On the subject of bike lights. Most of the current lights appear to use some LEDs which makes sense, of course. However the brightness of output light looks like completely unregulated.
On so many occasions I would get blinded by overly bright lights of an incoming cyclist during late evening ride.
It's not a brightness thing, after all car headlights are probably 1000x brighter than anything you may have on your bike.
It's because 99% of bike lights are basically just flashlights, spraying light everywhere. The solution is the same as for cars — lights with horizontal cut-offs.
I do some optical engineering, and once took a course on lighting design. Indeed, bike lights are unregulated, and therefore, un-engineered. During the winter on my commute home from work, I usually have to cover my eyes on the bike path to avoid being blinded by oncoming cyclists.
I think Germany has regulations on this. I've bought lights on AliExpress that have a cut-off.
zoomablemind · · focus · HN ↗
On so many occasions I would get blinded by overly bright lights of an incoming cyclist during late evening ride.
Mawr · · focus · HN ↗
It's because 99% of bike lights are basically just flashlights, spraying light everywhere. The solution is the same as for cars — lights with horizontal cut-offs.
analog31 · · focus · HN ↗
I think Germany has regulations on this. I've bought lights on AliExpress that have a cut-off.