Bike Hermit

I've never been to Germany but apparently bicycles and bicycling are taken a little more seriously there than in the US. So much more in fact that the rules for vehicles on the road include bicycles. I personally don't see the point of a flashing headlight, ever, and headlights designed for the German rules don't flash. Some of the new German lights do have daytime running lights though- several LEDs which aren't meant to illuminate the road but which are bright enough for oncoming traffic to see. These running lights are off or less intense at night when the main beam is on....and they don't flash. The beams are also focused so they light the road instead of the trees! I would take that to mean the studies they have done don't indicate that a bright flashing headlight is more safe for any traffic participant. I almost always want to say something to somebody with an annoyingly bright, blinding headlight, whether it is flashing or not...and I ride a bike more than I drive a car. I try to behave as a traffic participant as much as possible and the aggressive gesture of a blinding, flashing light does not make me feel more comfortable. I'm not encouraged that the confrontational sentiments expressed in some of the comments will further the bicycle commuting cause. It's not us vs. them. Sometimes I drive a car and sometimes I'm on the bike. Peter White is the guru of all things related to proper bicycle lighting IMO.

PaulRivers

Yeah, same here. I think low powered blinky lights are good for after dark, and I understand higher powered ones because they're bright enough during the day. But 700 lumens, blinking, around dusk - that is pretty obnoxious.

I've seen some recent rear lights that are interesting - they have a light sensor in them, they put out more light during the day and automatically less light at night so their high power daytime mode doesn't blind the crap out of people at night.

jrickards

Neat!

I'm not sure that having a light with a blinking option (but not used, only used in steady mode) should be against the rules. This may limit a buyers choices.

My new light has 2 LEDs (not unlike the one shown) and one of the options is to have the lights blink alternately. For me, especially in the dark at 6:15am this morning, the beam thrown on the road in front of me was virtually a solid light but for oncoming vehicles, it might produce a slight blinking as the light switches back and forth between the two bulbs.

ItsJustMe

I have video of 2 instances (and 2 more instances that I don't have video) of oncoming drivers pulling into my lane to pass people, in each case forcing me into the gravel on the side of the road and missing me by less than 2 feet (going 60+ MPH in the opposite direction).

All of these happened the same summer, over the course of about 8 weeks.

After the first instance, I started riding with my headlight (cheap clone, about 450 lumens) on. Three of the instances happened with the headlight on.

Then i got fed up and started running a flashing light, much dimmer because I thought 450 lumens was too much to flash.

My current light is an Ignita which is probably only about 40 lumens, flashing.

It's been over a year since then and starting the day that I started running flashing front, I haven't had a single car do that. I HAVE had cars start to pull around to pass, but then they saw me and pulled back in line again.

It's still anecdotal, but it's good enough for me.

As I said, I'm not going to run 450 lumens flashing, but I will run a front flasher.

10 Wheels

I ran 3 bright strobes on the front yesterday. No complaints.

Nachoman

I know that a super bright/blinding blinking light can be annoying to cagers. But so what?
In the grand scheme of things, it ranks pretty low on the annoy list.

Doohickie

It doesn't mean people weren't annoyed, it just means that no one voiced that annoyance.

Mark Stone

I have a 1300 lumen light and the daytime flash feature gets compliments from drivers. But it's not just a generic flash, it has 3 or 4 patterns to choose from, and I think (just by looking from the front) it doesn't use the entire 1300 in flash mode.

cobrabyte

scroca

Aside from that, there is nothing in that link that tells me that my blinking light is a danger, except maybe to me if it makes it harder for others to judge my distance.

I remain unconvinced.

rumrunn6

report the threat before she flips out and kills someone

jrickards

+1

practical

I have seen some VERY bright lights on bikes and it would be distracting to me if some of the very bright ones were flashing. Perhaps the OP's light needs adjusting.

I-Like-To-Bike

Gratuitously annoying as many so-called "cagers" as possible (as well as unworthy cyclists)ranks pretty high on some cyclist's scheme of priority; teach 'em all a lesson, so what, eh?

I-Like-To-Bike

Report the so-called "threat" to whom, the police? If they didn't ignore the trivial nature of the "threat", it might be possible that LEO would look at the lighting setup and issue a citation of some sort to the OP.

PaulRivers

Yeah, as both a driver and a biker, I think reasonable light output lights that blink are excellent for visibility. I know I definitely see bikes better that have them, especially during the day or when there's no light at night.

I've seen some interesting lights lately that have both high and low light output modes, and have a sensor to automatically adjust based on ambient lighting.

scroca

A citation for what?

61-8-607. Lamps and other equipment on bicycles. (1) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear may be used in addition to rear-facing reflectors required by this section.

(2) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with an essentially colorless front-facing reflector, essentially colorless or amber pedal reflectors, and a red rear-facing reflector. Pedal reflectors shall be mounted on the front and back of each pedal.
(3) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with either tires with retroflective sidewalls or reflectors mounted on the spokes of each wheel. Spoke mounted reflectors shall be within 76 millimeters (3 inches) of the inside of the rim and shall be visible on each side of the wheel. The reflectors on the front wheel shall be essentially colorless or amber and the reflectors on the rear wheel shall be amber or red.
(4) Reflectors required by this section shall be of a type approved by the department.
(5) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(6) Every bicycle is encouraged to be equipped with a flag clearly visible from the rear and suspended not less than 6 feet above the roadway when the bicycle is standing upright. The flag shall be fluorescent orange in color.

gregjones

I try.

I run two headlights, one steady on medium the other on flash during the daytime.

Both medium steady at night. Plenty bright for me to see comfortably out here in the rural areas and I haven't yet had a driver flash their brights as they do at other cars with their high beams on.

All I ever get is compliments from people when at the stores. A lot of them have stories of almost hitting a cyclist that they didn't see and they appreciate the attention grabbing lights.

I don't live in Germany and don't give a rat's ass what they make illegal.

spivonious

Just turn the light on steady or get a dimmer blinky. Flashing bright lights are very annoying and distracting to other road users.

Leebo

I run a blinking light 24-7. A cygolight metro 350. In addition to the hi, low, blink, it has what I call a pulse while on high. Works well. When I am in my car, the bikers I notice first have a blinking light on, 'nuff said.

I-Like-To-Bike

For intentionally being an obnoxious jerk (or exceptionally dimwitted) when interacting with other users of streets?

Motolegs

Safety first. I ridejust like that. When I can see well enough I turn on the strobe. It's amazing how the street signs light up. Anyway the epelectic thing.. I'm no doc, but woudn't you maybe have to be exposed to flashing lights for a longer period of time than a bicyclist passig you to trigger an attack? Just wondering.

acidfast7

This thread is heating up, colour me impressed

acidfast7

Now you're instructing people as to what they see/don't see.

Not only is that horrible English, but it's also ... ahem ... interesting.

I could "see" you facilitating an altercation with a motorist.

wphamilton

61-8-102 (9) Only a police vehicle or an authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with the means to flash or alternate its headlamps or its backup lights.

Crazier things have happened in cyclist/motorist disputes - cyclist gets cited for something picky, motorist gets let off.