Today’s QoW comes from Premium Member Michael Leven.
(We really need to replenish our stock of Questions! Please submit you own QoW ideas using the Question of the Week Ideas link.)
Expert road cycling advice, since 2001
Today’s QoW comes from Premium Member Michael Leven.
(We really need to replenish our stock of Questions! Please submit you own QoW ideas using the Question of the Week Ideas link.)
How about a discussion of “why is it a concern?” Apparently, there are people that find it disruptive. I don’t experience that and feel that a flashing light enhances visibility. I have not seen any discussion for either side of the issue with related statistics.
In daylight I want superbright flashing. Think of cars whose brake lights come on, much more noticeable than if the lights are just on all the time. At night we are pretty visible with just the steady light.
With respect to the question, “Should rear flashers be outlawed in the United States in favor of steady rear lights as in some countries in Europe?,” I answered “I’m neutral on this. Having both flash and steady modes is fine by me.”
However, I typically use one to three flashing rear lights (all red). Furthermore, I almost always use at least one flashing light during the day – it is attached to the back of my helmet. Another red light is attached to a pack, and the other is attached to the bicycle at the seat post. The specific combination used depends on the setting. In addition, I also use a clear headlight attached to the handlebars (also used, at times, both day and in darkness). I’m a road rider, on a nice bicycle, and I typically ride vigorously, and in early morning hours. I’m also practical, and I’ve found that lights make a difference. My initial reasoning for blinking lights was battery life, but empirical evidence suggests to me that blinking lights improve visibility.
Robert, I remember reading something on this topic awhile ago. Not from the cycling industry but from NHTSA where they discussed something about flashing lights on parked police cars act as beacons/magnets for drunk drivers. This might be part of the concern…
I’m neutral on this as well, for commuting I use one of each but I sure enjoy the longer battery life of flashing mode.
I have had many motorists mention to me how much those little red blinkies help.
They are not actually legal here, but I’ve never heard of anyone ever getting a ticket. Even the police seem to fully understand how much better flashing lights are on bikes.
I ride with my little red blinkies all the time — day and night.
Flashing lights moderately annoy me, especially when riding behind one. They are illegal and for a good reason. Flashing lights are, and should be, reserved for emergency situations and vehicles.
That said, I like the InSight taillight because it acts as a brake light, i.e. it gets brighter when you brake. (However, it has other faults: weak mount, poorly engineered plastic case. I also have, and really like, the See.Sense ICON taillight and wish they would develop a software update to make it work as a brake light, too. Right now I am using it in a reduced level steady mode, but the small battery does not last long enough for longer rides.)
That is the so-called “moth effect,” which is widely debated. Google it for more info.
On my touring bike, I went full German: Tubusrack with Busch + Mueller tail light that has steady mode only. Problem is, it’s not as bright as a typical car’s tail light, so I am substantially less visible than other vehicles. On my other bikes I use a blinky, and feel that is much more visible (as well as having better battery life). So I would suggest that it is Germany, and any other countries that outlaw blinkies, that should be changing their laws.
I converted over to a Catrike 700 a couple of years ago. I will NOT go out on the road without both a front and at least one rear FLASHING light. The front one is, of course white and is quite bright. It is pointed slightly downwards and towards the oncoming traffic’s lane. The rear lights are flashing red and are in addition to the flag I also have attached to the trike. When riding behind fellow trike riders from a couple of hundred yards back, the flags are NOT showing up…but those flashing red light(s) certainly show up! A steady light doesn’t seem to catch the attention…Afterall, consider this one thing, regardless of whether you are on a two-wheeler standard bicycle, or a high or low recumbent, or on a trike…you are SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC, thereby, IMHO, you should have a flashing red light mounted on the rear of your chosen cycle. That front light as bright as it is allows oncoming drivers to see you and helps to prevent them from passing another vehicle and getting into your lane of traffic because they didn’t see you. Trust me…they SEE that flashing strobe light!
I live in a rural part of Utah (we have only two traffic signals in the whole county). There is occasional slow-moving farm machinery on the paved roads or highways. The protocol for them is to mount a triangular caution symbol in the back (most don’t bother) and use their flashers. In the spring and fall we have cattle or sheep that are being herded right down both lanes of the road. They normally position a pick-up truck with flashers on and a hand-held flag hanging out the window. I think flashers or blinkie tail lights are a GREAT idea for cyclists, day and night, as it indicates either a slow moving “something” ahead or an emergency — an indicator for motorists to SLOW DOWN, use caution and/or move over to the other lane if necessary. Of course in a paceline at night it can be annoying, and in those instances a solid red rear light might be more appropriate.
1. Strobing lights are NOT illegal (check state law).
2. Steady mights are not noticeable beyond 50 yards and they are easily lost in the clutter of city lights.
3. A strobing light is noticable at 300 yards, makes YOU identifiable, and DOES result is cars slowing and/or moving aside. You can see thrm do so.
I have a 350 lumen white light on the front and 2 high lumen sets on the real stays. Always on, always strobing.
Why do you think highway repair vehicles have 5000 lumen STROBING lights? Because the data is in and solidly backs BRIGHT and STROBING lights 24/7.