[GRRiders] GRR tech-inspection

[David Pyle]

Bill,

A question about the rear lights being vertical, or perpendicular to 
the ground. I use three lights, two on my seatstays and one on my 
seatpack. The ones on the stays are not exactly 90 degrees, probably 
more like 80 degrees, and it is not really practical to get these 
perfectly vertical. Is there any range of acceptability, or will you 
only accept 90 degrees to the ground. I have always thought that since 
the lights are below the line of sight of a car, and considerably below 
the line if sight of SUV and trucks, that a slight angle up was 
beneficial, but I am willing to admit that I have never tested this 
hypothesis.

Dave Pyle


On Jul 6, 2005, at 2:13 PM, Bill Bryant wrote:

> Hello GRR riders--
> In a couple of weeks we'll all be gathering in Davis for the Gold Rush
> Randonnee-- it should be a terrific adventure for all. Moreover, we 
> want
> everyone to be as safe as can be, especially when cycling at night. 
> So, here
> are some tips to remember before you arrive at the GRR.
>
> I hope no one is flustered before the start at tech inspection. Four 
> years
> ago a few unprepared riders were, and then had to scurry around at the 
> last
> minute when they should have been relaxing before the start. (BTW, all 
> these
> points are in your rider packet.) Riders will need a special sticker 
> from
> tech inspection in order to proceed to registration to pick up their 
> route
> card, so please come prepared.
>
> As main tech inspector I will be failing bikes whose rear taillights 
> are not
> perpendicular to the ground. That is, for best rider safety rear 
> lights need
> to be aimed directly back at the motorists' vision, not up at 
> low-flying
> airplanes, okay? This alignment will be taken seriously; the sooner the
> motorists can see rider far ahead, the safer riders will be. Lamps that
> shine into the sky--even a little--are not as visible as those that are
> properly mounted. (Attaching a little LED rear light to a Camelbak or 
> helmet
> is a good thing to do, but one still needs two rear lamps attached to 
> the
> bicycle, per regulations.)
>
> Also, it is very foolish to start the GRR without new batteries in all 
> your
> lights. Did you replace your rear lamp batteries after your 600k 
> brevet?
>
> (During the ride, keep your rear lights running on "steady" mode; if 
> you
> change to flashing, that indicates to the course officials you need 
> help of
> some sort. During the day raising an arm skyward will get their 
> attention.)
>
> Randonneuring rules require that each rider have two ankle bands and a
> vest/sash/Sam Browne belt that puts reflective material on the front, 
> back
> and sides of the rider's torso. (This assumes a regular bicycle is 
> used;
> Recumbent riders can adapt their reflective materials in a different 
> fashion
> to achieve this goal-- but the expectation is the same either way.)
>
> Many rider will use a Camelbak-- a good thing considering the summer
> temperatures. HOWEVER, please be sure your vest/sash/Sam Browne is 
> clearly
> visible from behind when wearing the Camelbak, and not hiked up making 
> you
> less visible from behind. Some experienced randonneurs attach a safety
> triangle from the bottom of their Camelbak and these show up well from
> behind.
>
> Smart riders will consider the reflective gear items just a minimum
> expectation; they will put additional reflective stickers on rims, 
> cranks,
> the bike frame, helmet, etc. Please note that Illuminite reflective
> clothing, while recommended, does not take the place of the required 2 
> ankle
> bands and vest/sash/Sam Browne belt.
>
> For front lights, redundancy is paramount. For the GRR you are 
> required to
> have at least two headlamps that are powered independently of the 
> other. You
> should have three replacement bulbs for each type of lamp. If you are
> running LED front lamps, we'll assume the second lamp is your "spare 
> bulbs";
> same goes for rear LED lamps.
>
> Be sure your lamp brackets are sound; lighting failures don't always 
> come
> from the lamp itself. I will be grabbing lamps and giving them a good 
> shake,
> so be sure they are mounted securely. (Bumpy Cranmore Rd about two 
> hours
> into the ride will be the real test.)
>
> If you are running headlamps powered only by batteries, you will be 
> asked to
> show spare batteries at tech inspection too. Also remember that GRR 
> course
> monitors will be stopping any rider late in the event who should have
> replaced lamp batteries along the way. For headlamps, growing dim is 
> usually
> not a surprise since the rider cannot see well at night, but remember 
> that
> some rear lamps won't go the entire distance on the same set of 
> batteries
> too. Please come prepared with on-board spares or use your drop bags
> intelligently. In any event, failure to comply with lighting 
> regulations
> throughout the entire event--not just at tech inspection, or during 
> the long
> first night--can result in a DQ. Law enforcement will be out on the 
> route
> and we don't want the event imperiled by foolish riders who should have
> replaced their batteries sooner.
>
> I hope that helps; if you have questions, please consult the ride 
> rules but
> feel free to write back if I can provide more information too.
>
> I'm looking forward to seeing everyone between 9 AM and 3 PM on 
> Tuesday,
> July 19th. Please come to tech inspection wearing your helmet, 
> reflective
> vest and ankle bands, and be ready to run all your lights.
>
> Bonne Route!
>
> Bill Bryant
> The GRR-ouchy Tech Inspector
>
>
>
>
>
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