slowrevs

High cadence offers no benefits to cyclists because only cyclists in their cars pay attention to rider cadence.

The greatest impact on driver ability to identify and accurately estimate a cyclist's speed on the road is the use of bright flashing lights both day and night facing front (white) and back (red) as it removes the cyclist from roadside clutter/blend-in and makes the cyclist easier to relocate in the driver's field of view. Night flashing lights are best if they offer a continuous background light with stuttering or multiple foreground flashes which are brighter. This was according to studies hundreds of live drivers in Florida and New York by the NHTSB in cooperation with Cornell University and one of the big Florida Universities.

Maelochs

I have read studies which say that a solid light makes it easier for a driver to gauge speed, because the intermittent pulses of a flashing light don't give the brain a steady picture of increasing size---the brain cannot immediately compare size form one flash to another, whereas a steady light grows steadily larger and brighter, and the brain more readily associates the growths with speed.

Not many lights offer two simultaneous modes, so cyclist would need two lights, one stead for a speed gauge, one flashing for better visibility (the eye is drawing to movement, and translates a flash into movement.)

Also, still other studies show that drivers identify cyclists most immediately by a light on a pedal or near the ankle---there is no other vehicle which presents the steady rotating (actually up-and-down, at first) motion of a pedal reflector or ankle light.

A steady shoe light and a steady tail light might be best .... but i am sure there are studies showing just about everything.

Also, the ankle light lets the driver estimate the rider's cadence. if the rider is lean and fit, the driver can call out "Good ride," but if the rider is fat and sloppy, the driver can tell him or her, "Your cadence is too high ... studies have shown .... "

colnago62

njkayaker

You should provide a link to those studies. I haven't seen any related to cycling.

The biggest issue is being noticed. Flashing helps being noticed from much further away. Given the very small size of bicycle lights and the distance they should be visible at, there isn't much "picture of increasing size".

At long distances, the driver doesn't need to guage speed since, generally, most of the speed differential is due to the speed of the car (that is, it's enough to assume the cyclist is moving much slower).

When the speed differential matters is close (when passing) and the rear light isn't very useful then (it's pointed in the wrong direction).

That is, it seems that most collisions occur because the driver didn't even "see" the cyclist (not because they couldn't "guage speed").

chicagogal

This.

I can ride easy at low cadence all day. However, when I want to hit power numbers outside of recovery or low endurance pace, I totally fail unless I get my cadence up. 85-90rpm works well for me for many hours of mid to upper endurance power. If doing higher end stuff, like threshold or VO2 efforts, I fail (legs load up and I can't keep pedaling) unless cadence is between 95-110rpm.
YMMV.

wphamilton

Any excuse to go off on a wild A&S tangent, from a simple comment like that?

I'm serious because it's true - most drivers can't tell whether you're going 12 or 20. It's a joke because it's funny: there you are knocking yourself out to hold up 20mph to make drivers happy and they don't even realize it, but you could be faking it by spinning at 110 rpm at any speed. And then the joke's on you because they don't care and it makes zero difference how they drive around you. Jeeze lighten up, cadence is not a life and death question like how bright your light is and where it's pointed

WhyFi

I've had a guy mouth off to me when passing, only for me to catch him at a light. Predictably, he said that I should be on the bike path if I'm going to be going 12mph. I was actually doing 22 on a parkway with a 25mph speed limit. I've also had an old guy buzz me on a downhill where I was going a little over 30mph in a 30mph zone. Long story short, to a driver that doesn't ride, all cyclists are slow, no matter what.

Maelochs

Yup. if you are slower than the person in the car, you are to o slow. If not, you are too fast.

redlude97

my experience commuting is that youre always too slow. I can regularly descend at speeds faster than the speed limit and have cars start to overtake out of habit before realizing how fast they would actually need to accelerate to and back of. To most drivers bikes are slow period

WhyFi

Yup. Take a hill at 40 in a 30 and they'll do 50 because, well, they're supposed to be faster than a bike.

slowrevs

Since most bicycle front lights are small in diameter, and there are no standard sizes among them, at least when compared to automobile/truck or train headlights, the ability of a driver to gauge approaching headlight size is probably not a material fact, though changes in brightness may be discernible and make gauging distance easier. I have seen zero studies on that subject.

However, the crash, injury and deaths research I have read indicates that the vast majority of injuries and deaths resulting from collisions between autos, trucks and cyclists occur as a result of head-on, from behind and left turns into riders who were not noticed as oncoming. The greatest percentage of fatal accidents occur after dark, and typically involve riders with no lights (front or rear). Intoxication is a major contributing factor.

Visibility research indicates side-view recognition is enhanced by wheel reflectors and lights which identify the unit as a bicycle. Pedal reflectors increase bicycle identification from in front and behind but not the side, and front and back reflectors increase visibility and recognition as a bike, but only within distance and lateral reflectance angles of about 15% from side to side. Ankle mounted lights are probably not very helpful to cyclists in seeing the road ahead as they constantly move up and down and forward and back. And like helmet mounted lights which may help a rider see what they are looking at, they are not in the normal view line of a driver whose eyes tend to be focused near auto taillight height.

Lots of manufacturers started offering simultaneous modes of flash over background in head and taillights after the research I referred to was published. They are typically not cheap or low end lights, but those for regular riders interested in their safety and BEING SEEN. Most of these variable mode lights I have seen, including the ones I own, are rechargeable via USB connectors, are highly visible and offer numerous day and night lighting modes to suit a variety of rider circumstances and needs. If you are not familiar with the many choices, a google search for "bicycle light reviews" will connect you with a number of websites breaking down competitive headlights and taillights with multiple modes of continuous on, versus flash, CO+flash, day flash, random flash, etc., etc., in a wide variety of brightness choices and price points.

Since most cleated and many aftermarket pedals do not include front and rear reflectors, using reflective cuff or ankle straps and white wheel reflectors on both or all three wheels for trikes would be helpful in night sideways recognition, when combined with bright (400+ lumen) multimode headlight and bright (75+ lumen) multimode taillight is probably the best way to assure your visibility during both day and night forays onto the open rode, or just down to the supermarket.

And bright flashing front and rear lights during the daytime were associated with a fifty percent (50%) reduction in the likelihood of vehicular involved accident in a meta study of accident reports where statistics were kept on light use versus no light use.

Ride smart, ride safe. Live.

HTupolev

No, they realize how fast they would need to go after passing the bike, and promptly slam on their brakes.

Maelochs

Pretty sure you didn't intend all this to be patronizing ... I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

Decades of riding in traffic ... much of it night... and still here ... yeah I understand "lighting basics."

I suggest you look for studies you haven't seen if you want to ...

Head-ons are not so much of an issue ... and not many riders use flashing headlights (impede vision, improve visibility) but since drivers are used to seeing steady headlights oncoming, and any decent bike headlight will be too bright to ignore ... the only way bikes get hit head-on ... well, i cannot imagine many ways. Who was in the wrong lane" I can see it if a bike cut across to make a left turn ... but that wouldn't be head-on anyway. The biggest danger from in front is cars pulling out of a side street and ignoring lights not out in the general traffic stream.

From behind ... whether or not you have seen whatever is fine with me. From what I have read, a solid light makes it easier to judge closing speed (I think the study was actually done with flashers versus solid lights on snow removal vehicles if that helps. But ... lights are lights. Flashers might attract the eye better but make it harder to judge closing speed.) I would imagine, the lights being pretty small, that increasing brightness would make more difference with a car approaching a bike, than increasing size.

I have a bunch of good tail lights---. Mostly I use Cygolite Hotshots ... ($35, ... but only a feeble 150 lumens ... oh well (https://www.amazon.com/Cygolite-Hots...ateway&sr=8-15)) which do have a steady/flash. I don't use it because I don't like recharging so often. I usually have two tail lights on the bike all the time--in bad traffic I like the two different flash patterns, and as a rule, one is just a back-up in case one dies.(I have never seen a study showing that having two flashers near each other flashing in different patterns would be more attractive to a driver's eye ... but it seems so to me.) I am not worried about cars not being able to judge closing speed,.. I was just reporting the result of a study I read (regarding the snow-removal equipment lights, see above.) (When I say usually two ... it is because sometimes I have three.)

As for pedal reflectors being the best identifier of a bike... I have seen that study, you can find it if you like--- which is why a shoe- or ankle-band light would be a good idea. Whether it helps the rider see is irrelevant. ... my tail lights doesn't help me see either.

Whatever ... as with all the other people who have their tried and true ideas about how to survive as a cycling commuter and road rider .... you and I have gained a lot of experience and formed certain ideas. Both of us have survived this far, which says to me, we must be doing Something right.

Check out the Cygolite Hotshot. All the features you like, for a price only a little above the "cheap" lights. More than likely, you have already found and purchased a couple similar lights, and don't need the tip, eh?

slowrevs

If by "patronize" you mean in support of, I accept the label. My lengthy posts are written for the amateurs reading them more than the Senior members whose minds are made up to their POV already.

Happy to hear it.

Don't have time, don't have the need. I have a good grasp of the science and technology.

The accident numbers I have seen indicate that head-ons cause the greatest number and highest percentage of cyclist fatalities. I think turning left across a traffic lane constitutes a head-on (traffic agency classification as lane change) as opposed to a sideways or a rear-end. (See the Wikipedia "head-on collision" or DOT NHTSA study report HS809664.pdf entitled Examination of Crash Contributing Factors Using National Crash Databases for a definition of head on collision and lot of other interesting tidbits).

Perhaps this is your experience. It has not been mine, nor have I seen it reflected in crash statistics I have looked at.

In this case, a bright flashing front light is more likely to get a driver's attention than a steady light, because the background light clutter at night is generally steady (with point sources including autos, street lights (distant), commercials signs, porch lights and walkway lights, etc., all of which may cause a steady bike headlight to be lost among them). Then, the constant on function allows drivers to gauge your position while the flashing repetition identifies you as a cyclist. BTW, using a bright headlight in day flash mode (super bright on/off flash only) at night is dangerous and counterproductive because it is disorienting to both rider and driver.

Comparing snow removal vehicle lights with bicycle lights is not meaningful. Their visibility and comparability are at opposite ends of the spectrum because most cyclists do not ride in snowing conditions, and falling snow impairs visibility of all lights, as does fog.

Since light intensity falls off at a logarithmic rate, changes in it are noticeable, when approaching or receding. That's why maintaining light charge or fresh batteries in bike lights is so important.

Cateye, Cygolite, Light and Motion, Portland Design Works and others all offer head and taillights with "pulse mode" among their light mode features. Pulse mode is the flash atop steady on light mode I keep referring to. See https://www.bikelightdatabase.com/reviews/ for listings and prices.

It strikes me that not keeping lights charged is inviting disaster and recharging via USB is easy and quick when lights are not completely run down. Since lithium ion batteries can handle being kept UP, why not keep them up and get their maximum safety efficiency when using them?

I am not disputing that lights or reflective bands ( https://www.modernbike.com/leg-bands ) at ankle level have some value. But riders with limited resources should focus on head and taillights first. My "best" combination is pedal/ankle reflectors/bands and white wheel/spoke reflectors ( https://www.modernbike.com/sunlite-w...hite-short-set ) with good head and tail lights.

Agreed.