kingston 

Looks like I'm in the small minority, but when I'm cycling I find other cyclists' blinking lights to be incredibly annoying, with the possible exception of the L&M vis 180, which is really more of a pulse than a blink. I ride a lot of miles in the dark and never use blinking lights.

unterhausen

this is what I do too. I figure that a steady taillight doesn't tell people I'm riding a bicycle, so the blinky helps with that as well as being noticable from a distance

Nachoman

Two rear lights sounds like a good idea, but one already sufficiently annoys everyone I ride with.
I put it in a low, constant, always on, mode, that strobes.

nhluhr

When I lived in Seattle, I made a long commute of about 21mi each direction that started before dawn every day. I would typically run one solid light and one blinking light. I tend to feel that the blinking is unmistakable and impossible to miss visually but the solid light is easier to identify distance/movement etc. Of course, I also had reflective mudflaps on my fenders and some reflective patches on my light-colored bag and jersey.

bconneraz

I have lights on my helmet and bicycle; all blinking.

Fox Farm

I agree with you about this. Yes, the blinky does stand out quickly but the LM Vis 180 that I also have seems to provide the motorist with the ability to judge distance. I use both. The 180 i very bright at 100 lumens.

pallen

Ideally two lights, one solid, one blinky.

KonaRider125

I've got a Dinotte 400 R red taillight(Extremely blight). I've tried the slow flash, constant on and rapid flash modes. Without a question cars give me more space on the rapid flash mode, draws much more attention.

The difference in motorist behavior having a daytime bright tail light is noticeable. The light was $250 but whats your life worth?

vasuvius

I have the Dinotte 300R as I commute from NJ to NYC with a good sized group most days.
In a group I keep the light steady and blinking while alone.
Blinking lights at that intensity are quite distracting and when there's a few in a line it's hard to see the road.

The Dinottes are the brightest tail lights out there and are visible in bright sunlight from a fairly long distance

Zapdaba

It looks like bright blinking is the way to go. I only wonder if a slow blink is maybe the best of both worlds?

bt

target

KLiNCK

Blink mode in daylight (front and back)
Constant beam at dusk/dark (front and back)

coasting 

always blinking. it cannot be missed by a tired driver.

Long Tom

The whole point is to be 100% noticed. Blinking.

Plus that gives my Serfas T-Bolt a fighting chance to last the whole ride.

JohnDThompson 

In much of Europe, blinking rear lights are illegal.

nhluhr

I'm not positive but that might actually be the case here in USA as well, since blinking red lights are technically for emergency response vehicles, but it doesn't seem to be an issue for most of us.

wphamilton

I think that you're right, but I put my rear light on blink anyway.

I don't know that the blinking light is more "visible" (I kind of doubt it actually) but people know what it is. It's common on bikes, so people think "bicycle ahead" and that's enough reason for me.

WhyFi

It's certainly not universally against the law - there are some jurisdictions that require both blinking and steady lights for cyclists.

djb

as a car driver, I can certainly attest to the blinking gets you to notice a bike better than steady.
I use a rear blinky, and my front white light I attach to my helmet and use in blinky mode and it is incredibly effective when a side approaching car doesnt notice me---and I turn my head towards them. Being able to effectively aim my white blinky means that they suddenly see me.

I commute a lot at night in this city and blinkies front and back are the way to be noticed. The number of times over the years cars have not seen me in plain site (usually cars coming from a side street) when I had older style bike lights front and back always surprised me, and made me realize that the newer style ones (like the Planet bike turbo etc) and using my white front blinky as an aim-able light on my helmet has dramatically reduced folks in cars just not seeing me.

KonaRider125

I think your technically not supposed to have a blinking red tail light in California(likey many other states), but its not enforced in my area. Never had a cop pull me over while riding over and tell me to turn my light off.

Bottom line I don't want to get hit by a car. Always wear red jerseys and jackets, and always use my tail light.

Machka 

Choose whichever you like when you're riding by yourself ... choose non-blinking when you're riding with other cyclists.


And always red in the rear and clear, white, or yellow in front.

1991BRB1

+1. From a daily commuter in an urban setting, my opinion is that blinking lights are annoying to ride (and drive) behind.

Also people: Tilt your headlamps toward the road, not toward people's eyes.

Worth noting: Rules for brevets and randonnees, where riders ride in day/night light/dark conditions and who must deal with sleep deprivation, blinking lights are verboten. Jan Heine I think mentions the moth effect of the blinker causing fixation on you (remember, we go where our eyes go, bike handling 101) and personally, I'd rather be "missed" by a car than not.

hardcharger1

First of all target fixation has been a fact of rear enders since at least the early 1970's.
It is the steady tail light that attracts, because the person believes they are following the car in front of them and they crash into them.

Cop cars having steady tail lights are the victims, it doesn't matter what blinking lights they have.
Steady lights does absolutely nothing for judging distance at night, for all anyone knows you can be following 2 motorcycles and have no idea how far away they are.

Moth effect? I've never heard of moth effect for humans, but moths are attracted to steady light!

I have been driving motorcycles on the road since 1958, including every day through 3 New England winters with a sidecar and chains and NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT.

It's target fixation!

Keep most drivers honest and run as many lights and reflectors as you want because, when it comes to drunk or tired drivers, it doesn't matter what your running for lights, your going to get rolled up like your grandmothers old carpet.

djb

charger, as someone who rode motorcycles a lot also (not as much as you) but importantly, much more than cars when i was young, I agree completely with you. Would add that our constant danger on two wheels is that a lot of times, car drivers are only looking for other cars, and so just dont see us. A bicycle or a Harley.

remember in I think the early 80s there was a kit you could get to make your front headlight flash all the time?

In any case, I pretty much still assume people dont see me, even in a car, have kept my old bike (motor and pushbike) habits very much as instinct.

touch wood
touch wood

2manybikes

This is totally true, I did motor cycles starting in 1968. I would have been hit many times if I thought all the cars at an intersection would see me. In addition to all that, drivers don't see cars and huge trucks once in a while. Once in a while a cyclist will not see a car or a ped. One time on my beautiful Triump Bonnevile a woman looking to her left for cars, while her car was cold, and, on very high idle, slowly pushed me into the intersection with the car.