Night riding

[Dianyla]

Due to my extended work+school hours, for me bike commuting almost always means night riding, even around summer solstice.

I have all of the following mounted on my bike:
Super bright Red blinky light (Cateye TLD-1000) on the end of the rear rack
4 spoke lights mounted on the front wheel, for side visibility (Hokey Spokes)
Super bright White front headlight (Exposure, rechargeable bright LED)
Second white front headlight (Cateye Opticube) that I keep on strobe mode (it is also a reasonable better-than-nothing backup light in case I've forgotten to charge my LED light)

And then I wear:
Plain ol' red blinky light on the back of my helmet
Bright yellow vest or jacket or rainjacket

So far I've been able to see and be seen quite well with this setup. Many cars give me a wide berth, and are generally polite because they don't get scared when I appear "out of nowhere!".

[onimity]

All things considered I prefer to ride during the day, but since it is going to be completely dark before I leave work in a couple of weeks, I don't have much choice. I ride home on some country roads that are not lit, so lighting is really key to me.

I have a reasonably bright CatEye Opticube on the front of my bike, it isn't good enough to really see anything in total darkness, but it works fine on lit paths and helps get the attention of cars. I usually use it in blink mode.

I have a super-bright headlamp that I wear on my helmet. It is blindingly bright and does a great job of illuminating the road/signs/etc. I much prefer it to an on-the-bike lamp because it lights up what I am looking at.

I attach as many blinky lights to the back of me & my bike as I can (I have a collection of them) and I have a timbuk2 bag with a reflective panel (like this one...though TE doesn't carry the one I got anymore). I went in search of the bag after I saw a guy riding with one at night, the reflective panel is huge and really bright. I get so many comments from both cyclists and motorists, day and night, about the bag.

I wear reflective leg bands too, the movement of legs draws attention too.

Anne

[malaholic]

I am a newbie who just recently started riding at night also....the lack of peripheral vision is a little odd, but I'm finding that I really enjoy it. You'll want to wear shades with clear or yellow lenses so that you'll still have eye protection - especially because bugs will be attracted to your bike lights. Bright and/or reflective clothing is definitely helpful, especially on your legs where the motion will call attention to the reflectors, but realize the cars are going to be fairly close to you already by the time they see your reflective clothing or bike reflectors. Bike lights are the most important factor both for seeing and being seen.

Regarding front lights, there are a lot of choices out there for a lot of different price points; your choice will be dependent on how much you want to spend, and what you need for where & how long you'll be riding. For me, 10 miles of my commute are on a moderate-traffic road with no shoulder whatsoever, so I ended up getting an HID light (Planet Bike Alias HID) and I don't regret it even though it was pricey, because I know my beam can be seen on the road from a long way out from all directions (I'll possibly be mistaken for a motorcycle or a car with one headlight out - but I'll be seen nonetheless ) I have a Planet Bike Superflash blinky as my rear light.

I also carry with me a small, inexpensive LED headlamp (Petzl Tikka) as a backup. It will serve as an emergency light in the event that either my battery or bulb fails, and it will give me hands-free lighting in the event that I need to change a flat.

Good luck with the night riding, let us know how it goes!

[elk]

(malaholic....sweet photos of your mals!)

I love riding at night, but I like it because there is less traffic on the side streets...so I guess that's useless...

But! You guys who ride home after dusk should have flags!!! the kind that stick out horizontally with reflective triangles on them...They give you a wider zone.

[equus123]

At least for me, my last VERY close run-in with a deer has steered me away from riding at night. I don't know about where you guys live or ride but we have a decent amount of deer here. Other stupid little animals like rabbits, squirrels, and gophers are always something to watch out for.

I've gone out with a friend several times and the end of our ride was in the dark. I do have to admit that it was neat and fun to ride in the dark. You feel a lot more freedom for some reason and it's fun in the sense that you can do anything you want! It's pitch black and nobody can see you! (Our rodes didn't have many street lights...if not none at all).

So my only advice is to be wary of wildlife. They're certainly out there and now you're in their domain once the lights go out and people are in their homes.

[mimitabby]

Equus, you live in NJ? yes, you guys Do have a lot of deer, don't you.
Here in the PacNW, there aren't too many deer in the BIG CITY... poor things wouldn' t know what to do.
I ride in the wee hours before dawn to get to work. I have a light on my helmet and two lights on my bike which are powered by the schmidt hub on my front wheel. I wear dayglow yellow and have two tail lights as well.
I am still terrified but it's better to ride with someone else.

[Blueberry]

Mimi-

Which lights do you have off your Schmidt?? I'm trying to make a decision about replacement lights for my bikes

We ride after dark all of the time - when after dark, I usually ride with DH. We're certainly well lit, and we do ride different routes. Sadly, where we live, once cannot ride but so far at night without being on either very rural roads (nice) or in terrible neighborhoods (not nice).

CA