Night riding

[crazycanuck]

Since I can't see with the small lights I use Cat Eye Double shots during the winter & some other Cat eye one in spring/summer. I don't like handlebar mounted lights as i can't see so, I usually use a helmet light.

I hate blinky lights as man they hurt me eyes!! Ow! I leave my back light on normal mode just to save someone a headache.

C

[pinkychique]

Have any of you had experience with the knog lights? The little single led ones seem too small, but they have bigger ones, and they seem really easy to switch from one bike to another. I seem to need to do that between my good bike (for riding to my actual house) and my beater bike (for riding between my BF's house and school).

I love the Hokey Spokes!!!

[li10up]

How do you attach blinky lights to your helmet? I don't like the look of the light on my bike seatpost all the time...but how do you attach the light to the back of your helmet? Or do they make lights specifically for that?

[PscyclePath]

So I am a newbie myself, have had my road bike for about 2 mos, and recently switched to clipless pedals (2 days ago in fact! ). As it begins to get darker earlier, I know I will find myself returning home in nearly complete darkness. Therefore, riding time becomes a bit more sketchy.

How do most of you find riding at night to be? How feasible is it and what kinds of adjustments will have to made, equipment and so forth?

I ride a good bit at night this time of year, since my start time and usual route mean I'm coming back at least half way in the dark.

1) Lights and reflective gear are key. Lights have two purposes on the bike... first, to let motorists and other riders see you coming, and second to let you see where you're going. In both cases, you need active lighting systems, e.g., something with light bulbs that emit lots of light. Don't rely on reflectors alone. Reflectors are passive; they only reflect light that's aimed at them, and by the time your reflectors show up in a motorist's headlights, you probably have a big ol' "deer-in-the-headlights" look yourself.

2) Get a good set of headlights that hrow enough light for you to clearly see the road or trail in front of you. Typically, the rechargeable battery kind are best. You'll spend a good bit of money, as the more resonable sets will come in around $120 or so, but lights are one of those things that you usually good a good bit of illumination for the extra money spent. Also, a good bright blinky light for the rear of the bike. To be street-legal in most states, your bike must have a white LIGHT on the front that's visible for at least 500 fett, and a red LIGHT on the back that's visible for at least 600 feet. Some states will allow you to substitute a red reflector on the back for a red light, but it still must be visible for at least 600 feet. New bikes come with white and red reflectors, but that's a wholoe 'nother rant... The law requires active lights.

3) One of the basic principles for riding on the road is Be Visible. In addition to its usual application to your position on the road, you should wear light or bright-colored clothing. Blue, black, gray, brown, and green are not good jersey colors for low-light rides. White, yellow, orange, that odd chartreuse that many vendors call "hi-vis" are excellent choices.

4) Supplement your lights with reflectors... both on your bike, as well as your riding clothing. Reflective strips on your jacket, a reflective vest, etc. are all good. I bought an MTB helmet for night rides, and duded it up with some Scotchlite (TM) reflective tape for better visibility. I'm a big fan of "Tire Flies," (http//www.tireflies.com) which are little lights that thread onto the valve stems and light up as the wheels go 'round. These fo a great deal toward making you more visible in the dark. Those little reflectors on the back of your platform pedals are some of the most efective means of attracting attention in the dark, because of the motion.

5) Be alert, and ride defensively. Motorists aren't going to expect to see a cyclist out at night, and often aren't as alert as they would otherwise be in the daytime. Night time also brings you a higher probablity of encountering an "impaired" motorist who's had a little too much "refreshment," or who are simply tired, and/or have poor night vision. So be very careful. Stick to the back streets as much as you can on Friday and weekend nights, as this is when the drunks are most likely to be out.

6) Be extra careful at intersections and when making turns... again, motorists are less likely to be looking out for you. Don't let yourself get caught out in the intersection when traffic lights turn yellow (or, especially, red). Be more cautious, and stop on the yellow.

7) Slow down, so that you don't outrun the reach of your headlights... e.g., so that you can safely stop once you see a hazard in your lights. Never assume a motorist has seen you, since your lights are easy to get overwhelmed and missed against the brightness of automobile lights.

8) If you're blinded by someone else's oncoming headlights or overbright street lights/athletic field lights, don't look directly into the beam. Look off to one side and use your peripheral vision. One advantage of the MTB helmet is that it has a visor, and I can use that to help block a blinding light, sort of like a sun-shade in the car.

9) Turn signals can be difficult when you're riding on the streets... having a reflective band on your wrists can help your visibility here, but what I've found to be super-useful are "Glo-Gloves," reflective gloves intended for traffic cops and others, available for around $15 at http://www.night-gear.com.

Hope this helps a bit...

TOm

[Dianyla]

How do you attach blinky lights to your helmet? I don't like the look of the light on my bike seatpost all the time...but how do you attach the light to the back of your helmet? Or do they make lights specifically for that?

On my regular helmets, I use the the Cateye LD100 which has a little built-in lanyard that I thread through the helmet vents. It's not the brightest light, but it's something and it blinks.

For commuting I recently bought the Bell Metro which actually has a flat/smooth back with a built in strap that pretty much any blinky with a belt-clip can attach onto. It's pretty slick.

[Fredwina]

1. las psyclepath said, lights and reflective gear are the key. As a slow Randonuesse, I know these things
2. Front lights: wish I had the money for a dynohub, but I've got two Cateye El-500's: they were about $30/each, and I can get a month out of the batterys(Almost all of my weekday riding is in the dark ) so , you can get buy without spending a ton.

I know i',m going to get some post about what "junky" lights they are, but they seem to work fine for me. I've actually gotten sincere comment about the amount of light I have
I also have a Princeton Tec headling on helmet. Handy for reading cue sheet and 'puters on those 300 and 400K rides

I've got some cateye blinkes on the back:
.

[onimity]

nice stuffed Duke, Fredwina!

[Fredwina]

nice stuffed Duke, Fredwina!

hey, I'm a JUG leader! I have to have a stuffed Duke:
confused? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_mascot

[onimity]

Very nice! I only have a free nerf-y one that I got at JavaOne last year. Nothing as cool as yours.

Several years ago I saw a guy in a Duke costume at a conference, ran up and kissed his big red nose. I think I terrified whoever was in that costume, but somewhere there are good pictures.

Do you go to JavaOne? If so we should meet up this year. Loved that they had a bike valet this year & was sad to not have my bike!

Oh, and your headlamp setup looks like mine, works really well for me too. I imagine it will be very nice if I ever get a flat after dark.

Anne

[Fredwina]

Very nice! I only have a free nerf-y one that I got at JavaOne last year. Nothing as cool as yours.

Several years ago I saw a guy in a Duke costume at a conference, ran up and kissed his big red nose. I think I terrified whoever was in that costume, but somewhere there are good pictures.

Do you go to JavaOne? If so we should meet up this year. Loved that they had a bike valet this year & was sad to not have my bike!

Oh, and your headlamp setup looks like mine, works really well for me too. I imagine it will be very nice if I ever get a flat after dark.

Anne

i have a nerfy -one on my desk at work. i got the home one from sun (http://www.sunwarestore.com/javawear.../gifts/JSC-190)
I didn't do Java one. Maybe next year. Hopefully , by then I won't be working with the Rodney Dangerfield of programming languages

ps my Jug's two pages:
https://sgvjug.dev.java.net/
and
http://www.sgvjug.org/

[steinspinne]

Well, I live in the middle of the city so I prefer to ride at night. Less traffic to worry about. Some of you may disagree with this, but I have a headlight and a taillight only. My commute is only 3 miles and the entire route has plenty of streetlamps to light the way, so the lights on the bike itself are just so others can see me coming.

Up front I have a Blackburn Quadrant and in the back I have a Blackburn Mars 2.0. Sleek styling, if I do say so myself. Check them out.

[caribou]

I read this thread this morning because I've just started bike commuting a couple days a week this summer, and want to keep it up now that the days are getting shorter. Just went back to fulltime work after years of 3/4 time, and miss my weekday daylight bike rides with hardly any traffic on the best routes, boo-hoo! Love the new job, but it sure is more challenging to get regular outdoor exercise in. Indoor gym or trainer work is the LAST resort.

Have any of you tried riding at night with rose lenses? I have Rudy Project frames, and the Racing Red is what I use for cross-country skiing in flat light conditions, to give more depth. I'm wondering if they work for night riding to reduce glare without being too dark. Got clear lenses too, but the idea of less glare from oncoming lights sound really good. I don't want to shell out more for yet another set of lenses--amber--if what I have will work well.

Also: from the motorist's point of view, I'm putting in a plug for those blinking red rear lights. As a motorist I've noticed many times how visible the blinking red rear lights are, and really appreciated the heads-up that a bike's on the road. So that and a medium-priced LED light are what I ordered, will see how they do on my short street-lighted commute (with bike lanes and no deer.)

[alicestrong]

Stock up on 99 cent store LED blinkies. The technology is surprising.