To flash or not to flash?

[perplexed]

My light set up has varied over the years, but is currently two at the front, flashing mode, two at the rear, flashing. It's up to the individual, but the sort of places I cycle I think this is the setting to get me noticed.

Seeing where I'm going isn't really an issue, due to street lighting, but I'm sure the flashing lights get me seen earlier...

 

[tyred]

How can anyone ride with a flashing light on the front? I've tried this and it drives me mad.

 

[potsy]

2 bright constant lights up front,1 or 2 flashing at the back,depending on mood.
Do agree though re flashers at the front,they are very attention grabbing just annoy me a bit tbh.

 

[Rebel Ian]

If I only had one light it would be on 'flash' setting, irrespective of what the law said! It's far more noticeable in the dark to other road users than a constant light.

 

[GrasB]

Depends on the light, lights like Ay-Ups are just as noticeable solid as they are flashing/strobing & easier to work out where you are if they're on solid.

 

[wafflycat]

If I only had one light it would be on 'flash' setting, irrespective of what the law said! It's far more noticeable in the dark to other road users than a constant light.

A single flashing light can be legal. The lighting regs were chnaged a few years ago.

 

[perplexed]

How can anyone ride with a flashing light on the front? I've tried this and it drives me mad.

The lights I use aren't really visible from "above" as it were, so they're sort of not in my eyeline.

I did have a different make one on the front for a while, but the design meant I could see the top of the "glass", so that drove me crackers. It gets used as a hunting-in-dark-cupboards torch now...

 

[slowmotion]

I use a flasher and a constant at both front and rear, mainly so that there will be something visible if the individual batteries give up the ghost. I've never had any problem with distraction due to the front flasher. I can't see any of the beam directly. That's probably because the light is left behind as I exceed "C" on my daily commutes...

 

[Norm]

When the road has streetlights, the bar mounted Exposure Enduro is set to flash, although it is lit constantly, it flashes brighter and the head-mounted light is set to low.

I use my lights pretty much like Gaz.

On tarmac without street lights, I usually have the bar mounted light on minimum and the headlight on medium, off-road or in particularly dark / dodgy roads, I'll crank both up to maximum if required.

On the back, two Smart 1/2 watts, solid light on the frame and flashing on my back.

 

[Steve H]

Thanks for the advice all - lots of different views!

I enjoyed my first ride in the dark (and the rain) yesterday. Whilst there was regular street lighting it was pretty easy. When I got into the back lanes and the street lighting disappeared it seemed very different. Slow climbing was pretty easy, but descending at speed when you can only see a few yards ahead and the rain is coming down in your face is pretty scary. It just needs a rogue pot hole to jump out at you down a country lane...

Good fun though!

 

[Norm]

If you can only see a few yards ahead, I think you need to sort out your lights! Either angle them higher or upgrade them.

Don't throw yourself across the tarmac for the sake of decent lights.

 

[HLaB]

Thanks for the advice all - lots of different views!

I enjoyed my first ride in the dark (and the rain) yesterday. Whilst there was regular street lighting it was pretty easy. When I got into the back lanes and the street lighting disappeared it seemed very different. Slow climbing was pretty easy, but descending at speed when you can only see a few yards ahead and the rain is coming down in your face is pretty scary. It just needs a rogue pot hole to jump out at you down a country lane...

Good fun though!

If I know I'm going down dark lanes I usually wear a helmet light, one of these, its a pretty adaptable light. I use it on the bars of my road bikes too which I don't want to clutter up with a bracket.

I also sometimes use the tesco cree but I don't think you can get that any more.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Rear lights always flashing.

Front light settings vary:
- if I only need to be seen (well-lit roads), on/off flash
- if I need help to see (poorly-lit roads), high/low flash
- if I need to see (unlit roads), steady

 

[GrasB]

I also think that having something to give a reasonable amount of light to the side of the roads is important (problem is with that is you've got to be careful about aim due to dazzling other road users.
I have 2 Exposure joysticks & a ayup wide for front lights, the joysticks have different aims, one is aimed with the centre at around 10m the other with the centre at 5m. I'll have my ayup on low almost all of the time.
I n town (which is rarely) I'll have both my joysticks flashing.
Out of town I'll have my 10m light on low & the 5m on strobe.
When it gets to the unlit roads the joysticks both go to medium.
For fast sections the 10m light will go to max & for very fast the ayup goes to high too (which makes the 5m joystick fairly redundant as a spot)

 

[Armegatron]

Daylight:
Front - Nothing OR £15 Halfords light on flash
Helmet - Nothing OR Fenix LD20 on strobe
Rear - Smart 1/2 Watt on flash

Night:
Front - Halfords light on flash, Magic shine on full angled low
Helmet - LD20 on High (not turbo)
Rear - Cateye Loop on flash, Smart 1/2 Watt on flash, Halfords 7 LED on steady.

Seems to work fine for me.