Rear lights position

[Sjw]

With a bag in the back on a rack, where do I put the lights? Got two on the rack bracket but one rattles. Should i put it on the bag?
The rack has thin horizontal struts. The bag blocks the seat and seat tube. I'll take a pic

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Increase the thickness of the back rack's rail with stripes of cut up inner tube, or plumber's plastic pipe cut offs, or electrical tape.
Or, more elegantly, you could buy a rear rack light fitting, then attach it to the rack with strong cable ties.
I will try to take pictures for you in daylight.

 

[slowmotion]

A general point:
Make sure you point it downwards. Not everybody appreciates having retinal image retention inflicted on them when riding behind somebody with daftly bright lights.

 

[MichaelW2]

These days I would only get a rear rack with a lamp bracket.

 

[night cycler]

If you have a rack the options for fitting a light are much more , especially if you don`t mind a bit of tinkering. After I fitted a bike bag I moved the light from the seat post to the rack, and bolted a bit of tube on to the rack for the light bracket. See pics in the thread link:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/review-of-new-cycle-rack.234930/

 

[Ajax Bay]

Make sure you point it downwards. Not everybody appreciates having retinal image retention inflicted on them when riding behind somebody with daftly bright lights.

A rear light needs to be pointing horizontally (ie NOT "downwards") to ensure good conspicuity by drivers behind. If you don't like to ride behind '"daftly bright lights", then don't. Any retinal image retention is self-inflicted by the viewer not inflicted by the light displayer.
Personally (as well as displaying a non-flashing light fixed to the frame) I carry a flashing/pulsing rear light (its clip is broken) in the translucent rear pocket of my gilet - excellent visual effect - including as one walks into the pub Two hours in the dark last night on the edge of Dartmoor.

 

[mikeymustard]

@User9609 says video is unavailable?
My neighbour caught me staring longingly at the bike flashing in my garage from the other side of the road t'other day. She thinks I'm strange anyway so I'm glad I've managed to reinforce this opinion!

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Not everybody appreciates having retinal image retention inflicted on them when riding behind somebody with daftly bright lights.

Indeed, some lights are unnecessarily dazzling...

 

[glasgowcyclist]

[QUOTE 5399564, member: 9609"]it looks like that car has its headlights and fogs on - too many car drivers are doing this now, i reckon some think DRL and fogs are some sort of bling jewellery, particularly audi drivers

the cyclist in the picture looks about right. bit too close to the curb?[/QUOTE]

He's staying within a painted cycle lane there.

I couldn't ride behind him so went very slowly for a while to let him get far enough ahead to be obscured by other traffic. Believe me, the shot doesn't do justice to how dazzling his lights were.

 

[mjr]

[QUOTE 5399564, member: 9609"]it looks like that car has its headlights and fogs on - too many car drivers are doing this now, i reckon some think DRL and fogs are some sort of bling jewellery, particularly audi drivers

the cyclist in the picture looks about right. bit too close to the curb?[/QUOTE]
Given the cyclist's lights seem to be slightly brighter than the fogs on the other car (and it's not foggy, of course), there's nothing "about right" about his lights.

To the OP: I'd fit both lights to the rack bracket somehow and try to get/make/adapt a mount that doesn't rattle. One large-surface light is usually better than two smaller ones, too.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Re the photo. I'm going to confidently say that it tells us exactly nothing about whether any of the lights are too bright, not bright enough or just right.

On its own, maybe. But I was subjected to it and can confirm both lights were so dazzling I adjusted my ride to get away from them. I see scores of bright lights every day on my commute and this is one of a handful of occasions I've had to compromise my ride because they were ruining my vision.

 

[Sjw]

On its own, maybe. But I was subjected to it and can confirm both lights were so dazzling I adjusted my ride to get away from them. I see scores of bright lights every day on my commute and this is one of a handful of occasions I've had to compromise my ride because they were ruining my vision.

So on this occasion, would flashing lights have been better?

 

[Ajax Bay]

would flashing lights have been better?

Trolling, methinks.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

So on this occasion, would flashing lights have been better?

Those were flashing lights.

My preference is for steady over flashing but in either case they shouldn't dazzle others.

 

[pjd57]

Indeed, some lights are unnecessarily dazzling...

View attachment 432614

I occasionally cycle on the local canal path after dark.
But it's getting harder with dazzling lights on bikes heading towards you.

Just on the edge of a canal isn't the best of places to be when you can't see anything