[Closed] Commuting visibility to other road users

Front - One fixed, one flashing. Currently RSP and Cateye mix of freebies.
Rear - One Cateye Hand Grenade on bike (Fixed/flashing setting) and a Moon Shield 60 on the helmet (Set to epileptic-fit-inducing flash mode)
Then, some Respro Ankle bands, one of the best for side visibility, and whatever reflective is on the jacket du jour.

My pasty white lower legs help.

I mount a fixed rear light at the bottom of my rucksack and a small flashing red light at the top. Haven't been knocked off (yet).

I've got some valve mounted lights that change colour, cheap and cheerful and as long as you're moving very noticable

Those spoke mounted reflecters that come on new bikes are pretty good for side vis

I have reflective mudguards, only any good if you keep them clean though. Then I have a Hope V2 on the handlebars and a flahy LED on the Helmet, then a flashy and steady LED on the back - you never know if one has fallen off / run out of batteries.

I'm an advocate of dayglo and reflective gear in the city. I'm going to go for contrast colours, e.g. pink hi-viz vest on top of yellow hi-viz jacket.

I'm also going to put a couple of LEDs to shine on to me as well this year, will help my reflectivity.

In the eyes of the law you may only need one light front and back, but IMO most drivers are half asleep at the best of times so I'm going to make myself as noticeable as possible

Hope vision 4 on the bars. Vison 2 on the helmet. Hope District on the seatpost. 2 1/2 Watt rear LEDs on the chainstays and a 1 Watt LED on the rear of the helmet.

All that with reflective ankle staps, reflective band around helmet, overshoes and reflective trim all over,my jacket no one has the excuse they didn't see me.

Even with all that still fancy those revolights when/if they are available.

Wilma 5 on the front to see with, plus a strobing Exposure Flash on the bars for getting attention. On the back, an Exposure Flare mounted under the rack (I use a top bag) creates a large glowing area above the mudguard (though it's by no means a bright point of light - more a secondary source). A Fibreflare mounted all the way across the width of the pannier rack gives a good sharp focus of light and on the drive side seatstay, I've got a small LED too.

I was running Schwalbe Marathon tyres last winter, but am currently running significantly lighter weight Conti GP 4 Seasons. What I really liked about the Marathons was the reflective sidewalls, which when fairly clean were very impressive for side visibility at junctions. I've now bought some reflectors that fit around the spokes that look pretty neat but haven't tried them in the wild yet.

Clothing-wise, I've got a white Solo gilet with good silver reflectivity and +1 for the ankle bands - a moving distraction helps, I think. My gloves and tights have reflective dots on too, so it's not for want of trying.

Anyway - it's still August and the summer's hardly started. 🙂

I've got my magicshine front light and the matching rear which is as bright as some front lights, leaves a nice pool of red light behind the bike.

Flashing light on the backpack and something constant on the back of the helmet works well too.

I've a hope vision on the front, tend to wear it on the helmet so I can 'flash' drivers by nodding to ensure they have seen me

Since starting driving I've come to the conclusion that an abundance of flashing lights just piss me off, and helmet front lights are the worst, 'flash' a driver and he'll miss you, but probably hit the guy behind you after you burnt out his retinas. Would you be happy starring into your helmet light then pulling out of a junction in a car?

I know it's august, but I'm working silly hours in a new job, and a couple of times I've been driving home and come up against a cyclist who wasn't lit up properly and so more difficult to see than they could have been. My plan is to commute as soon as I pick up my new bike tomorrow, so I want to get set up soon as with good visibility, and ready for the dark nights or late working!

Thanks for the suggestions so far, I love the revo light, may even try making my own! Keep em coming!

On a side note, Oxfordshire is amazing for cycling in! Almost all drivers I've seen have been courteous around cyclists, overtaking with loads of space and allowing plenty of room, a huge improvement on Uxbridge (my former abode). Gives me enough confidence to cycle in the dark, just want to make myself stand out.

I appreciate drivers may not enjoy being flashed by a helmet light, but often it prompts a cautious reaction rather than racing out in front of a cyclist (me!), and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'd rather be flashed to attract my attention than pull out unwittingly in front of a dimly lit person.

It's a tactic I use only at junctions where I have priority ( cars approaching me from side roads), and if a driver (including myself) decides to pull out whilst dazzled and not with full visibility, causing an accident, then it's clearly their fault!

My workmates who drive past me reckon the ankle bands are very effective. Do some googling and moving reflective colours are reckoned to be very effective. 3M do kits for cranks etc
At the end of the day any dopy driver will pull out in front of you regardless of how many lights or how bright they are 🙄 Had one right on my back wheel this morning who was obviously in a hurry given the way she was driving once she had got past me and all the parked cars in front ❗ Crazy woman....

Motiv...drivers may think you are giving them a flash to proceed rather than being an attention grabber 💡

I've had the Flash / Flare on the bike for a few weeks now - August evenings (especially with the current rubbish weather) are easy to get caught out by, and it feels like it's been getting dark surprisingly early. Enjoy the commute - getting through the winter is a very satisfying challenge.

I won't break the habit of a "lifetime", so here's my 2p (as a driver during commuting hours)

superbright lights are DANGEROUS, especially if they have very small refletor area as that makes you look like a distant motorbike on full beam. It hurts to look at a modern light, so drivers won't look at you, just "near you". That way they won't work out what you are.

superbright flashing lights (other than during daylight hours), especially on the front are [b]INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS[/b] - all the above, plus they offer even less chance of working out distances than a constant light

Want to be seen ? wear reflective stuff and point a light or two at yourself. Look like a person, not a point source of light so bright they can't bear to look at it.

Have been using a rear light on my road bike at [b]all times[/b] ever since I bought the Dinotte 140R-AA from USA which is an amazing light and really does make a huge difference to the clearance cars give you when passing. The downside is that the mounting option is poor and the connection to the batteries often comes loose unless you tape it down. Still an amazing light - see here:

If I was buying now I would seriously consider the all-in-one Dinotte 300R - very expensive but a much better mount and all-in-one designs are so convenient.
I wanted a front light which I could also use during the day on flash mode and recently bought an exposure strada which I'm really impressed with and again seems to get me noticed. I haven't used this during the night when I would have it on a constant beam, although my impression is that the lumen output is somewhat over-rated.
I'm looking to pick up an exposure flare to have on the rear as a solid rear light and maybe a helmet light for the depths of winter to go with the strada.

+1 for 3M reflective tape all over the bike and a helmet lamp

+ riding even more carefully than usual!

I've seen the pipecleaner style spoke reflectors and they look like a good bet, cheap and don't look minging during the day

2 single LED jobbies on the front on a solid beam, flash rear

At least two flashers on the front. One that has side visibility and one that is very bright straight on like an exposure maxx. On the back I have at least one on the bike like the holy hand grenade and another on my courier bag, both flashing. I always wear some reflecting or very bright clothing. I have some sam browne belts for winter. I also have reflective strips on my helmet, bag and bike.

I find the brighter I am, the better I will be seen and treated. I have absolutely no qualms about flashing people in the face or in their mirrors. If they see the flashing light, they've seen me. I definately get treated better if I'm flashing and in bright colours and I ride every day on the roads in rush hour.

Stupidly bright front lights are counterproductive as other road users can't see that you're a cyclist.
Cateye lights IMO are too unreliable for everyday use. I use flash/ flare and USB mini led lamps.
I also have spoke reflectors from halfords which are very visible.
Just as importantly don't buy black clothing with reflectives, just buy Hiviz with reflectors. Mavic have some pretty good jackets/ gilets which are real world visible.

If I really want to be seen, I have [url= http://bike-parts.at-cost.org/visiolight-19433.html ]one of these[/url].

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It's the only EN certified cycling-specific one I could find. It's *very* reflective.

I also have:
- decent front light
- at least one decent rear light, often two
- BS/EN certified reflectors front and rear
- reflective stickers on my helmet, the pedals, mudguards, and rack if I'm using one

Not a fan of the high viz stuff to be honest. I much prefer my captain scarlet all black approach but I realize this is not best practice for winter time commuting.

To that end I have one of these http://prendas.co.uk/details.asp?typ=typ&fkid=3&ID=3078

Great value, and highly visible. I use a Magic Shine 808e and a Smart Lunar in tandem with a flare on the back. The nodder ankle bands are really good, you look like something from Tron with them on under headlamps from a distance.

Don't wear black clothes - reflective stuff only works when lights are on.

I would agree with the comments on the superbright lights being counterproductive, my own observation is your eyes seem to be drawn with strobe lights. Plus I would doubt the legality of using these lights on road. You can buy bright enough lights without being OTT wear Hi Viz especially on legs (moving) and some scotchlite tape on the frame.

When it's really dark, I use a Light& Motion Viz 180 rear on the bike, Viz 360 on my helmet and Seca 1400 (turned down to 700) on the bars but my commute is nearly all narrow country lanes and I rarely see a car apart from the last mile.

In town, I think being seen from the front at an angle is probably the most important. You're unlikely to be hit from behind by someone who hasn't seen you*, it'll be someone pulling onto a roundabout or out of a side road. Commuter lights are better for this than offroad lights.

On rural roads, it'll be different but I don't have any experience of that.

*it'll be getting clipped/squeezed into the kerb, by an impatient ****

I think a small flashing light on the front is essential. It really stands out, especially when going up the middle/inside/outside* of stationary traffic which I do quite a lot of on my urban commute.

* delete according to your personal preference/traffic conditions

I use it in conjunction with a helmet mounted steady light, an Exposure Diablo III on low or medium which I can boost to high power for dangerous junctions like roundabouts. I've got no qualms about looking a driver in the eyes briefly to get their attention at such junctions but otherwise it's set to angle down. It stands out clearly, being above all the other lights on the roads.

On the back, two Exposure Flares, seatpost mounted, one steady, one on pulse. Coupled with a [url= http://www.fibreflare.com/ ]Fibre Flare[/url] mounted on the rucksack. I've just bought another Fibre Flare in blue as well - planning to tie it to the red one and mount both on the rucksack so we'll see what impact that has!

My shoes have loads of reflective tape on them as well and in wet weather I use reflective overshoes. My winter jacket of choice is an Endura Stealth in red and that stands out pretty well.

much prefer my captain scarlet all black approach

Sorry im a Captain Scarlett, the tv series nerd.

Also why not buy a cheap light and point it towards yourself, from the bars, it will show up the reflectives youre wearing.

Ankle bands or something similar. Once, driving home from work, I approached a guy riding a bike. He was wearing hi-vis workman waterproof trousers with a wide band of scotchlite around the bottom and I could see him from way back.

3M spoke reflectors look good - bought some from Lidl last week.

The key to being seen is not how retina burning your lights are but rather to create the signatue of a cyclist. Most drivers will recognise the amber flash of pedal reflectors as you cycle as does reflective piping and ankle bands.

Personally I use a back upz led on rear of helmet, rear led on bag, reflective bag and a use flare - up front is a use joystick. I'm pretty happy with this set up for both urban and rural riding. Rurally I've taken to using the flare in daylight as the shadows under the trees are great for concealing cyclist from sunglass wearing drivers.

It's not really helpful to anyone using high intensity lights to dazzle drivers (potentially you might be alright but the driver could have lost his night vision and run me over instead).

What I really liked about the Marathons was the reflective sidewalls, which when fairly clean were very impressive for side visibility at junctions.

Yep, I run Conti CityContacts for the same reason - good puncture resistant tyre with reflective sidewalls - really helps side on visibility.

I'm not a huge fan of loads of super-bright lights. I have a Trek Ion Recharge on the front (flash on the road, constant when I need to see where I'm going) and a Cateye holy hand grenade on the back on flash. My messenger bag has lots of reflective detailing on it, my shoes have reflective bits on the heel, and I have 2 reflectors on the back. I reckon that's good enough (although I might add some wheel reflectors this winter).

I totally disagree with miket above. A car from the front you can see although the pillocks who overtake into your lane can be tough. You don't know about the moron behind you until he misses you. Modern bright LEDs do look like a m/c a long way away. I go for the piss them off approach at the back but reckon lots of reflective is best and be dominant.

+1 for the ankle band wearers. they move and catch the light.

smarts (X2) on the rear with another one on my bag. upfront i have a joystick, a xml t6 and a use flash just in case. i do a ten mile unlit commute so want to be seen (and see!)

I have some LED valve cap lights similar to ones used on boy racers cars, they provide some extra side visibility.
Agreed you would be silly to wear black, reflective clothes all the way!

Respro ankle bands. Yellow in the morning, reflective in the evening. Nothing says "cyclist" like them. That and a flashing and a steady light on the back and an Exposure Strada on the front.

Hope Vision 2 on front, Smart 1/2w flahing onrear plus little Led flasher on the helmet.
Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what you do,,some f@$&ers literally just don't look where they are going.
Rely on your own instincts and awareness as much as you can.

Homemade 900lumens onthe front, down to 400lumen in traffice and back to 800lumen on the dark unlit country lanes, plus a flashing LED on the front.

The 'holy hand granade' on the bck with an additional flashing cateye LED as well.

Diablo LED, set at low, on the helmet, I find this works really well when you are trying to get drivers attention at junctions.

Aldi LED/reflective arm bans (P!ss Cheap and effective), plus a reflective ankle strap, from the checkout at Halfords.

Must admit clothes tend to be red and not High Vis.

ayups on bar and helmet, three 1/2 watt smarts on the back, some reflective stuff.

I tend to think about redundancy, what if a light fails part way. I do have a 16mile rural commute though, so no street lights, and i have had to ride 10miles with no front light in the dark on the way home from work before after i forgot to recharge a battery.

It's not really helpful to anyone using high intensity lights to dazzle drivers

While I do agree - are bike lights really that much brighter than car headlights?
I think the main issue is folk setting them at eye level.

I run a Lumi HID during the winter with the glow-ring on the front for side visibility.
I just tip it down a bit on the road so I don't dazzle anyone.
(Most of my commute is unlit off-road so I need some decent light for that to see the dog eggs in time)

multiple flashing lights or a strobing flasher is the way to go - so there is no 'dark time'. I have taxis pull out in front of me if using only one flashing light, but not if I have two and they are alternating.

Most accidents occur because the driver said they didn't see the cyclist, something that flashes brings attention fast.

Reflectors, like on pedals, might be OK but only if the cars lights are firing at your. Plus it takes time for the driver to recognise what they are.

Same with hi-vis, bugger all use if not lite up, so no good at helping a car that is at an angle, like a junction, pedestrians or others cyclist spot you.

Superbright is not helpful.

I brought some Smart lunar rear lights, first wet day and they failed. I have seen a few comments from people with the same problem.

Flash/Flare on road bike, on during the day. Noticed how respectful passing drivers seem to be with them.

Fibreflare on rear of commuter for side vis, plus a gekko. 2 cateye el135s on alternate flash on front.

While I do agree - are bike lights really that much brighter than car headlights?
I think the main issue is folk setting them at eye level.

You'd have to point it pretty much at your front tyre to avoid dazzling people.

I do!

There is no dimmer on my Lumi so it gets pointed right down during the brief section I'm on the road - then reset when I'm on the path.

Even then I sometimes put my hand over it to shield it from pedestrians or oncoming cyclists.