OldsCOOL

I'm just curious of comments and experiences on their use. I ride daylight only by preference. I use a Bontrager Flare 1 set on the standard blink mode because it is brighter than sequential mode.

Do you use a blinkie for road riding?

cobrabyte

Not during the day. At night I use a solid beam front, blinky rear. I find front blinkies annoying and distracting, solid beam also makes it easier for the driver to judge distance vs. blinking mode.

Lots of knowledge about lights in the commuters forum too

auchencrow

During the winter at dusk or in poor visibility conditions a blinky gives me some sense of security.
(I don't ride after night falls completely.)
I don't have any mounted to my fair weather riders, but they are generally ridden only in broad daylight.

ScottRyder 

I do, mostly in the fall when the trees are still covered and the sun is low. Helps you be seen in the shadows, especially when the drivers have sun in their eyes.

Scott

lasauge 

Like the other posters, I'll use a blinking light around sunrise or sunset, when the low angle of the sun reduces visibility. When the sun is down I switch the lights from flashing to solid.

10 Wheels

My Day Bike Lights: Run both on Strobe.

frantik

I have a Nite Rider Lumina 700 up front and a Cygolite Hotshot in the back.. I run then in flash mode during the day sometimes.. usually on overcast days, when i'm going on longer trips and/or using higher speed roads.

jimmuller 

I run a rear blinky blinking, not solid on, on my commutes. Sometimes I'll run it on a weekend day ride. If figure it attracts drivers' attention. I the weather is good I may not bother to turn it on. The UO8 also has generator-powered lights which run non-blinking.

When I'm........driving, or........riding a........bike for........that matter,........I really........don't like........seeing front........blinking (bleeping).......bike headlights.

southpawboston

Good article on 'how much lighting':

When More Visible ? Safer: Target Fixation | Off The Beaten Path

It focuses more on target fixation and night riding, but still some very good general discussion, especially if you read through the comments.

frantik

during the day a flashing front is much less obnoxious

20grit

As I can't stand motorcycles with the pulsing headlights, I am vehemently opposed to having a blinking front light. A blinking rear is fine because I ride with traffic that approaches me from behind. I have no reason to distract people on the opposite side of the road as I approach them.

If I ride in the dark, I actually have a solid red rear light and a blinky one, just so there is confirmation for a driver that they're not just seeing things.

paulkal

During day light, I do not use lights.
During night cycling, only steady lights, no blinking.

RPK79

I don't. I don't ride at night either. So, I don't even own lights.

OldsCOOL

I run mine clipped to the seatbag and on the strobe mode for every daylight fogline ride.

Here is my thinking.....even those drivers that are texting will "come up for air" to get their bearings now and then. It is my hope they see me far enough away on one of their occasional glimpses of the road they will see me and lay off texting or facebook long enough to cope with my presence on or to the right of the white fogline.

Drunks and stoners....I rely on my angel that watches over me.

OldsCOOL

Mods, my apologies if this should have been in another forum. I just wanted to hear from my oldschool buds.

Thank you!

cehowardGS

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, Front and Rear!!!!!!

They SEE ME too, big time!!!!!

jyl

No routine daylight lights for me. I'll turn on my lights in lower-light situations, e.g. in tree shade, dappled light, tunnels, etc. On the weekend roadbike I have a Knog Blinder on the seatpost but no front ilght.

Velocivixen

I ride in an urban area and ride, during the day, with Niterider Minewt 250 front (blinking) & Bontrager Flare rear blinking.

Jseis 

Streets & highway yes, MUP no.

OldsCOOL

You just never know when that Peloton will ride up quick on your tail.

Jseis 

While we've enough local riders to fill the bar stools at a Tav....calling the six of us a peloton is a stretch

Paramount1973 

Yes, blinking front and aft. PDW 'Danger Zone' in the back, it can be seen in daylight. ~40-50 lumen light in the front. Also, our local cops and state police always have their flashers on when they have someone pulled over. They don't seem that concerned about 'target acquisition'. I'm more concerned about texters and SUV drivers at intersections than drunks.

rhm

I think when two cyclists are riding together, especially in single file, it's a good idea for them to run their lights on different modes. If they're both on all the time, or both blinking, there's a possibility a driver will not realize there are two. But I have no data to support this notion.

On my bikes with dynamo lights, the lights are on all the time, day or night. I rate my understanding of electronics somewhere below that of, say, Ben Franklin; so my home made lights are pretty primitive and tend to flash noticeably at low speeds. I call this a safety feature.

On non-dynamo bikes, I try to run a rear blinky but usually forget.

Paramount1973 

A late addition to the article Heine cites in the above link.

"Note. Updated 4 July 2013. This article should not be interpreted to mean that having flashing or any other lights is bad. If I'm a bicyclist, for example, I want as many lights as possible, preferably flashing. Lack of visibility and conspicuity constitutes a far greater danger than the moth-effect."

mulveyr 

Before I had a dynohub with head and taillights ( on 24 hours a day ) I always used a blinkie whenever I was on the bike. As I driver, I'm well aware that especially when you're going down a road lined with trees, a bike moving in and out of the shadows can be almost impossible to see from a distance, particularly when someone is wearing all-black kit.

Really, there's no downside to it. 90% of the time the blinkie will be washed out by the sun, but the rest of the time it does make the bike more visible from the rear.