Group Ride Etiquette: Lights
 

I did a group ride Thursday that left around 6:30. Generally I like to use my rear light around that time and later, but I wonder if having a blinking Planet Bike light in someone's face during a paceline is a bad idea....

Use it.... I have never been bothered by someone's blinky light. Usually it reminds me to turn mine on.

Can you aim it so it doesn't shine directly into people's faces?

I leave mine on. It's better than not being seen by someone in a 3000 pound vehicle who's on their phone or texting or something. It'd be too distracting to turn it on every time I got to the back, then turn it off every time someone got behind me.

You need to point the thing kind of at drivers' eye height. That's usually a bit below someone that's right on your wheel but not much. Point it a bit to the left too, so it points towards the cars, not directly towards the other riders behind you.

I have always been told to set your rear light to steady red and not blinking, while riding in a group at night.

Yes.
If you're riding in a paceline, it's incredibly annoying to have a bright flashing light right on your face. The steady mode is much more bearable and still makes you visible to cars.

Avoid the seizure mode and go towards steady/knight rider mode =) just shine it in your own face and make a decision based on that.

I don't use my lights ever, because they annoy fellow bicyclists.

Guy in our ride (which starts at 9:15) used to run this crazy bright front on full seizure mode and his rear likewise. Almost went on a breakaway just to get rid of that guy

Ask the guys you ride with.

Blinking lights, up close, is annoying after a while. I agree following the non-blinking or steady mode is better.

Bright, blinking lights are known to trigger seizures in people who are already at-risk for seizures. Not joking. I'll use blinking mode riding alone, because it's more noticeable from a distance.

No front blinking either, please. It's really distracting to try to see the road ahead of a rider with a blinking front light.

If I'm in the middle of the group, I swivel my front light down, to light the road instead of the rider in front of me.

I don't mind low power rear blinkers, or blinkers before it's totally dark.

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It's amazing to see a dozen riders coming toward you, all with different headlights. It looks like nothing else on the road. A group with many steady taillights and some reflective material really stands out, too.

Just ask them if they mind.

If any don't like it because it's too Fredly, just use my motto: "Better Fred than dead." :D

Ask the group. If anyone is prone to seizures in a group ride, they need to let the group know...if it's been triggered before it is usually not just blinking lights that causes the condition. It would be highly irresponsible for that person to not inform the group of his condition if he is riding with them.

I ride with a friend who was injured by a roadside bomb and for some reason he now suffers from epileptic seizures from differing conditions and one of the triggers are certain patterns of blinking lights. He has to wear these bizarre sunglasses that help minimize the seizures from light flashes. He can no longer drive much less ride a bike alone. It is a challenge, but we strive to be there for him.

But seriously, if you are riding with a group...if the driver cannot see you guys on the road...there is something terribly wrong and it is not for the lack of a blinky.

Nothing wrong with a Planet Bike blinkie.

Fixed your title for you btw.

If you're going to have your light on in a group, PLEASE set it to steady. Having a blinky going in front of you in a paceline is a MAJOR PITA!

SP
Bend, OR

This



And if you're in a paceline - only the rear-most rider's light would be visible to motorists. I.e. for the majority of your ride, drivers would not see your light.

How dark is it at the end of your ride? I have a planet bike superflash. that thing is STRONG. I would not use that in a paceline. If you really want to have a blinky, use something lower strength.

That guy that I was talking about before, his light was so bright we always thought a car was coming when we rounded a corner and he poked out