I say this as a fellow cyclist so please don’t misunderstand me:
If your bike blinks, I hate you. You’re not more visible, because I have to look away or feel like I’m being attacked by an industrial grade strobe-light. Your lights are too bright, it’s pointed directly into my eyes. The blinking only irritates my eyes further.
If you want to be visible, use an excessive amount of retroreflective tape because that only makes you bright to the source emitter and it makes you far brighter than your 3000 lumen rear LEDs do.
I second this. Blinking lights make it more difficult to gauge your position, speeds,or even Tell if you’re stationary or moving.
Also at an intersection if I look your way in the split second your light blinks, you’re invisible.
Whem i cycle i always use solid lights, and only if i have more than one rear light I’ll make it blink.
Think, if blinking lights are safer, why aren’t they installed factory default on cars and airplanes? They are in fact less safe.
For me:
Solid light in the dark + a second flashing toplight on the helmet if possible.
Drying the day, both sets flashing.
A flashing toplight has definitely saved me before as it’s flashing where your are looking so people pulling out of side roads see you, has definitely made a few drivers jump!
In the dark you need that fixed light for judging distance etc as you said.
Sorry, but you’re just wrong on the facts here. Blinking lights are significantly safer.
Perhaps more to the point though: “I hate you”, directed at any cyclist just trying to go about their lives in a safer way, makes you an arsehole.
I’m a cyclist and driver and think it’s very important to see other users easily. IMO the strobing lights can be distracting and overwhelming.
For example, when riding in a group at night, a steady rear light will be appreciated by your fellow riders – the group needs to be seen, but cycling close to a flashing rear light can be distracting or dazzling.
Most bike lights also use wide beams without a cut-off that could dazzle drivers or other cyclists. Any cyclist who has shared a bike path with an oncoming strobing light can attest to this.
No flashing, but pulsing is okay. Having been chased off a shared path by a strobing bike coming in the opposite direction, this seems like a good middle ground, where visibility is increased without being blinding to others.
I live in Germany and I own the RTL515 (ordered from France), which is technically banned from even being installed on a bike here, regardless of the mode used.
I generally use these modes:
At night: steady with flashing when cars approach
During the day: day flash mode (different pattern when cars approach)
When others may be cycling behind me: peloton mode (dimmer and pulses when cars approach)
Not once have I been stopped or fined for using this bike light. I know it’s a controversial topic, but idgaf, I’m convinced it’s safer than the German model, which not only doesn’t flash, but is also significantly less bright. The laws are dumb anyway, considering it would be perfectly legal to use the light mounted to myself or helmet. But the moment it’s attached to the bike it’s illegal? Makes no sense.
Cyclists caught flashing in France face a fine of approximately €11.
Wow, normally I have to pay way more.
can anyone explain to me what the difference between pulsing and flashing is
Pulsing lights never go off. The idea appears to be that the pulse triggers your movement response while the steady underlying state helps we mammals judge the distance more accurately.
