sleazyrider46

When I ride at night I use a always on headlight and a blinking rear. See a lot of riders blinking front and rear. I'm thinking about always on front and rear. I understand that some cities and counties don't allow blinking lights on anything but emergency vehicles . Some people find always blinking bicycle lights annoying. What do you use/think ?

jimincalif

Blink during the day, always on at night.

MichaelW

Always on.
Blink is in addition to steady.
If you have 2 blinkies, turn one on steady. 2 blinkies running at different frequencies is confusing.
Low frequency blinkies leave long gaps with no light.

fietsbob

Hub Dynamo powered, wired LED lights . having lights that are always there, ready to go, is part of the bike being utilitarian.

higher latitudes are different than lower ones .. it gets dark earlier and for longer, in the winter here , than it does in So Cal.


so where you live matters too ..

chewa

+1, but at the back I tend to run at least 3 lights, 2 blink one steady.

RickBlane

+1 on the dynamo. I have 2 (non hub). One front (standard) and one on back with a red filter.

I love lights. The more lights the better. I look like a bike shaped Christmas tree at night

I have several sets of these @ about $5 a set.

Robot Check


These, I use one as instructed and cable tie the other 2 at different spots on the spokes giving me 3 rings on each tire (I use 2 sets).

Robot Check


I'm sure I get talked about later by those that see me. But they all do see me.

rumrunn6

there are a lot of misconceptions about the law

kingston 

Not much bothers me, but blinking lights are just annoying; especially on the MUP where I see a lot of them.

salek

I originally had all three of my bikes set up with two handlebar mounted Cateye EL650 lights, and two more on a "T mount". They were my "headlights". A Blackburn 3.3 facing dead forward flashing was my "warning light". Rear would be twin Blackburn tail lights.
However, as the EL650s die, I cannot find replacements. I want good lights that use *normal* batteries. I want to be able to buy AAs on the road when I am away from home rather than having to worry about carrying (losing) a charger for some special battery.

steve0257

I don't mine blinkies that much, but really hate the strobe lights.

koolerb

solid front, slow blink rear.

noglider 

I also use a dynamo. It powers a headlight and tail light, which are both steady. I also use a blinking tail light and a spoke light, both powered by batteries.

CliffordK

I target maximum visibility from the rear, so I blink all my taillights (usually a couple for redundancy). I also don't want to be mistaken for a roadside reflector or something similar.

I have blinked the front at dusk, but after dark, blinking is too anoying, even if it is only visible as a flash on the pavement. So, steady in front (which also gives illumination).

qclabrat

I couldn't imagine only using blinkers in the front for night use
the strobe effect would not only annoy passer byers but me as well

I do use blinkers in the day time in the front, especially during dawn and twilight to alert drivers of my presence

Always use rear blinkers, unless riding in trails without motorized vehicles

p nut

When I ride at night, I'm usually the only cyclist out. So I use a bright, blinking light out back (PDW Radbot) and a good steady dynamo front light (Edelux). If I were to ride where there are other cyclist on the road, I think the proper courteous thing to do is leave the rear solid (thereby, switching from battery powered to dynamo).

gregjones

^^^THIS^^^

I know when to go solid. The headlights annoy me more and more as it gets dark.

wahoonc

On my LED dyno equipped bikes I have solid front and rear lights (per the law in NC-USA) and run a Planet Bike Super Flash for additional rear visibility. If riding with others I will turn the flasher off or ride at the end of the line. On my vintage bikes with the glow worm incandescent lights I use some form of clip on lights, those I may run in flashing mode front and rear depending on conditions.

Aaron

fietsbob

'Which law where'? is Implied in that, for clarity. ...

US that is 50 State codes , other countries they cover the whole region .

EU may have removed the conflicts in member countries to make international transits consistant..

gregjones

I have never had any trouble with the law. I don't know if the local cops even know if there are bike specific laws. Anyway, they won't find enough to charge me with to make it worth their time missing out on a car stop. They make bucks off of cars.

RubenAlonzo

I run a WigWag style rear light (think "Cop" light type strobe) and a steady front.

Lanceoldstrong

Night:
I use a solid headlight. No flashing.
In back I use a very bright red Cygolite Hot Shot. These give users 5 modes to choose from.
The slow on/off mode I use is not going to give a driver behind me a seizure but is very noticeable.

Day:
I use a flashing/strobe front headlight for "See Me" effect.
Drivers on side streets see me at a glance and do not pull out in front of me.
Oncoming drivers see me at a glance and do not turn left into me.
Parked drivers check their mirror and see me at a glance so they don't merge left into me as they leave the curb.
In back I use a very bright red Cygolite Hot Shot. These give users 5 modes to choose from.
The slow on/off mode I use is not going to give a driver behind me a seizure but is very noticeable.

Cygolite Hotshot Video:

howeeee

solid on in front, blinking in the rear

fietsbob

I bought eDelux, & B&M, German lights , So they don't blink. But I dont live in Gotham City either ..


For the rare snow days, that Studded tire Bike gets the Battery Lights. the Vistalight on the back does Blink ..

owenfinn

I ride blinkies(never strobe) front and back when riding at night here in the city(Yokohama). I change to having two front lights - one always on plus a blinkie, on longer rides at night when riding outside of city where actually seeing what is front of you can be difficult. 99% of people riding bikes in cities here use blinkies front and back because - a blinkie is more noticeable, it`s easier to judge distance, and, (least important) they don`t burn through batteries as fast.

auldgeunquers

I am still playing with my light set up, but the current dark night winter version is a solid AA powered light rear centre with two silicon strap-on blinkies on the seat stays blinking on slow mode so I (hopefully) don't give anyone target fixation. Up front I'm using 2 battery powered lights in solid mode with a silicon blinkie between them on slow mode.

During the day I switch lights to blinking mode to increase short glance notice impact since the lights get washed out in daylight.

During the danger hours at dusk and dawn, or in nasty rain, I will use the strobe mode rear, though I am aware it is highly annoying.

I like to have AA powered lights since I can carry a recharge with me, or buy one easliy.

I like the idea of a modern hub dyno, but I do not (yet) have one.

I also wear I high viz vest any time except broad daylight.