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Light Recommendations for Being Seen Rather than Being Able to See?

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Light Recommendations for Being Seen Rather than Being Able to See?

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Old 09-23-05, 01:32 PM
  #26  
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mmmm

michaelnel,

just count yourself lucky .

I start commuting at more or less the same time (85% of the distance is unlit) and at one point I almost hit a fellow biker which was coming towards me in a bend who rode on a bike with no lights and who was wearing dark clothing without any reflective material. OK it was a moonlit night so without any clouds but how stupid / suicidal can you be driving a bike like that.
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Old 09-23-05, 07:51 PM
  #27  
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It should be obvious to at least most people that the red light color is to be on the rear and amber or white should be on the front. The only really odd bit of knowledge is whether or not the rear taillight should be blinking or steady, Europe says steady and America says blinking...both say their way is safer.

Whats really amazing...well at least to me, is that when I lived in California most cyclist that rode at night had lights, here in Indiana most ride without lights or reflectors! Not sure why that is.
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Old 09-23-05, 09:29 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by froze
You should also supplement your headlight with a front blinker like the Vistalite Nebula. The smallish headlights on bicycles are not large enough in diameter that drivers just don't notice them like they do with car headlights no matter how bright they are, the flasher will grab their attention fast.

Forgot to mention taillights. The Cateye brand is the best for the money; including the LD600 and 1000. The 1000 is the brightest on the market but one of the more expensive tailights at about $40 while the 600 is plenty bright for about $20. I have the 600 and it's blindly bright, and if mounted vertically it's visible from at least 180 degrees...as is the 1000 as well.

Also those little barend LED plug lights are a great addition to a taillight.

Also use reflective straps around your legs, the up and down motion catches drivers eyes...if they somehow miss the red LED's beaming at them!
I second the flashing front light. I've observed other cyclists and that flashing front light is obvious much further away than their front headlight. I went to REI and got one of these today.

https://www.rei.com/product/47468138....HP_CYCLING_TOC

I got one of these for the back, to supplement my TLD-LD1000.

https://www.rei.com/product/11068458....HP_CYCLING_TOC

When I get my 'bent, I'll have a large reflective triangle on the back of the seat.
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Old 09-24-05, 08:55 PM
  #29  
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It was expressly a close call with front impact with another biker that spurred me to be more visible. In my town of Long Beach, LI, most go around lightless and lazily figure 8 or S-curve around in darkness. They look at my Bike like I'm some sort of nut with my visibility. I mistakenly bought a fixed Cat Eye for the front and will now go for a blinker.
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