Mark Stone

I use a clear light on the rear very rarely. If I'm riding directly into the sunrise or sunset and I know cars coming up behind me may be blinded by the sun, then I put my MiNewt 600 Cordless on the seatpost pointing back in flash mode. But that's the only time I do it. And that happens maybe only twice a year.

bjjoondo 

We run single, "multi-pattern flashing" rear red light in the daytime, (super flash) and then add a "single flashing light" at dark. We also wear "motorcycle style reflective vest's" at night. 1-3light wide beam, 1-1light spot beam and one "blinking" light up front. YMMV.

rubic

In the front, steady. In the rear I use one steady and one flashing.

ratdog

NYC is specific in it's law that the back have a steady red on the back and white lights in the front from dusk to dawn. That's why I use one steady red light on the back and the other two are flashing red lights. I think flashing reds in the back are necessary in a place like NYC where there is a lot more lighting from other sources like cars, restaurants and stores. They help to be seen by drawing more attention.

As a side note, I've been using a very bright LED light up front in the blinking mode from dawn to dusk and I have found that the pedestrians in NYC who love to stray into the crosswalk while waiting for the cars to go by just so they can jaywalk tend to step out in front of me less than before. I also run an additional steady white light up front just so the NYC police cannot find any reason to ticket me.

volosong

As others have mentioned, strobe front and rear, always! (But not when if a group ride.)

prathmann

Only if it's blue:
Sect. 21201.3
"(b) No person shall display a steady or flashing blue warning light on a bicycle or motorized bicycle except as authorized under subdivision (a). "

Other code sections (24600) that prohibit clear lights specify that they only apply to motor vehicles or vehicles at the rear of a combination of vehicles. Under California law bicycles are human powered devices, not vehicles.

Looigi

Agree with the others that say flashing for conspicuity and steady to help drivers judge position and speed. Running two lights also provides redundancy.

A flashing headlight helps make drivers notice that there's something different and may draw their attention. It's not just another distant car or motorcycle headlight, or a fixed light on the side of the road.

Perhaps flashing lights in general attract drunks, but bright flashing blue lights tend repel most drunks AFAIK.

trackhub

Flashing red in the rear is an attention getter. I'm running a Planet Bike superflash "Turbo". This is intensely bright, and the flash pattern is similar to an emergency
vehicle flasher.

Front: Planet bike 2W superflash. I run it in superflash mode during the day. It gets noticed in urban traffic situations. Steady at night. These lights work nicely on re-chargeable NiMh batteries. Save a few bucks, be a little kinder to mother earth.

Mort Canard

Come to think of it, I am surprised that no one has made a pair of flashing LED pedal blinkies. That would certainly grab the attention. A pair of blinking lights bouncing out of phase, up and down next to each other.

ratdog

If you commute, just get 2 of these

https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Mu.../dp/B000AO7JP0

Mort Canard

That's pretty close to the old leg light. I may have to pick up one or two of those.

dalameda

There have been some recent studies that would seem to confirm the moth effect - flashing lights draw the drivers attention and they sometimes steer in the direction that their attention is focused. Google the "moth effect". Having said that, I still use a flashing light in the back.

Bikey Mikey

Humans perceive movement far easier than static or steady. Flashing is movement--we are wired to notice it.

sknhgy 

Flashing taillight because it gets their attention and my batteries last longer.

Bob Ross

^^^This.

Or, perhaps, a dozen of each.

But if you are truly concerned, then you can't dismiss the fact that the arguments for solid versus flashing are equally compelling.

Which isn't the same as saying they're equally true, but this isn't really about rationality at all. Strap a pair of lights on your back, one solid/one flashing, and then quit worrying and ride.

curbtender

I thought that clear was only allowed as a directional/reverse light. I'd still not use it in the rear.

trackhub

I think what is being referred to, are those French made, light-weight lights that had two lenses. One white lens to face front, and a red one to face toward the rear.
The strap was long enough to wear on your leg, but could be adjusted to wear on your arm as well. These got moved around quite a bit, so they were noticeable despite
their low power. (compared to today's high energy LED lights)

Alas, I have not seen them for many years. Heh, I remember seeing them at... Herman's World of sporting goods. Heh.

Dan Burkhart 

It's been done.
https://www.unitedbicyclesupply.com/i...ls&tc=FLASHING

ensell

That sounds like a great idea! I have recently bought some small lights that attach to the bottom of dropped bars. One red rear facing and one white front facing. They haven't been delivered yet but I thought they were pretty good ideas too.

I think the additional few lights is worth wile. For the sake of a few quid they could avoid a huge accident!

Dan Burkhart 

Well, looky here. A new member. Welcome. Start a new thread and introduce yourself.

Phil85207

I agree with the overwhelming majority that flashing in the rear. For the front, If I need to see the road at night it's a steady light and for others to see me it's flashing.

B. Carfree

This relates to the difference between those European countries and the U.S. in terms of how driving is treated. To put in simply, in Western Europe, a license to drive is expensive and difficult to obtain and easy to lose. In the U.S., a license is trivial to obtain and very difficult to lose. Think of how many times people are struck by motorists in the U.S. and the motorist says, "I didn't see him." and gets off without even a citation. In Europe, that's an admission of guilt and incompetence to drive.

Therefore, their motorists tend to be more highly skilled and more attentive to what they are doing. Thus, their cyclists are required to use a light that allows the motorist to accurately asses a cyclist's position, which a steady light does. Here in the States, if a motorist can accurately assess a cyclist's position, then he/she is more likely to cut it too close and it is only a matter of time until one of our incompetent motorists misjudges the size/position of his/her car and ends a life. We need a larger buffer of space here, so we use flashing rear lights on bikes because it is more difficult to precisely locate where the light is and that usually causes a motorist to give more space when passing.

To avoid target fixation problems, use a light that is too bright for a motorist to stare at and aim it where their eyes will be. In my opinion, wimpy lights like the Planet Bike Super Flash and Super Flash Turbo are just bright enough to attract drunks. Dinottes, and similar extremely bright lights, do the job. Of course, this job would be better done by removing the ability of drunks to drive, but that's more of a P&R topic.

ensell

Thanks. I started an introduction thread after this.

ThatBritBloke

Some of the new lights utilise a pulsing pattern rather than a strobe, so the light is always on rather than on/off.

tcs

Steady for me. Flashing/occluding/pulsing lights make it harder for other road users to judge your distance and speed and cause target fixation.

It's important to be seen from the back but more important to be seen from the front: most accidents happen at intersections.

If you must run flashing lights on the road, please, please! switch them to steady when you get to the MUP. Thank you.