socalrider

Front flashing during daytime only, and rear flashing all the time..

Scooby214

I run two cheapy Cateye lights on the front of my bike: an EL320 and an EL135. The 320 has a very good flash mode for daytime use, so I run it in flash mode during the day. My morning commute is in the dark until the very end. I run both lights on solid until the sun is just about to come up. Then I switch the little 135 to flash and leave the more powerful 320 on solid (to hopefully grab the attention of any cars backing out of driveways). My evening commute is during daylight (until time change happens), so I only run the 320 on flash. After time change, I'll run the 320 on solid and the 135 on flash like I do at the end of my morning commute.

If I had the money, I'd purchase one powerful light like the NightRider MiNewt 600 or the Serfas True 500. As it is, my two cheapy lights do the job well enough and I only have to recharge batteries once every couple of weeks under heavy usage.

My rear light is always on flash mode.

despoke

Handlebar: Planet Bike Beamer 5
Helmet Serengetti Cree 160 lumen. Fenix LD25 varying modes depending on weather and speed.
Rear Helmet: Planet Bike Superflash
Seatpost: Planet Bike Superflash
Reflective Vest over reflective striped yellow rain jacket
Michelin City Tires reflective
Solas reflective tape on helmet, pedals, sides of rear lights, on half of each rim, on crank arms,

All lights run on strobe excepting Fenix which is on regular mode. All run on rides day and night rain or bright sun.

harshbarj

I run my lights any time I ride. I find vehicals pass at a safer ditance when I do. I also run a dynohub so there is no reason not to have them on as it costs me nothing to run them.

ItsJustMe

Every thing I've done to increase visibility has also increased the amount of space that drivers give me. I might actually think about dialing it back at this point because with the two taillights and the reflective vest, I already have a significant number of people who won't pass me until they can see way down the road and then they pull practically into the shoulder of the oncoming lane. If I added another light I think they'd probably take other routes to avoid me.

smasha

here in NZ... i've got two rear lights (about 70 lumens, total), sometimes a 3rd rear light (about 100+ lumens, total) ANSI vest, ankle straps, large reflective patches on my pannier bags, etc... and i still get buzzed too often, even when there's more than one travel lane in the same direction, and no other traffic anywhere near.

motorists in NZ are among the worst in the world, but yeah... there's some correlation between more light and more clearance.

CaptCarrot

Whilst I run battery lights, no. Once I get my battery-less lights up and running they will be on 24-7, like my car lights are.

I am a firm believer in daytime running lights, especially when there is bright low-level sunlight between you and your observer.

Easy Peasy

I saw a news program where they found that drivers gave more room for women cyclists than men. They put wigs on men cyclist, and voila, they were given more distance too. Maybe I need a wig. : -)

rhm

I run primitive home-made LED lights that have no switch and no capacitor and, frankly, third grade level circuitry. If the front wheel is turning, the lights are on. People see me, which is what I want.

BSB

Sounds perfect!

I've been taking my lights off the bike in the summer when the days were longer. I'd put them on in the fall, and only use them at night or in bad weather. I've recently changed my commuting route to be all road instead of mostly MUP, and I've started using them sometimes during the day. I think I'm going to start using them all the time, after upgrading the tail light.

Front: Light & Motion Seca 900. Solid at night, flashing during the day. I seem to get fewer cars pulling out in front of me when I run it during the day.

Rear: Cateye TL-LD1100. Flashing day and night. I'm about to upgrade to a NiteFlux Red Zone 4. I may also add a Cygolite Hotshot. The Red Zone has good brightness over a really wide angle (almost 180 degrees). The Hotshot would give me more punch straight back, which I'd like for riding into the sun, for distracted drivers approaching from the rear, and hopefully to encourage drivers to give more space when passing. I'll probably use both lights during the day, and only the Red Zone at night - I don't want to blind drivers.

wapiti

I have been running flashing tail lights for about 3 years - all the time, every bike. Either the Dinotte 140 or the Blackburn Mars series which are silly bright.

Headlights, I do not normally use them on a bright day ( starting to rethink that) but at this time of the year, with the sun low in the sky, I run headlights any time I am on the bike, night/day/bright/ cloudy - whatever.

My guess is that by next spring I will just keep to the headlights all the time deal and live with it.

Onfixiate

Don't usually run them on bright days, but if I'm on the paved trail and it's got heavy traffic, I'll use the flash mode. Actually had some airhead on in-line skates tell me "your light sucks". Presumably because it's so bright, and it hurt their bloodshot eyes...