Bicycle light

[Tbill]

My ebike came with a front light. I haven't been using it because I have been riding during the daytime and didn't want to waste battery power.
Then it occurred to me that the amount is probably relatively small and they would act the same as running lights - allowing me to be seen a little better.
Are most people using their lights during the day in order to seen better?
I brought a rear light from my old bike which would increase visibility to cars approaching from behind.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

I always ride with my headlight and tail light on. I commute and am normally riding with traffic, so the lights make me feel safer. I think it works, I haven’t been hit yet.

The battery drain is negligible and worth it for higher safety.

 

[Chibbie]

I always ride with both a headlight and taillight on, whether day or night. During the day, I have both front and rear set to flashing/pulsing to increase visibility. Neither of the built-in front or rear lights on my two bikes have a flashing mode, so I supplement them with accessory lights that do have a flashing mode.

 

[Taylor57]

My ebike came with a front light. I haven't been using it because I have been riding during the daytime and didn't want to waste battery power.
Then it occurred to me that the amount is probably relatively small and they would act the same as running lights - allowing me to be seen a little better.
Are most people using their lights during the day in order to seen better?
I brought a rear light from my old bike which would increase visibility to cars approaching from behind.

Lights are good any time of the day. Anything you can do to get the attention of the car driver with his or her head down in mid text is worth a minor battery drain...

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I always run with a super bright flashing light in the font, and two flashing red lights in the rear. One mounted to my seat, one mounted to my helmet. I never want to be "not seen" by a biker, pedestrian or vehicle.

 

[indianajo]

No. My front light is rechargeable, but is attached with an EZsteal rubber band. I lost one $55 front light due to rain through the button shorting the battery, so the replacement rides in a peanut butter jar in the pannier unless I ride at night. I had a rear light cut off once too; it is now attached with screws & nuts. Rear light I will activate if I am riding into the sun or the weather is gloomy or raining. I wear a bright yellow-green vest with reflective stripes, ANSI #2 pattern.
My bike is often locked outside a church where I do volunteer work, and as they feed the homeless or doless, there is a lot of pedestrian activity.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My ebike came with a front light. I haven't been using it because I have been riding during the daytime and didn't want to waste battery power.
Then it occurred to me that the amount is probably relatively small and they would act the same as running lights - allowing me to be seen a little better.
Are most people using their lights during the day in order to seen better?
I brought a rear light from my old bike which would increase visibility to cars approaching from behind.

My e-bikes were designed to be ridden with lighting at all times.

The Lezyne on my lightweight e-bike has such a minimal power draw I have never noticed any battery consumption even on long stops with the system on.
The Supernova on my heavy e-bike has automatic daylight running lights/low beam, and high beam on demand. Again, the daylight running light takes unnoticeable load on the battery. The low beam night light is taking a few watts and it is still insignificant. Only the powerful high beam takes some 24 W but you use the high beam in very rare situations.

 

[m@Robertson]

I buy my lights overpowered specifically so they have enough brightness to be seen in the daytime, in bright sunlight. For night riding I use a lower setting, but in the day, I want flamethrowers, which is necessary to make even super-bright lights just moderately visible in full daylight.

Don't sell your safety short. Use your lights in the daytime.

Which Rear Bicycle Lights Should I use?

Should you use blinking lights? Steady lights? Bright lights? Daytime lights? Here’s what I do and why.

talesontwowheels.com

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

My ebike came with a front light. I haven't been using it because I have been riding during the daytime and didn't want to waste battery power.
Then it occurred to me that the amount is probably relatively small and they would act the same as running lights - allowing me to be seen a little better.
Are most people using their lights during the day in order to seen better?
I brought a rear light from my old bike which would increase visibility to cars approaching from behind.

Yes, I have 2 handlebar headlights, and both are always on for safety reasons, day or night. I set the really bright aftermarket light (supposedly 2,000 lumen) to flash during the day to catch drivers' eyes. But no flashing headlight at night for the safety of all concerned.

The integrated headlight runs off the bike's battery. The aftermarket light has its own battery but can run off the USB port on the bike's display if necessary.

Bought the bright aftermarket light mainly to pick up darkly dressed pedestrians on night rides but now consider it a valuable safety feature during the day as well.

My 960 Wh bike battery is good for at least 60-70 miles in local terrain. Hard to imagine the lights making a significant dent in that range. Probably not much of a worry with smaller bike batteries, either.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Hard to imagine the lights making a significant dent in that range. Probably not much of a worry with smaller bike batteries, either.

LEDs are bright and very efficient at very low energy consumption.
I was bringing my Vado SL inside our apartment block and got addressed by a man: "Neighbour, your bike light is as bright as the car's one!" And that was only the Lezyne, not Supernova.

Mind you, the battery I'm riding with daily is 160 Wh only!

 

[m@Robertson]

But no flashing headlight at night for the safety of all concerned.

I once had the same attitude. Then I was t-boned by an inattentive driver who lost me in the background. A classic SMIDSY. I even made eye contact, but she looked through me and not at me. There's no way for you to tell the difference until the driver accelerates into you.

Scientific studies explain SMIDSY - webBikeWorld

Riders might think drivers don’t care about hitting us, but there is actually scientific evidence that shows they really don’t see us.

www.webbikeworld.com

I had three headlights on. My speed was about 15 mph and I was in a bike lane. 2-lane street w/40 mph speed limit. Oh and also the police refused to cite her for her mistake and instead tried to blame the victim (thats me) by saying that perhaps the safe speed limit was "three mph". Yes... three. It was a large, well-lit, safe street with curbs, a well-defined bike lane etc. Both my attorney and that driver's insurance claims rep had a laugh together about that and agreed it was a ridiculous statement (in another part of the report the other driver was listed as the cause of the accident). So my medical bills and destroyed bike were paid for.

When taking all of those precautions already, you have to ask wtf more you can do, and when you can expect treatment like that by the people who are charged with protecting the public, it makes you realize you have to do what is necessary to take care of yourself because no one else will. So I have had a blinker on the front ever since (Early 2018) and it seems to help, and no one has gotten pissy about it with me. That includes the cops.

 

[Robspace1]

The better you light up the bike the safer you are. With so many drivers talking and texting, you need to catch their eye to avoid being hit. I have 3 front lights, all Cygolite. On day rides I keep just one on flash mode and at night all 3 on solid high beam. The trails through the woods are pitch black. I have a 2 sided amber light called Brightside, attached to the front for intersection traffic which is where most bike riders get hit. I have that light on flash day and night. At the back I have 2 Cygolites. On day rides they are both on the brightest setting which is Day Lightening. They can be seen 1/2 mile or more in bright sunshine. On night rides they get turned way down on slow flash. When I see bikes with no lights, especially at night, it amazes me. Why risk being rundown, left for dead or being put in a wheelchair just because a driver could not see you out there in the dark? Lights are much cheaper than a stay in the hospital. It's a no brainer.

 

[6zfshdb]

Are most people using their lights during the day in order to seen better?

24/7 front & rear when on road. Just at night, in tunnels or during poor visibility when on trails. I use lights with internal batteries which can be recharged by the bike if necessary.

Welcome to the forum! You've got the right idea about using your lights at all times.