Bike Lights
Wheel Life column - October 21, 2000
by Todd Litman and Suzanne Kort - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Should motorists drive with blurry windshields or closed eyes? Of course not, that would be dangerous. For the same reason it is essential when cycling in dim or dark conditions to have excellent lighting, plenty of reflectors and bright clothing.

With a little preparation you can cycle in safety and comfort year round. Autumn recreational cycling can be particularly pleasant, as long as you are well prepared and ride with caution.

Cycling in dim and dark conditions requires equipment that allows you to see the roadway ahead, and to be seen by other road users (the technical word is "conspicuity," how visible you are to others). Conspicuity is important both in urban areas (where drivers have many distractions), and on rural roads (were traffic speeds are high, so drivers need lots of warning).

At a minimum you need a white headlight, a red taillight, and a red rear reflector. This costs about $25. It may be adequate for occasional evening rides on urban roads with abundant ambient light.

If you ride regularly in poor visibility, or on dark rural roads and trails, we recommend a more powerful system with a large, rechargeable battery (many are now designed to fit your water bottle cage), one or two headlights (minimum 5-watt bulbs) that mount on your bike or helmet, and two or more LED (light emitting diode) blinkers in the rear. Helmet-mounted lighting systems are particularly popular for trail riding, since the light beam tracks the direction of your face. This type of system will cost $100-200.

Another option is to install a generator light permanently on your bike. This has the advantage of always being ready, even when you don't expect to ride in dark conditions, and it does not need batteries. Some generators have a little wheel that rubs against your tire, others have a generator incorporated into the wheel hub. If you use such a system, also install LED blinkers visible from the front and rear, since a generator light does not work when your bike stops moving. This costs $50-100.

Make sure that your lighting system is properly mounted. There is nothing worse than a light that jiggles or bounces off the bike when you need it most.

In addition, add lots of reflectors and wear light coloured clothes. Pedal reflectors and reflective legbands are particularly visible. However, reflectors are not a substitute for lights. When a vehicle approaches from the side, its headlights will not illuminate a bike's reflectors until they are right in front, which may be too late.

Design your lighting system to satisfy the worst conditions that you might encounter: a dark road, in the rain, with busy traffic, and distracted drivers. It's good to have redundant systems, such as two rear lights, in case one fails. Test your bike's conspicuity by cycling past a friend who is wearing dark sunglasses on a dark, rainy night. Only if you are still highly visible is the bike ready for nighttime riding.

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If you are looking for places to ride offroad at night, check out the South Island Mountain Bike Society (SIMBS) website, which now has detailed directions to popular cycling trails in the region. Visit http://www.simbs.com and choose "Where 2 Ride." SIMBS is also working with CRD Parks to develop a Technical Training Area to be constructed in Mount Work - Hartland Regional Park. This area will have special equipment designed for off-road cyclists to practice technical skills, including rolling earthen bumps, jumps, giant teeter-totters, and all sorts of creative structures built with logs (think of an oversized children's playground). Information on this project is also at the SIMBS website.