Flashing! Aaaargghh!

[jasonc]

I hate flashing lights. They aren't needed in bike ways at all. If you want to use them on the road, go nuts. Last year it was riding home in a group of commuters. I was on the front. Bloke third wheel had an annoying flashing light. I yelled once and asked him to change it. No reaction. I then threatened to stop. After threatening to stop twice, he changed it. High powered lights flashing in close proximity makes it impossible for me to see

[Howzat]

Basically people are describing different use cases. You want to use lights differently riding in a bunch vs riding solo, riding on the road vs on the bike path, city roads vs country roads, different use for front lights vs rear lights, and different considerations for day vs night.

Another element to think about is that flashing lights make more efficient use of the battery - if you're on a long ride, bright and steady might leave the light dead before you get home.

For mine - if you're riding solo anywhere near cars and trucks, get yourself some bright rear lights - and set them to flash. Then add a second steady light for redundancy.

[trailgumby]

Basically people are describing different use cases. You want to use lights differently riding in a bunch vs riding solo, riding on the road vs on the bike path, city roads vs country roads, different use for front lights vs rear lights, and different considerations for day vs night.

Another element to think about is that flashing lights make more efficient use of the battery - if you're on a long ride, bright and steady might leave the light dead before you get home.

For mine - if you're riding solo anywhere near cars and trucks, get yourself some bright rear lights - and set them to flash. Then add a second steady light for redundancy.

^^^ This, on all counts.

[tez001]

Same as what I posted in the other thread. Rear is mostly always on flash (rarely ride in a bunch) and front is mostly on constant on a unlit path, however out on the road, I will use flash when its sunrise or sunset.

Flashing doesn't really bother me, except for those ebay 100000 lumen lights which blind the crap out of you.