New to Riding in the dark

mooseface2r

I'm pretty new to cycling hand have realy been felling the benefits over the past few months. But in the last couple of weeks primarily since iv come back off holiday iv hardly been out atall Due to it being dark when I get back from work.

What do I need to gear myself up to ride in the dark and can any one give any advice on gear as I plan to set my self up with everything I need to get well into it over these dark few months.

I know I need some lights. Any advice/suggestions on what I should be looking for when buying

Also I'm going to get some more high vis clothing.

What are peoples thoughts on ringing in the dark?[/list]

liversedge

Its really obvious, I guess; 1. it gets really cold in the winter at night 2. You need to be seen 3. You need to see where you are going!

For 1 - get some decent winter gear for me that means base layer, bib longs, jacket, gloves, overshoes, skull cap and long socks. Sometimes even knee warmers over the longs.

For 2 - light up like a Christmas tree at the rear. I only have a rear light, but most of my gear is also reflective. Hi-viz vest looks un-cool but the cool-kids are sweating on their turbos so they won't notice.

For 3 - My biggest problem is potholes and descents. I'm still looking for the perfect setup. MBRs are more into good lighting for trail riding so there is some good advice over on the MBR forums. But the SSC P7s are cheap and offer a lot of brightness. Personally, I'm holding out for the new USE / Exposure six-pack which seems to have everything. Except price

Cheers,
Mark

twotyred

Two bright rear lights. I use one of these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42472 and another led.

Brightest front light you can afford. Speeding down hills in the dark you need all the light you can muster to see potholes. I use a Lumicycle HID which I have for MTBing.

Also take a small led head torch to use when fixing punctures or mechanicals. Can also be used as a backup if your front light dies.

I don't go out of my way to wear hi viz stuff because as a driver I find I notice good lights way before hi- viz clothing.

sheffsimon

Just fitted some Electron 16 lights from Planet X, cheap at £60 and seem super bright, with a seperate battery pack.

Make sure you go for reflective clothing not just hi-vis which is all but useless in the dark. I'm thinking about fitting some of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sekuclip-Bicycl ... B002Q9N3AM

Two rear lights, I use a Cat-Eye, bit pricey but good, and a cheapie back-up one.

Thermal top, roubaix bib tights, good gloves, neoprene overshoes and a wooly hat complete my ensemble

Oh, and some proper mudguards.

deal

The electron 16 lights are ok on lit roads wouldnt be much good if you ride elsewhere, a P7 / MCE torch or magicshine blow these away. I ride with a triple MCE light 8)

Agree with the 2 rear lights - they are behind you afterall so if one dies you may not notice for a bit.

simon_e

deal wrote:

The electron 16 lights are ok on lit roads wouldnt be much good if you ride elsewhere, a P7 / MCE torch or magicshine blow these away. I ride with a triple MCE light 8)

I like my Fenix LD20 on the front. A friend of mine runs two on her commuter, not much chance of missing her on the road! Cateye front lights seem poor VFM.

However, a Cateye LD600 aimed at driver's eye level works well on the rear, though comments on here have prompted me think I should fit a second small unit as a backup.

Reflectives are better than hi-viz for being seen at night. I've read that you can get sheets of reflective tape too.

kingrollo

There is a magic shine light from deal extreme - it costs around £60 - its 900 lume which blows everything but the most expensive lights out of the water.

I also like the anklelite - these are armbands with a solar light in - there are only about £12 - and in flash mode they give extra visibility from the side.

Smart Lunar R1 is a good rear light - and so cheap you can whack a couple on the back

vorsprung

When riding around rural lanes at night it's easy to see approaching cars

I agree with the comments on big lights. I am used to riding on roads at night and find MTB style lights to be somewhat "splat" in their beam pattern. So you can see the trees and hedges but the throw ahead down the road is less than a proper beam pattern for the road.

Fortunately the latest lights are so powerful that it doesn't matter that you are lighting up surrounding trees, they still go far enough ahead for descending at speed.