Categories: all aviation bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater

Wed, 12 Nov 2008

Why?

I just picked up a new backup bike light. I'm always on the lookout for new, better lights, and this one looked like it'd be a good step up:

It's a Planet Bike Blaze 1w, and it does something I've wanted for a long time: it takes the Superflash concept (bright and not-as-bright flashes, with a characteristic pattern that's very noticeable), and does it in white light, for a front-light.

So, that's cool. It's kind of an expensive light at $40, but what price safety?

Unfortunately, it suffers from two bits of inanity that I simply no longer understand from manufacturers, particularly manufacturers I expect to be as savvy as Planet Bike.

The first defect is plainly obvious when you look at it. It's tremendously front-heavy (it's a heavy light anyway, and most of that weight sits forward of the center-point of that bar clamp). I know that even using gaff tape on my handlebar, and clamping the hell out of this light, it's going to slowly swivel down until it's pointing its excellent flash pattern at my front tire. Well, it doesn't do me any good if no one can see it.

This raises the second point. The beam pattern is just terrible, for a "be noticed" light: it's got a massively bright central spot that's fairly narrow, and almost no side-spill. Now, this is a good thing when it's a light I'm using so I can see. I want to see what's in front of me, and it's usually not so important to pick up peripheral vision. I even know why they designed it that way: the optics are easily and cheaply available.

However, this light is not strong enough to be a "to see with" light. It simply isn't bright enough to be a primary light, except on the very darkest streets. (Note: I may reverse myself on this particular point, as I haven't actually ridden with it yet.) So its tight focus and mode order don't make sense (it switches on to low, then high, then flash, then off).

What I want in a "be seen" light is a 90-150° beam. I want this thing to broadcast light all over the place, ideally in a flat arc that I can aim at cars, perhaps 20° in height, and at least 90° wide. It doesn't need to be tightly focused, it needs to be visible to as many targets as possible.

All that said, I still paid my money for it, and I think it'll be an improvement over my current backup light, a CatEye something-or-other 410. The CatEye is even worse than the PB I already have (which uses the same clamping system as this one) for rotating forward around the bar, and the CatEye has a comparatively very weak beam. It also runs for twice as long on less battery, but I'll change batteries more often if it means I get more light and a still-reasonable runtime (PB claims 20 hours max out of this light, which I assume is on the flash mode).

For what it's worth, I've been happily using my NiteRider MiNewt as my primary "to see with" light for more than a year now, and love it. If it goes away for any reason, I'll replace it with the same thing, most likely. It has an excellent beam pattern, runs most of a week before I have to charge it, and it's very bright, particularly for its size.

So, super-secret note to Planet Bike engineers: quit it! Wide beam! And give me a light that actually balances reasonably on the handlebar, just move the whole thing back on the mount. It can't be that hard.

Posted at 15:58 permanent link category: /bicycle

Categories: all aviation gadgets misc motorcycle theater

Written by Ian Johnston. Software is Blosxom. Questions? Please mail me at reaper at obairlann dot net.