Flash or not to Flash?

[Shut Up Legs]

Actually, you have reminded me of something. Every winter as the nights darken I have repeated encounters with a pair of cyclists riding in the opposite direction with painfully bright flashing lights. They really do have incredibly bright lights that destroys your night vision, all you can see as they approach is their lights and once they have passed you are left with the blobs and blotches of burnt retinas. I have actually been tempted to pull them up some time and let them know just how bad the problem is, they seem to have no clue (or don't care) and should really adjust their lights so they shine on the road and not shine into other road users eyes.

Next time, just dramatically cover your eyes with one hand, and scream "aaargh!" very loudly .

 

[Arjimlad]

There's a chap who rides on the cyclepath northwards at Almondsbury in the mornings, as I am coming south on the road. He has a Magicshine on his helmet on what looks like full blast. It's a menace !

I have a little flasher for traffic but keep the main Moon XP300 on low beam on these dull mornings. The flash mode on the XP is too bright, almost full beam I think.. the low power beam I use prolongs battery life considerably over flash mode.

 

[Cycling Dan]

I have one light on flash but it is my weaker light. Issue I find is that between each flash there is a moment of darkness so by 400luman light is on full to make up that but the flash is there to seek attention. While with the solid allows drivers to judge distance and speed to an extent. All in all i'm very visible from the front.

 

[martint235]

Having bright lights on flash just screws your vision up and that of others in the dark. Use most powerful light on steady and a backup on flash.

If I'm riding distance at night, I have a Hope 1 on number 2 setting and a Smart light on flashing. I have been told off for this.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

As with others, flashing in town/areas of street lighting, full beam (300 lumens) on unlit roads and dropping to one of the reduced light settings when vehicles/cyclists/pedestrains are around because my light is painfully bright on full beam even when angled to point at the ground 5meters in front of the bike.
Which reminds me that I need to get around to purchasing the switch for the handlebars to make life easier when dipping and switching between modes....

I have one light on flash but it is my weaker light. Issue I find is that between each flash there is a moment of darkness so by 400luman light is on full to make up that but the flash is there to seek attention. While with the solid allows drivers to judge distance and speed to an extent. All in all i'm very visible from the front.

My front light has a slightly different flash feature in that it is always on, but flashes brighter, so there is never a moment of 'no light'...

 

[Frood42]

Cycling on the roads of London where I do, these are mostly very well lit, so I have both front and rear on flashing.
I have cateye lights which are good for being seen rather than seeing by.

No complaints yet, and I have them angled so as to try and avoid dazzling others (if they could that is).

I have ordered today a Hope 1 light for the front and then two Smart rear lights (to go on the seat stays, barclays bike style) for the rear.

I have been meaning to go out on some night rides, so hopefully the Hope 1 will be good for that.

 

[Cycling Dan]

As with others, flashing in town/areas of street lighting, full beam (300 lumens) on unlit roads and dropping to one of the reduced light settings when vehicles/cyclists/pedestrains are around because my light is painfully bright on full beam even when angled to point at the ground 5meters in front of the bike.
Which reminds me that I need to get around to purchasing the switch for the handlebars to make life easier when dipping and switching between modes....



My front light has a slightly different flash feature in that it is always on, but flashes brighter, so there is never a moment of 'no light'...

@BentMikey back light is like that. Its a nice feature.

 

[nilling]

Dip, don't dazzle!!

Last Winter I got blinded a couple of times on an unlit shared path that's a former rail line with steep embankments on either side; complete whiteout! I have a little Cree torch that I use to illuminate the entire path. I can easily twist the torch down should anybody be coming the other way.

 

[Bodhbh]

As both a motorist and a cyclist, I find flashing front lights after dark on an oncoming bicycle unhelpful. They seem to make it harder to register peripheral events and somehow mess with my vision. The more powerful the lamp, the greater the distraction.

They also make it pretty hard to determine speed. I had some fun yesterday trying to cross the road in front of a cyclist with flashing lights. He looked like he was speeding towards me at 20-ish so I nipped across before he came close. Few seconds after I crossed, I looked back, he was still 15 yards down the road - must have only been trundling at 4 or 5 mph up the hill.

As others I use the main beams on constant and stick the backups on flash (some Knog type things).

Velocity perception of flashing lights reminds me of this:


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFufoOgCMW8

 

[Leodis]

Got a Lezyne micro on full on the front with Knog frog flashing, the tit that hit me thought I was a street light!! If they are not looking they are not looking.