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Good daylight flashing lights?
 

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

12/15/17 7:45 AM

Good daylight flashing lights?

After several local riders have been hit by cars, I've decided to get some serious daytime lights. I'd like clear, bright flashing lights for the front and rear. I've got a red blinky but its not bright enough for daytime , sunny use.

Suggestions?

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/15/17 8:28 AM

In addition to lights for visibility, I have a crazy bright orange shell. So update there as well.

This one I have is Canari. Their orange seems particularly neon, and has lots of reflective stripe/piping, removable sleeves, pockets galore outside with zippers, inside front deep pockets, and vented well.

If you ride when dark, reflective strip tire may not be a bad idea for car to see you sooner as well. As goofy as they look/are. ;)

I got this on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2000LM-XML-T6-LED-Bike-Bicycle-FrontLight-HeadLight-Torch-Flashlight-2-x-18650/131325058809

Under 20.00, I laugh at the 200+ space buck light cycling specific. But they know guy with $6-10k bike will spend 200-300 for light I guess. ;)

The lens rattled on the one they sent, I complained and they sent a second light. So for under $20.00 I got the Charger, two 3400mAh rechargeable Li-ion Batts, two lights after complaining about the rattling lens, and the handle bar mount. I put a small O ring under the lens of the rattling one.

I even used it in flashy mode when I had to retrieve Elaine front plate from the intersection when the front of her car got torn off in Oct. Traversing that intersection ad a PED without being surrounded by a car that turns canolli when struck was frightening. 26 lane converging, I thought to myself how folks/Peds that have to use those crosswalks daily is just insanity.

As to the light, I use them for everything. If I focus it out I can see the LED Panel grid clearly 90' on my shop wall easily from the house.

It is a little clunky but not been an issue, bar mount etc highly functional. I used it one night on the the bike path to go see fireworks along the river. Pedestrians where yelling at me to turn it down. And I had it on the lowest of 3 brightness, and had to push it down to the right not to blind folks. I gotta believe on high flash mode during the day it has high viability.

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Smunderdog
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 611
Location: Indianapolis, IN

12/15/17 9:58 AM

I've been running the Serfas Thunderbolt front/rear lights on my very short commute for the past year. I especially appreciate that they recharge via a USB cord...have multiple brightness levels for both solid and flashing modes.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/15/17 10:30 AM

I have Serfas front and rears. I like the rear a lot, bright! goes on and off easily etc. But the USB flap covering the rear charging port tore off and the port wore quickly and the cable barely stays in also. Without this cover no wet use now. else it will short probably. But it gets a lot of day use for a few season and maybe I am just wearing it out.


The front blinky has a dongle that goes into USB PC port only with little magnets to hold the light on the dongle to hold it on while charging. I recommend avoiding this wonky style Serfas front light. Too many small parts to loose and handle that fall off during charging. The dongle has no outer metal sleeve to hold it in the USE port well, flaky contact and fiddling to keep it charging. Just a PCB with the contacts on it, do not recommend this style at all, avoid.

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henoch
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 1690

12/15/17 11:16 AM

There really is no end to how bright you can go on the front.
Some of the MTB lights are as bright as motorcycle headlights.

But practically speaking you don't need all that for a blinky, check out the offering from Cygolite and Niterider in the 400-700 lumen range and you will get all that you need.
Knog and Lezyne make some nice ones as well.

For rear, I just saw a new one by Portland Design Works that looks very bright.

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Marc N.
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 457
Location: Israel

12/15/17 11:28 AM

I use a Bontrager Flash R light in the rear. In day mode, it is rated 65 lumens and I have had other riders ask me about it as they said the saw me from a really far distance.
In front I have a Bonrager Ion350RT . It is very compact, and more than adequately does the job. It is borderline for riding for an extended period in the dark, but that is something I very rarely do.
If you ride at night, I might consider something else up front, but wouldn`t hesitate to use the flash R in the rear.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/15/17 11:31 AM

How many lumens is preferred I'd ask of us here??

Front? Rear? The rear Serfas I have been using and mentioned IIRC is 70, or maybe 60? Serfas said at night a car doing 55 could see it a mile away as I recall.

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

12/15/17 12:28 PM

I will not be riding in the dark, so a bright riding light is not what I'm after. I'm trying to alert drivers to my presence in full daylight, using a light like our garbage trucks use.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/15/17 12:50 PM

Well the eBay one I linked and have has 5 modes.
Solid H/M/L Blinky and SOS. The Medium Solid is plenty bright for a dark bike path, High and aimed up if I want to see as far as I can focus up the road.

I keep the mount a little loose so I can move it a bit, up or to down the right when approaching folks without eclipse glasses on. Did I say it is bright?

It has a ton if other uses when not on the bike. It is the light I always grab first having left my previous lights less desirable by comparison.

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henoch
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 1690

12/15/17 1:28 PM

I think this one would be perfect for the front.
Compact, very bright and USB chargeable
https://cygolite.com/product/dice-hl-150-usb/
If you want even more brightness then this
https://www.rei.com/product/123888/niterider-swift-450-front-bike-light

For the rear I really like the Serfas Thunderbolt

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/15/17 1:37 PM

Cygo dice 150 $22.50 @ https://blueskycycling.com/products/cygolite-dice-hl-150-usb-front-headlight?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cse&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=2622581&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgs7RBRDoARIsANOo-HgUkcbjvMyPQ3uDoaJmJCLtz0JwW2m08-nSsiv2pTdjuJTiUqo4aQ8aAoz8EALw_wcB


Rear Serfas I mention and like for a few years now is 60 Lumens not 70. Serfas USLA-TL60

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Campyman
Joined: 14 Mar 2004
Posts: 52
Location: Wausau, WI

12/15/17 7:51 PM

Day time rear light

I've used many company's lights and have finally settled on this one by Trek.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-accessories/bike-lights/bontrager-flare-r-rear-bike-light/p/13202/?colorCode=red

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lrzipris
Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 532
Location: Doylestown, PA

12/16/17 10:38 AM

In the front, I find mode more important than lumens. In the daytime, the front light's blinking mode catches my attention more so than just a steady brightness. In the rear, I go with as many bright lights I can. At one time, I had two blinkies on the seatpost, plus handlebar-end blinkies, so I was lit up like a Christmas tree.

And because I do some touring, I prefer battery-operated lights, rather than USB rechargeables. I know I can always find batteries (or carry spares), but can't always count on finding an outlet for recharging.

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

12/16/17 11:02 AM

Flashers

I'm running See.Sense flashers front and rear. Auto on/off and light sensors to change flash frequency in low light. I get noticeably better response from drivers: more passing room, less likely to pass another car coming at me, and less likely to pull out in front of me.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/16/17 11:36 AM

>See.Sense ICON keeps you visible with 2 x 95 lumens in the rear.

Some googling show the above. Like to see that ICON if Sefas sez the 60 lumen rear can be see at night a mile away @ 55MPH.

Merlin cycles UK seems to have quite a good price on that too. And https://www.jejamescycles.com had the pair for 118.00

If no one wen to my eBay link, that one is 2000 Lumens on max. Which explains why me intimating folks needing eclipse level eye protection is less of an exaggeration that I realized perhaps. It is on high in blink mode, and in the dark the residual between blinks is more than enough to see still. ;)

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Rickk
Joined: 01 Jun 2004
Posts: 528
Location: Montreal

12/16/17 7:32 PM


quote:
In the front, I find mode more important than lumens. In the daytime, the front light's blinking mode catches my attention more so than just a steady brightness. In the rear, I go with as many bright lights I can. At one time, I had two blinkies on the seatpost, plus handlebar-end blinkies, so I was lit up like a Christmas tree.

Agreed. same here w similar light locations (w mixture of lights from M.E.C (somewhat like your R.E.I), plus rotating, wheel spoke lights in the dark, in case of drivers coming from side, and sometimes a bright, band reflector on ankle, for added attention frm up/down leg movements.

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Nick Payne
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 2625
Location: Canberra, Australia

12/17/17 8:46 PM

I just use rear flashers for daytime riding, and of the various makes/models I have, I think the Niterider Solas is the best. The one I put on my wife's bike is bright enough to be easily seen from a couple of hundred metres back in full sunlight. I think they claim 150 lumens output for the highest output model.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/17/17 8:55 PM

"I think they claim 150 lumens output for the highest output model. "

That's what the internetz sez. They make a 100/50/30 etc.

The 150 lumens unit seems not too pricey for that kind of light [as in that kind of brightness] for 50 space bucks. I think I paid 35.00 for my Serfas@60 Lumens.

The Solas 30 is pocket change @ 15ish space bucks.

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

12/18/17 10:24 AM

I know this is not a daytime running light, and it's a sure bet no one here will clamor to get them, but have these been a topic yet?

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/18/17 10:32 AM

A BB-8 droid projected on your wheels should be pretty in vogue of late.

The binary is pretty cool, does it have a hexadecimal mode is the question? ;)

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