daoswald

I do more than half of my riding at the end of the day, after dark. This allows me to spend time with my kids before they go to bed, and then head out for my ride after they've conked out for the night. I'll go a couple hours typically, finishing up around 11:30pm on weeknights. The other half of my riding is starting around sunrise on weekends. I can fit in a three hour ride and then still have a full day to spend doing family things.

In both cases, I bring and use lights. In front I have a Light & Motion Urban 900, that set me back just under $100. In back I have a CygloLite HotShot Pro-150 that cost me about $45. Mounted under my down-tube water bottle cage I have a Bottle Blinky -- a rather new kind of light that flashes amber off to the sides to alert side-traffic. I have never had a close call at night while properly illuminated. Drivers can see me far in advance of arriving in close proximity to me. And honestly night riding is a great feeling once you get used to it; not hot, no sunburn, less traffic, more peaceful. I'm a fan. But I believe cyclists should be prepared.

Tonight around dusk I found myself behind the wheel, and had an opportunity to observe a few cyclists along my drive. Out of the six cyclists I saw around the time that evening was giving way to the darkness of night, only one of them had a light, and it was a flashing front light, with nothing in back (not even a reflector). The one that scared me most was a teen sitting at a red light in a left turn lane on a road where traffic often reaches 50mph. He was dressed in black, with a black bike, and not even so much as a reflector. I was in a "straight' lane passing through the intersection, and only saw him sitting at the red left-turn arrow a second or two before I entered the straight-through lane of the intersection (so to be clear, he was at no risk from me). It would only take that red arrow changing to green at the moment a car approached the left turn from behind for him to be hit, since he was so hard to see at this time in the evening. I contemplated pulling a U-turn and talking it over with him, but figured that would just fall on deaf ears -- a middle aged guy trying to instruct a teen he doesn't know on the dangers of cycling at dusk without lights.

So let me put it this way:

People typically have only one life to live. When cyclists are struck by moving vehicles the survival rate is not good, and those who survive could easily be left with life-changing injuries. Cyclists who aren't easy to see are far more likely to be struck by a moving vehicle. It doesn't matter who is at fault if a cyclist is injured or killed -- regardless of who is at fault, the cyclist has been injured, or has been killed. Most people would prefer living a long and healthy life. Some of them ride bikes to improve the quality of their health and their lives. Getting struck by a moving vehicle will rob a cyclist of his or her health, or his or her life.

We spend $500 to $12000 on a bike. A good set of front and rear riding lights costs $100-$200. Even a cheap set is better than nothing (marginally), and could set you back $40-$60. There is no excuse spending $1000+ on a bike, $100+ on one set of bib & jersey, $100 on pedals, $150 on shoes, $40 on bottle cages, $40 on a seat pouch, $50 on a multi-tool, a patch kit, tire levers, and a spare tube, $50 on a mini pump... Oh yeah, and $50 on a helmet, $25 on gloves, but $0 on lights!

That final $100 on top of your overall outlay of $1600 is not going to kill you. But riding after sundown without lights may indeed kill you. Imagine losing your life because you skimped on that final $100 bucks.

If you haven't bought lights for your bike, don't ride it after sunset or before sunrise until you do. It's the law in most places, but more importantly, it will someday alert a driver who would otherwise not have seen you.

Ok, now that's off my chest, and you've hopefully resolved to buy lights. What next?

Use them in the daytime too. At least the rear light, but possibly the front. When I'm behind the wheel during daylight hours I often find the flashing of a cyclist's lights catches my attention far in advance of the time I would have noticed him or her without the flashing. This is only anecdotal evidence, but I believe that a cyclist with daytime flashing lights will be noticed sooner by motorists. And being noticed sooner gives motorists more time to make good decisions, or at least good reactions.

What are the downsides to using lights, day or night?

• Idiots tend to lean out the window and shout to scare you as they pass by. But at least they saw you and didn't drift over to the right while texting, striking you in your near invisibility.
• Lights have a non-zero weight. So weight weenies will want to just do their cycling by daylight to avoid those extra few grams. But let me just mention this: My first set of lights came with a big battery pack that strapped to my top tube. They were heavy, and dimmer than modern lights, and still 100% worth their weight and expense. Nowadays you typically don't buy heavy lights.
• Lights make you look Fred. If that's true, who cares. Fred will live to ride another day. Besides, lights have become smaller, sleeker, and even Fred looks less Fred-like with modern lights.
• Lights cost money. Yeah, so does your bike, your other accessories, but more importantly hospital bills, funeral expenses, and lost income can devastate families. $100 for lights won't devastate your finances anywhere near as much as an ER bill for even the most minor of motor vehicle to cyclist collisions.

What are the upsides to using lights?

• You have a greatly reduced risk of being hit due to someone not seeing you.
• You can see where you're going if you get stuck out a little later than expected.
• You have something to illuminate that night-time flat repair.
• You may live a longer, healthier life.

Please don't ride at night without lights. Please do consider riding with daytime flashers too.

HazardBiker

Agreed.

Being on a budget I got creative.

For the front I found a very bright LED flashlight powered by 3 'D' cells. It has a pretty quick strobe mode which I always use. At night I can see it reflecting off street signs a good 1/4 mile in front of me. I used hose clamps to mount it to my handle bars.

For the rear, it's DIY. I have an electronics background and re-purposed an old LED based art project to make a light bar. It has changing flash patterns in multiple colors. It's like a miniature version of an emergency vehicle's light bar. I've had several people pull up next to me at stops and ask where I got it and/or mentioned how visible I am. I've also gotten quite a few compliments from police officers when I'm having talks with them. I am in the process of designing a more refined version with an eye towards commercializing it.

Brian

I-Like-To-Bike

Go to the Temple and sing to the choir?

Milton Keynes

I think most serious riders do use lights at night. The ones you want to reach probably aren't the ones reading or posting on Bike Forums. The ones I've seen riding without lights at night are the ones with Walmart BSO's and no helmets.

CliffordK

Yep,

I do a fair amount of bike commuting, all times during the day. The fancier the bikes, the better outfitted the riders are. In fact, many of those riding road bikes use a daytime rear blinker.

I see a lot at night without lights, often riding on sidewalks (hopefully paying some attention to intersections).

I snagged a used Fly6... so it has often been found on my bike during the day. It is less useful at night anyway. And, no point in having the thing without using it.

Steeljag

rumrunn6

agree about lights, even on some shared trails. I frequent one that gets pretty dark in the early evening under the trees even tho it's bright everywhere else. & in some places the setting sun lines up pretty well with the trail. fast riders on the same trail as young kids on kids scooters are a bad combination. I think even an entry level strobe & or steady light can add a significant degree of safety

Milton Keynes

NO! Not strobes on trails!!!

Hoopdriver

Agree wholeheartedly with the OP. I have a dyno hub on my commuting bike and run lights day or night. I strongly believe that flashing lights are less safe than solid illumination but on the road anything helps. No flashing lights on trails though. It's a practice that is not only irritating but it nudges the universe off kilter a bit.

rumrunn6

I actually agree with that. the only exception is a low powered blinky type aimed down with discretion. a bright strobe pointed straight ahead regardless of conditions is not what I was suggesting

scott967

The law in my state (and probably most) is that lights are required 30 min AFTER sunset until 30 min BEFORE sunrise. That I guess is defined as "civil twilight".

scott s.
.

Daniel4

Agree but would it help keep dogs away?

wphamilton

More accurately, even a cheap set is 10-20$ and is marginally less effective than the expensive ones. There's no reason not to have them if you ride at dusk,

MoAlpha

Leisesturm

I wondered when it would happen ... first a thread imploring cyclists to come to a full stop and put a foot down ... now a thread imploring night riders to use lights, not to see where they are going but to be seen by important road users ... indeed, what next? This forum has never been for and about cyclists it has always been a thinly veiled mouthpiece for drivers (most of you are) aggrieved about bad cyclist behavior. Where is the push-back?

adablduya

you can't possibly be serious with that logic.

adablduya

and just what is the problem with a desire to be seen by the 4,000 lb. body crushers we all share the road with ? is it not better to be seen than not ?

mr_bill

Noticed in Copenhagen that most people used REELIGHTS Hub Light or the newer CPH Light. They *always* flash when you are moving, once per wheel revolution.

(Some people installed two induction magnets per wheel, so they flashed twice per revolution. Some people installed them not 180 degrees apart, so they flashed like a heartbeat.)

In spite of all this blinking, I did not die, nor did the universe tip.


Perhaps because these lights are not FWOOSHlights?



-mr. bill

OHMO

... yet.

mr_bill

The only "see" lights on vehicles are the headlamps and backup lamps. All the other lights are "be seen" lights, although some convey additional information (such as turning or braking). DRL are also "be seen" lights. Lights on when raining are also usually "be seen" lights.

But yes, people on foot and people on bikes are important road users. I for one when I'm on my bike or on foot like to see the vehicles that are coming at me. Do you?

PEOPLE ON BIKES WANT TO SEE PEOPLE ON BIKES! This has nothing to do with motordom.

(And now, a funny from Bikeyface.)

-mr. bill

Leisesturm

Is it not better to be seen than not? Nine words. How many words in the o.p.? “Verbum sapienti satis est”, "A word to the wise is sufficient". The heavy handed bombardment of thinking cyclists by self-righteous (and bored) motorists is what should stop. See to the log in your own eyes, because just 815 cyclists died last year from being hit by cars and most were in the daytime, because, in truth, that is when the vast majority of cyclists ride. However in that same time span over 5500 pedestrians and 40,000 other motorists were killed (the injuries run well into the low hundred thousands). As a useful PSA this one ranks down there with always have clean underwear on.

Jim from Boston

Please, use lights.Back in 2015 was a now-closed thread that asked the question, “What do you say to a cyclist riding at night w/o lights or reflectors"Later on that thread,

Quote:

Originally Posted by #73

doesn't take any stones for you to suggest behind your keyboard that i should seek help. gutless wonder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by #75

Your response suggests that you double down on my suggestion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by #76

do you have anything to say that requires any intelligence whatsoever ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CbadRider

Time to close this one

PS: I have previously posted to another now-closed thread, "How do we know when it’s time to stop?":

toast3d

Sometimes your battery runs out. It's happened to me once or twice. It should never be an issue on a rear light, though. Set it on blink mode. It will never run out on a ride. Never. Sometimes I purposely leave my tail light on at home so that I can drain the battery before recharging it.

Anyway... you should always have some kind of reflective surface on the front and sides of the bike so that people can still see you if and when your light dies. Those plastic reflectors that come on a new bike? Yeah, they suck. Put some white reflective tape on the bike frame. Maybe on the spokes too, if you really want to. You can also cut the tape to make cool little designs or something. Make it look pro.

Carry a small, lightweight spare light. It does not have to be powerful. You only need something to help people see YOU. Just something small that you can put in your pocket or in a saddle bag for emergencies. You can also use a phone as a light. There are free phone apps for exactly that purpose.

MikeyMK

I have a large chromed steel lantern on the front of my e-bike, but it doesn't use the little battery LED pack.. anymore. It now runs a retina-burning Cree LU3 diode, and runs off the main computer/controller on a 12v supply (converted from the 45-54v system, and the car horn also works off this). Yes it does have strobe function, as well as three brightness strengths, but strobe only works at maximum strength and flashes street signs two miles away, so it's useless. Epilepsy all round!
Dim mode is fine after dark. Bright mode is for the daytime when my daughter is sat on the back.

I'm looking at filtering the lens, i'd like a vertical corrugated pattern across the top half and an orange filter. But it's proving difficult to find perfectly clear orange and i don't think there's much orange light in the diode so it'll darken it massively. Might have to go with blue.

Hokiedad4

I mean, typically, sure.