Originally Posted by
Dunbar
I use my Lezyne Super Drive XL in flashing mode at night. I just point it down slightly so it's not blinding to oncoming traffic. I figure it's more effective at preventing left crosses than steady mode is (at least based on my anecdotal observation of other cyclists at night.) It flashes about once a second so it's not an obnoxious strobe mode (which I find super annoying in the dark.) My Dinotte 300R is probably more annoying to traffic at night even when I run it on the least obnoxious flash mode (because it's so darn bright and can't easily be pointed down.)
That's a pretty bright headlight. I've sometimes put one headlight on flash and one on steady but the flashing light just seems to emphasize all the things I don't care about (road signs, speed limit signs...
)
There's something to be said for not getting whacked by a car though. I had a car once wait for me to pass (in the bike lane) instead of the traditional right hook, presumably because my flasher was going. It was just before sundown too, so bad lighting.