Lights - Flashing LEDs
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These are the cheapest lights and they will provide all the light you need to be seen by.
The rear red ones are recommended for all riders - from those that only occasionally cycle at night, to the serious after dark commuters.
A front flashing white light, though it makes you visible, will not light your way. If you are riding on an unlit path you will probably need directional beam front lights. We do recommend flashing white headlights for commuters as they are cheap, lightweight and the batteries last a long time. They will provide all the light you need to be seen by.
The standard flashing lights have 3 to 5 LEDs, but you can also get ones with up to 7 and with different flashing patterns. LEDs use very little power. They usually use normal AA size batteries which last 100-300 hours when used in the flashing mode. A set of batteries should last from daylight saving to the shortest day and from the shortest day to the end of winter.
A word of warning - when mounting flashing lights make sure they face directly forward or backward as visibility is low when viewed from the side.
We do not recommend clipping your light to your clothes or backpack as many times the light ends up facing upward or to the side and is not visible to motorists and other road users.
The best place to mount lights is on the seat post, rack or basket (high enough, clear of any rack mounted packs), the seat itself, and the handlebars. Generally, the higher the mounting position, the better.
We encourage you to put your lights on during the day when it seems necessary. LEDs are a cost effective way of ensuring better visibility on overcast and rainy days. Remember the front light must be white and the rear light must be red.
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