Riding in the dark

chopchopchop

Rode all 23 miles to work this morning and had to start at 6am as usual. I was caught out a bit at how dark it was now at that time, haven't done it for 3 weeks or so.

I have some decent lights but wasn't comfortable at all riding in the dark on country roads. I think if I do it often I will get another light that focuses on 10 ft away from the bike. The holes in the road come at you quickly in the dark!

cougie

Theres a light thread in Buying - have a look there for some ideas.

Also look at the rear of your bike - I'd always run two lights - just in case. And check that they're visible. So many people fit lights and then block them with clip on guards, or bags, or in one genius case a long work coat that hid the light completely.

chopchopchop

rar is fine. I have 1 flashing and one glowing. Both very bright and clear, also a reflective hump covering my backpack.

I have the Lezyn LED Macro front and rear lights. I think I just need one extra on the front point further down the road.

slowbike

If you've already got a Macro on the front then perhaps a Cree torch would suffice - cheap & loads of light - it's what I use for the dark commutes.

ai_1

I've posted this many times in other threads so hope no-one minds me saying it again....
I highly recommend a shaped beam light over a conical beam type (like a torch beam for example).
Torch type beams which are what most lights provide, give you a hotspot in the middle which shows you one piece of the road very brightly but gives you no context, tunnel vision and ruins your night vision. It also means you will always either dump loads of light above the horizon or have the forground too bright and the distance too dim. There's simply no way to get consistent light on the road with symetrical beam.
Lights like the Philips Saferide are far superior in terms of the light provided. They may not be as bright but they are superior nonetheless. The Philips Saferide 80lux gives a beam very similar to a dipped car headlamp and you can comfortably ride at 40km/h+ without worrying you won't see a pothole. Unfortunately the light isn't perfect. It's a bit short on duration and not particularly fast to charge. However if you will be riding on unlit roads regularly but for less than 70-90mins at a time then that's what I'd get..... or there's a dynamo version but that'll cost a little more by the time you add a dynamo hub.

keef66

Busch & Muller Ixon IQ Premium has an equally bright / better shaped beam and a 4-5 hour run time on full charge. Takes 4 x AA batteries so it's easy to carry spares and ride right through the night. Less than £50 delivered from Rose Bikes in Germany if you opt for the one with no batteries or charger, bit dearer with them included.

It's going on my Christmas list!

slowbike

Ai_1 wrote:

I've posted this many times in other threads so hope no-one minds me saying it again....
I highly recommend a shaped beam light over a conical beam type (like a torch beam for example).
Torch type beams which are what most lights provide, give you a hotspot in the middle which shows you one piece of the road very brightly but gives you no context, tunnel vision and ruins your night vision. It also means you will always either dump loads of light above the horizon or have the forground too bright and the distance too dim. There's simply no way to get consistent light on the road with symetrical beam.

A Surefire C6 on full power


A Cateye Nanoshot+ on full power


You can ride on the top one, but once you get up to pace it's not good enough.
Last winter I used both these lights - the Cateye to give me most of the riding light and the C6 to give a bit more light in the distance (utilising the noticeable hotspot).
This is why I wouldn't recommend one as a primary light - although I know loads do.

edit: I do have another cheap torch that has a different beam pattern - much more spread than the one above. It's all down to the reflectors and lenses.

ai_1

keef66 wrote:

Busch & Muller Ixon IQ Premium has an equally bright / better shaped beam and a 4-5 hour run time on full charge. Takes 4 x AA batteries so it's easy to carry spares and ride right through the night. Less than £50 delivered from Rose Bikes in Germany if you opt for the one with no batteries or charger, bit dearer with them included.

It's going on my Christmas list!

Yep, that's the other one I should have included in my post. Haven't used the Busch and Muller lights but I believe they're good too. When I got my Philips Saferide a couple of years ago the contemporary Busch and Muller light didn't seem as good an option. Their current version may be better and the longer battery life is a definite advantage. It may be a little cheaper than the Philips too if you can get it for £50. Last time I checked I think the Philips was selling for between €70 and €95 depending where you looked.

I was considering converting my Philips Saferide for this winter using a new LED driver and external battery pack as that would allow me to extend the battery life massively. However, I'm now wondering would a dynamo light be a better option. I could convert the Philips or buy a new dynamo specific light (probably either Philips or Busch and Muller).

First thing to find out is how much a front wheel with a dynamo would set me back. Are there any cheapish factory versions available or does a dynamo hub mean a handbuilt wheel? Any suggestions?