RUSA requires one tail light and one reflector if you're going to be out after dark on a brevet. But I usually take the reflector off between brevets.

Scotty, it's a Photon drive!

I believe you can find an answer as to what the minimum is in your locations laws on the subject. Anything above and beyond that is entirely up to you and your level of paranoia.

Yep those blinkly lights can be seen from quite a distance; however, that doesn't mean they are brighter than a car's reflected head lights. The head lights only get reflected at much closer distances than the mile quoted above and at those distances, it is easy to visually confirm that the reflector is brighter than the tail light.

Indeed the biggest problem with active tail lights on bikes is that they are nearly impossible to tell how far away they are. However the reflectors do provide a distinct indication of how close the car is to the bike.

Jyl's statement that rear reflectors are as important as active lights is a true one. Neither option is as effective or safe as both in combination. Of course the very nature of active lights is that they can fail (no matter how many you use), but that passive reflectors will always be there.

I am constantly amazed how many want ever greater power output on their active lights, but fail to install even the minimum legally required reflectors...

I not only believe what jyl wrote, I'd go so far as to write that the front light is more important than the rear for several reasons: from the front is where you're going to get smacked from the side, and closing distance (and response time) is faster from the front.

Obviously I have fairly bright lights front and rear, but if I was forced to pick one or the other then the front is an easy choice.

This thread has hit two pages and nobody has said that the answer is 42?

42

Two I think. One switched on flash. The other on solid. The flashing one to gather attention. The solid one to gauge distance.

But more important to get the front lights in order I think. Getting whacked from the side is more common than being rear ended.

I use 2. One on the cargo rack another on my messenger bag. One on rack is set too a slow steady blink. The other is a fast and alternating blink.

2 - one on the bike, one on the helmet. Usually one set to steady, one blinking.

Usually two PBSFs. However, 95% of my commute is on MUPs, so I can get away without a tail light, as long as I'm careful on the 5% where cars are around.

Used lights for the first time last night since last winter. Noticed lots of folks had relatively weak headlights. That will change when the serious headlights come out to play. I was running only a single headlight, and even that was way more powerful than anything else I saw. When I break out the megalumen blaster, their puny lights will be completely useless.

2. A Bell on the seat post set to blinking mode, and a Serfas Thunderbolt (rechargeable, very very bright) on the back of the rack set to solid red.

I run two on the commuter, one flashing DangerZone on the back of my helmet, and one battery-powered trailer light I wired up myself, very noticeable and bright, and very easy to see from a distance. On the road bike I run a PDW Red Planet on the seatpost, not as bright as the light on the commuter, but I'm moving quicker on those days, so I don't worry as much about it.

Here's the light on my commuter. I prefer a big, steady light that makes it easy to gauge distance from a car to the bike vs a bunch of small lights that flash.

I have one three LED blinky attached to my rear rack and a one LED red "SpokeLit" light on my rear wheel (https://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Spoke...le+wheel+light). I run them at night and when visibility is low.

I find that a bright headlight and a reflective vest make a much bigger difference in nighttime driver behavior than a rear blinky. The reflective sidewalls on my tires help a bit too, but it's tough to keep them clean.

I also have an LED light on each wheel (made by Cateye) that I use in the winter when it's really dark, and wear a reflective, yellow safety construction vest. Sidewalls are also reflective, and I agree, it's a pain to keep them clean enough to be effective, another reason I'd like to switch to disc brakes.

On the front I use a Philips SafeRide on low when on the MUP, and on high when on the road, very noticeable because of the reflector size. Also run a "900 lumen" chinese light on low when on the road, as a "see me" without causing glare.

I always use 2, day and night. They are always on strobe. I find the one on my left drop bar instantly brought me more courtesy room from passing cars.

Agree 100%. I myself like to run three on a triangle. One middle dynamo rear run on steady and two rear rack mounted on the sides. Of the two sides, one run on steady and the other on blinkie.

Two is my minimum and I do it more often than not and still feel safe. Two lights, one on steady, and the other on blinking. The grater the distance between them, the better.

Yes, one will get you seen from a mile away! But I would not feel safe on traffic, specially if I had to take the lane on a fast road. Have you seen motorcycles with only one head light? It's hard to judge distance, or closure rate, specially on a dark road.

Only one blinkie on the bike, taking the bike lane only, on a well lit road, would feel like I'm just limping safely home. Double O

I usually run 3 taillights -- two on my bike and one on my helmet. My best taillight is a Dinotte 140 LED, and it is like having a red headlight on the back of my bike. However, I never rely on it alone because its batteries sometime lose their charge while I am commuting. My other lights are a Planet Bike Superflash and a DangerZone.

I usually use two taillights especially when a light is highly directional. It also depends on where I'm riding. In traffic with a lot of cars, at least 2 taillights plus at least 1 sidelight (or spoke lights ). On short local trips or when it's not very dark (dusk or overcast), I use less.

Often I also carry back-up lights in my bag in addition to those in use, or spare batteries, or both.

I'd say at least two in case one goes out. Sometimes I run 3.

2 lights:

PDW DangerZone - steady (on seatpost)
PDW Radbot 1000 - flashing (on rear rack)

I like one flashing light to get attention, plus one steady light to help with distance and velocity perception.

Plus reflector (comes as part of Radbot)
Plus retroreflective tape on fender, bike, and helmet
Plus retroreflective panels that come standard on Ortlieb panniers


I like the suggestion of putting a light on the helmet, to get it higher off the ground and also to get more separation from other light. Have not tried that yet, though.

as I have adopted a Hub dynamo , wired LED head and taillight setup .

One is sufficient B&M toplight line plus to be precise , capacitor powered standlight
keeps it on at stops ..

the fresnel lens and 2 LEDs light up a broad line, and the rest of the lens ,
which is a reflector as well, so
dividing them up to remove one would not be possible .


I recently moved to within a couple miles of anywhere in town (which is not large).

I also run a hub dynamo on my main commuter, with SuperNova lights front and rear. I still use at least one other rear light (blinking -- the SN rear is only steady on), and sometimes a second headlight up on the bars.

I roll with 5 taillights:

A Planet Bike Superflash; mounted on the fender, flashing.
Two generic blinkies; mounted on the V-racks of the Xtracycle, solid.
A X-fire (lane marker light/tail light combo, in tail light mode); mounted between the V-racks with a couple of toe straps, solid.
A Blackburn Mars 3.0; helmet mounted, solid.

I also rock a lighted reflective vest, a Whizzz reflector, rear reflective surfaces, and a home modded yellow area light at the top of my safety flag.

I have three lights on the front:

A 110 lumen (claimed) Coleman head band light; helmet mounted (obviously), not usually used.
A Blackburn Quadrant; mounted on my front rack.
A B&M Lumotec (bottle dynamo powered) mounted on the front rack.

Both front rack mounted lights have home made breakaway mounts.

I just use one - I know I *should* run two in case one breaks/falls off/turns itself off, but I find myself too lazy to deal with a ton of lights for short trips.

I use a vertical format Cat-Eye on the seat-post, a Planet Bike Super Flash (PBSF) on the seat bag and another PBSF on my helmet. Front light wise I have both a NiteRider MyNute headlight on the handlebar and a Topeak white flashing light attached to the right side fork blade.

I use reflective ankle bands but don't have any reflectors on my pedals. Don't know if anyone makes pedal reflectors for Shimano SPD mountain bike pedals, but if anyone knows of any, please advise.

Rick / OCRR