Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I keep one front light on solid, because on unlit country roads because I simply need it to see by. The 2nd light takes care of flashing duties.
Position of lights, and flashing or not
- Thread starter Sandra6
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
D
Deleted member 20519
Guest
DiddlyDodds
Random Resident
- Location
- Littleborough
The best lights are in Blackpool ...
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Blue lights in dark lay bys will make you a very popular fellow.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I used to go with the theory two at the front (one solid/ one flashing) and two at the rear (also solid/flash). The flashing catching the eye, the solid easier to judge distances to. Now-a-days, I tend to go with them all flashing unless I need to see and then one on the front is solid. My front lights are either side of the stem on the flats of my drop bars and one rear is clipped to my saddle bag and depending on the bike the other can be clipped to my right seat stay, back pack/ gilet/ jacket. Occasionally, I also fit a helmet torch and may use other rear lights too. However, on a group ride I tend to only fit one rear, rather than blinding my riding mates and the type of group ride dictates whether I have a 2nd front light
Arjimlad
Tights of Cydonia
- Location
- South Glos
Last winter I rode home from work along my usual unlit fast b-roads.
Getting to a junction I observed rather unhappily that my rear light had stopped working over a bump somewhere along that road
.
There had been loads of cars passing me safely and I think the reflectives on my gear had made me visible.
So I now have 2 red LED lights on the seatpost - one flashing (aldi) one constant (cateye). I don't have a rack on the bike and my jacket does not obscure these lights. There's also a reflector slung underneath the saddle on a little bracket which clips onto the saddle rails. This came with my bike and is rather neat !
On the front bars, I have a Smart Polaris 5-led light slung underneath the bars, not on top, which I use on flashing in built-up areas when it is dark or even dull weather. As a driver, looking in a rear view mirror at night you see a lot of white lights. A flashing light stands out as belonging to a cyclist, but a steady one can merge in with all the other lights too easily.
I also have a 18650 powered XML-T6 sort of torch held on top of the bars by lockblocks, for unlit roads. I dip this light when there's oncoming traffic by tilting the lockblock down. I use that on a medium or high setting.
I'll often have a headtorch as well - Alpkit Gamma - but frequently forget to use it in the light mornings so I don't have it to hand at work, for the dark rides home.
I recharge the batteries in the Smart and the red LED lights fortnightly. The XML T-6 gets more regular recharges.
Getting to a junction I observed rather unhappily that my rear light had stopped working over a bump somewhere along that road
.There had been loads of cars passing me safely and I think the reflectives on my gear had made me visible.
So I now have 2 red LED lights on the seatpost - one flashing (aldi) one constant (cateye). I don't have a rack on the bike and my jacket does not obscure these lights. There's also a reflector slung underneath the saddle on a little bracket which clips onto the saddle rails. This came with my bike and is rather neat !
On the front bars, I have a Smart Polaris 5-led light slung underneath the bars, not on top, which I use on flashing in built-up areas when it is dark or even dull weather. As a driver, looking in a rear view mirror at night you see a lot of white lights. A flashing light stands out as belonging to a cyclist, but a steady one can merge in with all the other lights too easily.
I also have a 18650 powered XML-T6 sort of torch held on top of the bars by lockblocks, for unlit roads. I dip this light when there's oncoming traffic by tilting the lockblock down. I use that on a medium or high setting.
I'll often have a headtorch as well - Alpkit Gamma - but frequently forget to use it in the light mornings so I don't have it to hand at work, for the dark rides home.
I recharge the batteries in the Smart and the red LED lights fortnightly. The XML T-6 gets more regular recharges.
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
I had a front light failure yesterday, put in new batteries in the morning (and didn't use it) and so was expecting it to work in the evening - but the light wouldn't stay on for more than 30 seconds - couldn't find the backup light. Luckily I was on a cycle path and so turned the light on for it's 30 second burst when I met other cyclists or in really dark bits. It was a reminder to me to have the second light. Of course this morning I find I had the light all along - but in the wrong pocket!!!Last winter I rode home from work along my usual unlit fast b-roads.
Getting to a junction I observed rather unhappily that my rear light had stopped working over a bump somewhere along that road
There had been loads of cars passing me safely and I think the reflectives on my gear had made me visible.
Arjimlad
Tights of Cydonia
- Location
- South Glos
ha... I was like that with my bike tool/tyre levers/patches today - looking all over the house for them yet they were nestling in a pocket in my jacket, right where they should be. At least with the front light you know if it's not working ! Safe ride home.
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
Day off luckily - though I still need to investigate the light - I suspect that some of the batteries had lost some of their charge (hopefully rather than the light is not working properly).
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
Phew I can report it was a dodgy battery, and my (Hope) light works properly.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
2 lights on the handlebarsone on flash one on steady and on the back 1 flasher on the seat post and a flasher hung on the back of each pannier.
Which technically makes reumbents illegal as you cannot meet the "clearly visible to the front and rear" due to the vertical axis of the pedal when in use.
It also in technical terms precludes the use of panniers if these obstruct the view of the pedal reflector from the rear
Rohloff_Brompton_Rider
Formerly just_fixed
Good points
Rohloff_Brompton_Rider
Formerly just_fixed
Iirc you can have the naffest legal light and have a lighthouse beacon and be legal, as long as its not blinding other road users.
