Riding in the Dark

[Rakekay]

Where's your "favorite trail" that's well lit? I'm in the DC area too, new to biking and wondering what I'm going to do once it starts getting dark earlier. I run my own company, so my schedule is pretty flexible and most days I can ride in the morning, but would love to know about a well-lit trail for those packed days when I need to ride later.

[Trekhawk]

check out this thread - best bike light by Caligurl 8/24/05. (sorry not clever enough to link this for you).

[Trekhawk]

oops forgot to say its in this Open Topic.

[DirtDiva]

It's nice if you know the path reasonably well before you ride it in the dark so that any tricky bits don't take you by surprise. Just because you can't really see the uneven paving/random gravelly spot/whatever doesn't mean it's not there (and I have the bruises to prove it)!

[shewhobikes]

It's made by Lights & Motion and it's called the Commuter. More than I wanted to pay (around $100) but it WORKS---lights well, plenty far ahead of me. Make sure you get a light that will help you see, not just be seen, if you really will be riding past dark!

[newfsmith]

I'm of the "don't tell me you couldn't see me school" While my winter ride has a truck taillight (56 LED's) I also have a Cat-eye taillight attached to my helmet running in the flashing mode. From the side I have truck marker lights on the forks and a "beehive" amber light on top of the rear trunk, plus lots of reflective tape on wheels as well as spoke reflectors. On the front I have double front reflectors, a 10W equivalent LED headlight, plus a helmet headlight, also in the flashing mode. The helmet light is important because as you check the traffic at an intersection you are flashing light at the traffic approaching from either side, which will not be able to see your handle bar light. I routinely ride a poorly lit backroad in the dark both ways to work from December to late February, and also have to cross a 6-lane highway. I take "lighting up" very seriously in those months. I also wear lots of reflective material: a safety triangle, double leg band reflectors, and either Glo-gloves or leg reflectors wrapped around my mitts. Everyone laughs at the extremes I go to, but I get good clearance on the road.

[wabisabi]

Oooh, that snow in the dark looks cold!!
---California weenie