Originally Posted by
PaulRivers
The difference is that you're biking down a lowish traffic 2 lane highway where people have plenty of room to pull into the other lane. Being bright annoying and hard to figure out where you are works effectively (though annoyingly) when cars have plenty of room to get around you because they pull into the other lane.
When there is no other lane to pull into, this tactic isn't nearly as effective, because the cars behind you don't have anywhere else to do so they generally just pass you anyways. And since they don't know exactly where you are, well they aren't going to risk hitting another car headon over it, they just pull past you - something from your videos that you also do not appear to have to deal with as you appear to ride on either a 6 foot wide shoulder or on a road with no shoulder in which case you have to take the lane.
I simply prefer one steady, one flashing. When cars are going to be trying to skim by besides me anyways, which are they are going to do on a 2 lane road, I'd prefer they know where I am and not leave them guessing.
This is a scary thought process to me. With no shoulder on a two way road with only two lanes the best method is to take the lane far enough to where the car needs to be in the other lane to pass. As you say they don't want to risk a head on with another car.....so they will have to wait until they can pass safely (just like with a car in front of them). That's WHY you take the lane.
And I'm not buying the "steady" argument. I WANT somebody to be annoyed enough to stay very clear of me.....not be able to gauge a distance well enough to get as close as they can and then "skim by". I think the likelihood of someone taking the other lane before they get to a point where distance is even relevant goes up when bright lights are flashing at them from the rear of my bike. I would think it far more important to ensure you have a steady light in front for when they merge back into your lane.