Do most city ebike riders in Europe keep their lights on all day, or is it just a personal habit?

Posted by RevolutionaryCar8623@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 40 comments

Saw that Benedict Cumberbatch cycling clip earlier and noticed the other rider’s e-bike lights were on the entire time, even during daytime.

Got me wondering is that just his personal habit, or do most people actually ride like that in European cities now?

And does it even matter for battery life these days, or is it basically negligible?

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LitigantTester@reddit

Should be mandatory. Both front and rear.

And should be blinking, not steady light IMHE (in my humble experience).

I think in Germany by law should be steady, but blinky helps to save battery and stand out over other lights.

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swined@reddit

Blinking lights are compromising your own safety, and are illegal in some countries for a reason

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LitigantTester@reddit

Why is compromising my own safety?

Blinding incoming vehicules? Most lights are so low power can't blind.

I can't imagine any other issue with a blinking light.

Yes they are illegal in some countries but not in many others.

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swined@reddit

The light has two purposes: announce your presence and help with telling your precise location/direction, for the driver to be able to safely go around you.

Blinking light does the former, but is quite useless at the latter, since it is much harder for human brain to track flashing lights. There are studies on it and all that.

The drivers are very well trained to see steady lights and tell where that light will end up if the next several seconds, so that they could act accordingly and not end up too close.

The brightness is only part of the problem. A light pointing in the eyes looks the exact same whether it’s near or far. And since you can’t reliably tell the distance, you can’t reliably tell the speed either.

It’s also much less fun to look at someone’s light that points straight into your eyes even if it is relatively low powered. Just try staring into your phone’s torch.

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Familiar9709@reddit

As long as they don't blind others it's a good idea

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DG333Fpv@reddit

…: one head light from any of the 1000 cars on the road with blind more people then a tiny light on a bike haha Pretty sure that not a concern

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LitigantTester@reddit

Agree.

Most new cars with led headlights blinds a lot than a small light bike.

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Eclipsan@reddit

Sadly they usually do.

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Lithium_Lily@reddit

During the day?

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Eclipsan@reddit

I meant most cyclists I see with a front light didn't bother positioning it properly, so it's either leveled or even tilted up. In both cases it's blinding and annoying.

Even worse are the city self service bikes: their front light is tilted upward a bit and it can't be adjusted. Smart.

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Lithium_Lily@reddit

I tild mine down at sunset and i understand the frustration with those who don't or can't... But to complain about it during the day is bizzarre.... Are you upset at cars for having driving lights on during the day? It helps with visibility and is an important safety feature.

If it's causing you actual discomfort during the day you might wanna go get checked for meningitis my man

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Arkitakama@reddit

Mine is automatic, it only turns on if it's dark enough. I also have the option of high beams or low beams.

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swined@reddit

I wish more people bothered to do that. Makes so much difference for visibility. There’s a reason cars these days run the drls all the time.

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TomDC72@reddit

I think that you can’t turn off the headlight in Europe, I live in Belgium and recently bought a Stromer ST3 and as soon that you turn the ebike on the lights go on too.

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rf31415@reddit

The battery is powerful enough to haul my hulk through the streets. The 2W light isn’t going to make a difference and it may improve your visibility. Moreover I don’t have to faff around with the controls.

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NewsreelWatcher@reddit

It takes a minimal amount of power from the very large battery. It’s just like having running lights on your car. It is proven to make you more visible so why wouldn’t you do it?

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Basic_Celebration504@reddit

If you can, why wouldn't you

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texastoasty@reddit

I'm an American and I set mine to just always be on, helps you be seen. On one of my bikes, as with many European pedal bikes, it's actually a dynamo hub, so it turns on automatically whenever the wheels turn. Often stays on for a while afterward too with capacitors.

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Buscabulla33@reddit

I 1000% leave lights on at all times. Also use a strobe in heavy pedestrian traffic areas. In Toronto, Canada.

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Nibb31@reddit

They turn on by default when you turn on the bike.

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basecatcherz@reddit

Having the lights on all the time improves visibility, even at daytime.

Some have a weird habit to point their light at the eyes of oncoming traffic, but that's another story.

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Accomplished-Pound32@reddit

Might be because motorcycles have to keep their lights on at all times? At least they do in Portugal but I'm pretty sure it doesn't apply to bikes...

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lopendvuur@reddit

In The Netherlands I'm not seeing it much.

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Fantastic_Key_8906@reddit

Its quite common. Its either for visibility or that it comes on when the bike is turned on and they dont know how to turn it off. It makes no real difference for battery life. The drain from a led light is next to nothing.

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Lithium_Lily@reddit

Mine comes on automatically. I know how to shut it off and I do when i am pushing the bike through a store so it looks less like a powered vehicle they might give me issues with, but i keep it on during operation for visibility.

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Fantastic_Key_8906@reddit

Its is quite important to be seen in traffic.

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Wess212@reddit

My bike does not come with the option to turn off the lights at all.

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jim914@reddit

I’m in the United States and in a big city Chicago and when I converted my Fuji Crosstown 3.0 into an e-bike my first concern was my visibility even though I’m 6 foot tall and riding on the largest frame they made which is an upright seating position city bike I always remembered drivers saying I couldn’t see you even in a bike lane so I built a light system that uses a Milwaukee 12 volt drill battery. That powers a headlight and turn signals and brake lights from a motorcycle. I have them on constantly for visibility and I still have drivers saying I didn’t see you when they are doing completely illegal stuff like driving in a bike lane passing traffic on the right! I also have the usual handlebar mounted rechargeable headlights that I use for night time riding and as bright as they are still the comments of couldn’t see you so I’m at a loss as to why drivers can’t see me!

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Jedski89@reddit

I run my lights all the time. I mounted a magic shine me1000 and it has DRL that gets automatically brighter when it gets dark. I get people telling me my lights are on all the time. I haven't noticed any drain on my battery.

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redditorialy_retard@reddit

Because if it's off you are literally invisible to drivers

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mrchris20040072004@reddit

If you have something that could stop you from being hit by a car why wouldn’t you use it, even if it’s a very small chance

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Revolutionary-Half-3@reddit

That's part of why in the USA Motorcycles are required to have their headlight on whenever the engine is running.

I'm in favor of headlights and taillights that actually work as brake lights on Ebikes, as well as turn signals. It wouldn't be hard to include them in the design, and anything that signals intent to the other drivers is good.

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