Re: bike light optics

On 3/29/2024 6:35 PM, sms wrote:

On 3/29/2024 2:19 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:
 <snip>
 

Unless it’s fairly tame riding that light would feel fairly poor on a
gravel bike, even with a road bike a cut off beam shape isn’t wildly great
if you’re relying on the light to see, off road be totally the wrong shape.

 It's the same issue on unlit MUPs which are quite common in my area because they are usually along creeks and rivers and the water district usually doesn't allow lighting.
 You _really_ want a beam that illuminates to the sides and a little upward. Many of these paths have no fence or railing to prevent a cyclist that can't see the sides from veering off the embankment.
 For roads, there are often trees with low-hanging branches that will whack you in the head (except where Frank lives because he claimed that delivery trucks driving close to the curb, or on the shoulder, will knock down any low-hanging branches).

We don't have issues with tree branches, rather heavy brush which pushes out into the traffic lane. Trying to ride through it on the shoulder could easily slice open flesh (it's happened to me several times) or pull the bar and force a crash (never happened to me, but have seen it).
Most towns around here don't trim this vegetation unless they get enough complaints.
For that matter, I don't see how it's likely that a tree branch could be so low in the road as to take you off the bike but not cause damage to every passing SUV.

 It must be miserable living in a place where the streets are only swept twice a year and where you have to depend on UPS, FedEx, etc., to clear low-hanging branches.
 

it must be wonderful to live in a cycling utopia where every cyclist whim and need  is met with government acquiescence