McGettigan's Night Light Courtesy Tips

Commentary from Michael McGettigan, owner of Trophy Bikes

Greets...
finally got out for an evening ride (first in months)... and began to
wonder if Philly was remaking "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"...

Most every oncoming biker had his/her headlights set to flash, except
for those who had one headlight blazing into my eyes (rather than the
road) and the other one strobing away...

Ditto for tail lights... one unintended side effect is that unlit
cyclists and runners nearly vanished, especially while my cones and rods were
sorting themselves out... All in all, a retina-wrenching experience....!

As an effective cycling instructor and bike shop owner (initials TB),
I'm all for conspicuity--out on the road--with cars... On the path, maybe we
could tone it down a bit...

1) set lights to steady on paths and trails
2) check alignement and make sure your headlight is aimed at the path, not
into the eyes of oncoming cyclists.
3) set rear blinky lights to steady, especially when riding in a
group, so those behind you are not aggravated or epilepisized. (to coin a
phrase) Consider setting lights to a lower setting, esp. if you're not going 22 mph
(which maybe you like shouldn't be going on the path anyways, eh)
4) pause a moment before retaking the road to set your lights back to
flash, if you wish.
5) enjoy a bike path that looks less like a police raid

cheers
mcget/trophy bikes