I have a dynamo front light on the winter bike. Great for illuminating the road, but surprisingly not so good for being seen.

So, I am after a supplementary front light:

Small
Long battery life
USB rechargeable
Bright flashy modes (no need for steady beam)

What’s good out there?

In what passes for daylight in winter, pretty much anything with decent output

or do you mean in the dark ?

If so, IMO, small, bright flashing lights are a good way of getting your light seen but a shit way of giving a driver any idea of what you are, where you are or how fast you’re moving and pretty much destroys any chance of them seeing hand sgnals, for example

they are also good for temporarily worsening the vision of drivers who they flash at which might just endanger you and other road users

seriously, if I was commuting in the dark/dusk I’d be wearing very reflective clothing and shining a couple of low powered lights on myself

I already have:

Reflective clothing
A bright yellow helmet
Reliable dynamo front light

And I am 6ft 2in riding a bike, but seemingly still invisible.

I just want to complete the belt and braces!

Actually, I have found that particularly in dim daylight of late I have used the rear and front lights, so I am probably looking for a daylight use light.

exposure flash/flare are really bright

no idea about battery life or build quality though

EDIT – I think I meant exposure trace

If quite like the Moon Mask. Quite bright with a wide field of illumination. I think the rechargeable battery lasts about 8 hours on flash.

A 6 months sub to what mountain bike for £23.99 should do it.

(with free Lezyne Macro Duo helmet light. Up to 400 lumens front and a rear flasher, does all the other stuff you want too)

I have a Moon Mask on my helmet, on flashing mode. It definitely gets me seen! I get a lot of double takes from pedestrians about to step into the road in front of me… not sure of actual battery life but I don’t have to recharge it that often, less often than my Exposure trace

I hate front flashing lights with a passion. I wonder how many seizures they’ve triggered.

I hate front flashing lights with a passion. I wonder how many seizures they’ve triggered.

cars try to pull out on me with a steady light, they don’t with two flashers…

As long as the flashers aren’t dazzlingly bright, which lights mustn’t be anyway.

Chilli tech have a new 260 lumen light out that complies with the british standard/german K mark. This shouldn’t dazzle as it restricts the beam of the light.

Even if you only use it flashing it will be compliant as the standard says that if you light is capable of a constant mode then it should be of the standard.

That means that most light are not to standard as they have a constant mode.

http://www.chilli-tech.com/bike-lights/british-standard-bike-light

(I have nothing to do with them, but was just recently inquiring about their lights)

I hate front flashing lights with a passion.

This. And I don’t believe anecdotes about drivers respecting the flash but not the steady.

Alpkit do some. Looks similar to the Moon ones and the Aldi knockoff ones. I have an Aldi one on the front and like it. Run a moon shield on the rear.

Tau

And I don’t believe anecdotes about drivers respecting the flash but not the steady.

so, calling me a liar…

If so, IMO, small, bright flashing lights are a good way of getting your light seen but a shit way of giving a driver any idea of what you are,

Anecdotally:

Fast flicker is good, if it’s not too bright.

I’m likewise not a fan at all of super bright flashing lights. What Turner Guy seems to overlook is that some of us, me included, are both drivers and riders. And when we cycle we also are other road users. If you have more than one of these super bright strobes in front of you then you basically cannot see a thing, on a car or on a bike.

Very bad idea. I suggest you take a trip to London if you want to see the effect in full.

so, calling me a liar…

No, I think he’s calling your anecdote just that, rather than a reliable study.

TBH for me the light that makes the biggest difference is my probably-too-bright bar light… I sometimes leave it on when I get into the streetlit section and traffic behaves far better around it (there’s a big section of road with parking which is usually a nightmare for getting squeezed, and it barely happens at all with the atomic headlight. Only thing I can think is people don’t realise I’m a bike so they don’t treat me like a bike, ie, like dirt.)

I like the idea that a steady light is better because it’s better for assessing position and seeing signals etc. But tbh I think that’s just optimism. The real battle here is to have inattentive people notice you even exist, worrying about how visible signals etc are seems a bit cart before horse.

wanmankylung – Member

I hate front flashing lights with a passion. I wonder how many seizures they’ve triggered.

Practically none, I reckon. If you fit a high powered strobe then it could be an issue.

I was knocked from by bike last Thursday by a van driver who turned right across my path – I slammed into the side of him, ending up with a broken thumb, some bruises and a two-piece helmet. It was daylight (9am), I was wearing a bright red jacket and had two flashing lights – one on the helmet and one on the bars. Despite this he still didn’t see me, even though I was only about 5 metres away when he turned, and it was a straight road with good visibility. So from my experience, flashing lights might not be the answer. Of course he could just be a muppet, who wouldn’t have seen me whatever precautions I took.

Oh, and he wasn’t insured – police are charging him with careless driving (and being uninsured), although the careless driving might not stick as there were no other witnesses.

If you fit a high powered strobe then it could be an issue.

Define high powered strobe? How about 1000lm?

I like the idea that a steady light is better because it’s better for assessing position and seeing signals etc. But tbh I think that’s just optimism. The real battle here is to have inattentive people notice you even exist

A flashing light isn’t going to help much, because many of them (or most, going by experience) flash too slowly. That means that for the split second a careless eye might glance across the scene, it could be off. A fast flicker is best for visibility. Of cousre, you also need to see where you’re going, so you’ll need a steady one focused on the road, and a flickering one with a wide spread.

Despite this he still didn’t see me, even though I was only about 5 metres away when he turned

Given that this also happens in full sunlight, I don’t think lights are the issue. People don’t see what they aren’t looking for, often. Of course, people still have brain-farts and pull out anyway, even in good conditions.

molgrips – Member

Define high powered strobe? How about 1000lm?

A 1000 lumen focused strobe could do it. But you’re missing the point I think- bike lights aren’t strobes, they don’t flash fast enough to trigger photosensitive seizures.

the flicker of sunlight through trees can trigger seizures in the occupants of a car/train.

3 to 30 hz is quite a wide range…

(just saying)

I get the negative comments on flashing lights it can be tricky to judge distances when you look towards an oncoming flashing light. however I have a relatively (by current standards) low powered one on the front as I’m sick of being ignored/missed as people see my other light as just another light amongst the street lighting through towns and in traffic. A flashing light usually makes people look twice and Id rather annoy a handful of people but still be seen and bring my children up.

If you have more than one of these super bright strobes in front of you then you basically cannot see a thing, on a car or on a bike.

I think I pointed out that the lights should not be dazzling…

The setup that works best for me is two flashers in opposing flash on either side of the bars, so they imply horizontal movement as the light goes between them.

I reckon this helps override any saccade area the viewer might have by looking like movement, which is more likely to be noticed due to the way humans have evolved.

The main problem is the regulation on the lights isn’t good enough and they go into and out of sync 🙁

I think I pointed out that the lights should not be dazzling…

From what I can tell most people have not got this message.

As I said, a fast flicker is best. Slow blinking is next to (or worse than) useless. Those damn Lezyne ones on the rear are the worst offenders, especially when people put them on daylight mode at night. Followed someone doing that when I was cycling myself, I had to stop and wait a few minutes for him to go, as I couldn’t see anything at all.

A 6 months sub to what mountain bike for £23.99 should do it.

(with free Lezyne Macro Duo helmet light. Up to 400 lumens front and a rear flasher, does all the other stuff you want too)

I got one of these a couple of months ago. Great piece of kit, I use it on a constant low for commuting in addition to a set of B&M dynamo lights. The rear integrated rear light is good too. The WMB mag is not so great though.

so, calling me a liar…

No Turnerguy, I think you and a lot of other people riding with flashing lights are kidding yourselves that a flashing beam is in any way more visible or noticeable than a steady beam from the same lamp. Your batteries will last longer, that much is true.

Oh and helmet lights.. not bad for visibility but keep them on low as you don’t want to dazzle the shit out of anyone you look at, and DO NOT use them as your only light! Shouldn’t need pointing out, but I’ve seen plenty of people doing it!

people riding with flashing lights are kidding yourselves that a flashing beam is in any way more visible or noticeable than a steady beam from the same lamp

I’m beginning to think this also. When it’s dark I have a steady beam from an old magicshine lamp on low setting (300 lumens?), plus a flashy light on my helmet – this seems to work well for visibility and I haven’t had any problems.

During the day however, I just thought that the flashy lights couldn’t hurt when it came to being more visible. Maybe it was the wrong kind of flash – slow blinking versus random chaos. I think from now on I’ll use my continuous beam lamp during the day at this time of year.

A 6 months sub to what mountain bike for £23.99 should do it.
(with free Lezyne Macro Duo helmet light. Up to 400 lumens front and a rear flasher, does all the other stuff you want too)

Has this deal ended? Having a wee look and cannot find it.

The setup that works best for me is two flashers in opposing flash on either side of the bars, so they imply horizontal movement as the light goes between them.

I reckon this helps override any saccade area the viewer might have by looking like movement, which is more likely to be noticed due to the way humans have evolved.

The main problem is the regulation on the lights isn’t good enough and they go into and out of sync

From my online research, best practice seems to be one constant (to prevent being missed during a scaccade and to allow your speed and distance to be judged) and one flashing to catch attention. That said, I can’t find any definitive recommendation or requirement.

British Cycling’s advice is here

Additional considerations on the road

On top of those required to meet the minimum legal obligations for riding on the road at night, we’d almost go as far to say that you can’t have too many additional lights. Facing the rear, small flashing red lights clipped onto your helmet or your jacket can significantly increase your visibility and give you back-ups if your main rear light fails. You can even get lights to replace your bar-end plugs. Check to see that your front light is visible from the side and, if not, have an additional compact light that is. High powered lights can easily dazzle oncoming traffic, so make sure they’re not directed into drivers’ eyes or dim them.

best practice seems to be one constant (to prevent being missed during a scaccade

don’t think a constant light is necessarily going to stop a saccade – if it is in the areas that the eye jumps past and the brain synthesis then it will be missed. It would have to be dazzling or imply movement to force the viewer to notice it, I reckon.