Rear light question
 

I have two red rear lights for my bike commute. I wanted to set one to flash and one static. After comparing the two lights, one is significantly brighter than the other in both modes. How are your bikes set up in that situation? Brighter light flashing? Brighter light static? Thanks for your help.

-Dan

For some reason, I tend to use my brighter light on flash mode regardless of whether it's front or back (I have two in both directions). I'm not sure why, or if really makes much of a difference, but that's what I do.

i have 3 sets
a steady red
a flashing red
then a CATeye TL-LD1000 in random mode

superflash: flashing, mounted on rear rack or seat collar of fast bike
marsblack: soild, mounted on helmet

If I'm expecting to be moving near the speed of traffic, steady.

If I'm expecting to be significantly slower than the speed of traffic, blinking.

No, I don't keep changing it mid-ride.

From what I've read on several forums, the answer on this will depend on hours. If you're running at night, leave them on constant. There is something about target fixation with the blinking at night and people actually unconsously moving toward you. In dailight, I leave my brightest one in flash mode.

Everything I've seen in real life contradicts that.

I run my brightest taillight flashing. And my next-brightest, and my next-brightest, and my next-brightest. And the remaining two as well. At night on the divided highway, I can watch overtaking traffic in my helmet mirror, and if six flashing taillights (including a DiNotte 140 or Nova BULL, two SuperFlashes, a BRT-5 and Trek bar-plug blinkies) isn't enough to cause target fixation, it just isn't going to happen.

What happens instead, is people merge to the left lane to get away from... whatever it is on the shoulder with six flashing red lights attached to it... it's a, uh... uh... OH, it's a crazy dude on a bicycle!!! :P On the highway, they're often doing that at 1/4 mile range, particularly the semi drivers.


Anyway, to the OP: assuming you ride on the road and not on a MUP, run your brightest one on flashing. What you need most, is to differentiate yourself from everything else so you don't blend in. Flashing lights do that.

^ Agreed. The "passing drivers will hit you if you run flashing lights" myth is about as annoying (and untrue) as the "oncoming drivers will have seizures if my front lights flash quickly" myth. Both are fun to repeat, but have very little basis in reality.

I run two lights, one doesn't have a flashing mode and the other (Superflash) is too bright/annoying so I leave it constant too.

I put the Superflash on flashing all the time, then the dimmer light on constant, then the tiny useless (but free) single LED 'frog light' on constant, but mounted on my rear wheel spokes so it whirls around and gets attention.

Odd you should ask that.... Last night, I was driving home in my car (took several people different places--otherwise, I would have ridden), and I noticed several people with rather dim lights. Some were flashing, and some not. I started thinking about this very thing--two lights, but what if one were more bright? I decided, while watching the lights, that it would probably be better to flash the dimmer one. Otherwise, the flashing bright one would completely overpower the dim one burning solidly.

I'll be honest, however, I saw a fellow with a nice, bright rear light burning solid, and two bar-end LEDs also burning solid. Looking at him in my mirror, I decided that of all the bikes I had seen, his was the most visible and furthermore, most recognizable of every bike i had seen in the evening. He certainly made me start reconsidering my own lighting scheme. Right now, I've got a three-way blinker on the back, mounted to my rack (three lights in a tight group, blinking in rotation) I'm now considering getting some lights to hang off the side somewhere, to make a larger triangle. I wish I could use bar-end lights, but I've got shifters there. :-( In any case, after last night, I highly suspect that having multiple super-bright, solid lights in a decent array might work better than blinkers. Also, I'm beginning to wonder why bike lights are so small. Motorcycles and cars have much larger lights, which, alone, makes them more visible, without having to burn so irritatingly bright. Something else to consider...

When time changed this year I began leaving work in the dark. I've been working late and leaving after rush hour, though the streets are still busy. Running the Dinotte taillight the number of people passing me in my lane (5-lane arterial) dropped tremendously. If I had to guess, I'd say it went from about 45% of the cars passing in my lane to about 10%.

I never noticed this in past years. I'm guessing it's because I'm leaving later and more people have the option of changing lanes to avoid me. The effect is not as pronounced when I'm riding with the superflash - though I still feel safe with it.

I've been lucky though to have a large portion of my commute on roads with a wide outside lane. That's about to change though, and I'll be looking at a much more difficult commute.

Alright guys, thanks for the answers. Most of my 20 mile ride is on a MUP (W&OD) but the rest is on some 4 lane roads with 35-45mph speed limits. I have a superflash and another much dimmer light. I think I'll leave the superflash on static.

I always run one solid, one flashing. The flashing one gets attention, the solid one gives depth perception and hopefully breaks up the blinking light fixation problem.

In my case both are superflashes. However, one used to be a TL-LD1000 which was dimmer, and I used it on constant. However, that was mainly because the Superflash's flash mode was so much better.

That would be my opinion; use the superflash in the mode that it excels at; flashing. If you're not comfortable with the brightness of the other one, buy another superflash :)

I follow RUSA rules:

Article 10

For night riding, vehicles must be equipped with front and rear lights attached firmly to the vehicle. Lights must be turned on at all times during hours of darkness or other low-light conditions (rain, fog, etc.). At least one of the rear lights must be in a steady (rather than flashing) mode.

Since I use an LED headlight on a dynohub, I just never turn it off, that way I'm always in compliance. My current rear lights are twin Superflashes, one steady, one blinking. I'm going to get a wired tail light soon. I'm deciding between the B&M 4D Lite Plus and the Supernova (which unfortunately is only a rack mount)

I run one atm flashing(broke the other) when I ran 2 the dim one, the one I broke I ran static, usually on my bag on my back

Dinotte 300r on my bike. Steady low power, with high output flash about every second. Very effective. I believe the flash should be the brighter light, the flash isn't as effective if it is near a steady light that is brighter than its pulse. IMO anyway.

YOu need serious rear lighting for traffic to take you seriously, IMO. You need serious front lighting for you to take the road seriously. In this day and age, marvelous lighting is available. Expensive, but once you ride with great lights, you won't go back to rinky dink lighting. 300 plus lumen's in front as a minimum, 140 rear? Save up for it if you have to. Or Be really, really good and make sure Santa knows it!