The Flares are bright as hell. I crewed a group of about 20 who all had flares last summer in Florida. You could see those damn blinks long before you could see the flouro kit, even in midday sun. I don't know how they work, but they do.

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JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.

Why doesn’t the poll include front white lights?
I also have a powerful flashing white front light, and so do many other riders I see.

the poll doesn't have all the options. my guess is that you won't run a front white light and no rear light. i'm omitting the front options. obviously. what i'm mostly trying to get to is what people are using that points/looks backward.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I had a blinky red light + camera before I got Varia. Camera isn't an option so I listed the latter.
I wish my state used front license plates; that would make my rear-facing camera better tool.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

let me tell you why i didn't list camera. and, look, i'm HAPPY to be shown where i'm wrong on this. the cerevellum, may it rest in peace, was a rear-facing camera with a front display. the cycliq fly6 is a rear facing camera but, as far as i can tell, doesn't have the capacity to send a signal to a front display. so - and again, i'm happy to be told where i lack information - the fly6 is not a safety device. it's a justice device.

what is your camera option that is a safety device?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

You're not asking me but if I had to choose (which I've never had to) I'd ride with just my front light over just a rear light. For my area (The Woodlands), I find a flashing front to be more impactful given the amount of cross streets, driveways, etc. I want that person who's trying to make a quick right on red or rolling a stop sign to see me when they only give a passing glance to the left to look for cars.

But, fortunately I've never had to make that decision and always ride with my Varia (last few months) and a flashing front.

It's a safety device because I remember I'm riding with it and don't act like a jerk 😂

The back of my bike is a Christmas tree - varia, fly6, and a hotshot for good measure.

I guess your stance is the camera offers no safety, therefore the cycliq is just a blinky light and I could have responded with that selection. But I didn't understand this distinction when I responded.

What about a helmet with blinkers? Is that also just a red blinker? Or is it "other" b/c it is both used higher up on the bike+rider combo and provides additional info (directionality) to rearward approaching traffic?

WRT additional info provided to approaching motorists, I'm also installing a rear brake light. I think the light is steady when activated, vs blinking.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

let me back up and just state that we always offer polls, and we sometimes perform surveys. when we perform a survey we'll send you to a surveymonkey page, where we can ask all the questions we want, sort by answer, do it right. when we poll, we are very limited in what we can do. this poll, because it's not sortable, because it's space constricted, lets us ask a question. but it doesn't let us ask a second level question. what's your favorite run shoe brand? i can ask that. but i can't ask in the same poll: for training or racing: long course or short? standalone footrace or triathlon? i can't ask it and sort by runner weight, or footfall, or gender.

same with this poll. i can find out what it is, generally, you all are using for bike safety, on your bike. for oncoming traffic. this is a bike device question. it's for editorial we'll write, and it's also in service of those who make devices. is garmin making headway in its penetration into the tri market with the varia? i'll know when i offer this very same poll, same wording, a year from now.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I like the triumvirate approach, the red blinky light is passive it always blinks, but I have the See Sense which will signal home if I crash... the varia is semi active it tells me to be alert, the 3rd is a bar end mirror to confirm.

IMO a front flasher is necessary in daylight if riding in TT position. On the hoods/drops on the roadie my hands are right on the brakes and can react to a "hook" and predict it a lot easier.

But in TT I'm looking shorter up-road and also likely going faster and my hands aren't right on the brake.

That front blinker lets folks see I'm coming.

rode with my brother in Perth Australia recently, that is a bike town like nothing in the USA, beats Boulder easily. They all blink red behind and white in front..
Riding without a blinky gets reprimands..