Best LED spotlight, flashing light, horn, mirror and reflective material for tunnel and hairpin turn approach[nighttime and/or speed pedelec features]

[BikeMike]

OK. Bear with me for a moment. I've got trouble with the lighting of Denver bike path tunnels. Gathering the basic information will take me a little bit of time. How one defines a bike light beam pattern is more difficult than it sounds.

I can only add to this thread incrementally, because it is very time-consuming. And of interest to almost nobody.

This analysis is about more than simply the light beam. You also have to take into account how diffused the light is at the other end of the tunnel. At night, only the beam matters.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I've used a couple of different light in rail-trails tunnels and haven't had any problems with any of them. They include a Supernova Mini, A Bontrager Ion 800, and a Light & Motion Trail 1000 fc Ranger. All of them worked fine for me.

The Supernova certainly puts out the most light, but I personally like the L&M light the best and use it the most -- largely because it has a pulse mode that makes me visible at great distances when riding at dawn or dusk.

 

[BikeMike]

I've used a couple of different light in rail-trails tunnels and haven't had any problems with any of them. They include a Supernova Mini, A Bontrager Ion 800, and a Light & Motion Trail 1000 fc Ranger. All of them worked fine for me.

The Supernova certainly puts out the most light, but I personally like the L&M light the best and use it the most -- largely because it has a pulse mode that makes me visible at great distances when riding at dawn or dusk.

Here's where i have trouble. How does one define the length of a light beam, and the spotlight it casts? I think the type of light that put a spotlight across the freeway would need some sort of camera-like lens.

My guess is the tunnel that goes under C470 at Wadsworth to Chatfield State Park is over 425 feet long. My guess it is 10 feet by 10 feet. In the summer, the far end is sometimes muddy enough that i almost fishtail into some thing solid, like concrete. In winter, the ice clumps look like a stalagmite scene from a National Geographic cave diving expedition.

Notice how conveniently the creek shares the bike lane -- actually called "culverts" -- because storm drainage takes priority over cyclists. Be forewarn by the clearly marked yellow, triangular signs that "debris and ice may exist". Thanks.

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Which light do you feel would work best?

Thanks,
Mike

Here's another marvel of modern engineering, just a few minutes away. No matter how attentive I try to be, my blind spot seems to dominate the path. In other words, i can't see s*it. I nominate this tunnel for blind spot of Denver. You kinda, have to ride there, because the elevation is not apparent. My guess is the path reaches a 10% grade at points.

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I don't mean to be overly sarcastic, but was this even an afterthought? I appreciate avoiding the awful traffic. I seriously doubt any of these designers ever rode a bicycle.

I think a strong daytime light is a safety factor for the hairpin turn. As hard as i try to scan the entire bike path, i do not see people more than i can spot them. I suppose a pulsing light might alert people that i am in the tunnel. Close calls are not unusual.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

The Supernova light is a fixed-mount light and since the beam is angled downward to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic I doubt you could see very well at 150 feet.

I use both the Bontrager and the Light & Motion light either with a handlebar mount or a helmet mount. If you had them helmet-mounted you could easily see 150 feet (actually the L&M light, when I tested it outside, could light up Ponderosa Pine trees over 300 feet away. The downside is that you will risk dazzling oncoming cyclists.

I also found that my Bontrager light is an Ion 700R, not 800.

There are a couple of solutions for helmet mounting. I'd recommend a GoPro-type mount if you can do it.

 

[BikeMike]

The Supernova light is a fixed-mount light and since the beam is angled downward to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic I doubt you could see very well at 150 feet.

I use both the Bontrager and the Light & Motion light either with a handlebar mount or a helmet mount. If you had them helmet-mounted you could easily see 150 feet (actually the L&M light, when I tested it outside, could light up Ponderosa Pine trees over 300 feet away. The downside is that you will risk dazzling oncoming cyclists.

I also found that my Bontrager light is an Ion 700R, not 800.

There are a couple of solutions for helmet mounting. I'd recommend a GoPro-type mount if you can do it.

Thanks. That is very helpful. Rarely, do I encounter oncoming traffic.

What mechanism do you find allows you to switch light modes fastest? I intend to mount an Intuvia base unit. I generally have to stop the bike on a 10% grade to simply adjust the light and my sunglasses.

 

[BikeMike]

Have you tried reflecting the light from your helmet off of the ceiling? You would need some type of swivel to angle the light upwards. The reflected light would benefit traffic in both directions.

In other words, what amount and shape of light could illuminate an entire 150 foot tunnel, or some percentage of it, without blinding on coming traffic?

Perhaps, parabolic in shape, like a torcheire LED floor lamp?

How to fill a pipe shape with light, rather than liquid?

Point a light upwards from the top tube?

​

Some people ride in full living color. Now that is pure style.

 

[BikeMike]

I've used a couple of different light in rail-trails tunnels and haven't had any problems with any of them. They include a Supernova Mini, A Bontrager Ion 800, and a Light & Motion Trail 1000 fc Ranger. All of them worked fine for me.

The Supernova certainly puts out the most light, but I personally like the L&M light the best and use it the most -- largely because it has a pulse mode that makes me visible at great distances when riding at dawn or dusk.

Is this a fair representation of the light beam pattern? I doubt it would work. I would say this pattern has the shape of a parabola that is too wide and too low. I will try to quantify the parabola shapes better.

 

[BikeMike]

I think the exact way to express a light beam is as a Gaussian function.

I would label the L&M Ranger 1000, as the red graph lines, t=4.0 in the first picture, or 1.0 in the second picture. This would work fine near the tunnel.

I am looking for a light beam pattern more like the orange graph line, t=1.0. For inside the tunnel.

My Light&Motion Urban 650 is line the red line in the following graphs (1.0).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaussian_function#Properties

 

[BikeMike]

The Supernova may have the light beam pattern of the green line t=2.0, in the first graph. I actually am looking for a light beam pattern like the orange line in the first graph. This would probably be fine, because it is used on the Trek Super Commuter+ 8. I hope it will be compatible with the intuvia mount? I think this might probably be a good compromise? I think the light beam will fall short of the end of the tunnel until i am somewhat inside the tunnel.

The Bush & Mueller IQ​

180 Lux, LED IQ Premium

• IXON IQ Speed Premium (zwei Scheinwerfer im gemeinsamen Betrieb)

Headlight Beam Comparison
Traffic cone spacing: 5 Metres

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I just honestly think you are badly overthinking this.

The Bontrager and Light & Motion lights are helmet-mounted (or handlebar mounted) lights. You can easily solve your coverage problem with a helmet-mounted light by moving your head.

Since those lights are helmet mounted, you cannot integrate them with the Bosch system. They both have a button on top that you tap to change modes and press and hold to turn off. While it might feel a bit weird at first it becomes pretty easy to do in practice.

 

[BikeMike]

I just honestly think you are badly overthinking this.

The Bontrager and Light & Motion lights are helmet-mounted (or handlebar mounted) lights. You can easily solve your coverage problem with a helmet-mounted light by moving your head.

Since those lights are helmet mounted, you cannot integrate them with the Bosch system. They both have a button on top that you tap to change modes and press and hold to turn off. While it might feel a bit weird at first it becomes pretty easy to do in practice.

I would have to try mounting my light on my helmet. Let me provide you with important background information, why i think the helmet mount is impractical.

I am doing 25mph when i hit the flat part at the top of the ravine. I am really hauling ass, hitting 30-35 a few miles up the bikeway, as opposed to a bikepath.

My guess is to the entrance to the tunnel is downhill at 7.5% to 10% grade, making a 90 degree turn from pure sunlit brightness to complete darkness. So, i always have to lower my sunglasses by stopping or slowing to a crawl. I brake the entire length of the ravine. I really want to control the light with a single finger.

To prepare for the uphill side of the ravine, after leaving the tunnel, I downshift before i start braking. I am going at least 20mph when i need to downshift from the big chain ring to a low gear. I am very busy. It feels like chaos.

I have to re-think how to transition with the Powerfly flat handlebars. I am still in the dropbars, while i am transitioning. This will feel wierd, because the drops are super convenient for shifting and braking at the same time. I will also have much less sensitive steering. I know i have ridden my mountain bike through that tunnel, i just do not remember the experience.

It looks like from your cute koala bear bike picture, that you ride a Trek Police? It never occurred to me how much riding style affects one's perception. I am thinking about how to control the lights when i am preoccupied with making a transition from high speed into the flats. Something that i rarely do on my mountain bike. So, it is more than a simple light issue. A lot of dynamics going on at that time.

Mike

 

[BikeMike]

I just honestly think you are badly overthinking this.

The Bontrager and Light & Motion lights are helmet-mounted (or handlebar mounted) lights. You can easily solve your coverage problem with a helmet-mounted light by moving your head.

Since those lights are helmet mounted, you cannot integrate them with the Bosch system. They both have a button on top that you tap to change modes and press and hold to turn off. While it might feel a bit weird at first it becomes pretty easy to do in practice.

I just noticed one difference between the Trek Crossrip and Police are the handlebars. I would much prefer the Crossrip bars on a fast bike like that, because i am usually in the dropbars when i hit 20mph. I am always in the drops over 25. It is the difference between hitting 30 and 35.

 

[BikeMike]

The tunnels are actually "culverts". I ride through five tunnels, which are all near a creek bed. Sometimes, the tunnels are flooded. Other times the tunnels are muddy. You really do not know until your eyes adjust to the light. The water is easier to notice because light reflect off of the water.

In winter, the sun is low or the sky is cloudy. That's when i have most difficulty in the tunnels.

Actually, almost all the bikepaths that i ride on are in open space near some type of drainage.

 

[BikeMike]

This might be the solution? I am waiting to hear back from customer support.

M99 BOSCH HANDLEBAR MOUNT
Among several mounting options we also offer a specially developed cockpit solution for Bosch systems. In order to produce this, we use our new miracle material we called Pure Carbon Composite (PCC), which stands out for its excellent ability to conduct heat.

https://supernova-lights.com/en/products/e-bike-lights-45-kmh/m99-pro/

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Low beam1100 lm, 310 lxWattage low beam16 WHigh beam1600 lm, 380 lxWattage high beam/td>27 WDaytime running light32 Power LEDsWattage4.5 WInput voltage24 V – 60 V DC (75 V max.)CommunicationCAN, CANopenSignal processingHigh beam, horn, brakeApprovalsL-class e.g. L1eIlluminant9 automotive LEDsL x W x H67 x 87 x 57.5 mmWeight220 gColorPolished blackWarranty3 years

 

[6zfshdb]

A great multi tasker for me is the Nitecore EA41 hand held spotlight.



https://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-Fla...7887&sr=8-10&keywords=nitecore+led+flashlight

I carry this palm sized, 1020 lumen spotlight with me whenever I'm outdoors at night.

I'm a great fan of riding bike trails with tunnels and the Nitecore does a great job of illuminating the darkest of them using the removable diffuser. I mount it to my handlebars with a RAM universal "V" mount and 1" B ball mounting system. It's easily adjustable and removes quickly for other uses.

I use four rechargeable AA batteries which last just under 3 hours at the brightest setting.

 

[BikeMike]

A great multi tasker for me is the Nitecore EA41 hand held spotlight.

View attachment 24368

https://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-Fla...7887&sr=8-10&keywords=nitecore+led+flashlight

I carry this palm sized, 1020 lumen spotlight with me whenever I'm outdoors at night.

I'm a great fan of riding bike trails with tunnels and the Nitecore does a great job of illuminating the darkest of them using the removable diffuser. I mount it to my handlebars with a RAM universal "V" mount and 1" B ball mounting system. It's easily adjustable and removes quickly for other uses.

I use four rechargeable AA batteries which last just under 3 hours at the brightest setting.



View attachment 24370 View attachment 24371

Thanks. At least now i know how to articulate the functionality. That's half of the battle.

 

[BikeMike]

Thanks. At least now i know how to articulate the functionality. That's half of the battle.

Do you happen to have an Intuvia? Can you attach the light to the handlebars and power the light from the USB port?

I read this manual, but did not find the information that i was looking for. What is the light beam pattern at 150 feet? A circle with a small radius, e.g., maximum ten feet, that could make mud and ice clearly visible?

How well does it illuminate the diffused sunlight at the end of the tunnel. The least visibility is on a cloudy day in December.

https://flashlight.nitecore.com/Uploads/FLASHLIGHTS/download/1521167146.pdf

 

[BikeMike]

Thanks. At least now i know how to articulate the functionality. That's half of the battle.

This entire section of the bike path is blind. The grade is 7.5% to 10%, so some people carry a lot of speed around the corners. Would any of the light features visibility warn people that i am emerging from the tunnel, when the sun shines brightly ?

Like could a rider see an unusual reflection on the bike path concrete surface?

 

[6zfshdb]

My Pedego doesn't use the Bosch Intuvia display. The Pedego display does have a USB port however but the Nitecore EA41 does not have a charging port. The batteries must be removed to recharge.

The more powerful Nitecore MH23 does have a USB charging port:

https://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-Rec...33673148&sr=1-23&keywords=nitecore+flashlight

I don't think the USB port on the bike will provide enough current to operate the light at full power but it will recharge the batteries when not in use.

Without the diffuser, the brightest center beam on the EA41 is 20' wide at 150' The secondary beam, about half the intensity of the center beam, is approximately 50' wide at 150'. Most of the time, I use the diffuser in tunnels which creates an even, well lit area 60' to 70 feet ahead.

If there is anything outside the tunnel entrance to reflect light, trees, rocks etc, oncoming riders might be warned of your approach. It would depend on the time of day and amount of ambient light. The concrete trail surface might reflect the bright center beam. It would be tough to predict though without experimenting.

 

[BikeMike]

My Pedego doesn't use the Bosch Intuvia display. The Pedego display does have a USB port however but the Nitecore EA41 does not have a charging port. The batteries must be removed to recharge.

The more powerful Nitecore MH23 does have a USB charging port:

https://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-Rec...33673148&sr=1-23&keywords=nitecore+flashlight

I don't think the USB port on the bike will provide enough current to operate the light at full power but it will recharge the batteries when not in use.

Without the diffuser, the brightest center beam on the EA41 is 20' wide at 150' The secondary beam, about half the intensity of the center beam, is approximately 50' wide at 150'. Most of the time, I use the diffuser in tunnels which creates an even, well lit area 60' to 70 feet ahead.

If there is anything outside the tunnel entrance to reflect light, trees, rocks etc, oncoming riders might be warned of your approach. It would depend on the time of day and amount of ambient light. The concrete trail surface might reflect the bright center beam. It would be tough to predict though without experimenting.

Thank you. That is very helpful!