Please PLEASE get some lights

[graham@reading]

Now the clocks have gone forward, it's dark by the time most people finish work. I lost count of the idi...[deep breath]...people cycling merrily along the road with no lights whatsoever on the way home tonight (I drove today). Even a few with no reflectors either.

One guy came within inches of being taken out on a roundabout - I can well believe the driver just couldn't see him - and I nearly clobbered one guy who came up to my offside rear as I moved over toward the pavement in slow traffic to make room for a motorbike coming the other way.

If you've been caught out by the clock change and haven't got around to buying some lights yet (as is the case with me), please do NOT ride. Take the bus. Or drive.

Your eyes may have adjusted and you can see fine, but if you're not caught by the headlights, a vehicle driver will not see you.

I appreciate I am probably preaching to the choir here but I suspect some people just do not appreciate how invisible you are.

[Justin S]

Graham,I think you'll find that there is a big difference between a cyclist and someone who rides to work.Most people here are cyclists and are prepared for the dark nights.My lights are bright enough to scare most road users.I think you'll need to complain to the yooffs and unsteady 'commuters' to which have always ridden pavements and attempted to kill most human beings with their stupidity.

[Locoblade]

Even when its not dark it can still be a problem at this time of year, the other day I was driving directly into the sun along an A road not long before sunset and I only just caught a glimpse of the bike in the shadows at the side of the road through all the glare, my screen was relatively clean but it would be even worse if it had been dirty, so something to bear in mind if you're riding into the sunset on a winter's evening.

[pdV6]

...or morning. Low sun behind or in front of you on the way in to work at this time of year also renders you invisible. Lights on or get off the road is the only answer.

[Graham@Reading]

Justin S said:

Graham,I think you'll find that there is a big difference between a cyclist and someone who rides to work.Most people here are cyclists and are prepared for the dark nights.My lights are bright enough to scare most road users.I think you'll need to complain to the yooffs and unsteady 'commuters' to which have always ridden pavements and attempted to kill most human beings with their stupidity.

Yes I know, hence the "preaching to the choir" bit in my post. However, it's about cyclists in general, hence in here rather than P&P etc. It's not meant as an admonishment, but a plea for the rider's own safety.

[GreenV8S]

Justin S said:

Graham,I think you'll find that there is a big difference between a cyclist and someone who rides to work.

Surely anyone who cycles is a cyclist?