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I cannot understand why a lot of cyclists aim their headlights slightly up instead of down. Are they trying to illumunate the sky? The eyes of their passers-by

I cannot understand why a lot of cyclists aim their headlights slightly up instead of down. Are they trying to illumunate the sky? The eyes of their passers-by? I aim mine down, so the road in front of me is illuminated for a couple of meters.

Hnrobert42 9y ago
Depending on your speed, you need more than a few meters. That said, I always manually dip my headlight when approaching someone.
notacoward 9y ago
I don't think it's deliberate. They just don't care enough to expend effort on aiming the light correctly. Maybe they don't care because they don't realize the effect it has on others. They get lights that are actually twice as bright as they need to be, adjust them so that half the light goes forward and down like it should, and they're happy. Never mind that the rest of the light is blinding others.
- btrettel 9y ago
  Your comment fits with my experience. When I was newer to night cycling I did not think about the angle of my light. I do not remember precisely if someone complained to me or if I was blinded by other cyclists' lights, but I did eventually start pointing my light entirely towards the ground.
nsnick 9y ago
Cyclists aim their lights up so that cars can see them. The lights on a bicycle exist more so the cyclist can be seen than for the cyclist to see.
- usrusr 9y ago
  That used to be the case, now high powered LED bike lights are so bright that the overexposed spot right in front of the bike is almost blinding the rider himself. The solution are properly beam-shaped lights like the Axendo series from Spanninga, but they are a tough sell even in countries where beam shaping is mandatory.
- notacoward 9y ago
  That's what night-vision-friendly red lights are for. If you're using bright whites so others can see you, you're using the wrong tool for the job and endangering others in the process.
  - Filligree 9y ago
    Nobody expects a red light to be coming towards them.
    - setr 9y ago
      Sure you do, in the inverse form of a braking slower car in front of you; its relatively the same thing either way, direction doesn't really matter. and when its a sudden change, it really feels like the ahead car is coming to you And ofc bike-red lights dont look anything like car red lights, so the association doesnt really matter outside of teaching, and presumably quickly picked up even on first-time encounter on the road
      - _Wintermute 9y ago
        Don't know where you are, but here it's a legal requirement to have a white (front) and red (rear) light on a bicycle after dark.
- expertentipp 9y ago
  The efficient, very bright LED bicycle headlights are not just for signalization anymore... they do illuminate surroundings, and blind anyone looking at them.

Hnrobert42 9y ago

Depending on your speed, you need more than a few meters. That said, I always manually dip my headlight when approaching someone.

notacoward 9y ago

I don't think it's deliberate. They just don't care enough to expend effort on aiming the light correctly. Maybe they don't care because they don't realize the effect it has on others. They get lights that are actually twice as bright as they need to be, adjust them so that half the light goes forward and down like it should, and they're happy. Never mind that the rest of the light is blinding others.

btrettel 9y ago
Your comment fits with my experience. When I was newer to night cycling I did not think about the angle of my light. I do not remember precisely if someone complained to me or if I was blinded by other cyclists' lights, but I did eventually start pointing my light entirely towards the ground.

nsnick 9y ago

Cyclists aim their lights up so that cars can see them. The lights on a bicycle exist more so the cyclist can be seen than for the cyclist to see.

usrusr 9y ago
That used to be the case, now high powered LED bike lights are so bright that the overexposed spot right in front of the bike is almost blinding the rider himself. The solution are properly beam-shaped lights like the Axendo series from Spanninga, but they are a tough sell even in countries where beam shaping is mandatory.
notacoward 9y ago
That's what night-vision-friendly red lights are for. If you're using bright whites so others can see you, you're using the wrong tool for the job and endangering others in the process.
- Filligree 9y ago
  Nobody expects a red light to be coming towards them.
  - setr 9y ago
    Sure you do, in the inverse form of a braking slower car in front of you; its relatively the same thing either way, direction doesn't really matter. and when its a sudden change, it really feels like the ahead car is coming to you And ofc bike-red lights dont look anything like car red lights, so the association doesnt really matter outside of teaching, and presumably quickly picked up even on first-time encounter on the road
    - _Wintermute 9y ago
      Don't know where you are, but here it's a legal requirement to have a white (front) and red (rear) light on a bicycle after dark.
expertentipp 9y ago
The efficient, very bright LED bicycle headlights are not just for signalization anymore... they do illuminate surroundings, and blind anyone looking at them.