On 23 May, 16:43, Nick wrote:
wrote:
On May 23, 2:21 pm, Rob Morley wrote:
On Fri, 23 May 2008 13:03:27 +0100

Nick wrote:
I was stuck in traffic in my car at about 8.30 this morning looking
down at the radio to change channel. Out of my peripheral vision I
became aware of a flashing light from outside. It turned out to be a
bike filtering up the inside, some way back.
I have never thought of using a front light in daylight but was very
impressed by the result. It wasn't the brightest day this morning but
it wasn't really overcast or anything.
Funny you should mention this - I also saw a cyclist with a flashing
front light earlier today. *I've never before noticed one in daylight..

I regularly see cyclists with flashing rear lights in poor light (well
I did through the winter). They were wasting their batteries as
without exception I could see they were there before I could tell the
light was on. Whatever light you saw must have been pretty bright to
catch your attention in your mirror.

It wasn't in my mirror. I was looking down at my radio, the whole inside
of my car was flashing not brightly but just enough to pick up on.

That is why I was impressed. I really wasn't paying attention to
anything but it still got through to me. To be honest my first vague
impression was that there was an emergency vehicle somewhere around.

I want one!- Hide quoted text -

I think that with LEDs you can turn up the brightness of the
flash a lot as long as the duration is reduced accordingly
to maintain an acceptable average power level.
i.e. not melt it.

Could have been a Xenon strobe I suppose.

I think that research carried out for the aviation industry
years ago demonstrated that for a GIVEN POWER
CONSUMPTION flashing lights were easier to see.
Hence they now use flashers on planes. Power on
planes is expensive.

Of course the average bicycle flasher is designed not to
increase its visibility when flashing but to save power.
I certainly seem to find the average bicycle flasher
harder to spot than a non flasher and when cycling
I have ever used flash mode on any light that I have had.