REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Would you have called out this rider?

3530 Views 45 Replies 30 Participants Last post by bingemtbr, Jul 26, 2021

JG_

Discussion Starter · Jul 24, 2021

Was riding my local MUP last night when from a distance I noticed a really bright and blinding light heading my direction. At first I thought it was a car with high beams on, as there is a two way road parallel to the MUP, but as it got closer I was somewhat shocked to see it was a cyclist with what seemed to be double headlights blasting out high lumens pointing straight and not angled downwards.

I was actually blinded for a moment as he passed and immediately I thought to myself how dangerous that is to be riding with lights that way. I thought about shouting to get his attention but I hesitated and he was going pretty fast and that was it. I thought maybe he didn't know any better or was just aloof to the fact that his lights were blinding. Now I'm questioning myself because I do a fair amount of night riding and I think the right thing to do would have been to call him out, politely of course.

1 - 20 of 46 Posts

Forest Rider

· #2 · Jul 24, 2021

So you think this guy with a light adjusted properly for the high speed he was riding needed to be stopped and told his lights were adjusted in a manner that wasn't good for you?

Pretty sure even in a person not riding fast would not be stopped by me to tell him his lights were too bright and misadjusted. Unless maybe they were aimed at the sky.

Reactions: 3

JG_

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jul 24, 2021

Forest Rider said:
So you think this guy with a light adjusted properly for the high speed he was riding needed to be stopped and told his lights were adjusted in a manner that wasn't good for you?

Pretty sure even in a person not riding fast would not be stopped by me to tell him his lights were too bright and misadjusted. Unless maybe they were aimed at the sky.

It's a 2 way MUP and I was considering his lights affecting others users as well.

Reactions: 1

ljsmith

· #4 · Jul 24, 2021

Is this a paved path, or real off-road trails. Off-road you need big lumens and need it pointing down the trail, so I don’t see an issue with that. If it’s a paved, flat, straight path then it is rude to be beaming everyone with that much unneeded light, but I personally wouldn’t feel the need to say anything. If I said something to every MUP rider I had an issue with I’d spend the whole ride telling people off.

JG_

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 24, 2021

ljsmith said:
Is this a paved path, or real off-road trails. Off-road you need big lumens and need it pointing down the trail, so I don't see an issue with that. If it's a paved, flat, straight path then it is rude to be beaming everyone with that much unneeded light, but I personally wouldn't feel the need to say anything. If I said something to every MUP rider I had an issue with I'd spend the whole ride telling people off.

Not a real off road trail but a straight path that goes from paved to gravel. This is the kind of MUP where parents walk their kids in strollers.

I never really have issues with other riders as I mostly keep to myself, I just thought about possibly saying something to this rider for safety reasons.

mtnbkrmike

· #6 · Jul 24, 2021

JG_ said:
Not a real off road trail but a straight path that goes from paved to gravel. This is the kind of MUP where parents walk their kids in strollers.

I never really have issues with other riders as I mostly keep to myself, I just thought about possibly saying something to this rider for safety reasons.

Where is this located?

WHALENARD

· #7 · Jul 24, 2021

I think you saw a UFO, dude!

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

Reactions: 3

J.B. Weld

· #8 · Jul 24, 2021

Lights at night time? The nerve of that guy!!! Should have jacked him.

Reactions: 2

plummet

· #9 · Jul 24, 2021

Just ride.

The world doesnt need another self appointed policeman.

Reactions: 5

walkerwalker

· #10 · Jul 24, 2021

Maybe a passive aggressive raised arm shielding your eyes, make sure the other rider sees it?

I have yet to do any night biking, so I don't know the proper etiquette yet. When night hiking, you're supposed to turn your light off when approaching oncoming hikers, and generally use it as little as possible. Probably difficult to turn off lights while riding, but I'd assume you're supposed to do what you can to not blind people, right? I'd consider a MUP as road riding, which they make different lights for that are lower lumen for that reason. The high lumen ones are only necessary for trail riding, where it's not as likely to encounter oncoming riders.

So then I'd like to know
-what is the proper etiquette for night riding on road and trails?
-did the fellow adhere to this etiquette?
-If not was it intentional or ignorance?
-If ignorance, sure let him know he's blinding other trail users.
-If intentional, then he's just a dick, no amount of Karen-ing /Chad-ing will change him.

Me? I avoid confrontation, so I'd just mutter an expletive once out of ear-shot. But your center point for moral relativism might be different than mine.

See less See more

WHALENARD

· #11 · Jul 24, 2021

walkerwalker said:
Me? I avoid confrontation, so I'd just mutter an expletive once out of ear-shot. .

I heard that mother f'er! Next time!

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

motard5

· #12 · Jul 24, 2021

male karen

Click to expand...

A male that acts like a Karen. See chad
Mcdonalds Worker: Hi, how may I help you
Mcdonalds Worker: messes up food
Male karen: I'm going to speak to the manager
Worker: You're such a male karen!

Jayem

· #13 · Jul 24, 2021

As a night rider half of the year, I can never have lights bright enough. It has to be bright enough make the driver that is looking away (in the opposite direction they are turning) take note of you.

dysfunction

· #14 · Jul 24, 2021

Can't ride on the road, can't ride on the MUT...

DIRTJUNKIE

· #15 · Jul 24, 2021

I’m more bothered by acronyms I’ve never heard of and spending my time figuring them out.

Reactions: 5

Finch Platte

· #16 · Jul 24, 2021

DIRTJUNKIE said:
I'm more bothered by acronyms I've never heard of and spending my time figuring them out.

SMF!

Scott O

· #17 · Jul 24, 2021 (Edited by Moderator)

I would calmly stop the rider, in a non threatening way and ask them if you could have a quick word with them. Introduce yourself and ask him his name. Start with some small talk to disarm him - complement him on his bike, comment on what a nice night it is for a ride, etc.

You can then start a civil discussion about his uber bright lights. As someone mentioned above you could raise an arm to pretend you're shielding your eyes.

I'm working on what your next steps would be after that.

Reactions: 5

chazpat

· #18 · Jul 24, 2021

I think it's really hard to tell without having been there. Was his light extending way past what he needed? Were there a lot of people on the path or just you and him? I've ridden on MUPs with too little light when I stayed out too long and it's scary over-riding your lights.

vikb

· #19 · Jul 24, 2021

JG_ said:
Now I'm questioning myself because I do a fair amount of night riding and I think the right thing to do would have been to call him out, politely of course.

I regularly yell at morons that are blasting high intensity lights into my eyes on MUPs....especially when they are set to fast strobe. I run a light with vertical cut off like a car headlight so it's kind to the eye's of other cyclists and peds. The only way they'll change anything is if they get some negative feedback.

DIRTJUNKIE

· #20 · Jul 24, 2021 (Edited)

I don’t ride MUP’s at night but if I did I’d wear ABBALBOMHAMH just to piss others off.

1 - 20 of 46 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.