I like having a rear blinky on during all of my rides, night or day, unless I'm in a group in which case I leave it at home. Weight is negligible and if it helps one driver see me a tiny bit sooner and maybe keep them from running me into a curb, it's worth the AAA batteries I have to swap every couple months. I use a planet bike superflash, cheap but seems bright enough.

I have a cygolite metro headlgiht I use for dusk, dawn, or night rides. It wouldn't be enough for a pitch black singletrack ride, but it's perfect for roads you're already familiar with and has an easy handlebar mount. Wouldn't ever bring it during a normal daylight ride, though.

I have a front and rear blinker on any time I ride on the road. I only ride at night on Zwift.

There is no keyboard shortcut to turn on a headlight, so when the sun sets in Zwift I have to stop riding until it comes up again. Safety first.

I do if it is dark/dusk/foggy/wet...much like the times I would have my headlights on while driving. My commuter has a light at the fork crown with a wide beam and I have a helmet mounted light so I can see things when I turn my head. I don't usually bother in the daytime.

I just ring my bell continuously to make sure everyone knows I am coming. I've only fallen off my trainer twice so I'd say it's working out fine.

Always. Cygolite Pace 500 in day lighting mode during the day, sometimes low lighting if early in the morning before sunrise. Cygolite Hotshot SL 2 in the back. Makes me visible from a considerable great distance even during the day. I never ride at night but back during my bike commute days a family that pulled after me into a Walgreens parking lot in Colorado Springs said that I looked "like a Christmas tree". Better safe than sorry.

I always ride with lights. The bontrager light I use in back is amazing and you can see it from like a mile away during the day time. Perfect for those busy roads when I'm not on the MUP.

Do you drive your car at night with the lights off? Why not?

I ride year round and in the pre-dawn dark frequently. MagicShine 3-head on my commuter bike and a NiteRider 650 on my helmet. I have other light configurations on my other bikes. Yes, I like to be seen and to see obstacles / debris before hitting them.

I wouldn't consider riding at or after dusk with no lighting. That's a non-starter, if for no other reason that I take away some portion of the contributory negligence aspect of a fatal encounter with a car. My estate could potentially benefit in a suit...

I use a combination of bar and helmet mount at night.

Light & Motion Vis 360+ has both a front facing 250 lumen LED and a rear facing red pulse light. This is my favorite light. A piece of velcro usually secures the coil cord to the helmet so it doesn't flap around. If I had to choose one light only this would be it.





For the bar I use a Light & Motion Urban 800 Fast Charge. High, low and daytime pulse if I chose to use it during the day.





An Axiom Pulse 60 is always attached at the seat post clamp area on one of the bikes. During the day it flashes but is on steady when used at night with the helmet mount lights above.




I also have an Blackburn white LED which I mount below the stem so that it turns with the bars. I don't always use this light. It is a flasher during the day if I am riding in areas where significant traffic is expected. It is also a backup light on longer night rides and then I might not even use it, or might click it on steady for intersections or heavier traffic areas.



I also use those reflective ankle bands at night.

It all cost a few dollars but You have to be in a coma to claim that you didn't see me. It opens up a whole new arena for riding - warm summer nights on empty country roads.



-Tim-

I used to have a front and rear blinky. Honestly, I am too lazy to charge them on a regular basis and make sure that they are attached to the bike. I was taking them on and off to adjust the bike itself, and then on and off to charge them.

Maybe they're worth it, but without a time machine in a controlled repeatable environment..it's hard to 'quantitate' the benefit.

I haven't used them in a while.

Stop your whining and excuses. They have ANT+ controlled lights now. HTFU.



Bontrager ION by the way. ^^the setup on that VanDressel gravel bike is slick.

I have the super amazing custom Zwift automatic lights. They turn on automatically when the sun goes down every 15 minutes.

WRONG!!

This is an excellent point.

In my previous cycling life, I worried about batteries /charging. My world is now much less complex as I only run dynamo. My best acquisition is my quad set of eddy-current driven magnic lights (www.magniclight.com) which are always on.

I ride in the dark a lot so I always use lights. I have many lights. Chinese LEDs are much improved over the past two years, especially if you stay away from the ultra-cheap versions. My most used headlight is probably the $60 Revtronic (formerly Nitefighter) BT40s:
https://www.amazon.com/Revtronic-BT40...ords=revtronic

It's a claimed 1,600 lumens, probably more like 1,400 actually. The beam is noticeably warm which is much more pleasant to look at than a cool tint for hours. the light's not specifically designed for the road but it works fine on both the road and trail. The beam pattern is wide with plenty of throw. The stock battery is very high quality. The light will last four or five hours easily if you don't set it on high (which is too much light for the road anyway).

I also really like the Bontrager Ion, Cygolite and Cateye lights. The Cygolite Expilion 800 in particular is a terrific light for $100. The Cygolite mount is my personal favorite light mount, it's rock solid and simple to use.

For taillights, I avoid ultra-bright flashers if I'm riding in a group. A bright, flashing taillight gets really annoying to those following. I like cheap battery lights like the PDW Red Planet for group rides. I leave them on steady state in a group. If I'm riding alone, I have a number of very bright lights like the Superflash Turbo and Danger Zone.

Good use for any old "Livestrong" bracelets one might have ....

I was using a Surefire Fury 500 lumen flash light that I pulled off of a rifle of mine. I used that $5 plastic flashlight mount that you have on the right side of your picture. Worked very well, just like $3-5 for 2 hours of run time on that flash light.. so not the most economical setup.

Since it's been light out at least up to 7:30-8 I haven't used it at much.

I second the recommendations for both Nightrider and Urban. I have a pair of Urban headlights (unfortunately they don't sell replacement batteries, so if one runs out on a ride I have to swap the whole light) and a Nightrider in back ... and different but equally bright tail lights on all my bikes,. plus a cheap white blinky up front should I forget a headlight or both should fail, and usually a red blinky on the back (I think two out-of-phase flashes is harder to ignore.)

Even if I go out in the afternoon ... I can't be sure that that day I might deiced I feel better than ever before, and want to keep riding ... or that I will ride so far that i can only limp home. In the summer it's not bad, but in the winter it gets dark early, and I'd much rather carry a few ounces of prevention than count on drivers to notice me ... and also, it doesn't take much to topple a bike. Ride over a stick in the road or a big pothole and not only might I break my bike, I might beat up myself. A good headlight improves my chances of avoiding obstacles.

Are the headlights bright enough for riding in total darkness (MUP or trail at night, etc)?

My Hub dynamo powered wired LED head and tail lights certainly are but they are not on my 1 Mudguardless roadie Bike .

Rarely ride at night but ALWAYS use F&R blinkies during the day.

I have had several people mention that the lights helped them notice me, especially the front.

Now they can be had w/ USB recharging.

Only a fool would ride on the road without them...

Yes if you commute like me. Morning around 5:30am is dark and also put a rear red flashing light

huh? you use them while on zwift island

I have this lights on my main bike (and probably soon i'll buy a new pair for the others).
I bought on a local chinese store but on ebay is plenty of this type (they are called "Silicone Bicycle light").

Pros:
- Lightweight;
- Nice appearance;
- You can apply where you want;
- Awsome price (1 euro);
Cons:
- Not the best light;
- Is good only for beins seen by car-drivers;
- in a road with the natural moon-light you can't see anything, just a bit the road;