sunset near me is 7:06 pm (today) but it gets darker before then

I'm guessing 6:30 pm would be a good time to turn lights on

EDIT: on a paved rail trail

I'm using the same strategy as motorcyclists(lights on all the time) and cars(daytime running lights);
I turn my lights on whenever I'm on streets; day or night:

I run my headlight whenever I'm rolling, day or night.

When the sun is within about an hour of setting, I set my light to flash 1300 lumens for .25 seconds every 3 seconds. After the sun sets I drop it down to on at about 800 lumens unless I'm climbing a long hill, then I drop it down to about 400 lumens.

My lights are on when I'm riding. They blink when I don't need the light to see and they're constant when I do.

I usually wait until 30 minutes before sunset to turn my blinkies on, more to be seen than to see. If it's overcast enough that I notice lots of cars with lights on, I'll turn mine on too. It's usually 10-15 minutes after sunset (or before sunrise) that I need lights to see the road. My eyes are apparently able to adjust, and I just notice more without the car around me.

I usually have a light on all the time. Narrow MUP with lots of turns and shady spots give oncoming riders a bit more notice.

turns out, it was 7:15 pm because by 7:30 I needed headlights in my car to see

my lights are on when my bike rolls. dynamo baby!

Lights on all the time. Time of day determines how many and what mode.

My headlights and taillight are running always whe i drive. Headlights during day on low. During summer on very bright days i run the taillight at full power (200lm).

My commute is beyond sunrise/sunset finally for light determination but weather is still generally dark enough that all day can be appropriate.

You can get sunrise/sunset data for any location in the world from this website. It’s from the Naval Observatory. You kind of need that data for, um, shooting at stuff from ships.

I turn might lights on at sunset.

This

With an cheap weather station like the TFA Weather Boy XS 35.1064.10.50.IT you see the sunrise/sunset/daylight hours for the current day without using the internet or tables.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TFA-Dostman.../dp/B000EOR44W
https://tfa-dostmann.de/fileadmin/---...10.50.IT_e.pdf

+1 for the peace of mind of self generated lighting! My Reelight RL770 works well.

I have a hub dynamo and run my dynamo powered all the time when I am riding. On top of that I use rechargeable battery lights at front and rear in flash mode. I want to make sure I am always visible.

Me too. I smile when people tell me my light is on during the day, like I forgot.

+1

I'm commuting without lights already, those days that I select the road bike. I "feel" more visible during the day with them on, but no great loss if they're off. At some point during the summer, for me the usefulness is outweighed by the tiny burden of charging and carrying them around and my road bike gets "cleaned up" for summer riding - the lights are part of what "goes".

Tail light is permanently affixed though. That's all to do with the headlight.

On my commuter, dynamo headlight is on most of the time, and Magniclight taillight is on all of the time. On my road bike only when absolutely necessary as I don't often go in the dark. When I do it is only into the park, and from like 30 minutes before sunset.

Me too.

Best practice.

I have a Niterider PRO 1800 but I don't use it to see with, rather, I use it to be seen. When I'm on the road I have it on pulse so I'm always identified as a cyclist.