Lights

[BentMikey]

Following on from that little quip in the latest hiviz topic, how do you run your lights at night, and why? Is there a difference between front and rear, and between urban and rural roads?

Up until now I've had lights that don't make me look anything like a bike. Both front and rear are powerful lights, no flashing LEDs, and the idea is to look like "unknown vehicle", and not a bicycle.

 

[swee'pea99]

There's only one difference that really counts (and it relates to the urban/rural divide): do you want lights by which you can see, or do you just want lights that will allow you to be seen? If the former, you need a powerful, steady beam. If the latter, I personally don't think you need anything fancier than a £5 ebay flasher. Many, I'm sure, would disagree....

 

[BentMikey]

I should have made it clearer that see/be seen is low on the list for this topic, it's a given for situation, and I was more concerned in terms of affecting driver behaviour in favour of our safety.

 

[Riding in Circles]

I use fairly conventional lights front and rear, again no flashing rear. I always use one of the more powerful front lights.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Up until now I've had lights that don't make me look anything like a bike. Both front and rear are powerful lights, no flashing LEDs, and the idea is to look like "unknown vehicle", and not a bicycle.

Pretty much the same as me. I have 1 x 10w and 2 x 5w on the front with no flashers. I've had people not pull out on me, then when I've been close enough for them to figure out that I'm on a bike, they've then tried to pull out. Don't figure. I had a WVM go off on one once, the only thing I could think that I'd done to annoy him was to make him think I wasn't a bike. I just laughed at him (which made him worse!).

 

[HLaB]

On my commuter I usually have two lights front (one solid, one flashing) and two at the back. I sometimes suplement this if I know I'm cycling along dark lanes. On the winter road bike I mostly cycle in daylight hours so it usually just one front and back fitted for emergency (both flashing but not often used) although I have been known to have more when I know I'm cycling in the dark. On the summer bike I only carry one front and back light but they are never attached to the frame unless it neccessary, which isn't common in summer.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I use good quality LED front and rear urban or rural. Flashing on the back but not on the front as I find it really distracting if it's flashing the whole time.

 

[allen-uk]

For decades I've been a car driver, not a cyclist. Now I am both, and hopefully more on two wheels in future.

On dark murky evenings it is useful to have cyclists (and pedestrians - why can't they carry flashing lights?) stand out from the background.

A.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I have 1x flashing and 1x steady both front and rear when mixing it with traffic; going to 2x steady at the front and a helmet-mounted Tesco 3W special for use off road.

My aim is to try to get people to double-take in a "what's that?" kind of way. I suppose that use of the flashers would tend to mark me out as a bike, but coupling them with a steady light seems to mitigate that effect slightly .. certainly a couple of people I know that have seen me out on the bike after dark commented on how noticeable I am. Which was nice.

Of course, I still never assume that others have seen / noticed me or even give a flying **** about me if they have seen me.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

On dark murky evenings it is useful to have cyclists (and pedestrians - why can't they carry flashing lights?) stand out from the background.

A.

There's a difference between standing out and highlighting that you're a cyclist. I prefer, especially at speed that drivers don't know for sure that I'm on a pushbike. That way you get less of the "he's on a bike, must be slow" mentality. If they have to engage their brains then there's less chance of them pulling out on you when you're bombing along at 30 mph.

 

[BentMikey]

pedestrians - why can't they carry flashing lights?

I try to drive and cycle at a speed at which I can stop in the distance I can see to be clear. That means I very rarely have a problem with seeing pedestrians, or predicting their need to cross the road. If I can't see then surely it's up to me to slow down?

 

[thomas]

In the fog I started with flashing both, but after about a minute I decided a solid front would be safer. I generally only use a flashing front when I would use sidelights in a car. When it's still light, just starting to go a little darker. When it is dark I use a solid front, flashing frog knog thingy (front and back), and usually a flashing rear red. Sometimes the rear one is solid - depends on my mood. If I was in country lanes/cycling back where there are no street lights I'd be more tempted to have a solid beam.

 

[HelenD123]

One steady, one flashing on both front and back. When I'm driving I find a flashing light attracts my attention more and makes cyclists more noticeable.

 

[tdr1nka]

I have Ay-Up fronts, which are steady and DiOnette rear on intermittent flash.

The Ay-Ups give the impression I'm on a scooter or small motorbikebike.
You can see this in the expressions on car drivers as I filter past

 

[another_dave_b]

When I'm driving, flashing rear lights tend to irritate me, so I try to overtake asap.