Let there be LIGHTS!

By this time of the year we make it a rule to carry lights with us on any ride that starts after 4:00 P.M.  We’ll amend that rule in November.  Once we’re back on Standard Time, and are dealing with a lot less daylight, the rule is,  “Don’t start any ride after 2:00 P.M. without carrying lights.”

This is just good common sense.  It doesn’t take much in the way of incidents, or unplanned excursions, to cause one to be stumbling home in the dark.

A sometimes frustrating question:  I’m referring to the “What lights should I get?” question.  It’s frustrating because my experience is that folks seem to be asking for permission to spend a whole lot less than they should.  I’m asked the question, and then promptly ask in return,  “What are your intentions?  Where and when do you want to go night riding?”

Before I go any farther, please understand, you get what you pay for.  Spending less, on a light that is inadequate to the purpose actually costs you more.  Either you don’t get to ride, or you try it and have a bad time.  Then you are still faced with having to pony up for a light that is appropriate to the purpose.

I tend to rank lights into three informal categories.  Here follows a description, along with a rough (very) price guidline.

See me!  (Please?)  approximately $20 to $35

5 to 20 lumen

These are devices that increase your presence.  They make you more visible to others, but they don’t do much to help you see what you are doing.  Basically, these are little more than glorified flashlights, with bicycle handlebar mounts.

Get me Home  Approximately $40 to $80

25 to 75 lumen

These are lights that will allow you to ride home.  They work well for those times that find you out longer than expected.  Some emergency (say a flat tire a bit before dusk) has put you unintentionally in the dark.  This is the light that will allow you to ride home, but at a reduced speed.  These are worth it, if you don’t plan to be in the dark ever, but want some fairly cheap insurance.

Intentional  Approximately $100 to $800

120 to 1400 lumen

Yeah that last number is high.  But wait.  Amazing things have been happening in the LED and rechargeable battery world.  My current personal favorite night light costs $145.  It puts out an astonishing amount of light.  It’s brightest setting is 400 lumen, and will last for two hours.  It’s adequate to the task of night time trail riding.  Only a few years ago, a system that would meet that demand cost over $400.

Why do I call this category “Intentional”?  Because these are lights for the individual who says,  “I intend to be out here, in the dark, doing it, and I’m gonna do it right!”

A few more good points:

Lumen?  It’s a unit of measure for light.  To make this intuitive, a really bright flashlight is usually about 10 to 15 lumen (and hopelessly inadequate for riding).  A single automotive headlight, on low-beam puts out about 250 lumen.  On high it’s about 425 lumen.

Two cheap lights do not equal one good one, but they may cost more.

You need more light to ride off road at night.  (There’s more ambient light on the road, and roads don’t surprise you with sudden extremely sharp turns or obstacles.

Two lights are ideal for night time mountain biking.  (One on the handlebar and one on the helmet.)

If only one light is to be used for mountain biking, it should be a helmet mount type.  (You need to be able to turn your head and direct your light to the point you are about to ride without having to turn the handlebar.  This isn’t so necessary on the road, but it’s essential on the trails.

I hope this has been somewhat helpful.  Suggestions?  Questions?