Bicycle Lighting Systems In Review
With the onset of winter, colder weather is not the only thing that will affect your cycling. Significantly less Day-Light hours mean staying visible to other road/trail users is more difficult and the topic of lighting is raised.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the huge amount of bicycle specific lighting systems available today. The first question you need to ask yourself when choosing the appropriate light system for your bike is do I need “to see” or “to be seen”? To assist in answering this it is worth considering the following:
- Am I cycling on the road or trail?
- Is my cycling route well lit by street lights?
- Is there any section where street lights are not present?
- How much motor vehicle traffic will I encounter?
- What speed do I usually ride at?
- What is my budget?
As a rule of thumb, if you are commuting and your route is well lit by street lights, a flashing, battery operated LED lights will be adequate. These lights will emit and flashing or steady light which can be seen from a great distance (up to 500m) to identify you to oncoming/passing traffic. You can also expect some of these lights to last in excess of 100 hours. They use either AA or AAA batteries (which are always included). They mount directly to your bicycle and are very easy to fit. Another great feature of the rear lights is that you will be able to mount them on either your back pack or saddle bag if you carry any cargo.
There are now high power AA and AAA battery operated lights that will emit enough light to illuminate the road in front when the street lights start to become few and far between, keeping in mind that a brighter light will undoubtedly result in a shorter run time (15-24 hours) when compared to the lights above. Having a closer look at your cycling route will determine if this type of light is better suited.
If your cycling means neither of the above mentioned lights is adequate, you are likely to be riding in a poorly lit area or, riding off road. In either of these situations a good quality rechargeable light system will be your answer. These systems come in a huge range of light output levels and prices. There is no rule for which light is a minimum for each applications which means your circumstances will dictate how much you spend.
If a majority of your riding is on sealed roads/cycle ways, a great starting point will be the Nite Rider Mini kits should be sufficient. These offer incredible light outputs from very compact systems. Their batteries are charged directly from your wall outlet which means there is no fumbling around smaller batteries. The latest release from Nite Rider Mini USB kit allows you to charge your battery (which is the size of a small mobile phone) directly from your notebook/PC which means you will always have a means of keeping your battery topped up.
If you are require a light for riding trails, send an email through to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call us and the guys will run your through the lights that will suit your riding style and budget.
