front light

Speaking as a motorist and cyclist its not the flashing that annoys me rather than the brightness.

Light technology has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and what a lot of people don't seem to realise is that most lights nowadays have different settings. Some lights will have a specific daytime setting that is extraordinarily bright and should only be used during the day. Unfortunately there appears to be a subset that think the brighter the better when it comes to lights and whack it on to the brightest setting regardless of where they are or what time of the day it is. Its not only annoying to motorists but cyclists/pedestrians as well. I read a thread about legislation regarding the permitted brightness of lights on bikes and whether or not a light could flash, I think it was German legislation and I don't think there is an Irish equivalent (open to correction).

Of course the other thing to consider how is clever it is to dazzle something coming towards you at high speed like a car!!!

I think the key here is to look at the situations you are cycling and what kind of lights would be the most suitable. How would you feel cycling behind someone who has a massively bright light blinding you? Or as a pedestrian, a cyclist or a car coming towards you with what are effectively full beams on. You can achieve the objective of being seen and noticed without being a annoyance/nuisance/d@*khead to other road users (be they other cyclists, pedestrians or motorists).

I personally think that a rear light is more important for a cyclist so usually try to have a at least one good one and if possible a few different ones for the different situations I might be cycling in. For years the unit I used most was a Lezyne strip drive (https://www.lezyne.com/product-led-sport-striprear.php) which has different lighting settings. If I was cycling during the day I would put on the daytime flash and at night or in a group I would put on one of the lower settings (I always used the alternating flash if possible as I felt it made me more noticeable).

Recently I got the older version of the Garmin varia rear light (https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/10/garmin-varia-radar-review.html) I am lucky to have a compatible watch so didn't need to invest in a head unit and I find it great. Not only does it alert you to traffic coming up behind you but also adjusts its flash in line with its proximity and closing speed. The only problem is it only has one brightness setting.


My front light is a throwback to when I lived in a city and cycled primarily in built up and well lit areas (https://www.evanscycles.com/topeak-whitelite-dx-usb-front-light-EV162297). This light is exactly what you need in such circumstances particularly when you don't really need to road in front of you lit up to see potholes. This light should make you noticeable to pedestrians, other cyclists and even motorists without blinding or dazzling anyone and it also has a flashing function.

I have since moved to a rural area and am in the process of looking for something that will give me a bit more visibility and that brings me on to my views on front lights. There is nothing wrong with having a bright front light but like others have said it has to be angled correctly and due consideration given to other road users (not just motorists). You wouldn't like it if a pedestrian shone a bright light into you face when you were cycling towards them or if a motorists didn't dim their lights coming towards you so why do it to them. I will try to get the best and brightest light I can but I will also make use to install it and angle it correctly so that it lights the road ahead of me only to the extent that I need and doesn't dazzle others.

This post might seem like a rant (apologies if it does) but I think there are a few point to consider and that needed to be voiced when it comes to lights. Just going to finish with an example. When driving yesterday at 11am on a very good road with a decent margin there was a cyclist around 200/300 meters ahead of me. He had a rear light (a tiny one giving out very little light) but even with that he was very hard to make out and almost lost amongst the trees/hedges and other clutter along the side of the road (he was also all in black). This was an ideal example of when a rear light with a daytime flash mode is an ideal option and really brought home to me again the value of a good rear light.

I'm using a Cateye Volt 800 as a front light as for the most, I am cycling on unlit country roads. In general I use the 400 lumen output with the pulse 'pulsating' at 800 lumen (angled downwards). I'm generally cycling in dusk rather than in total darkness. I've always wondered if drivers find the pulse annoying or whether it actually makes me more visible. Up to reading this thread I have gone with it making me more visible over it being annoying but now I am beginning to wonder whether it is just as effective with the steady beam.

jethrothe2nd wrote: »

I'm using a Cateye Volt 800 as a front light as for the most, I am cycling on unlit country roads. In general I use the 400 lumen output with the pulse 'pulsating' at 800 lumen (angled downwards). I'm generally cycling in dusk rather than in total darkness. I've always wondered if drivers find the pulse annoying or whether it actually makes me more visible. Up to reading this thread I have gone with it making me more visible over it being annoying but now I am beginning to wonder whether it is just as effective with the steady beam.

I have the same light with mix of city and country cycling. I’ve stopped using the pulse 400 mode after complaints from two pedestrians and a cyclist. Now use 400 lumen constant with light pointing at ground about 10-20 feet in front of me.
Received a bit of a muffled comment about a bright light from a cyclist coming the other way last night but hard to be sure.

I’ve seen a few of those motorbike type lights recently and they are bloody brilliant. Loads of light with little glare.

CramCycle wrote: »

I remember there was a term wfor people who would see an objectto avoid, but become so fixated on avoiding it, that they actually drifted towards it. Bugging me I cannot think of the name for the phenomenon

"Target fixation"

I have a Cateye Sync Core which is 500 lumen (tame by modern standards) but it has this hyper constant daylight flash mode which is basically always on with an irregular pulse. Very noticeable in the day especially in heavy traffic. I don't really cycle at night but it has high, medium and low constant beams as well as a regular flash if I did. I use a Cateye Rear Sync Kinetic light too which again has a daylight flash mode but also uses an accelerometer to flare up when you brake. So far I have found cars seem to give me a bit of extra room. Thinking about getting the Sync Wearable light for back of jersey. All the lights are bluetooth and controlled by the app or button on the front light. Gave up on ant+ lights ages ago....too unreliable.

cdaly_ wrote: »

I also find it irritating when I'm being followed by a flashing strobe wielding cyclist.

It's really quite hard to see following traffic when you're looking behind you and your retinas are forced to ramp up and down a response curve several times a second.

Yeah as a motorist and cyclist I definitely prefer a flashing light, especially when turning right/left.
I have these for cycling around the city. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DP8QA8E/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item it is perfectly strong enough.
There is nothing worse, as a car driver and a cyclist, than some lad who thinks his light has to be something fit for a lighthouse and pointing to blind everybody (oncoming cyclists and cars). For god sake face your light down a bit, you are putting others in danger as car drivers have to look away from it and might end up missing a cyclist in the process. Although its probably better than the black-jacketed hero with no lights
I haven't a clue what is needed for the countryside, but definitely err on the side of caution in a more rural part! But be careful where you point the light!