BarracksSi

When I'm not on my dynohub bike, I use a flashing headlight. With the cars parked along every curb and other visual clutter, it helps to stand out as much as possible. Plus, in daylight, onlookers can see the rest of me and not just a point of light like during nighttime, so they can more easily see what I am and how fast I'm riding.

I also think that if there are plenty of cyclists, flocks of flashing lights can look pretty ridiculous. Steady lights would be fine, and even mid-low power dyno lights would be enough when drivers expect to see cyclists everywhere.

swak

i don't use my lights at all in the daytime.
If its bright out, whether im wearing all black or all neon green, you'd have to be a pretty shotty driver to not see me.

At night 'flashing', more of a personal thing, i feel a little safer with it on flashing, i like to think it stands out better.

BarracksSi

Never underestimate how "shotty" a driver can be, nor how dangerous they can be.

swak

ahahaha.. well said

BarracksSi

I do think that the necessity of headlights in daytime depends on where you're riding. Longer sightlines and less clutter aren't as much of a problem as frequent intersections, busy streets, streets lined with trees and/or storefronts, and cars parked along the curb.

cycle16v

Out here in Texas where the days are really bright during the summer, I hardly use my lights because I'm not even sure if they're noticable. I do, however, use the flashing mode on both front and back during dusk and dawn. Something funny to note, I think people sometimes get startled by my lights (flashing white in front and flashing red in back) thinking I'm a police vehicle. I've even had kids in the neighborhood ask if I was a police officer. I stood my bike up in the living room one night and turned on the bike lights and turned off the house lights and I can see how they think I'm a cop with all the white and red flashing.

But when it's outright dark in the morning and evening, I turn off the small cateye up front and go to my Cateye Supershot Plus on bright and leave the back light (Planetbike Supershot) still flashing.

Caleab

+1

On my usual commute set up (on my way to work in the mornings) I have 4 lights on the rear (1 trek Flare 10, 2 flare 3's and a Planet Bike Superblinky). I have all in blink mode except the Flare 10 (which is attached to the rack, the others are on either trunk or panniers) that is located in the middle of my "triangle" of lights.

Otherwise, I just have the Flare 10 blinking during day rides. I don't currently have a flasher in the front, but am researching to find one I like. Any suggestions (just something small)

dclaryjr

I run a P-7 on steady mounted fairly low during my morning commute. Coming home I move it to a mount that is higher (closer to eye line of motorist) and put it in a fast flash/strobe mode.

froze

Maybe, though I haven't really noticed this; but if the flasher is amber instead of white like the headlight and it's not right next to the main light then the flasher will seperate it itself and be noticed. I've had people comment too me that they appreciated the fact I had a front flasher, they said it attracted their attention to me faster then just the light alone. Keep in mind that lights on bikes are not the same size as car or motorcycle lights thus people don't really notice them right away regardless how bright it is, a flasher will draw their eyes to your bike before a headlight will.

One thing I forgot to mention on my earlier post is that at night the three rear taillights are on steady, there has been studies that proved that drivers were less able to perceive how far away a cyclist was when the taillight was flashing compared to steady on. HOWEVER, I do leave the barend lights flashing, but only to conserve the little button batteries.

cyclokitty 

I rarely use my lights during the day but if I know I'm riding on a shady route then I set my lights to flashing. This makes me feel more comfortable when I have to ride under dark bridges (there are a couple on one of my grocery shopping routes).

Night time I use steady.

DataJunkie

Steady at night. Nothing during the day.

ItsJustMe

I only run lights during the day in adverse conditions. Rain, fog, snow, etc, or starting to get dark.

Flashing during the day. Generally during the day I use the Dinotte 3x high/steady low strobe. At night I'm steady up front (typically 50% or even 25%, except on the gravel road where I need full power if the road is torn up, to avoid tire eaters), and steady low/flash high on the back.

This is mainly because I ALWAYS am wearing a neon yellow/green reflective vest. Even without the lights, people still give me more consideration than I really am even comfortable with; it's more common than not that I'm looking in my rear view mirror thinking "What the hell is this guy doing? There's a TON of room to pass."

RLSchell

Quick followup - I took everyone's advice and ran BOTH main and backup headlights flashing today. No difference in the morning, but on the way home I had motorists stop dead in intersections and wave me through twice. That has never happened before. Flashing it is!!!

froze

Are you schiting us? Waving you through? I've been riding for over 40 years and NEVER has anyone ever waved me through because of my lights, not alone twice!!!! The only waves I've ever get was the middle finger salute as they cut me off!!!!!!!!

Are you female?

Lot's Knife

I saw a taillight yesterday that had the following cadence:

Flash-flash-flash-steady.

Flash-flash-flash-steady.

Flash-flash-flash-steady.

It was effective. Any idea what it was?

VeloBusDriver

Bright and steady - white up front, red in back.

Off during day unless it's "dusky".

Cyclist0383

It happens to me all the time when I'm using bright lights. Maybe it's time for you to upgrade to something brighter......

BarracksSi

Could've been a Dinotte. It's actually a fast 5 or 6 flashes with a low power sustain in between.

Lot's Knife

Thanks! It was pretty freakin' bright, so maybe it was a Dinotte.

baron von trail 

Another plus to me riding on the trails. I do not need to be seen.

However, I need to burn two 20 watt bulbs in the dark in order to see anything, and there is no way that I can ride full-out.

rumrunn6

I get more courtesy with my lights. I use flashing front and rear. It gets more attention and that's the whole point anyway, right? This morning it was really dark at 6:30 but I had enough light to see.

fmileto55

The Cygolite Dual Cross headlight that I use has several flashing modes. I use the fastest during the day and at twilight. Dinotte lights also have several useful flashing modes for either the headlight or taillight. I use the Dinotte tail light in the "strobe" mode day and night. Can't say enough good things about the Dinotte, it has saved my life. Definitely worth the money.

fmileto55

BTW, the "Flash-flash-flash-steady" is a Dinotte tail light in "Strobe and Pause".

Eclectus

For daytime, sunny or overcast, Dinotte 800L bar and 400L helmet on flash-flash-flash-pause-flash-flash-flash-pause...Legal here. Pattern is somewhat like an emergency vehicle. I've been flagged by drivers and my LBS owner. "That light is awesome, I saw you from half a mile away. What is it?"

At night, 800L steady, usually medium in town, 400L flashing, the 800L washes out the 400L on road ahead of me, but allows me to aim the flasher at cars that I'm not sure of their intentions. The helmet light at night also enables me to make reflective street and road signs look like they're flashing on and off very brightly to cars that are in or near the same reflective axis as between me and the signs. So they don't just see me, they see strobing signs ahead of them.

Also DiNotte 400L taillight, flashing at all times. It not only is BRIGHT, it paints a 12 x 40 foot red spot on the pavement behind me to define my space.

A Superflash blinkie on my waistbelt next to my reflective safety triangle. Plus lots of Reflexite on frame, rims, spokes and helmet. MonkeyElectric spoke lightshow is useless in the day, but very bright at night so it goes on at dusk.

We don't have demented LA doctors who maim cyclists "to make a point". We have courteous drivers (99+%) who just benefit from and appreciate measures that alert them to cyclists' presence early and far away enough to make conscious, smooth, deliberate collision-avoidance maneuvers, instead of suddenly seeing somebody "appear from nowhere" with very little time to reflexively react.

dlester

+1

This is how I run as well. I have two, one mounted and one on the helmet. During the day I have both flashing. At night I have the mounted one flashing and the helmet one on solid.