It’s getting dark earlier…last night I bought a nice strope LED light for the back of my bike and rode in deep darkness for about 35 min. It was both enlivening and also a bit scary. Going 30 mph down a hill not able to see anything, being blinded by oncoming cars…all is character building (at one point 42 mph down a hill with a car behind me’s lights illuminating the pavement. Undoubtedly the driver thought I was off my rocker). My question is, how much would a headlight help at 20 mph? I rode without one and there wasn’t enough ambient light to see much, quite frankly. This doesn’t feel safe.
Is this why I never see cyclists at night? Are lights more of a “you’ve been out too late and sun went down, hurry home and use the light to avoid getting hit” as opposed to “it’s 11 pm, what better time for a time trial?”?
Needless to say, though I always ride with music, I didn’t last night.
I think you answered your own question with “going 30 mph down a hill not being able to see anything.” Remember what the Driver’s Ed teacher said about over-driving your headlights? Applies to bikes, too. There may be light out there which give enough light for these speeds but I don’t have one. Maybe time to get out the mountain bike?
I commute year round and that means I end up riding in the dark both directions sometimes mid winter. Most of my route has some lighting but there are a couple of completely black spots. I run about 5 lights on my bike mid winter. 2 head lamps, a tailight and usually 2 blinkies on my messenger bag, I want to make sure they see me. For headlights I run a cheap performance 5 led set to blink, this is my “see me” light. I have been running a very bright 8 led for a “me to see” light and it has worked well but eats batteries like a fiend so this year it will be replaced with something with a rechargable battery. I’ve learned after a couple of close calls that more is more when it comes to lights.
Since I do the vast majority of my riding in the dark, I decided that lighting was not something I’d skimp on. I run two HID lights up front and two red strobes in the back. With the HID’s, it’s almost like I’m riding during the day (and given my bike speed, there’s no chance I’ll out ride my headlights!)
What is everybody using? I also need a light combo and was looking at the DeNotte Ultra 5 Lithium package that includes the tailight for
$349. Are there any better deals out there?
Thanks so far. The LED I bought was $18. I don’t have much cash on hand for some front lights. Are there cheapies that are worth using?
I suppose putting knobbies back on my mountain bike would be best for night riding because it would force my pace down by at least 5mph, but its cranks are so far out it messes with the q factor.
So are people saying that a person can maintain a good, fast clip if they have enough lights on there (without being a christmas tree)?
* On a typical night, about 11 percent of drivers passing through checkpoints had some alcohol in their system, and 2.4 percent had an illegal BAC (> 0.08%). These indicate that drinking-driving was lower in North Carolina than in the U.S. as a whole.
* Male drivers (2.5 percent) were just over four times as likely as females (0.6 percent) to have an illegal BAC.
* Most impaired drivers had been drinking beer; 80 percent of drivers whose BAC was 0.05% or higher had been drinking beer rather than distilled alcohol (“mixed drinksâ€) or wine.
I have one of the niterider 2 bulb lights. It is great and you can definitely go 20 mph with it. However, I only use it for commuting, and while riding home on a crisp Fall night is wonderful, I’m a little terrified the whole time. All it takes is one:
About 3.7 percent had BACs above 0.05%. Many individuals with BACs this high may be somewhat impaired. Individuals with BACs this high can be arrested for impaired driving if they appear, based on their behavior, to be impaired.
Impaired driving is more common after midnight. Between the hours of midnight and 3 A.M., about 4.6 percent of drivers had BACs above the legal limit, compared with 1.5 percent between 10 P.M. and midnight.
The proportion of drivers with illegal BACs was similar on weeknights and weekend nights.
On a typical night, about 11 percent of drivers passing through checkpoints had some alcohol in their system, and 2.4 percent had an illegal BAC (> 0.08%). These indicate that drinking-driving was lower in North Carolina than in the U.S. as a whole.
Male drivers (2.5 percent) were just over four times as likely as females (0.6 percent) to have an illegal BAC.
Most impaired drivers had been drinking beer; 80 percent of drivers whose BAC was 0.05% or higher had been drinking beer rather than distilled alcohol (“mixed drinksâ€) or wine.
I have one of the niterider 2 bulb lights. It is great and you can definitely go 20 mph with it. However, I only use it for commuting, and while riding home on a crisp Fall night is wonderful, I’m a little terrified the whole time. All it takes is one:
About 3.7 percent had BACs above 0.05%. Many individuals with BACs this high may be somewhat impaired. Individuals with BACs this high can be arrested for impaired driving if they appear, based on their behavior, to be impaired.
Impaired driving is more common after midnight. Between the hours of midnight and 3 A.M., about 4.6 percent of drivers had BACs above the legal limit, compared with 1.5 percent between 10 P.M. and midnight.
The proportion of drivers with illegal BACs was similar on weeknights and weekend nights.
You bring up a good point. I’m surprised about the weekend and weekday part. I never ride on the roads on Friday or Saturday evenings.
My wife doesn’t like me riding on holiday weekends because of the excessive drinking. I mainly ride at 3am before work. It’s either ride in the day with lots of traffic or ride at night with sleep drunks. I figure at night we can see each other better.
Most of the roads I ride are fairly well lit but there are a few sections that aren’t. I have a dual head light and mainly use the 6W lamp. I’ll use the 10W for darker areas. Going downhill is a bit nerve racking because with the 6W I only see about 20’ in front which doesn’t leave much time to react to pot holes or debris (+ side is I learned to bunny hop real good). If you know the roads you’re riding then you feel a bit more confident. Tail lights are important too but I also got reflective straps at a running store and wear them on my ankles. I figure the up/down motion will catch driver’s eyes.
Every October in Montreal the news is filled with stories of dead cyclists. Every year. The blame always gets layed on the car but it does seems odd that these deaths always occur at night.
If it’s too dark to ride I use my trainer.
i live in the north, ride much of the year, most of it in the early hours so darkness is something i am no stranger to. you are asking the wrong question. it is not a matter of lights, it is a matter of speed - hence bike/tires.
if you build up a bike with soft, smooth riding larger tires, any inexpensive halogen 15 watt headlight will do fine. my current nite bike is a rivendell all-rounder which has 26in wheels, with huge smooth conti top-touring tires, running at around 60 psi or so. you could do the same with nearly any cross bike and many cheaper road " sport-touringish" bikes, and large 'cross tires. who doesn’t want a 'cross bike ?? bring your speed down - where are you going in the dark so fast, anyway ?? bonus, slower equals warmer equals even longer riding season. bonus #2, larger tires mean they still go in the snow, or are steady over a patch of ice, they allow you to safely hit stuff in the dark without crashing, and if ya have to go to the shoulder unexpectedly you can roll along in the gravel just fine. bonus #3, you can get out of drivers way quicker and you surprise them less if you are going slower. bonus #4, training effect is the same, if not better.
Wow, these bike lights are not cheap. Are there flashlights that put out serious watts for much cheaper? I’m not opposed to jury rigging something, but I cannot spend $150 on a HL…
i am not up to fashion on the latest wonder-lights, sorry. i am not interested in going 20 mph+ on a bicycle in the dark. like i say, with my heavy-ass rivendell running huge soft tires i can get by with a dirt-cheap nite-pro or planet-bike or knock-off brand 10W halogen for well under a hundie, and ride with plenty of light in a pitch black wooded locale. it is a speed issue - if you were walking a pen-lite would suffice. if you insist on riding 24 mph on 23 mm tires you are gonna need some candlepower, hombre.
lights are like motorcycles - nobody need much past 15 W or 500cc’s if you do it right, but everybody wants it, and once you go there you believe it to be neccessary.
