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Steady light looks like it's flashing



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 10th 09, 01:23 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Brown Cat
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Posts: 62
Default Steady light looks like it's flashing

I have a cat-eye light that hasn't got the option for flashing. I've
noticed when I'm cycling at dusk the reflection of my lights against the
road signs is as flickery as hell. If you've seen police programs where
you can see the blue lights bouncing off the road signs, it looks a lot
like that.

Could it be that my wheels are out of shape perhaps and causing my bike
to wobble up and down? I don't feel like my bike is shaking but it's very
noticeable when I see the reflection from my lights.

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  #2  
Old May 10th 09, 01:53 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Alistair Gunn
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Default Steady light looks like it's flashing

Brown Cat twisted the electrons to say:
Could it be that my wheels are out of shape perhaps and causing my bike
to wobble up and down? I don't feel like my bike is shaking but it's very
noticeable when I see the reflection from my lights.


Could be, but perhaps more likely is that either the light is somewhat
loose on the bracket or the bracket is a little loose on the handlebars?
(More probably the former, as you'd quickly lighting up your front wheel
or the sky if it was the later!)
--
These opinions might not even be mine ...
Let alone connected with my employer ...
  #3  
Old May 10th 09, 04:26 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
[email protected]
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Posts: 13
Default Steady light looks like it's flashing

On May 10, 1:23*pm, Brown Cat wrote:

Could it be that my wheels are out of shape perhaps and causing my bike
to wobble up and down? I don't feel like my bike is shaking but it's very
noticeable when I see the reflection from my lights.



Possibly it's just that you're gently bumping up and down on
imperfections in the road surface. A very small movement at the bike
translates to a much larger movement of beam in the distance.

PhilD

--

  #4  
Old May 10th 09, 08:33 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Daniel Barlow
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Posts: 883
Default Steady light looks like it's flashing

Brown Cat writes:

Could it be that my wheels are out of shape perhaps and causing my bike
to wobble up and down? I don't feel like my bike is shaking


I'm pretty sure you'd notice it if they were. My back wheel acquired a
flat spot after hitting an unexpected pothole earlier this year, and I
can confirm that you can quite easily feel non-roundnesses (f-dmmp
f-dmmp f-dmmp) that are not obvious to visual inspection.


-dan
  #5  
Old May 11th 09, 07:34 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Peter Fox[_7_]
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Posts: 19
Default Steady light looks like it's flashing

The lamp is vibrating on its bracket. One minor road imperfection and it will
go WOBBLE-WIBBLE-wobble-wibble-wob.

This is a /Good Thing/ as the unsteady 'signature' immediately identifies it as
belonging to an oncoming cyclist.


--
Peter 'Prof' Fox
Multitude of things for beer, cycling, Morris and curiosities at
http://vulpeculox.net
  #6  
Old May 11th 09, 08:04 AM posted to uk.rec.cycling
[email protected]
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Posts: 13
Default Steady light looks like it's flashing

On May 10, 4:26*pm, wrote:
On May 10, 1:23*pm, Brown Cat wrote:

Could it be that my wheels are out of shape perhaps and causing my bike
to wobble up and down? I don't feel like my bike is shaking but it's very
noticeable when I see the reflection from my lights.


Possibly it's just that you're gently bumping up and down on
imperfections in the road surface. *A very small movement at the bike
translates to a much larger movement of beam in the distance.



Oh, and something else I thought of. When you're riding "straight",
you're actually doing gentle zig-zags, so perhaps that tiny movement
appears as a much larger movement of beam in the distance.

PhilD

--

  #7  
Old May 11th 09, 05:43 PM posted to uk.rec.cycling
Robert Johnstone
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Posts: 16
Default Steady light looks like it's flashing

Brown Cat wrote:
I have a cat-eye light that hasn't got the option for flashing. I've
noticed when I'm cycling at dusk the reflection of my lights against the
road signs is as flickery as hell.


Actually a lot of supposedly constant LED lamps do flash at a rate that
is usually imperceptible. You can tell this by observing the trail of
spots as you quickly move your eyes from side to side. Alternatively, if
you are moving at speed and the LED lamp (or its reflection in road
signs) moves rapidly past you you may notice the flashing in your
peripheral vision. LED lamps that flash include (annoyingly) many car
rear lights and LED cat-eyes. The reason for the flashing is likely to
either a switching regulator powering the LEDs or pulse width modulation
being used to control the LED lamp's apparent brightness.

Rob
 




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