Bicycle lights during daytime riding - Yes or No?

[Chomper Higgot]

For me it’s a yes.

 

I ride with front flashing frog lights on both forks and a rear Cat-Eye strobe light.

 

I find this significantly reduce the frequency of vehicles pulling out in front of me while passing vehicles more often lay back and pass wide.

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

 

 

This is how I roll, safety first.

[Chomper Higgot]

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

 

 

This is how I roll, safety first.

I used to see him often in Pattaya, even bought him a drink once.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

17 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I ride with front flashing frog lights on both forks and a rear Cat-Eye strobe light.

I understand that you do that for your own safety.

But please consider if those flashing lights might irritate other drivers and riders.

It's like high beam lights. Yes, they make the owner visible. But they don't make the whole situation better.

[Bassosa]

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I understand that you do that for your own safety.

But please consider if those flashing lights might irritate other drivers and riders.

It's like high beam lights. Yes, they make the owner visible. But they don't make the whole situation better.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I understand that you do that for your own safety.

But please consider if those flashing lights might irritate other drivers and riders.

It's like high beam lights. Yes, they make the owner visible. But they don't make the whole situation better.

I do u destined this, hence I bought CatEye lights which meet the relevant code requirements.

[StreetCowboy]

1. I don't think daytime flashing lights will be a problem for other road users during daylight.  I agree that flashing lights at night are a distraction and confusion.  I get annoyed by trucks with flashing lights; they are big enough that they are easily seen, and if someone unobservant drives into the back of a truck, who cares? - that's their lookout. Thank goodness they didn't collide with anyone else.  
It's hard to judge the distance of flashing lights, but when judging the distance matters, I hope that car drivers can see the cyclist during the day.  The flashing light is there to warn them well in advance - there is a cyclist about.
2.  Lights are really important at night.   All my cycling is either to the pub, or from the pub, and I don't want to be cycling home dark in the dark, so I am sparing with my lights during the day.
3.  Motorists get upset if you go through the tunnel with no lights, despite the tunnel being well-lit, so I normally put my rear light on flashing for the tunnel
4. Actually pulsing - at night, flashing lights disappear when they are off, and multiple flashing lights are just baffling, so I have my rear light showing steady, with bright pulses.  When I am cycling home from work at dusk, I will put my front light on flashing until it is more dark than light, and then on steady.

5. The front light battery on my road bike disturbs the compass on my handlebars, so if we are off into the boondocks I take the light off and put it in my top-tube bag; otherwise, my lights live on the bike except when they are charging. 
6. I sometimes put my lights on flashing for riding on the Highways, depending on whether I think the traffic or arrest is the greater risk.  

I'd quite like to have indicators on my bike, as I feel somewhat hypocritical shouting "Signal!" at the people who turn across me.

[StreetCowboy]

By way of possible digression - what do you carry on your bike?
I have four bikes:

1 Road bike for long rides on a Sunday
2 Shopping bike for commuting, and - possibly obviously - shopping
3 Inherited lady's folding bike (very wide size range, so quite comfortable)
4 Mountain bike - a little bit too small, my first bike which the shop was keen to sell me, it's OK with the seat post over-extended, and it really is a nice bike

On 1 &  2 I have frame pump, top-tube bag with a multi-tool, inner tube, tyre levers, tube patches.
On 1 & 2 I have front and rear rechargeable lights, on 2 I have emergency battery lights front and rear. Also battery lights front and rear on 3 & 4
On 2, 3 and 4 I have a rear rack
On 2 & 3 I have a front basket.
On 1, I have a compass on the handlebar.
I am remiss that the rear reflector has broken off the rear of 1, but all bikes should have front and rear reflectors, and pedal reflectors. I see I am also remiss on reflectors for 3 & 4, and the basket would obstruct the front reflector.
I have a Cateye speedometer and sensor on 1 and 2.

When it comes to lights, I would recommend carrying some AAA / CR2032 battery lights, because your rechargeables could cut out at any time - they do not fade like alkali batteries, but you can always replace your AAA batteries at 7-11 or any garage for a few baht.  And unlike rechargeables, they last a very long time when not in use.

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

23 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Actually pulsing - at night, flashing lights disappear when they are off,

CatEye lights don’t extinguish between flashes.

 

 

[StreetCowboy]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

CatEye lights don’t extinguish between flashes.

 

 

There are all sorts of flashing patterns.
My absolute top number one favourite was the Cateye rear rack mounted AAA light with a flickering always-at-least-one-on pattern; it was vibration sensitive, and came on if you were moving, and it was dark (so they said) and the batteries lasted for ever.  Sadly, the product is no longer available.  My Moon Nebula have several patterns, one as described, and one Bright Highway Flashing, which will let every traffic copper from here to Arkansas know you are on the highway, but is good for making people aware of your presence in advance for a modest battery consumption.

Maybe I should practice cycling home from the pub with my eyes closed, as practice for if my lights ever fail. 

[Chomper Higgot]

4 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

By way of possible digression - what do you carry on your bike?

I have three road bikes and a mountain bike.

 

I have a CatEye tool bottle in which I carry a spare inner tube, tire leavers, puncture repair kit, tire patch, an inflator with two gas bottles, a quick link, three cable ties a small multi tool, a quick link and a couple of antihistamine tablets.

 

I switch this between my road bikes and have under saddle tool bag on my mountain bike on which tire sizes and chain size is different to the road bikes, hence different spares.

 

Additionally I have front and rear lights, discussed above and on each bike speed, cadence sensors and power meter pedals. I switch my head Polar Head Unit between bikes.

 

On all bikes I carry a 700ml water bottle that is usually filled with an electrolyte solution.

 

I don’t ride at night.

[Felt 35]

Yes 

[StreetCowboy]

6 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

....

 

I don’t ride at night.

There's not enough drinking hours in the afternoon for that.
Not on weekdays.
Or Sundays.

And I'm sceptical about Saturdays.

[StreetCowboy]

8 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

...

 

I don’t ride at night.

 

I am not sure whether you are more visible with good lights in the dark, or no lights during the day, and probably less visible with no lights (or even with lights) at dusk.

 

I can see why you might prefer not to ride at night, but its better than pushing your bike home, and I'm in no fit state for walking.
 

 

[J Branche]

Understand the Higher Visibility colors.  Choose ones that are not similar to the environment you travel in.

Bright Blue, Red, Orange, Bright Green.  I do Not like Bright yellow as my opinion is it could be confused with the Sun, traffic sign, or other object in the normal environment.

Reflectors, the light, high Visibility socks will benefit in some conditions.  

 

Think of people looking at a Radar screen, you want a High Visible Awareness.  

 

Your skill, experience, Bike, equipment, and Luck are the only other things to keep you safe.

[CanadaSam]

This is Thailand!

 

I keep my CAR parking lights on even during daytime!

 

Find it stops a lot of the people that normally would signal and just turn into my lane without caring about me driving past in the fast lane!

 

Anything to be safer on these wild west streets!

[Chomper Higgot]

Just now, CanadaSam said:

This is Thailand!

 

I keep my CAR parking lights on even during daytime!

 

Find it stops a lot of the people that normally would signal and just turn into my lane without caring about me driving past in the fast lane!

 

Anything to be safer on these wild west streets!

What I have never experienced here is any aggression from drivers of cars/motorbikes towards cyclist.

 

Sadly something quite common in other countries where I have frequently cycled.

 

 

[Stevemercer]

I ride 3 or 4 times a week, in the morning, about 40 - 60km each ride. No, I don't use any lights. Around my way the roads are flat and visibility is usually good. 

[BritManToo]

White flashing at front, red flashing at rear during my daytime rides.

Rear red (RayPal) has 10,000ma battery lasts about 15hrs between charges.

Snipped out the original 500ma battery and put a wire running to battery in rear bag. Ebike battery 15ah@48v has a 5v phone charger socket so I can recharge while cycling.

 

 

[Irish star]

Day Glow,  lights , sirens you’ll need it to stay alive 

[pacovl46]

Better safe than sorry! 

[Maybole]

In the mornings I often see groups of cyclists all with racing gear on going along a main road with red flashing rear lights each. However if any of them are wearing bright or fluorescent clothing, that stands out more than the light. Wear an orange shirt or gilet.

[Hummin]

Im not an cyclist in Thailand, but if I where, I would use colours and also light on the bike, same as I use in Norway. Why not? 

[Hanuman2547]

In Thailand, I use a rear red flashing light when on the roads.  It isn't super bright, but it is bright enough.  When I reach a park to ride at (Rama IX Park, Nong Bon, or Skylane) I turn it off as it isn't needed where there are no cars or motorcycles.  

 

In my home country, I use a rear red flashing light and a front white light set on steady and a white flashing light.  I rarely ride in the dark.