I think you might be onto something. -india ----- Original Message ----- From: Darryl Jordan <[email protected]> Date: Friday, October 16, 2009 10:13 pm Subject: Re: [Bikies] Southwest Path- is it getting too silly at night? To: Bill Obermeyer <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> A couple of other ideas with all the others suggested so far are > dimmers for bike headlights that have a thumb switch. One thumb for > the bike bell and the other thumb for the light. (It probably won't be > long that people will be asking for turn indicators - but that's > another discussion thread)The second one may be kinda far fetched for > cyclists but the technology already exists at airports for private > pilots who can turn on runway lights while in the approach pattern by > a few clicks of the PTT button (pilot-to-talk) pilots use to transmit. > What I'm thinking is that with the prevalence of wireless and wi-fi > devices on cell phones that cyclists who prefer nominal lights on the > SW path can turn on a short segment of the path with a wi-fi device as > they are passing by. Those who like the darkness, and on some nights > I'm one of them, don't have to turn on the lights. The only issue is > what happens when someone who does want lights approaches someone who > doesn't. I haven't figured that one out. > Or -- this idea just occurred to me, that those with wi-fi can turn > off the lights and take their chances with night ninjas while those > without wi-fi, usually the ninja, turn on the lights with theramin > sensors. ;-) ooo-eee-ooo > DJ > > --- On Fri, 10/16/09, Bill Obermeyer <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Bill Obermeyer <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Southwest Path- is it getting too silly at night? > To: [email protected] > Date: Friday, October 16, 2009, 5:10 PM > > I like the darkness and the, what did someone say ... stillness on the > SW path. Less enthusiastic when I can't tell where to find the edge > of the path, and even less enthusiastic about the ninjas (bike and > pedestrian both). > > Occasional dim, downward pointing LED's would be nice, but I suspect > very expensive. Reflective stripes at the edge of the path would be > much less expensive and what I would prefer, all things considered. > > The thing is, neither of those is a solution to the ninja problem. > Indeed I cannot think of (an ethical) solution to the ninja problem > that does not involve a lot of light at eye level. I'd rather carry > that light with me than have it produced by elevated lights that are > permanently on. > > Regardless of the long term solution, a good bike light is the only > short-term solution (though I did like the theremin suggestion). The > Fenix setup that W Madison mentioned above (or in the other thread) is > nice. We use it as a backup. My favorites are LED lights with German > style reflectors that have a cutoff like automobile headlamps to > minimize the blinding of oncoming traffic and put more of that light > where you are going. I use a B&M IQ Fly (essentially the dynamo > version of the Ixon that Isa mentioned above). That reflector makes > a big difference - and a heckuva bike light. (are you listening > Planet Bike - at $60 your new 2W headlight is coming in close to the > price of these European lights) > > -Bill > > On Oct 16, 2009, at 4:41 PM, India Rose Viola wrote: > > > Harry, > > > > You may be correct that there are too many lights to go around, but > that is not an argument against appropriate lighting. I don't like > light pollution, but I wouldn't ask you to remove the lights from > inside your house. > > > >> From the numerous emails that have been circulating about this > topic, it seems that we are relatively evenly split down the middle- > with some folks wishing there was some moderate, intelligently > designed lighting added to the corridor for added safety for all, and > others opposing it. I am in the light camp, but want to be respectful > of all my fellow bikies. I'm going to pursue keeping this dialogue > open and see if the neighbors are still feeling the same way that they > did when the path was first constructed. I am all for using bright > headlights, but I don't think that is the only way to make the path > more user-friendly. I also really don't like it when cyclists have to > blind me as an oncoming biker because they are relying on their lights > to see so far ahead. It's extremely unpleasant. > > > > -India > > > > *********************** > > India Viola > > UW-Madison > > Stretton Lab > > 115 Zoology Research Bldg. > > 1117 W. Johnson St. > > Madison, WI 53706 > > 608.262.3336 > > *********************** > > > > "How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't first acknowledge > them?" -Anonymous > > > > "We exist in the bacterial world, not bacteria in ours" -Stuart Levy > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: HARRY W READ <[email protected]> > > Date: Friday, October 16, 2009 3:44 pm > > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Southwest Path- is it getting too silly at night? > > To: [email protected] > > > > > >> I say no additional lighting. We've got enough electric lights in > >> this world. > >> > >> Harry Read > >> > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: Jesse Wickizer <[email protected]> > >> Date: Friday, October 16, 2009 2:57 pm > >> Subject: Re: [Bikies] Southwest Path- is it getting too silly at night? > >> To: [email protected] > >> > >> > >>> *"If we are taking an informal poll here, and it seems we are, I > >> vote > >>> no > >>> additional lighting on the path. Spend that money elsewhere."* > >>> > >>> Agreed. > >>> If you're riding at night you should have a light anyway. A bright > >>> light not > >>> only helps on the dark paths, but helps cars see you better. > >>> > >>> > >>> On Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 2:18 PM, Linda Kietzer > >>> <[email protected]>wrote: > >>> > >>>> I have that same feeling of exhilaration on that path at night > >> with > >>> only my > >>>> bikelight on a cloudless winter night. The downhill trip is > >>> superfun. But I > >>>> like that sorta thing. > >>>> If we are taking an informal poll here, and it seems we are, I > >> vote > >>> no > >>>> additional lighting on the path. Spend that money elsewhere. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> --- On *Fri, 10/16/09, Mark Evans <[email protected]>* wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> From: Mark Evans <[email protected]> > >>>> Subject: [Bikies] Southwest Path- is it getting too silly at night? > >>>> To: [email protected] > >>>> Date: Friday, October 16, 2009, 2:01 PM > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> Eh -- > >>>> I've been riding that stretch from Monroe to Glenway for several > years, > >>>> year round pretty much. Getting a good bright light is just a good > >> > >>> idea (and > >>>> cheaper than having them wreck the stillness with sodium vapor). > I > >> > >>> got the > >>>> basic Dinotte and it works great, rechargeable AA, extra holder so > >> I > >>> always > >>>> have backup. > >>>> > >>>> http://store.dinottelighting.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=dinotte&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=527248561&Count2=444388985 > >>>> > >>>> I note that during the fall/winter, when it it cloudy (a condition > >> that > >>>> exists a good portion of the time) that ambient house and neighborhood > >>>> lights seem to reflect off clouds and illuminate the trail pretty > >> > >>> well. On > >>>> clearish moonless nights, it's just downright fun, with skittering > >> cats, > >>>> twinkling starts, and idiots on bikes with no lights making for an > >>>> adrenalin-rush on the commute home.... But with a bright light, I > >> > >>> can see it > >>>> all. > >>>> > >>>> it is indeed a bit of stillness in the midst of the city that I'd > >> rather > >>>> not lose to public lighting. > >>>> > >>>> and oh yeah... does anyone else think that tall upright riders > >> with > >>> helmet > >>>> lights coming at you in the dark on a path look like some weird alien > >>>> headless horseman sorta visage? > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> Bikies mailing list > >>>> [email protected] < > >>>> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> Bikies mailing list > >>>> [email protected] > >>>> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >>>> > >>>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Bikies mailing list > >>> [email protected] > >>> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Bikies mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > _______________________________________________ > > Bikies mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
