sbre
Ok, my 2 cents worth:
I too am not a fan of the bright headlamp that flashes as it causes temporary blindness, I strongly feel those riders ought to be using the same light in the solid beam mode to light their path. In the flashing mode it does very little/next to nothing to lighten up any obstacles in ones path.
For the past 8 years I have been a year-around daily bike commuter and once or twice a week cross paths with one cyclist who chooses to use his bright headlamp in the flashing mode, we cross paths along the W. Marginal trail going opposite directions and most of the time its in dark areas where that is the only light source in my field of vision. So one morning I flagged him down, explained the problem and offered to show him how distracting the flashing light is by aiming mine at him. His reply was short…”mind your own f*%king business” and he rode away.
Months later, this morning in fact, he stills rides in flashing mode.
In either mode, flashing or solid, bikes using headlamps can be seen coming at me from very far away, the flashing doesn’t do much to enhance the ability to see an on-coming individual, it only bothers the eyes of those its aimed towards.
Personally, I use the solid beam mode of my headlamp (mounted under my handlebar bag) and have a smaller, significantly less-bright flashing light on the front of my helmet with the thinking that the solid beam lights my way and the flasher helps to attract the eyes of those around without causing any visual impairment. The flashing light also helps those people/drivers who might be on the other side of a parked car or other obstacle that blocks the sight of the headlamp but can see the flasher over said obstacle.
On the back of my bike is a solid red light mounted just above the rear tire and a flashing red light (in its lowest setting) attached to the back of my helmet.