Flashing front bike lights

[Velouria]

I used to use dynamo lights. No batteries, no hassle.

Although by the end of its life, I'd had to recut the dynamo wheel (by hand using a file) cause it had worn smooth, and at one point had melted the lens out of the front light and the lens was held on by an X of black tape... Still, it lasted nine years

The rear light migrated all around the bike. At one point it was mounted way down hanging off the rear wheel hub on a custom bracket, but was too low (did look cool). Eventually it ended up under the seat (on another custom bracket, natch, attached to that umm bolt that pinches the frame around the seat post that I forget the proper name of), but there it was prone to getting covered up if I wore a long coat. Oh and it always kept going no matter how wet it got

I may still have that dynamo set...

 

[gentlegreen]

Mind you the roads are that much quieter where you live Velouria

I get grief from people wondering why I choose to use a 12 volt lead acid battery (planning to upgrade to Cyclon this year) and car lights on my bike ... I reckon it's helped me stay alive during 18 winters of commuting ...

Personally I only use LED lights to augment or backup my home-made ones. (though occaisionally I do use sideways-pointing 3LED ones to catch sleeping drivers in their mirrors)
Hopefully this winter I will get round to comparing them side by side on an unlit road.

For "close combat" in suburban commuting I reckon my fluorescent (9 watts - 45 watts incandescent_equivalent) has the edge, for long distance visibility on a country lane, an "armour piercing" LED might have the edge ....

 

[spanglechick]

I don't know about the legality but I reckon flashing is a lot more noticeable at night, more contrast with background scenery. I saw someone with a blue flashing LED front light the other day, that was even more effective (natural instinct is to pay attention to flashing blue lights).
Flashing saves on battery life as well.

Edit/as above, why not go for both?

Which is why, IIRC, only the emergency services are allowed blue lights on the road.

 

[maomao]

Commuting this morning I saw a cyclist with an extremely bright front light; almost dazzled me coming the other way. Had a blueish tinge but mostly white, not sure if it was an LED or fluoro, but I want one. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[gentlegreen]

Commuting this morning I saw a cyclist with an extremely bright front light; almost dazzled me coming the other way. Had a blueish tinge but mostly white, not sure if it was an LED or fluoro, but I want one. Anyone got any ideas?

LEDs can be quite bright but you can actually get metal halides for bikes these days !
(if you're very wealthy)

http://www.bikemagic.com/review/rev.../RCN/76/RPN/2338/v/1/sp/328593336297384989484

 

[maomao]

LEDs can be quite bright but you can actually get metal halides for bikes these days !
(if you're very wealthy)

http://www.bikemagic.com/review/rev.../RCN/76/RPN/2338/v/1/sp/328593336297384989484

I'd prefer something that cost less than my bike.

 

[Spymaster]

As a driver I find that the flashing rear light is sometimes confusing especially in the rain. Some may consider this a good thing as it causes me to slow down completely until I'm past, but that's just me. More effective would be both a flashing red (maybe on the body of the cyclist) and a solid red on the bike. It's easier to judge the distance of a constant light than a flashing one.

May I also suggest that cyclists wear flourescent yellow jackets. On a long stretch of road, the jacket is visible to a driver waaaaaay before the bikes lights.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

May I also suggest that cyclists wear flourescent yellow jackets.

You may not.

 

[AnnaKarpik]

I really wouldn't recommend a flashing light of any colour on a rural road - if you meet me on my way home (ie well sleepy) you'll be mistaken for roadworks or similar and I won't dip my lights. Sorry

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I just checked the three Cateye brackets on my handlebar (mine is powder coated which may give more grip) and I seem to have used matt insulation tape on a couple of them and a semi-rigid plastic packing strip on another which may have come with something else... it's always handy to have old inner tube available for these sorts of things ... self amalgamating rubber tape is also very useful in addition to the ubiquitous zip ties (In the bad old days I would have advocated gaffer tape for just about everything )

Great - but why should you have had to mod a bracket to fit your bike? Wouldn't it be better if Cateye just made a decent bracket in the first place? I don't buy a PC and expect to open the case and add extra fans cos the ones Dell put in were too small

Smart manage to make a bracket with rubber moulded into the inside of the bracket and a quick release cam - why can't cateye do the same without faffing with strips of old inner tube?

 

[pinkychukkles]

...I'd recommend kitting yourself out like a Christmas tree anyway with as many reflective and shiny bits as possible.

Second that - have reflective jacket, a flashing & constant pair of lights on both the front and back. Should I ever get knocked off through no fault of my own <touches wood> I would love to hear the explanation

 

[elyobelyob]

Flashing legalised ...

http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3961

"Flashing legalised

Following sustained campaigning by CTC, the UK's national cyclists'
organisation, and just in time for when the clocks go back this year,
it should at last become legal to use flashing lights on your bike. The
Minister of State, Dr Stephen Ladyman, this week signed the order; and
provided there are no parliamentary objections before then, it should
become law in October.
The details were decided in close consultation with CTC's technical
officer, Chris Juden, who said: "This is a welcome liberalisation of
cycle lighting law because provided they are bright enough, flashers
front and rear will not only be legal, but will be all the lights you
need."
In brief, to be legally approved a light may flash at least once and
not more than four times per second with a brilliance of at least four
candle-power. Most of the better quality flashing lights on sale today,
meet that simple requirement.
Unfortunately DfT felt unable to make any changes beyond the matter of
flashing lights. This will have some strange and unintended
consequences. Since lamps emitting a steady light must still conform
with BS6102/3 and all that entails, it now becomes much simpler to be
legal by flashing than not! DfT are aware of this paradox and intend to
add a recommendation to the Highway Code (currently also under review)
to use a steady headlamp on unlit roads.
CTC continues to campaign for a similar, simple legal approval of lamps
emitting steady light, and for a permitted alternative to pedal
reflectors in cases where these cannot be used or seen. Until then:
cyclists who sensibly light their way with one of those brilliant
rechargeable headlamps, that emit thousands of candle-power but are
non-the-less, non-BS, can most easily make themselves legal by also
fitting a little 4-candela flasher. "

 

[JWH]

A narrow strip of old inner tube is better (ime) to go on the inside of the CatEye (and other) brackets: it's a bit stickier and it doesn't scratch your handlebars/seatpost.