience. If it was going to serve me on a tour I knew that I could not depend on getting electricity at every stop. It mounts easily. Criticism of the mounting system being fragile seem to be unfounded. It's an unusual system, but does not appear to be a potential weak point. It is much brighter than the 70 lumens EOS with the beam presenting a narrow spot that easily overwhelm ambient light, illuminating potential obstacles that would otherwise be invisible. By using the EOS as a helmet mounted light I can scan left and right, supplementing the Mako's side lighting. Basically, it's pretty damn cool!

But I didn't stop there . . .

Bike Works, a local bike shop, relocated from Tioga Town Center to bicycle center where it is one of three within less than a mile of each other. Among the things they had not sold prior to relocating and wanted to sell was a pair of Stella 200s by Light and Motion. I didn't need two more lights, but sometimes there are offers you cannot pass-up. Now, instead of inadequate lighting I have exceeded my minimum daily allowance of lumens. I will probably try to sell the spare. Wanna buy a light?

Have I made two good decisions? I hope. There are some limiting things. The NiteRider is water resistant but not water proof like the EOS. The Stella is rechargeable with a proprietary charger and requires a battery pack to be attached to the frame. The cord on the Stella is too short to allow it to be used with the included helmet mount. The up-side? Light. Lots and lots of light. Below is a wholly unscientific representation of the patterns cast by the Mako and Stella.

Mako 150 against white wall

Stella 200 against white wall

I plan to use the Mako on the Schwinn and the Stella on the Novara where the battery pack will mount more easily. When I tour I'll use the Mako. With both bikes the EOS is now a helmet mount and that might be the best addition to my lighting situation. Being able to look side-to-side is a big advantage. While riding last night I was able to alert a texting driver to my presence by turning the 80 lumens of the EOS onto his face. His response was positive, but I expect some people will take offense. Guess I'll see. And be seen!

Lighting The Way

If your gonna ride a bike full time lights are going to be necessary, eventually. Finding a suitable light has been much more difficult than finding tires and other equipment. It’s complicated, initially, by differences in specific information about brightness. Watts versus lumens is at the center of the problem. Lumens describe the amount of visible light generated than does watts which relates more to power consumption. Lumens, therefore is more useful in determining which light will be more useful. Unfortunately, many manufacturers use watts in their information making comparisons difficult if not impossible. Certainly, more wattage suggests a brighter bulb, but not necessarily. The most useful reviews are the ones providing actual images of lighting capability, thereby making comparisons possible.

I looked at the light comparison in a 2009 edition of Bicycle Times magazine (http://www.bicycletimesmag.com/node/80249). It provided descriptions, technical information and images showing light patterns and intensity. Price was the deciding factor and I purchased an ungraded (better) light I chose a Princeton Tec EOS to replace an inadequate, vintage light.

At the time of the review in Bicycle Times light output was 50 lumens. When I purchased the EOS it had been raised to 70 lumens and that has been upped to 80 lumens in its current form. Other reviews identified it as a good “be seen” light and it has served well for the two years I have used it. As a helmet mounted light it works very well and adds no noticeable burden. Because I anticipated needing a good light if I toured I chose a light using batteries (three AAA) rather than a rechargeable light assuming recharging might pose a problem on the road. Among the nice things about the EOS is that it came with accessories to permit handlebar, helmet and head mounting. Costing about $40 (with shipping from BrightGuy) I have no complaints about its utilitarian qualities. The EOS is a satisfactory commuting light because most of my nighttime riding is on roads with which I have familiarity. Lighting is needed to show unexpected obstacles more than to actually light the way. At its brightest setting the EOS works very well for my short single track section where speed is greatly reduced. On unfamiliar roads it would be adequate but I would plan to ride at or below 10 mph. Because I commonly use the middle or lowest setting on well lighted urban streets and I do not do a lot of night riding batteries last a month of more.

 

I supplement the EOS with a tiny flashing light made by Nite Ize (http://www.niteize.com/product/BugLit.asp) called Buglite which is a micro LED flashlight. The flexible legs allow it to be fastened on handlebars, stays, bags or many other places. Its very bright light is hard to miss. Had I needed illumination while touring the EOS would have sufficed. One of the potential issues around here is the attitude of some police officers who have stopped riders because they were using only a flashing white light. The officers insist that the flashing light "distracts drivers." If distracting means a rider is noticed it's a good thing. Could "distract" mean something else?

I have had more reasons to ride at night since returning from my aborted tour and recognize reasons why more and better lighting is valuable. All of the things that Make Cars Dangerous exist after dark and inattention is compounded. Being seen and being able to see are good concepts! In my search for better information I found a test conducted by Road,CC, an English website; “The big road.cc lights test 2012”. Its method for depicting lighting quality is unlike any I have seen and the information they provide for a myriad of lights is complete. Some of the products are unavailable here in the Colonies, but most are. Pricing is in Pounds Sterling, but that’s fine for making relative comparisons prior to seeking local sources and costs. I won’t try to explain their images suggesting only that seeing it is worth the minimal effort required.

The result of recent lighting study has me leaning toward something from Nite Rider, specifically in their Mako series. Where the EOS is waterproof, the Nite Rider products are only water resistant. Since I do not intended to dive with my bikes this should not be a serious limitation My decision will be based on the usual combination of usefulness and cost and if anyone is interested my opinions and observations will appear here.