steve-in-kville 

Haven't been on the forum for about a month, tomato patch has been keeping me busy. Anyways, I was watching Inspired to Ride for the 4th time and I noticed that every rider had two red lights to the rear (one blinking, one steady) and two headlamps to the front (again, one on strobe, the other steady burn).

Is there a reason for this? I kinda get running two rear lights, but why the strobe plus steady burn to the front? Race regulations?

Steamer

In the context of night riding (not talking about the use of lights for daytime conspicuity)......I don't know if there was a race reg regarding this, but the rationale I have heard is that blinking gets attention more readily, but steady is easier to track and judge distance and speed.

Blinkys are generally considered impolite when riding in a group as they often annoy riders behind you. Solo - do what ever you want.

I recommend that if you have one light, you run it steady, regardless of solo or in a group. (Front or rear, for that matter).

JerrySTL

When I ride at night, I have two lights on the front and two in the back. The biggest reason is redundancy. If one light goes out, I still have the other. The blinking sure does get attention. I've had approaching vehicles pull over as they must have thought I was an emergency vehicle or something strange.

I agree with Steamer about putting lights on steady when riding in a group. I've also heard that a blinking rear light can lead to a type of 'target fixation' where drivers will head towards the light.

dwmckee

I ride with 3 rear lights, a steady, a blinker and a third that is on the bike but not turned on as a backup. For headlights I have a steady and a blinker and put the blinker on steady if the other light fails (blink mode ensures low battery drain for the backup).

Machka 

When we ride at night ... as we have been doing just about every weekend for an hour or two to practice ... and as we did on our 400K last weekend ...

We ride with two rear lights and one headlight (with one backup headlight just in case).

StephenH

Redundancy + extra visibility from extra lights- I use 4 in the rear, 1 in front, and a battery-backup in the trunk bag.

steve-in-kville 

Thanks for the replies. There has been rash of bicyclists being struck by cars lately in our area, during early morning hours. I commute to work in the dark every morning, so I am beginning to become concerned myself.

Watching Inspired to Ride put it in the fore-front of my mind.

Bandera

A Hi-Vis vest w/ gobs of reflectivity is something that (the not-so-very-drunk/non-texting/partially-competent) motoring public (might/probably-not) recognize since they are worn by the workers (regularly hit by cars) in construction sites and by crossing guards (mowed down by cell-phone addicted mommy-vans) in School Zones.

I'd work-up a combination of all the lighting recommended above, pedal/wheel reflectors (forget the Dork comments from the 41), reflective tape on mudguards, and a reflective vest for a commuting bike that regularly seems Dark-time duty. If anyone asks tell them that you are running away to join the Circus and this is your Clown Bike.

Good luck,

-Bandera

bikenh

I use one front and one in the rear both on blinky mode. My first true night ride experience in eons last summer during my bike trip I had the darn back door fall off the taillight about 3 miles into the full overnight ride, I left around sunset. Lost the back door and the batteries both out of the light. Only had the headlight to ride with for the next 45-60 miles until I could get into a Walmart and buy a new taillight around 1AM. Cars gave me plenty of room as they past by me. I think the fact of having the headlight on blinker mode causes everything in front of and above me to flash. When the headlight blinks off and on on the street signs it really draws attention. I had no trouble seeing the road or being seen. I have continued to use blinker mode on front and rear ever since.

rando_couche

FWIW, if you're planning to rando "across the pond", blinkies are banned over there AFAIK. That said, I use a dyno-hub 3w (B&M "I'm too lazy to go see what it is") LED up front and a Planet Bike "superflash" in back. Works satisfactorily.

SP
OC, OR

joewein

@rando_couche, looking at the rules posted on the Audax Club Parisien site only yesterday to answer a related question in a different forum, the English version states that "at least one of the rear lights must be in a steady (rather than flashing) mode". The French version states that "Rear lights that are all-blinking are prohibited" (L’éclairage arrière totalement clignotant est interdit).

I heard that French road regulations require a steady rear illumination for bicycles. I have not participated in French events, but from the posted rules it sounds like blinkies would be acceptable in addition to steady lights, but not on their own.

Chris Pringle

This is correct. If you have more than one rear lights, one must be in steady between dusk and dawn, according to the A.C.P. regulations.

When I did PBP last year, I recall that very few people rode with flashing rear lights -- virtually no one. I think that at a big event like that one, it is considered bad etiquette due to their dazzling effect on so many riders. There is also no need for them. There are 6,000 riders on the road for four days, plus French drivers seem to be keenly aware of cyclists on the road. Talk about safety in numbers!

Back home when riding solo for several hours at night during a brevet, a flashing rear light plus a steady one are a must for me. My headlamp is always on steady mode at night.

steve-in-kville 

Thanks for the help and insight. I think I may go to a dual rear light arrangement, simply for safety sake.

Can anyone recommend a helmet-mounted light? This would be to supplement my bar mounted light.

skiffrun

I don't know about you or your area, but here I see many morning commuters with rear lights pointed at the sky (and wearing non-reflective and dark clothing). Standing on the sidewalk as they ride by, they become invisible in much, much less than 100 yards (meters).

The direction of the rear lights need to be parallel with the road, not pointing at the sky, nor pointing into the face of another cyclists behind you!

OneIsAllYouNeed

I'll add another vote for road riding.
It's important to be seen. Don't neglect fog, rain, dusk, and dawn. The further you can be seen from, the more time others have to react.
1 front light to see (bar-mounted, steady)
1 front light to be seen (helmet-mounted, flashing)
2 rear lights mounted for redundancy (1 steady in groups, 2 flashing in fog/rain, 1 flashing on clear nights)

Reflective material is more effective at night than lights. The best places are helmet (front and rear) and crankarms/ankles/pedals (front and rear).

Steamer

Definitely. Using a fixed bracket secured to the bike frame or rack is the way to go. Lights secured to bags, backpacks, jersey pockets, and helmets are almost assuredly not pointing in the right direction.

Steamer

Except when the car is approaching you at an angle from a different road. Right angles being the worst.


I agree about ankles, cranks, and pedals, but I find helmet reflectors are not as effective, since they are above the cut-off of car low beams.

OneIsAllYouNeed

It requires quite a bit of "stuff" to be seen in all scenarios. Line of sight is straight, but roads have hills, intersections, other vehicles, snow banks, etc. Crank/ankle reflectors are really eye-catching, but they can't be seen by all drivers all the time.
The helmet reflectors are nice on undulating roads since your helmet is the first thing over the local horizon.
A flashing helmet light is handy for being seen by traffic entering from side roads or driveways. Reflectors never work in those situations.
I still have flashbacks (no pun intended) of a night commute approximately 8 years ago when I wish I had a really bright flashing helmet light. The road was quiet and snow banks were high, so I was riding down the middle of the lane for better visibility from driveways. A car pulled out of a driveway on the right in front of me because they couldn't see any vehicles. I had a handlebar-mounted light, wheel reflectors, reflective straps on my messenger bag, flashing rear lights, and reflective tape on the fork and rear stays. None of it was visible to the driver. I had enough time to lock up my brakes still hit the driver's side door.

steve-in-kville 

I never really gave much thought to a rear helmet light until now. That would make an excellent second red light. They weight almost nothing.

Steamer

Except that it will rarely point in the right direction.

Rowan

Yes, I have found that as a driver, helmet mounted lights virtually disappear from view when the riders' head are down. They are something I don't ever think I will wear. A front light, yes, but not for conspicuity, but rather for reading cue sheets and bike computers at night, and maybe to light up signposts.

steve-in-kville 

^^ I can see the wisdom in that.

skiffrun

+1