Originally Posted by
neil
I've seen a lot of people in this thread insist on flashing for "safety." But I haven't seen anything here explaining why, how, and based on what evidence is it safer. So I'm not convinced using a flashing light has any benefit. And, having tried it, I found the reflection that comes back at me made it harder to stay in control of the bike (constantly changing level of illumination means that my eyes were never properly adjusted.) If this is the effect it has on me, I imagine it's similar or worse for oncoming traffic.
So, while I have no thoughts about rear lights, and use blinkies myself as this is the standard way of identifying a bike from the rear, I will only use solid lights up front.
Speaking specifically to headlights, flashing is a way to stand out from all the other white lights in a driver's vision, especially applicable in urban/suburban areas with a lot of lighting. How effective it is, all we have to go on is anecdotal evidence, unless there is a decent study someone knows of. Obviously, in these areas, one needs a light less to see than to be seen, which is why a low-powered flashing light
might be of some help. Low power shouldn't f up your own vision.
Personally, I don't use a front flashing light because I have noticed that my solid, higher-powered light pretty much drowns it out anyway...though at times when I am feeling like I am just not visible enough from the front, I have used an amber blinky, which seems to be a bit more noticeable. For the rear, I have a combo of one solid light and one blinky. But these are based on my current rural/x-burban commute. If you take anything away from this thread, it should be that your lighting should be what works best for you in your unique conditions. It's not a one-size-fits-all thing.
