to flash or be constant!!

[swee'pea99]

Why does no-one ask where the OP's riding?

If you're out in the woods, constant at the front makes sense, because your lights are there at least in part *so you can see where you're going*. If, like me, you ride only in town, your lights are there purely *so you can be seen*. Which for me at least means it's simple: flashing. Because it's more eye-catching. And no, I don't have both. One flasher at the front, one at the rear. That's enough. In my opinion.

 

[photography27]

iride the same as sweepea99, through town, welllite roads

 

[gaz]

My journey is half and half, whilst in central london i have both front lights on flash, as i get further out i turn one to steady and later on i turn the other on steady. Rears are always one steady and two flashing.

 

[Jezston]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that flashing usually says 'cyclist' so people will usually be more careful when they see a flashing light approach.

 

[byegad]

Both the flash catches attention and the steady allows distance to be judged.

 

[HLaB]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that flashing usually says 'cyclist' so people will usually be more careful when they see a flashing light approach.

With some people it does and catches their attention but with some muppets advertising that you are a cyclist is a bad thing

 

[BSRU]

With some people it does and catches their attention but with some muppets advertising that you are a cyclist is a bad thing

Unfortunately this might be true, took my front flashers off recently and now drivers have no idea that I am "just" a cyclist and seem, so far, to not pull out, especially when in primary.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

With some people it does and catches their attention but with some muppets advertising that you are a cyclist is a bad thing

That depends..

If you have 2 bright lights but close together, that can possibly be misinterpreted as car headlights further away (or a very small car if you are Father Dougal McGuire)

One tip with rear lights...

If you have two the same, that you have on at the same time, on the same pattern - change or charge the batteries in ONE of the lights before you need to. That way, they won't run down at roughly the same time, and if one runs down, you know you have power left in the light you changed the batteries in earlier

 

[decca234uk]

I always use flashing front and back lights, they definetly get the driver's attention more than static lights. When I'm ion the car I never miss flashing lights but sometimes have to look hard to catch weak backlights.

 

[The Eighth Man]

Makes no difference I have two on the front and three on the back, I at the front I had one on flash and the other on static and I still ended up in A&E

 

[BSRU]

Makes no difference I have two on the front and three on the back, I at the front I had one on flash and the other on static and I still ended up in A&E

When you witness someone pulling out in front of a Police car that had it's headlights flashing, blue lights flashing and sirens on you realise you cannot do anything to mitigate the risk of the complete tw@t, you just have to hope you do not cross their path.

 

[HJ]

In daylight, I run the rear light flashing and sometimes the front one too, but in the dark they are too bright to use flashing, so just have them constant. If cheap low powered lights then they are probably best used flashing if you want to be seen, but if you really want to be seen use Dinotte's, like I do...

 

[magnatom]

I'm another two solid on the front (Hope 1 and Ixon IQ) and one solid and one flasher on the back (both Mars 4.0).

As I do some dark back lanes I'm also considering a helmet light (for up front), but that'll have to wait until I find some money in the street!

 

[mr Mag00]

both

 

[Browser]

Two Niteflux fronts on steady to see where I am going, one front Skully flashing (you ain't gonna miss this!).
One steady Smart Superflash rear, good when flashing but a very bright fixed, and one Topeak Redlite UFO for side coverage at rear.
Add in pedal reflectors, Sekuclips on the spokes, hi-viz tabard or jacket and sundry bit's of scotchlite piping on other clothes and I'd need a revolving amber beacon to be any more visible!