BaggerRyder

I just purchased a Cygolight Metro 500 to compliment the Cygolight Metro 300 I already have. I'm going to set them up to run one solid and one flashing. I'm curious if anyone runs a solid light and a flashing light and how do you have your lights set up to run? Solid pointing out a couple feet in front of tire to see whats on the road and the flashing a little higher to be seen, or the opposite?

vol

My observation of others who use two headlights: set both on solid, one left and one right; it makes whoever sees you think it's a car coming

fietsbob

Hub dynamo B&M Eyc just installed , upgrade for the Lyt, 1st tried.. on the fork crown,
still have the handlebar mount clip for the Planet Bike Super flash.
the TW made light has a flashing mode ..

I also got a Battery operated Ixon IQ, it , being German has no flashing mode ,
that is Verboten ..

But the beam spread is a lot better to see the dark road
the narrow spot of the PB is less than that in effective ness, but it flashes.

vanttila

My dad always runs double as he often rides home from work after 9 p.m. One is on solid, the other turned off. If additional light is needed (deer, car with brights, narrow area, bad road, etc.) turn the other one, which is MUCH brighter, on for additional light. His "other" light is as bright as a car's Xenon.

cyccommute 

Three lights...2 on bars, one on helmet...all steady and very bright. If drivers can't see me with that much light thrown forward, flashing the lights isn't going to do much good.

stdlrf11

I decided that one steady, one flashing, does nothing to increase my visibility. I keep both on steady so I can see better.

Matariki

I have a dynamo powered light on the fork crown and another battery powered one mounted at the axle (the low grazing light helps me see debris well). I run the battery light in solid mode. I really dislike flashing headlights. They distract me as a rider and irritate the heck out of me when I see them on other bikes.

DXchulo

I don't need my lights to see, so I run one on flashing mode. I've noticed that people are less likely to pull out in front of me when I have a flashing headlight.

I just point them both straight ahead. That's what they were designed for, right? I've tried pointing a light right in front of my tire, but there's not a whole lot of time to react if you do see something.

10 Wheels

Daytime Flashing. Bought the lights for Day Safety.

Nighttime Steady.

I have a Blue Strobe on the helmet that I can Flash for heavy traffic.

Medic Zero

.

Night time;
Three forward facing lights; one flashing, two steady. One of the steady's is my helmet mounted light, the other is on the handlebars, both for visibility vs cars and to hopefully illuminate road hazards. The one blinking does a good job of attracting attention, but isn't the type to put out much useful illumination if on steady. This "be seen" light is mounted on the stem.

Daytime; be seen light blinking, helmet light blinking, and handlebar mounted, high-powered flashlight blinking if it is bright out, or traffic seems hectic. If it is fairly low light conditions (overcast, raining) or traffic is tame (e.g. Sunday AM commute home) the flashlight is on solid.


Handlebar mounted light is aimed down just a little, main focus of light is maybe a dozen feet in front of me, with decent spill for a ways beyond that. If it were completely level it wouldn't be as effective illuminating the road, and would be blinding to drivers (it's pretty bright!). The be seen light isn't terribly directional and is mounted facing dead ahead. Helmet light is aimed pretty close to in-line with my vision, so that it tracks with me for hazards.


I tried the helmet light flashing at night for a while, but it seems more effective when I have to aim it at someone to make "eye contact" if it is on steady.

10 Wheels

I found that Eye Contact does not work.

Had Three vehicles pull out on me after directly looking at me.

I watch the front tire on vehicles.

Same with Turn Signals....

modernjess

When I run dual which isn't that often it's one on the bars (NR Lumina 650) and one on the helmet. (Cygolite Exp 500.) The lumina is plenty of forward illumination but the helmet mount is great for looking ahead into dark corners and the edges. My commute has long stretches that are very dark. I think it's better than a blinky for getting attention, of course you can run the helmet in blink mode, But it's up high which in and of itself is unusual to see on the road plus you get drivers attention by simply looking at them.

BobbyG

FWIW, I'm no expert, but for me after dark I have been enjoying my main solid light (Mi-Newt 500) with a solid mild 9-led helmet mounted flashlight to aim at drivers, then an inexpensive flashing fork mount 5 LED 180-degree bike lamp that glitters off the spokes and spoke reflector. At dusk and dawn or overcast I have begun using the main light and setting it to flash. I've noticed fewer conflicts with drivers.

xtrajack

I have a B&M IQ Fly+ and a Blackburn Quadrant mounted on my front rack. I usually don't run both of them at the same time, when I do, they both are on solid (no choice with the B&M). If I feel a need for more visibility during the day, I will fire up the Blackburn on flashing mode.

Medic Zero

Was your eye contact backed by a powerful helmet mounted light at night? I find it very effective in stopping cars that appear to be intending to cut me off by entering the street from a driveway or side street.

Bluish Green

I use two PDW Cosmic Dreadnaught headlights. I run one on solid and one on flashing, both day and night.

I like the flashing to attract attention and be seen, and the solid because a steady point of reference helps drivers estimate location and relative velocity more accurately than a flashing light does. One flash and one solid accomplishes both goals.

FWIW, most of my commute is on city streets with street lights, so other than a couple of blocks, my lights are more for others to see me than for me to see the road. The PDW's are okay for seeing the road on unlit streets too, but if you are riding winding trails or rural, low-traffic unlit roads, they might not be enough. They are really durable though, and I like their design and use them with rechargeable AA's.

alan s 

Best setup is high/low. Readily recognized as a bike. I have the more powerful light on my helmet, which I can turn sideways to avoid blinding oncoming riders, and less powerful light on the bars for close in light. Both on steady. Strobe lights are obnoxious to others, and why someone would want to look at their own flashing light is beyond me. Same people who aren't bothered by a rusty chain, I suppose.

no1mad 

You aim the lights to where they are the most effective for you to use.

slcbob

Flashing at night is seizure inducing. Stay away from it. For your own sanity, and so other people don't want to kill you.

After many years of only one modest powered light on the bars, I am newly warming to the 2nd helmet mounted light. For the purpose of being able to point it at what I want to see that isn't where my bars are pointed. Added benefits: a) the distinctly bicycle signature hi-lo (i.e. vertical distance, not power or aim) as mentioned previously, IMO better than two lights horizontally too close together. ); b) the ability to really look at and thereby flash and gain attention from someone who you think is about to pull out. Added negative or at least note of caution is to not look straight at others, other than for the rare "hey, do you see me?", as you will blind and torment them.

I hate flashing and ill-aimed mega-candlepower folks as much as I hate Illinois nazis. I wish I could report them to SCMODS.

smokeysurvival

Well I run 4 lights up front. Two cat eyes, and two cree headlamps. The cat eyes are mounted on the sides of my front basket at fork crown level, and are usually always on strobe. I have one cree in the center of the basket at fork crown level which I run on steady and pointed a good 7 or 8 feet out. My other cree is helmet mounted on strobe or steady depending on conditions, usually strobe. Particularly dark sections I then switch strictly to steady. I have that set to shine about 1-2 feet ahead of my steady lamp.

Medic Zero

I was about to post about low powered blinking lights being okay after the posts above complaining about all blinking lights then you post this. I recently got one of the Cree flashlights, and honestly, those are far too bright to be on flashing. Those should only be on steady.

My flasher is a Cateye Reflex, it's not terribly bright and unfocused so it shouldn't be blinding to anyone, but it's got some attention getting modes and 180 degree visibility. There are probably lots of other suitable be seen flashing lights out there, but I think this one is about perfect.

MrCjolsen

The only time I ever run flashing lights in front is if it's broad daylight and I decide to use them as daytime runners.

With two lights, I point one downward, and set it on low. The other I point further away, and set on high.

tarwheel 

My [personal opinion is that you would be better off with a helmet light and a handlebar light, than using a flashing light. Flashing lights are simply annoying and make it harder to see. A helmet light will increase your safety more than anything you can do. All you have to do is look at a car that might pull out or turn in front of you, and the light stops them in their tracks.

no motor?

I found eye contact and bright lights work the best.

I have 4 lights, 2 on the handlebars and 2 on the helmet. In the morning, I use one helmet (a Viz 360) and one handlebar light (an Ultrafire 501B) and both flash. At night, I use at least one handlebar light (a Magicshine with the wide angle lens) and a helmet mounted light (another Ultrafire 501B) on steady, and sometimes use the handlebar mounted 501B on steady if needed.

jyl

I run three white lights on the bars - NiteRider headlight near the stem and TACX running lights on the dropbar-ends. All are solid. From the front, it looks kind of like a motorcycle (central headlight and flanking running/signal lights) and is quite attention-getting. Then I have a helmet light that is solid, I wave it briefly over the windshield or rear window/mirrors of a car that is worrying me. I don't run any of those in flashing mode, that that is too distracting to me, with all the street signs and other reflective objects appearing to blink on/off