Is Tiablo A9OP Q5 Street Legal as a Bike Light in CA?

[Dark Matter]

I just got my Tiablo A9OP Q5 and wow!!!, what a bright and far throwing light!!! I originally bought it as a bicycle light??? Maybe it's too bright to use as a bike light??? Would I be breaking any laws by using my Tiablo A9OP Q5 as a bike light on surface streets in the state of California?

 

[diesel_dad]

Not even close. A Lupine Betty bike light is 1400 lumens. An average car headlight is likely 2000+. Go crazy.

 

[Trashman]

Naw. I've got 45w (15wx3) of incan on the front my bike and it doesn't even come close to feeling like it might be illegal.

 

[txmatt]

diesel dad,

Where is the pic in your sig file from? Looks a LOT like West Texas or maybe New Mexico.

At first I thought it might be Big Bend National Park where we camp a couple times a year but I think I see a trash can and maybe electric hookups which the Big Bend campground that looks like that has no hookups and bear boxes (and thus no trash cans).

Matt

 

[paulr]

I'd think you'd want more of a flood beam for a bike light, but whatever floats your boat.

 

[Dark Matter]

Thank you all for your responses. I did'nt know that car headlamps put out 2000+lumens.

The Tiablo OP reflector gives more flood that the Smooth reflector but this light still sure can throw a beam several blocks down the street!!!

Can anyone suggest a good flood light for bicycle riding that I can use in addition to my Tiablo A9OP Q5?

 

[paulr]

Fancy HID car headlamps put out 3000+ lumens but I think regular car headlamps are more like 500 lumens. Re other suggestions, why not try the bike light section of CPF?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86

 

[diesel_dad]

diesel dad,

Where is the pic in your sig file from? Looks a LOT like West Texas or maybe New Mexico.

At first I thought it might be Big Bend National Park where we camp a couple times a year but I think I see a trash can and maybe electric hookups which the Big Bend campground that looks like that has no hookups and bear boxes (and thus no trash cans).

Matt

Not to take the thread off track -- but it's Rockhound State Park in New Mexico.

My wife thought it was Fort Davis in Texas; quite similar.

 

[daimleramg]

Fancy HID car headlamps put out 3000+ lumens but I think regular car headlamps are more like 500 lumens. Re other suggestions, why not try the bike light section of CPF?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86

Yes you are correct about HID's putting out 3000+ lumens, but street legal HIDS have a cut off line. For example look at this link ....

http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/elise/experience/maintenance/adjustheadlamps/adjustheadlamps.html

As you can see the beamshot on the ply-wood, there is a clear cut of line so all 3000+ lumens are focused downwards and will not blind on coming drivers. But if you take a Tiable A9 as a bike headlight the spill will blind on-coming drivers and will become illegal.

 

[defloyd77]

Just aim it down some and you should be fine. I found a website that has CA bike laws http://www.bicyclesource.com/body/safety/laws/california-laws.shtml and it only says "A lamp emitting a white light which illuminates the highway and is visible from a distance of 300 feet to the front and the sides of the bicycle".