Lights for the Nights

Go out and ride at night!? On the road!? Isn’t that, like really dangerous!?

There are risks in everything. Every year in the US, something like 200,000 people are injured in the bathroom, while in 2008 only 52,000 bicycle related injuries were fair comparison. Everyone goes to the bathroom, and not everyone rides a bike. On the other hand the overwhelming majority of deaths occur in bed. So stay out of bed, and out of the bathroom and you’ll be okay. Right?

Yes, I’m trying for a little humor there, but the point remains, most situations are as dangerous as you make them. Nothing is 100% safe.

I’ve ridden literally thousands of miles in the dark, in the country, in the city, in bad weather and good.

Here’s what I’ve learned about night time cycling.

• Good lights are essential, Front and Rear
• There is no such thing as being too visible
• Reflectors and more reflectors.
• Stay on the gray
• Low angle headlights give you better vision, high mounts make you more visible to others.
• More caution is required

Let’s examine those points. First off, good lights. I can’t recall ever hearing anyone complain that they had too much light to ride with. I used to recommend only rechargeables, or very high end generator driven units. Things have changed. Each year seems to bring out more and better units. One principle still remains true. If you go cheap, you won’t be able to see.

I really like the Cateye HL-EL 530. It’s a single, ultra bright LED, with a terrific burn time and light more than adequate for night riding.

CygoLight and Sigma both make some surprisingly strong rechargeables. Note: There are some issues concerning rechargeable lighting systems. I’ll discuss these in a post next week.

Among the rechargeables, I tend these days to go with the LED type in favor of their long burn times.

My old standby is my Schmidt Dynohub and the pair of Lumotec E6 lights on my tourist. Never a need to recharge or find new batteries, reliable. Downside, the occasional bulb change in the dark, and very expensive.

For a tail light, I am in love with the Planet Bike Super Flash. The thing is incredibly bright. It is an LED light, so it must be mounted with care. LEDs are most visible in only a narrow band, so you want the light pointed back at the cars, not pointed down, or up.

No such thing as being too visible: I want a driver, regardless of the direction of approach, to think, “What on earth is that!” Use lots of reflectors. Reflective vests or sashes, along with ankle bands are about the minimum. Those dorky wheel reflectors are actually a good item. That reflectorized tape stuff, applied liberally around the bike is a good idea.

I like to use a pair of the ankle bands around my hands to aid in signaling. I’m working on a garment for just this purpose. It would consist of two sleeves, with a connecting elastic strap. Each sleeve would have a forward and rearward facing reflective arrow, running the entire length of the sleeve. (If you want to put this idea into production and make a gazillion dollars, be my guest. If it already existed, I’d buy it!)

Stay on the Gray: Things look different at night. I know that sounds like a total Homer of a statement, but you won’t believe how much different until you get out there. Go slower at first.

Why “Stay on the gray? Your headlights will cast shadows. Pavement appears gray under lights. The black spots might be a tar stain, or a deep pothole, or a very large oil slick. You won’t know until you hit it. But why find out the hard way? Avoid the dark spots on the road.

Low Angle vs High mount headlights: Lights that are mounted low on the bike (say on the fork blades) throw the road into sharper relief, high lighting rocks, pot holes, and other possible hazards. Lights mounted on the handle bars increase how visible you are to other traffic.

Incidentally, you won’t be able to read cue sheets, or instruments, unless you have a good light on your helmet or forehead. I’ve found the two very good uses for helmet or head mounted lights. First, they let you read cues and instruments. Second, and more importantly, they can help you stay on the road by “burning through” the dazzle from an oncoming car’s high beams. You look down and to the side of the road. Your helmet helps block the intense oncoming light. Your helmet light illuminates the edge of the road, showing you where you are.

Finally, Want a good place to test your systems? Come on out on my Wednesday Night Path Ride. We go every week, starting from Bicycles Unlimited. Ride starts at 7:00 (sharp). No ride if raining at ride time. Lights required until Spring. This is a relatively short (about an hour) recreational paced ride, on the unlit, paved trails here in Peachtree City. There will usually be lots of other folks around, so if you do have a problem, you can identify it, and we’ll get you home.