How many lights have you got?

cee

Yeah!!!

Thats what I need!

NGale

on the front one of those cheap smart 3 led lights
on the back: seat post smart led light, pannier rack: 1 led light reflector thing (bright as heck with the light reflecting off the reflecting bit) and then two other smart rear lights for when I am carrying pannier bags.

and if I really want to be seen after all that, I have a light clipped to the back of my jacket.

moonio

i have a flashing white gekko thing at the front I love it!
http://www.bikesnbits.com/smsimg/95/1574-4081-main-knog_gekko_front_light-95.jpg

a cateye super bright thing at the back, and a mars 3 something at the side, plus my flaching reflective wristbands..

philbill1973

My dinotte front and rear lights arrive any day now, so currently I'm running a topeak whitelite DX on the front with a topeak redlite and cateye LD600 on the rear.

When the clocks go back I'll have a helmet light that I modded with souel P4 led's and rear flasher and a cheap flasher on my soft shell by my bum.

Yes I am going to be very bright, but if anyone says they didn't see me, well.

Kieran_Burns

philbill1973 wrote:

My dinotte front and rear lights arrive any day now, so currently I'm running a topeak whitelite DX on the front with a topeak redlite and cateye LD600 on the rear.

When the clocks go back I'll have a helmet light that I modded with souel P4 led's and rear flasher and a cheap flasher on my soft shell by my bum.

Yes I am going to be very bright, but if anyone says they didn't see me, well.

when you pass people at a level crossing will they end up with a sunburn down one side of their face?

Surf-Matt

Does everyone with all these rear lights wear a hi vis top? I'd say that even if you have 20 lights, a hi vis vest will still increase visibility massively.

Or are they not cool enough...?!

Nick6891

i have reflective lights on my jacket but its not a high vis one

tailwindhome

As someone who commuted 40,000 miles per year by car mainly on un lit country roads I would like to echo Surf Matt's comments and add a 'drivers perspective'

From a distance the hi vis vest increases visibilty massively and are essential wear. I woulld suggest that to 'be seen' they are even more important than lights

Its amazing how many people walk/cycle on country roads in the pitch black wearing dark clothing, and with the best will in the world drivers can't see them until very late

As far as lights go I picked up the same set as the OP from a local Tesco store reduced to £7.50, though I will probably be adding to this set.

My local Halfords store have reduced lights in a Half Price Bargain Bin. Not sure if this will be national but might be worth checking out

cougie

Yeah I'd echo the point about reflectives too. For some reason walking kit doesnt bother with reflective tabs or seams - but go up to the Lakes or whatever and you will see them walking on the road after dark. A little reflective tape goes a long way. You can even buy it off Ebay and sew it on yourself.

Last night I was cycling about 10pm - lights fully ablaze and there were people walking on the grass verge on my left. I was lighting up catseyes a good 200m in front of me - but these people didnt have any reflectives - just dark clothes. As a result - I didnt see them until I was a few meters away.

If you have mudguards - put reflective tape all around them. Or get some reflective bands for your ankles - thats always very visible too on a bike.

dirk_van_gently

Rear: Currently one very bright 5 LED cateye, will be adding a small LED widget around my ankle shortly

Front: 2 on bike, one on Helmet, just ordered a Fenix LD20, which will in replacement of one rather than in addition to.

+: Fireflies on both wheels, for the Christmas tree effect :-)

Surf-Matt

When you see guys working on the motorways at night, they are head to toe in hi vis reflective gear and are extremely easy to see - hence why I wear a hi viz vest. Easy to miss a small flashing red light (anyone else nearly crashed into a Land Rover Defender before? They have tiny little rear lights - yet somehow they are legal!).

jeepie

Yeah - I bought a Respro HUMP Rucksack cover for this reason as I wear a rucksack over my high vis top which does obscure most of the high vis. Of course you can never tell how effective your visibility is can you??? But I feel more confident with the cover now.

Kieran_Burns

I have my Altura nightvision for winter, cropton for summer showers and a hi-vis bib for warm days.

I wouldn't go on the roads without them.

The nightvision gives incredible results in the dark - I have about 6 square foot of bright yellow in peoples faces when they drive up behind me.

kitch@mmm

I have Cateye EL 530 and cateye EL 135 (set to flash). On the rear Cateye LD 610 - 5 led light on steady plus a Smart 5 led - flashing - usually clipped to helmet/ rain jacket or helmet. Spare rear light is another small cateye

Polaris reflective jacket if not raining. Cheap reflective waistcoat over rain jacket if it is.

Polaris rucksack cover (if rucksack used) and reflective ankle bands.

Work colleuges ,who have passed me at night, say the reflective can be seen from a very long distance. Especially the ankle bands. Most of my commute is unlit A/B roads.

Neither front light is any good to see the road with though

Surf-Matt

I've tested my reflectives by Mrs Matt shining car headlights at me!

Polaris reflective vest goes over my coat, got a Respro hi vis bag cover for use if wearing my rucksack (not often) plus good lights front and back.

We actually put the bag cover over the front of our buggy when pushing the baby at night - and stick an old Cateye EL510 on it too!

cougie

Typical eh - all this dosh we spend on lighting and safety and the best thing is some ankle clips ! Those snap on ones are very handy I find.

johnbirkby46213

Now have my lighting set-up for my commute now that the dark is here.
Front
Two x Fenix P2D attached with the fantastically sturdy Twofish Lockblock either side of the stem. To the left of the left P2D is a cateye EL20 for strobe-work. As I used to scuba dive I have also utilised my diving strobe as an all-round strobe (well to the front and sides at least) which goes off with eye searing flashes about once a second fixed between the 2 P2D's. :twisted:
Rear
Cateye LD-610 flashing attached to seatpost
One x Smart Superflash 31 flashing attached to saddle bag, one X Smart Superflash 31 on constant zip-tied to my helmet. My panniers have light clips on them and I have the pathetic rear lights attached to those.
On me
Finally I have my Hi-viz waistcoat thingy.
My commute (only 12km) is virtually all unlit country roads. Hopefully they'll see me coming...and going...! :shock:

JB

gradiric

New for this winter...just plastered my (black) jacket with stick-on reflective strips - think they and my HUMP rucksack cover are probably more effective than the lights (2 3-leds at front, one 7-led rear on helmet, one 10-led rear on bike). Last winter had a front light on helmet, which I felt was really effective as you can look directly at drivers before they try to turn across you...haven't got round to putting it back on yet for this winter.

nesty

I got the below

Front I got choice of Airbike Sl1 (670 Lumen), Fenix TK-11& Fenix LD20

Rear Catseye LD610 (very good light) & some other red light from Poundland.

FixedNewbie

2x 5LED Cat Eyes on the back - not sure the model,

1x Opticube and 1x wiggle Exposure Joystick Max (when it arrives)

Fired a load of that reflective tape on my luminous bag cover and some on my helmet for if ever i fall off.

My worry is cars spotting you side on at night on roundabouts etc.

The Chingford Skinhead

Had to buy some new lights as my main front light died badly (it was a cheapo so I figured my life was probably worth more than a tenner. So spent c£40 on some Smart Bspoke 1/2 watt lights with magnifyers. Blooming bright and the front has cut outs so you can see it from the side as well. Pretty pleased - and as ordered a spare set of brackets I can use the lights for both bikes (also bought some night vision full finger gloves while in the LBS.

Looking for the link I see I could have got the lights a lot cheaper on line but hey, the guys in the LBS are pretty good for extras.

https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=17520

cougie

Some impressive set ups here ! For side visibility - try reflective tyres or tyre flys off ebay - fit on valve or valve cap and they are pretty eye catching.

FixedNewbie

cougie wrote:

tyre flys off ebay - fit on valve or valve cap and they are pretty eye catching.

Cheers, never heard of them before.

lost_in_thought

cougie wrote:

Some impressive set ups here ! For side visibility - try reflective tyres or tyre flys off ebay - fit on valve or valve cap and they are pretty eye catching.

Oooooh I got some things called spokelits

http://www.theglowcompany.co.uk/acatalo ... ZZSPOKELIT

which are really good. Can be set to flashing or constant, really easy to fit unless you have funky spokes...

Kieran_Burns

FixedNewbie wrote:

cougie wrote:

tyre flys off ebay - fit on valve or valve cap and they are pretty eye catching.

Cheers, never heard of them before.

they don't appear to be road legal though

cougie

Have you ever heard of anyone being stopped for non road legal lights ? Police will just be happy that a cyclist actually has lights. Thats one less RTA to attend hopefully.

I've never had any bother.

damnedinflames

A steady 3 LED SMART on the rear and one set to flash on my back pack
Two 5 LED Polaris on the front and a cyba-lite on the helmet
considering some spoke lights as well - for that lo-rida look

FixedNewbie

lost_in_thought wrote:

Oooooh I got some things called spokelits

http://www.theglowcompany.co.uk/acatalo ... ZZSPOKELIT

which are really good. Can be set to flashing or constant, really easy to fit unless you have funky spokes...

Now they are cool!!!!

linsen

lost_in_thought wrote:

cougie wrote:

Some impressive set ups here ! For side visibility - try reflective tyres or tyre flys off ebay - fit on valve or valve cap and they are pretty eye catching.

Oooooh I got some things called spokelits

http://www.theglowcompany.co.uk/acatalo ... ZZSPOKELIT

which are really good. Can be set to flashing or constant, really easy to fit unless you have funky spokes...

How many do you have. LiT? Is one on each wheel enough? Might get some for the chidlren's bikes as well as mine!

cougie

Same as the tyreflys though arent they ? Tyreflys were cheaper last time i looked.

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/_W0QQ_dmpt ... &_osacat=0