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#251118 - 09/21/12 11:23 AM Bike safety
nursemike Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 870
Loc: wellington, fl
Bike Laser Tail Light

Creates a bike lane on the ground in back of the rider to improve safety.

Hacks to follow to increase wattage, provide ranging and sighting capability. Unit will be capable of dividing pursuing zombies into three segments vertically or horizontally.
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#251119 - 09/21/12 01:16 PM Re: Bike safety [Re: nursemike]
ireckon Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 1629
Loc: Northern California
Cool idea, does it work well?
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#251120 - 09/21/12 02:38 PM Re: Bike safety [Re: nursemike]
GarlyDog Offline
τΏτ
Old Hand

Registered: 04/05/07
Posts: 776
Loc: The People's Republic of IL
How does creating a bike lane behind the bike improve safety?
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#251123 - 09/21/12 03:45 PM Re: Bike safety [Re: GarlyDog]
Eastree Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 06/15/11
Posts: 62
They're really not at all visible to car drivers. If you want a patch of light on the pavement as a guide for cars, there are much better options out there (such as the Down Low Glow or Bike Brightz). They will create a pool of bright light at the ground.

Originally Posted By: GarlyDog
How does creating a bike lane behind the bike improve safety?


The idea is that it outlines the three-foot berth legally required in most States (some require four feet), and hopefully makes drivers who are unaware of the laws regarding interaction with cyclists on the road think twice about passing dangerously closely.

I'll assume there are some folks here who don't know why passing closely to a cyclist can be dangerous, for the sake of being thorough.

There have been instances of drivers who judge 'not hitting' a cyclist by the width of the cab, ignoring the mirrors at the side of the vehicle, and ultimately striking the cyclist with the mirror. Some people judge the 'not hitting' distance by the width of the cyclist's torso, ignoring wider handlebars, panniers, etc., with the same result. In neither scenario could I necessarily say that hitting the cyclist was deliberate.

There's also the issue of the wake created by a much larger, faster-moving object. The air forced around the car can easily disrupt the cyclist, sucking the cyclist towards the vehicle or blasting the cyclist off the road. Three feet can make a huge difference.

Besides this, there are some unpredictable riders out there. Though it's very unwise to vary one's line while being passed, sometimes it does happen. That three feet can make a huge difference.

Also, in light of the amount of harassment cyclists receive (people screaming at them, throwing things at them, swerving their cars at them, and on and on and on), giving a bit of space is nothing short of just plain polite.

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#251125 - 09/21/12 04:28 PM Re: Bike safety [Re: Eastree]
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
Originally Posted By: Eastree
The idea is that it outlines the three-foot berth legally required in most States (some require four feet), and hopefully makes drivers who are unaware of the laws regarding interaction with cyclists on the road think twice about passing dangerously closely.


I'm not sure the lights would work that way. Out of curiosity I looked up Down Low Glow and Bike Brightz, and they would probably strike most drivers as decorative ("bling," I suppose). But then maybe they unconsciously influence the drivers and make them stay farther away.

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#251127 - 09/21/12 05:00 PM Re: Bike safety [Re: nursemike]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
I've been working on the bike safety thing... mostly got it figured out... need some grey paint and a yellow stripe to finish it off... smile


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#251128 - 09/21/12 05:05 PM Re: Bike safety [Re: nursemike]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
I'm a triathlete(*) so I am of course a cyclist. I try to stay on trails where I can. Many of the streets and highways around here are too narrow and/or have too much traffic for me to ride on them. When encountering cyclists on those roads behind the wheel, I give them a wide berth and think less than complimentary things about their judgement.

Lights are good. I put a red blinky light on the back of my wife's bike -- I don't ride at night. I don't see any way that the laser tail light is better than the three/$10 LED blinky that I picked up at the hamfest.



(* I completed a sprint tri last year and, having had two surgeries and spending 18 months in PT recovering from injuries suffered, am now training to do it again. What was that definition of insanity?)

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#251129 - 09/21/12 05:43 PM Re: Bike safety [Re: nursemike]
ireckon Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 1629
Loc: Northern California
If I have to ride street, I'll use one of those reflection vests. When I'm driving, those things are impossible for me to miss. Also, they're good during the day, and they don't need batteries. Some sort of light on the back would be a supplement.

Unfortunately, with the advent of texting, it's getting more dangerous out there. I'm sure we all have heard stories about a driver accidentally hitting and killing bicyclist riding on the side. This is the type of danger over which the biker has no control. It's the type of danger that doesn't make the biker mysteriously macho if the biker decides to bike in the face of danger anyway.

Every single time I get on the road, I see at least a few drivers swerving to get back into their lane while being distracted by their cell phone. Whatever goal the biker is trying to achieve is not worth the clear risk to life if riding on the street is not totally necessary.
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#251130 - 09/21/12 06:10 PM Re: Bike safety [Re: nursemike]
Greg_Sackett Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 12/14/01
Posts: 225
Loc: KC, MO
I live out in the country (mostly) so I am fortunate to ride on pretty low traffic roads, even though most of them are shoulder-less. I am pretty comfortable with it, although my wife pretty much refuses to ride on the road.

To be fair, I have been hit before. I was clipped by a truck mirror while climbing a hill. Luckily for me, they were moving slowly and trying to go around me right before the crest of the hill. I was able to stay upright, but it left a nice bruise. Totally freaked my wife out though.

I seriously doubt that little laser would be visible to a motorist. A flashy red LED is visible a LONG way away. Vests also work well, as do reflective stripes on panniers and the "slow moving vehicle" triangles.

Be safe out there!

Greg

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#251133 - 09/22/12 12:41 AM Re: Bike safety [Re: Greg_Sackett]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
I have commuted by bike for the last forty years, the vast majority of the time. Be as bright as possible. Today I rode with two headlamps - one flashing and mounted on the handlebars and a brighter one on my helmet. There is a blinking red on the rear of my helmet and another on my seat bag. I always wear a bright jersey or jacket - screaming yellow or luminous green.

I am fortunate. The streets are wide and the drivers are courteous - probably a good fraction of them are recreational cyclists.

I average an "incident" about once every five years. On one of these occasions, the drunk driver was led from the scene in handcuffs - the bike was totaled; I was not.
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