Night Lights for Bicycling

[Big Rabbit]

I have a Specialized Dolce and need to get lights for night riding. Do I get helmet lights and/or lights just for the front & rear of the bike? What kind is best?

[ny biker]

Well, a helmet light illuminates the area you're looking at. A headlight on the handlebars illuminates the area in front of the bike.

Also, there are two general categories of headlights -- the ones that are bright enough to really light your way, and the ones that are less bright but suited to making you visible to others.

I don't do lots of riding after dark, so I use two "make me visible" headlights and two taillights. The main headlight is on the handlebars and the main taillight is attached to my seat bag. In addition, I have small white and red lights on my helmet.

My main headlight is a Bontrager Ion 2 and it's very bright for the price ($40.00) -- bright enough to get me home on a dark rail-trail.

http://bontrager.com/model/08918

But if I was riding regularly in the dark, such as commuting, I would invest in a brighter light, the kind that is enough to really light your way. As for specific models, I can't recommend any, but I'm sure others can name some good ones.

p.s. this is the main taillight I use. It's a good light.

http://bontrager.com/model/08921

You should also consider wearing reflective stuff for added visibility. I like these ankle bands so much I'm asking for the wrist bands for Christmas.

http://www.roadid.com/Common/LearnMore.aspx?PID=10

I'm also probably going to ask for the Nathan reflective cycling vest that TeamEstrogen recently started selling.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodNN_2039N.html

[Sky King]

Light and motion offers the Stella - it can mount on your handlebar or on your helmet so makes it versatile. They aren't cheap BUT they are rechargeable and you will be seen and you will be able to see They also have a tailight called the VIS 180 that is awesome.
Here is a short post the bike hermit did on tailights

[lph]

The Stella is very popular here. It lights up well, but it's also very neat and lightweight and sexy-looking and many people like how you can take it off and use it as a headlamp for skiing or hiking. Excellent quality and totally waterproof casing and battery.

Mine is off for repair (turned my bike upside down and forgot it was on there) so I'm borrowing my dh's Magicshine. It's a cheapo version of the bright lights, and boy is it bright It's not by far as well made, but the light is excellent, the battery pack is good and the switch is actually better than on the Stella. The blinking function is positively fit-inducing, and gets me attention galore in roundabouts. But you have to be careful where you point the beam.

Taillight: I used to love the Superflash, made by Smart bike lights here, Planet Bike I think in the US, with one 0,5 W LED and two smaller ones. Now I have one that's even more annoying, with two 0,5 W super-brilliant red LEDs. They're so bright that on non-flash mode they light up the road behind me.

Oh, and please do remember side visibility. In intersections it's crucial to be seen from the side.

[ny biker]

Oh, and please do remember side visibility. In intersections it's crucial to be seen from the side.

Agreed.

My headlight has little notches so that a bit of light can be seen from the sides. I thought it was a nice innovation -- my old light (also a Bontrager) didn't have that. I think many manufacturers have been making tail lights with side-visibility for some time now.

One reason I like the ankle bands is side visibility. The reason I want to get the wrist bands is so that my arms can be seen better when I signal turns. And really you can't go wrong with more reflective stuff at night.

[WindingRoad]

I have a Stella 200L and I just 'replaced' her with a Nite Rider MiNewt 600. It's the new version so the battery is contained in the light which is cool cuz Stella has the external battery which is a bit bulky. For 600 lumens the Nite Rider was WAY cheaper than a comprable Stella. I get cars flashing me to turn my light down with the NiteRider so I generally run it on the 400 lumens setting. The strobe mode is amazing too, overall I really like this light. It has a wide beam which is nice for super dark commutes. I can get about an hour and a half on 600 lumens and about 3 on 400 lumens, 4.5 on 200 lumens, 8 on strobe and 10 on 100 lumens.

[tzvia]

Most of the AA/AAA battery units fall into the 'be seen' category, and while you can get rechargeable 'be seen' lights, the higher lumen lights that can illuminate the road ahead are typically rechargeable. I would put 300 lumen+ lights in the road-illuminating category. Higher lumens give you greater distance and/or a wider spread.

When I started commuting, I had an AAA Serfas light up front and a superflash in back. Well, that didn't do squat on road illumination- my neighborhood streetlights are few and far between and the potholes many. And I seemed to hit every one that I could not see... and the jarring broke off the rear blinkies- I lost three before deciding I wanted better than that.

Ok, rethink. I then got a Stella 150. Great helmet light- not enough to brighten those potholes but drivers had a better chance of seeing me. Good quality built light. However the higher lumen lights are big bucks. I then bought a Chinese light, the Magicshine. Claimed 900 lumen up front, and about 2 watts in back. Well, a battery recall and wires all over the bike linking both lights to the external battery had me looking again. I want all-in-one lights. And I am sick of cheap lights that fall off. I then found the Dinotte brand. German lights that are the bomb, but expensive. Can't afford the front, but the 200buck 3watt tail light- rechargeable and made of metal with a beefy mount, fit my needs so I bought it. It is as bright as a car brake light. Really. Visible a block away in daylight. Coupled with my Magicshine rear light, you would have to be blind to miss me.

Next, I came across the Nightrider Mininewt 600. While the spread is not as wide or as bright as the Magischine (which is a good light with it's new battery style if you don't mind cords and battery packs), but it's small and self contained. As it recharges USB, I can ride my 30 minutes to work and charge it if needed there. I still use the Magischine on longer night road or MTB rides, but for commuting I just use the Mininewt, it's plenty bright and I can see the potholes and sand mounds that washed down the hillside.

[Big Rabbit]

Thanks all for your input. Now I have to go check out all your suggestions.