this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2024
38 points (100.0% liked)

Bicycles

3126 readers
14 users here now

Welcome to [email protected]

A place to share our love of all things with two wheels and pedals. This is an inclusive, non-judgemental community. All types of cyclists are accepted here; whether you're a commuter, a roadie, a MTB enthusiast, a fixie freak, a crusty xbiking hoarder, in the middle of an epic across-the-world bicycle tour, or any other type of cyclist!


Community Rules


Other cycling-related communities

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I know about the obvious stuff like a bright vest, blinking rear light and wearing light colored clothes but is there anything else that I need for when nightfall hits?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

blinking rear light

Blinking lights are my pet-peeve with cyclists. Cars don't have blinking lights - neither should bikes.

[–] pc486 3 points 1 day ago

Studies have shown that blinking lights improve reaction time to bikes on the road. The most common issue is determining the distance to the bike. This effect is more pronounced during night.

That's why I use my bike lights all the time set to blink with a multi-second on phase. It makes me more noticeable and easy to estimate distance.

Also cars do have blinking lights these days. The newer car models like to blink the center brake light for a second before going static. Motorbikes have also long had rear blinking and "breathing" front light.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

We aren't riding large vehicles, so we have to put more effort into being more visible.

A combination of a blinking rear light and reflective gear gives us better odds.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Any blinking lights except indicator lights are often illegal in traffic.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You can easily spot a car at night, but not a cyclist.
In Europe blinking bicycle lights are allowed (white front, red rear).

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Front blinking lights are illegal in Germany as they should be, don't ever put fronts on blinking mode.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Deschanel2027 2 points 23 hours ago

Also in France. Blinking rear red lights were also forbidden in the beginning, simply because anything blinking was forbidden unless you were police, firemen, paramedic... (or the light belonged to the yellow warning family). Later, in 2016, blinking rear red lights were allowed, while blinking front lights remained forbidden since they are a real pain.

As far as I am concerned, I bought a rear light that can at the same time: 1. shine continuously backwards 2. and blink towards the ground. So the light that goes straight into the drivers' eyes, being constant, is not aggressive, yet there is a blinking element which acts as a reminder that I am a bicycle, since during the last 15 years or so, a blinking red light (legal or not) has become a symbol of bicycle rear lights. (Its name is Seemee 300 by Magicshine, if anyone wonders)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, blinking lights make it more difficult to assess position and speed relative to cyclist, especially at night without street lights. At least get another one that shines all the time, or one that fades in and out but always shines at least a little, or a really good and big reflective one.

[–] yonder 1 points 1 day ago

The point of blinking bike lights is to be noticed by drivers. Once noticed, divers are able to track you using their headlights and your reflectors.

Using blinking lights also means I can use a bright light while not running out of battery in the middle of my trip.