[Closed] Be seen commuting lights....

Better off with a steady light with a legal beam pattern.  flashers can be hard to judge distance from.  Both is probably best and what I use.

For daytime I use a moon something or other (comet?) which has a fast flicker - when I'm driving I find that flickering lights catch my attention and are easier to track than flashes. For nihjt/dusk (ie the next 6 months) I pair it with a steady light, with a bit of separation between the two to help people judge speed.

I use exposure trace lights, small, bright and a good battery life

If mine wasn't almost totally off-road (other than very small rural ones), for town riding I would ...

Daylight:  bright flasher(s)

Dark:  whatever you need to see with plus reflective top and a light or two shining on you.  NOT bright flashers IMO

Dusk:  Crucifix, lucky heather and a rabbit's foot

lol at the disk comment!

I have a main beam light I use when dark whilst fitted I didn't have it on hence question about a daylight 'flasher

I was also in a dayglow castelli gabba and matching arm warmers.... so pretty bright!

I also have a £20 crc voucher if there is anything on sale there people have bought recently and recommend

Sadly there are always instances where drivers either don't see the person or see them and don't give a shit

In the end, I think the best you can do is look like a person rather than a set of light sources as there are loads of those already and most move differently to you.  At a quick glance, if they don't know what you are your small light sources sometimes look like, say, a motorbike that's a hundred yards away

The alternative is a big ****-off 5,000,000 lumen searchlight and hope that they're intimidated into waiting rather than dazzled but continuing anyway (or dazzled then angry with you)

Better off with a steady light with a legal beam pattern.  flashers can be hard to judge distance from.  Both is probably best and what I use.

Yep, both. For the rear, at least.

Flashing attracts the attention, fixed gives a constant point of reference.

In front, something like an Exposure Sirius, that has a constant/flash setting is great for daytime/dusk use.

Lezyne Zecto are good be seen lights. I’ve had a set for 4 years that have proven durable. The batteries are getting on a bit now but I’ll replace with another set.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/lezyne-zecto-drive-250l-front-light/rp-prod163285

Just over  your 20 quid voucher

For the rear I’ve been using a Moon Nebula in a setting where it’s constantly on but still pulses brighter. If you want to blind people too there is a 100lumen solid setting which is outrageously bright. I just picked up a cheapie rechargeable lifeline rear light for just over a tenner from Wiggle to go with it which is going to sit on a seatstay on my right hand side. The lifeline rear light is pretty bright as it is if you don’t want to spend the money on a Nebula. 2 lifeline light would make you pretty visible.

I do also commute with a yellow / high vis back pack from Lomo - if someone goes into the back of me with that bag and all the lights on they have to be blind!

On the front I have a Moon meteor auto x pro and a Moon Vortex. Planning to run the auto x pro as a flasher and the vortex on steady - but not at its highest lumen as that’s too bright for the main road. Will be perfect for the unlit part of my journey along a towpath though.

From the front I don’t currently have any high vis and wonder if I need to do something about that....got a white helmet but I don’t think it’s reflectivd.

For the last few weeks I've been commuting in and riding in South Downs with a pair of those Aldi, rebadged Moon Comets. Will change to my Màgicshine MJ900 and Moon Nebula soon.

Also using new Boardman convertible reflective for commute, makes me very visible in car headlights.

Will fit reflective sidewall tyres soon too.

Unfortunately cars pull out on cars as well as cyclists so some drivers will simply not see anything if they're in a rush and don't look properly, but all we can do is what we can to increase our chances of being seen. I have a few lights front and rear at different heights to try to ensure people can see me from whatever angle they might be to me. Some flashing lights are not as noticeable from some angles and the traditional seat tube mounted light is not always the best place...OK from a distance but not great from close up in high up cars that most people seem to have these days. Do mounting lights on the helmet is always a good idea in my book.

But it's hard this time of year, if the sun is low down and in your eyes nothing is going to really help. You're paltry little flashy light is nothing compared to the sun.

Have a look at the bontrager flare R’s. I got a good deal on the rear from Rutland, haven’t tried the front but I can only assume it’ll be good. They’ve supposedly been specifically designed for daylight riding and automatically adjust to be most effective for the light around you. They’ve recently brought a newer model out which I’m sure has even more features

My Lezyne Zecto lasted a few months before one of the LEDs failed, then a few more before the connections to the charging port corroded through. Really shit light.

I'm now using an Exposure TraceR and Im really impressed. Very bright, battery lasts ages, and has a setting which is constant on but with pulse as well, so effectively does the job of 2 lights.

I used a Cateye Volt 800 on the front. Not too dear. Properly powerfull to see well on full power on dark country roads, adjustable down for more run time, on with pulse or flash. Use a Cateye TL LD1100 on rear set both lines to a random pattern.

I commuted for a while, but even with a white helmet, nightvision fluro orange or yellow jackets, night vision socks, lights on and a bright red/ pink Roubaix paint job etc, people still pulled out. They see you, just if they’re gettng impatient and need to pull out, they see you as expendable. Glad I had road hydro discs.

Even with all the safety gear, observant defensive riding, I realised after a few months, my life was out of my hands momentarily almost daily. Concluded it was just a matter of time before something happened. Drivng to work is also killing me slowly silently with lack of exercise though in comparison, just its less obvious than the danger of commuting.

The cateyes seem well made. Some people will still chance your life though. From a drivers perspective, I see people with only helmet lights on sometimes. From a junction in pitch darkness these cyclists coming towards me look further away higher up the road than they actually are. I think a lower down light, actually is perceived as closer in pitch darkness.

When driving, thise dayglow fluro orange overshoes some roadies wear whizzing around are highly visible.

This weekend, Aldi rechargeable lights for £12.99. Even in daylight I only use them on on the lowest flash setting, a charge gives a good 10 hours real world use, straps are secure.

I also use an Exposure Link on my helmet as well.

I've got one of the Aldi back lights and it's really good, need to get a front one as a flasher/backup.

Both is probably best

Agree, for a change.

But flashers need to be a high speed flicker IMO, not a slow blink - the blink can be off for the time it take's someone's eye to pass over you. Eyes move very quickly.

Lezyne don't seem to have understood this so whilst I like their lights generally and they can be had for cheap, their rear lights only flash slowly.  But the lipstick shaped ones have a superb long throw.  So on a road ride I use a Cateye Rapid X for a high speed bright flicker and superb side visibility (it's as bright from 90 degrees left or right as it is straight on) and a Lezyne Micro 180 rear on steady low, because it's a highly focused beam and projects a long way.  Steady high is a bit of a piss-take, far too bright for most things, I only use it occasionally on really bad open country roads with fast cars.

I've been strongly impressed with KNOG lights. I have the KNOG blinder R70 rear and I've had it for 3 years now... this means it has outperformed every other rear bike light I've ever owned by at least 2 years and that includes Lezyne and Exposure. Mine is totally sealed and the USB charging point is actually cleverly part of the clip design. I think they are great.

I personally have an expensive Moon 2000lumen job up front and the Knog R70 on the rear which I use for mountain bike and commute purposes. It's taken me a few years to come around to this, but a decent light is an investment so spend out on something decent and it'll last a while whilst hopefully keeping you safe!

I use B&M dynamo lights, have done for many years over 3 models. The current one has a daytime running mode it automatically switches to, it seems to be effective (within obvious caveats about still acting as if you're invisible). It's also zero hassle once fitted.

I would maybe run a flasher too, but to be frank I can't be arsed recharging stuff beyond my weekly night ride, and haven't found anything I could run off the dynamo.

Often overlooked but the Cateye Orbit spoke lights can be very effective even from slight angles off front and rear. Plus they make you feel like Tron if you put 2 on a wheel and go really fast.

This weekend, Aldi rechargeable lights for £12.99. Even in daylight I only use them on on the lowest flash setting, a charge gives a good 10 hours real world use, straps are secure.

I also use an Exposure Link on my helmet as well.

Is the front good enough for a mostly lit commute? I use a short section of towpath and some small badly lit areas bit my commute is only 10 minutes. Just needs to be good enough so I don't end up in the drink when riding along the river when it gets dark!

Aldi ones on the website now.

https://www.aldi.co.uk/c/specialbuys/dates/2018-09-30

I bought some last time and the brackets were terrible though. Every bump left the light pointing at the ground.

I think like a lot of cheap stuff they are quite variable in quality. You might get a good one, you might not. Keep the receipt!

Very bright though

Bargain here -

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Xeccon-Link-300-Rechargeable-Front-Light_99845.htm

I've been using mine on it's mad strobe setting in the lately "not quite dark" conditions and it definitely gets me seen. Even filtering down the inside of traffic, some drivers see it and move over.

I lost one cos I didn't slot it into it's housing properly and bought the same as a replacement as it's so good.

Good pool of light in dark conditions too.

I also have reflective material all over my bike.  reflective spokey dokeys, red reflectors onthe back, white on the front and amber on the pedals.  I look like a ruddy christmas tree in headlights

Just been looking out my lights as I will need them on the commutate from now on.  Which one of you was it pinched my favourite?  I can't find it!

I always go with anything that you can see by, you can also be seen with. That way I only need one set of lights...

FWIW, I use mine year round. Was riding in with a colleague this morning and she's just got a bar mounted camera, she sent me some of the footage. I stand out a mile away. I pointed out to her that she was near invisible at certain points - in and out of dappled light, low sun, heavy traffic - she just disappeared in the overall visual noise.

Flashing front and then in actual darkness I supplement that with a solid light as well.
Rear = one Exposure Flare on pulse mode and one on constant. The pulsing one has that Reakt mode which brightens when you brake. That feature is actually really good, I never realised how effective it was until a mate riding behind me commented on it.:

https://exposurelights.com/products/bike/rear-lights/tracer-mk2-reakt-and-peleton

And this one on the front year-round plus a Diablo in real darkness:
https://exposurelights.com/products/bike/road-lights/sirius-mk7-daybright

Not nessasarily crazylegs.  a good light to see by has a very narrow focussed beam.  A good light to be seen by has a wide unfocussed beam so you can be seen from a wider range of angles.  Also MTB type lights dazzle

Exposure have some stvzo lights for 2019, not cheap though!

https://exposurelights.com/products/bike/optix-all-terrain-stvzo

a good light to see by has a very narrow focussed beam. A good light to be seen by has a wide unfocussed beam so you can be seen from a wider range of angles.

In the image below, one of the lights is a non-dazzling B&M Cyo (the original version, with a much smaller beam than the newer IQ2 Premium versions) and the other two are Exposures with scattergun-style beams. One of the lights also, to my eye, presents a brighter and larger light source from this off-centre angle than the other two…

One of the lights also, to my eye, presents a brighter and larger light source from this off-centre angle than the other two…

Of course, the angle that the chap at the back presents to the camera is pretty different to that presented by the one at the front...

In any case - a focused beam is brighter at a distance, and a wide angle visible from greater angles, which is why I use both when I want to be maximally visible.

Of course, the angle that the chap at the back presents to the camera is pretty different to that presented by the one at the front…

Yeah, it's a world of visual anecdote 🙂 but IME the large area of B&M (and similar) lights means they're highly visible from a wide range of angles.

a focused beam is brighter at a distance, and a wide angle visible from greater angles

I know that seems like the obvious truth, but I don't think it's that simple. Many StVZO lights work by firing the LED at a large reflector, which means that there's a large illuminated area and one which can be exposed by cutaways in the side of the lamp body without much effect on forward illumination. (A B&M Luxos presents a very large illuminated area, for instance.) Whereas scattergun beams use a small hyperbolic reflector encased in the lamp body: the illuminated area is much smaller and set back, no matter how broad the projected cone of greatest intensity is. The refraction-based StVZO compliant lights (like the eye-wateringly expensive Exposure above) tend more to this, as well, I think—although some are larger than others; eg the Exposure's refractor looks rather smaller than the B&M Lyt.

(By the way,if it's not obvious from the positioning, the Cyo is the middle light in the image above. It's putting out less than half the actual light of either of the Exposures, but despite this and its tight beam it still—subjectively at least—appears to be the most prominent here, and when I've seen others on the road I think this is broadly representative.)

I think a flashing rear light is important, to mark you out as a cyclist and thus potentially much slower moving than the rest of the traffic. I have a collection of Smart Lunar R1s, which despite a slight reliability issue in the wet (they come on, and don't go off unless you remove the batteries, so could be worse!) They have 2 half watt LEDs on constant, and a really bright 1w flashing LED. You can also pick them up really cheap.

If you really want to be seen during the day, the Bontrager Flare R has a daytime mode, and is mentally bright.

Personally I use a Cateye Volt 1200 on the front and I rate it. Good solid build, excellent battery life. And the pulse setting is great, so you can have a solid light, with a pulse to attract attention. It also means you don't get caught in the dark when suddenly on unlit roads. It's more light than most would need for commuting, so you could go for one of the cheaper ones.

I think surface area of the light is as important as overall power and beam shape

You'd still see a very throwy light from an angle if the light area (clearly not the techy term) is big enough

The best addition I've had for commuting is the moon aerolite helmet light.  The ability to turn my head and direct the beam has prevented a couple of ' creepers' pulling out on me at junctions.

I have to disagree with the earlier comment  about fast flash lights being better that a slow flash.  I find that fast flashes blend into a dull flicker at a distance or in poor visibility (mist, fog etc) and are not easy to see. Some of the best urban lights I've seen were the exposures with the bright pulse within the constant beam.

I now use a b &m secula on the rear (constant) and a smart 1w on flash.

I have to disagree with the earlier comment about fast flash lights being better that a slow flash

I think Mol's point is better applied to front lights, where a quick look from a junction may be all they take and so the light needs to be visible or better still flashing within that window (saccades notwithstanding)

If somebody's going to plough into you from behind though, they'd typically have a few seconds to see you in their line of vision (phones notwithstanding 🙁 ) prior to doing so

If drivers don't look properly, you'll still get splattered.  Happened to me, two Hope Vision 1 lights on constant, and a C&B Seen City Slicker on the 'pulse' - medium beam with a 'high' pulse brightness.  Driver 'didn't see me, despite me seeing my lights bouncing off his number plate, snap went my spine when he turned right across my path.

I do think the lights with a pulse mode, i.e. they remain 'on' but 'flash' offer the best for visibility, so look into them.

two Hope Vision 1 lights on constant, and a C&B Seen City Slicker on the ‘pulse’ – medium beam with a ‘high’ pulse brightness. Driver ‘didn’t see me

I think you've said it, without meaning it

Really bright lights are just point sources like all the others.  They're uncomfortable to look at directly, especially unlensed and flashing and so a driver might glance, see a very bright very small light source, assume it's a more distant car/motorbike - LOOK AWAY - and go.

They won't see "YOU" at all

Honestly, IME as a car commuter for a long time, cyclists need to look like a person, not a supernova

I too am of the 'you can illuminate all you like, but cars are still going to pull out on you', so just buy something like the nice ones Aldi will do next week.

(Saturday, bright sunshine, turquoise and lumi top, empty street and still old dear looks at me, looks away studiously and pulls out across me from junction....)

two Hope Vision 1 lights on constant, and a C&B Seen City Slicker on the ‘pulse’ – medium beam with a ‘high’ pulse brightness. Driver ‘didn’t see me

I think you’ve said it, without meaning it

Nah, you're overthinking it. They either look, or they don't. Anyone sees a light, no matter how bright, will take the correct action. I've been hit in similar circumstances to above - the woman was looking for a parking place, not what was coming down the road towards her. Some people are just idiots.

What about one of these? lol

I bought a PX helmet in reflective silver for my 20 mile commute, half of which is a fast A road. It’s really nice, more comfy than my synth, and hopefully should add a decent amount of extra visibility and position awareness for the approaching driver.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HECANOTUS/carnac-notus-road-helmet

Also Exposure link on helmet, tracR on seatpost, Moon lx360 with remote switch (winter) snd knog thing (summer).

Use Exposures in all weather sunny or otherwise.

I think that the seesense lights are great for this and thats what I have, with a flare  also on the back.

I take the legally dubious route of having a bright light on full whack and angling it up slightly when riding around the anti-bike haven full of cataract-infested Honda-driving pensioners that's Harrogate.

If they're having to shield their eyes at a junction I'm reasonably confident that they won't pull out in front of me.

Used this set for years. Combination of Constant and flash.

https://exposurelights.com/products/bike/light-sets/trace-tracer

I really cant fault them at all. Plus brilliant customer service from Exposure when I had a slight issue.

Steady lights F+R, suplemented on the rear with a flashing one, and ideally another red light (Steady or flashing) on the back of your lid.

A Flasher on the front is more likely to dazzle drivers IME and TBH just because a driver can't see propoerly, there's no guaruntee that they won't still attempt to pull out all a flashing light does is mess with their estimation of distance and speed...

A forward facing white helmet light in traffic of any sort is a definate No No IMO. I like to be able to look about with a white beam of light following your head movements there's a pretty good liklihood of you blinding oncoming drivers, those puling out of junctions, even catching the mirrors of the car in front, it's the opposite of being "Safe"...

The other thing often overlooked is retro-reflective stuff, anything Red/White/Amber stuck on the bike, body or lid that can bounce  headlights back and highlight your presence to a driver is a bonus, there's no batteries to run out so it always works (*assuming their lights do). adhesive backed reflective tapes can be bought by the meter on fleabay/amazon for relatively little...

I do far more driving than cycling on the road and reflectors are a major help in seeing cyclists (and pedestrians - a nightmare with the fashion for dark clothing). Those jackets that are all reflective surface are the best, but also pedal and spoke reflectors, and bits on shoes. Powerful headlights are more likely to blind me. Ideally the rider would be floodlit, but I can't work out how to avoid dazzling the rider. Or some sort of glowing flourescent jacket. Small points of light aren't so good, even when they are bright.

I think Mol’s point is better applied to front lights, where a quick look from a junction may be all they take and so the light needs to be visible or better still flashing within that window

That's a good point of which I had not thought.  However, flickering lights on the front present a different problem for the rider though - I can't stand all the flashing road signs even if there's street lighting.

www.seesense.cc - great kit and great service 👍