I use a MAXX D up front (only on low or flash on the road) and a red eye rear. When I drive I would rather be able to see a bike stand out against traffic instead of that single blinking led with last winters batteries in it.

Your thoughts?

I use my Maxx D on the road, on full power when there is no street lighting and no cars about. Even then it’s not a problem, but I usually have it on low in traffic or on strobe on roaundabouts or busy junctions. If you have it angled right it won’t dazzle drivers. On Low / Med it lasts me all week before a charge. I use a red eye at the back. Plus hi-viz/reflective jacket.

Avoid the road route usually and go off road for 90% of the journey. Only go on the road if I’m in a hurry.

I agree.

Maxx-D full power, definitely not flash. Dont want folk to have fits now do we.

Dont want folk to have fits now do we.

Not sure the frequency of the flash is high enough to be a problem.

I have started using my Lumen Liberator on my commute and feel so much safer. I use it on low flash and traffic seem to give me more respect.

I was also out riding on quite country lanes last night and every car I came across pulled in to let me come past. Unheard of during the day.

Is there such a thing as too bright? So long as the light is angled down a bit so it doesn’t blind drivers, I’d think the brighter the better.

Bright front light is a life-saver imo. I use a Lumen Liberator too for commuting. Tend to have it on full beam for any roundabouts, junctions, pot-holed bits of road, country lanes.
So pretty much all the time 🙂

Goes on dip for nice car drivers travelling in the opposite direction that I think are nice.

Not so fussed about rear ones. I always have em, but haven’t really noticed any change from drivers that varies with brightness.

Having a really bright light is fine if it’s a focused beam.

If I run my 3 x XPG light I get flashed by oncoming drivers even on lower settings as it’s so floody. If I use my 2 x XML U2 light I get no bother.

When I was a regular rural commuter, I sometimes used to get flashed by oncoming cars. Funnily, they were always Cheshire* Tractors.

Remember to get good side on visibility – front and back is easy, side less so.

*Cheshire = Chelsea, but even more unsuitable as there are grass verges to mount every now and again….

Remember to get good side on visibility – front and back is easy, side less so.

The newer Red-Eyes are pretty good from the sides, and also flood the ground at the back of the bike is red – pretty good.

I am now using a joystick on the bars and got the flash and flare set of lights. Ive got he flash attached to my helmet works great.

The rear flare is great too, I have notice drivers giving my much more room since I started using it, more-so since I got one of those Respro/Hump reflective rucksack covers.

brighter the better – twice recently when driving in the dark i’ve nearly failed to spot a cyclist approaching when waiting to pull out – both times the cyclist had a “standard” frontlight and was (almost) completely lost in the bright car headlamps behind – in urban areas the newer brighter car headlamps are just too bright – another great design f-up great for driving (too?) fast on dark A roads but totally unsuitable in town – masking out cyclists and peds

A light to see by may not always be the best to be seenby – you want all round diffuse light to be seen by best – and a large area that is the light emmittin surface