Be safe be seen.
Discussion
In the summer, I am a fair weather roadie, but through the darker months I like to cycle to the local pool a couple of times a week.
Last week I got the Hybrid out and went to the pool, first time in ages. Turning right on a mini roundabout in the dark and a car didn't see me and nearly run me over.
Tonight, the same thing, someone came out of a side round and almost took me out. The strange thing is last winter, it was all fine. I guess I was just lucky.
I have lights on the bike front and back that can either stay on or flash, I usually have them on flashing. But I am now thinking this isn't enough. I wear a red waterproof jacket, but it has lots of reflective areas on it. Would you say more lights on the bike, or perhaps something better than the ones I got from Halfords?
Maybe a light on my helmet would be good?
Looking forward to your suggestions.
Thanks
Andy
Last week I got the Hybrid out and went to the pool, first time in ages. Turning right on a mini roundabout in the dark and a car didn't see me and nearly run me over.
Tonight, the same thing, someone came out of a side round and almost took me out. The strange thing is last winter, it was all fine. I guess I was just lucky.
I have lights on the bike front and back that can either stay on or flash, I usually have them on flashing. But I am now thinking this isn't enough. I wear a red waterproof jacket, but it has lots of reflective areas on it. Would you say more lights on the bike, or perhaps something better than the ones I got from Halfords?
Maybe a light on my helmet would be good?
Looking forward to your suggestions.
Thanks
Andy
I run 2 rear lights. 1 is a Moon LX70 which is certainly bright! This is have on flashing. The other isn't as bright but I have on constant. I only run 1 front light but its minimum setting is 150 lumens and max 600.
Halfords also sell slap-bands which are great..... I have 2, 1 on my right ankle and one on my right wrist if it's dark (so I can be seen to be signalling right.... Signalling left isn't quite as much of an issue).
Halfords also sell slap-bands which are great..... I have 2, 1 on my right ankle and one on my right wrist if it's dark (so I can be seen to be signalling right.... Signalling left isn't quite as much of an issue).
Thanks Ross,
I have ordered some reflective snap bands, that's a great idea, I didn't realise they even existed.
I also ordered a few cheap additional lights from wiggle.
Nathan Hyperbrite Strobe Light Green/Blue that I can clip to my rucksack and these little clip on lights for the bike Lezyne Femto Drive LED Light Set Black/Red.
Should be looking like a christmas tree now and be a lot safer.
I have ordered some reflective snap bands, that's a great idea, I didn't realise they even existed.
I also ordered a few cheap additional lights from wiggle.
Nathan Hyperbrite Strobe Light Green/Blue that I can clip to my rucksack and these little clip on lights for the bike Lezyne Femto Drive LED Light Set Black/Red.
Should be looking like a christmas tree now and be a lot safer.
Living in rural Cornwall, it's scary how many cyclists (and walkers) I've come across in the lanes with the absolute minimum in lighting and all dark clothing. Given just how much modern LED lights have improved the options available, it seems crazy that some people still refuse to make sure they can be seen by other road users.
I always have two lights front and rear, you never know when one is going to run out of charge/battery, and I think one strobing and one constant helps too. We all have different perception, so some people see a strobing light better than a steady one, and vice versa.
The other issue is car drivers often don't look properly. They aren't looking for a bike or a runner in the road, they are looking for another car or bus or lorry. I know because I have done this myself; I was late, approaching an angled junction that you can drive through quite quickly and I glanced to check the road was clear. I didn't see the cyclist and would have run right over the top of him but I happened to look again. Scared the life out of me, and I try to make sure I won't let that happen again. Sometimes on a bike you can do everything possible to be safe, but you don't know the other person is doing the same.
The other issue is car drivers often don't look properly. They aren't looking for a bike or a runner in the road, they are looking for another car or bus or lorry. I know because I have done this myself; I was late, approaching an angled junction that you can drive through quite quickly and I glanced to check the road was clear. I didn't see the cyclist and would have run right over the top of him but I happened to look again. Scared the life out of me, and I try to make sure I won't let that happen again. Sometimes on a bike you can do everything possible to be safe, but you don't know the other person is doing the same.
Magic919 said:
A decent front ight, like an Exposure, does the trick for me. One steady lamp and the other a high energy flash. Motorists usually have their attention grabbed by it.
I have an exposure head torch if I see a car at the junction I will look forwards their door that's generally a good "hello cyclist" only a few times have I had to aim it directly at them to stop them hitting me. They soon stop. I think higher level lighting can help.
I've been looking at one of these...
http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view... - anywhere from under £10 on ebay to £17-ish in bike shops
Cheaper version available on Thursday at Aldi...
https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thur-24-sep/... - £2.99
I used to have 2 x front and 4 x rear lights when I was out every week night in rural Essex. They weren't even 'high end' lights, really. Rears were mounted 2 on the bike (seatpost and saddle pack) 1 on rear of jacket (high vis, reflective, with a light loop) and 1 on the rear of my lid, clipped onto the elastic strap for my head torch, which was my second front lamp. The guard shift on the barracks gate knew it was me, as they'd frequently (and sarcastically) shout "Here comes the Christmas tree!" when I approached the gate.
One thing to remember when riding at night is that in unlit rural areas, even mediocre lighting will stand out quite well, which is why the 'bike Ninjas' seem to get away with nothing but reflectors most of the time. It's hugely different in well lit and traffic heavy urban areas, where your lights are competing against so many other sources of pretty bright light, so you have to do more to stand out from the background, which means bright lights, set to flash.
I've been looking at one of these...
http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view... - anywhere from under £10 on ebay to £17-ish in bike shops
Cheaper version available on Thursday at Aldi...
https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thur-24-sep/... - £2.99
I used to have 2 x front and 4 x rear lights when I was out every week night in rural Essex. They weren't even 'high end' lights, really. Rears were mounted 2 on the bike (seatpost and saddle pack) 1 on rear of jacket (high vis, reflective, with a light loop) and 1 on the rear of my lid, clipped onto the elastic strap for my head torch, which was my second front lamp. The guard shift on the barracks gate knew it was me, as they'd frequently (and sarcastically) shout "Here comes the Christmas tree!" when I approached the gate.
One thing to remember when riding at night is that in unlit rural areas, even mediocre lighting will stand out quite well, which is why the 'bike Ninjas' seem to get away with nothing but reflectors most of the time. It's hugely different in well lit and traffic heavy urban areas, where your lights are competing against so many other sources of pretty bright light, so you have to do more to stand out from the background, which means bright lights, set to flash.
In addition to a decent set of lights, sounds daft but it was really effective. I used to have a kids toy that lit up tied under the saddle. Because it bobbed about all over the place it could be seen from all around. very similar to one of these
http://www.dhgate.com/product/elasticity-ball-led-...
If you can grab some reflective tape put that on the frame and also some spoke reflectors, they are like straws that clip over the spokes, very effective.
http://www.dhgate.com/product/elasticity-ball-led-...
If you can grab some reflective tape put that on the frame and also some spoke reflectors, they are like straws that clip over the spokes, very effective.
Quite expensive but you won't need to buy anything else. Comes with helmet mount and bike mount. Use last year's model; incredibly bright! You get what you pay for.
I use them on and off road on both my bikes. Easy to swap over.
http://www.bikelightsuk.com/front_bike_lights/beem...
I use them on and off road on both my bikes. Easy to swap over.
http://www.bikelightsuk.com/front_bike_lights/beem...
MisterJD said:
I found the CatEye Volt 700 very good on dark country lanes last winter. Very bright and it has a mode that has a continuous beam but also flashes.
I also have a Volt 700 which is brilliant! 
Although... no matter what you do, you'll still need to imagine the most stupid thing another road user could do and assume that they will go ahead and just do it!Banana Boy said:
no matter what you do, you'll still need to imagine the most stupid thing another road user could do and assume that they will go ahead and just do it!
Indeed, many years ago, when driving a car, I looked in mirror, signaled right, pulled towards the centre and slowed..... just before making the turn I glanced in the door mirror to see a car overtaking! Some crazy folk around. I checked the lights after the turn and they were all working correctly! (and yes they were active during the manouvre(sp?) as well) In the dark I always go with:
Two lights on the rear, one flashing, one not. Flashing lights catch peoples attention more, but it is much harder to judge the distance of a flashing light. Separate the two of them too to make judging distance and speed even easier.
One at the front, a cat eye volt 300, which I switch between low, high and flashing depending on what road I am on and the lighting. Flashing in town, low on most roads and high when I need it to see by. It has a low power light that gives me enough time to get home and I keep an emergency light set (red and white) in my bag just in case.
A flashing reflective band on my ankle from Aldi. A moving, flashing, red light is most likely to catch peoples attention and the up and down movement makes it more obvious you are a cyclist and not a skip or something off in the distance. Anything that subconsciously says "cyclist" to people will be better.
As much retro-reflective stuff as I can. Florescent/bright stuff is no use in the dark. Retro-reflective stuff shines very clearly in headlights. Just make sure it is clean and in good condition. Once it gets dirty or starts to break down it quickly becomes useless. Take a look at dirty road signs. It is preferable that it is on stuff that does not go through the washing machine as this makes a mess of it very quickly too.
The main thing to do, though, is ride in a manner that makes you seen. If you are coming up to a junction with someone waiting to pull out, get in to their sight line. Remember, they are looking down the middle of the lane for a car coming. If you are right on the edge of the lane you are more likely to be missed. It also gives you more safety room if they do start to pull out. Also, move your light around. If you don't think they have seen you rock your bike a little. A moving light catches the eye much more than a point of light moving towards you.
Two lights on the rear, one flashing, one not. Flashing lights catch peoples attention more, but it is much harder to judge the distance of a flashing light. Separate the two of them too to make judging distance and speed even easier.
One at the front, a cat eye volt 300, which I switch between low, high and flashing depending on what road I am on and the lighting. Flashing in town, low on most roads and high when I need it to see by. It has a low power light that gives me enough time to get home and I keep an emergency light set (red and white) in my bag just in case.
A flashing reflective band on my ankle from Aldi. A moving, flashing, red light is most likely to catch peoples attention and the up and down movement makes it more obvious you are a cyclist and not a skip or something off in the distance. Anything that subconsciously says "cyclist" to people will be better.
As much retro-reflective stuff as I can. Florescent/bright stuff is no use in the dark. Retro-reflective stuff shines very clearly in headlights. Just make sure it is clean and in good condition. Once it gets dirty or starts to break down it quickly becomes useless. Take a look at dirty road signs. It is preferable that it is on stuff that does not go through the washing machine as this makes a mess of it very quickly too.
The main thing to do, though, is ride in a manner that makes you seen. If you are coming up to a junction with someone waiting to pull out, get in to their sight line. Remember, they are looking down the middle of the lane for a car coming. If you are right on the edge of the lane you are more likely to be missed. It also gives you more safety room if they do start to pull out. Also, move your light around. If you don't think they have seen you rock your bike a little. A moving light catches the eye much more than a point of light moving towards you.
Although I tend to ride lit-up like a Christmas tree, my experiences as a DRIVER lead me to conclude that those reflective YELLOW jackets are the best thing for cyclists. Lights are best from a distance but when a bit closer, and from all angles, the yellow reflective kit seems to make the most of my own headlights reflected back at me.
Cheap kit from Aldi...
Apart from that, more than one light on the rear, flashing at different rates, and a small front and rear light on my helmet on "steady" (not flashing) seems to do the trick.
Cheap kit from Aldi...
Apart from that, more than one light on the rear, flashing at different rates, and a small front and rear light on my helmet on "steady" (not flashing) seems to do the trick.
I run two front and two rear lights. At the rear ne flashing one solid. One of lights shines a laser like line either side of the bike. Bit of a gimmick I think.
Up front had one flashing and one mahoosive bright light. Also ha the Topeak helmet light with front and rear lights.
One problem I found was on roundabouts (I live in MK so it was a big problem) was people couldn't see you as well when you were side on. I got some of those spoke reflectors. Put them on every spoke, or every other and when you are in motion and light catches them the entire wheel lights up.
Up front had one flashing and one mahoosive bright light. Also ha the Topeak helmet light with front and rear lights.
One problem I found was on roundabouts (I live in MK so it was a big problem) was people couldn't see you as well when you were side on. I got some of those spoke reflectors. Put them on every spoke, or every other and when you are in motion and light catches them the entire wheel lights up.
In 17+ years of commuting on the outskirts of London, I've never had any near misses from behind.
I currently run two rear lights, but only because I had one spare - I never used to. So any decent rear light is my advice.
It's from the front that tends to cause the most problem - and this is true whether it's night or day unfortunately.
Drivers pulling out from side junctions tend to be the worst problem (and I guess this would include those pulling on to a roundabout) as their own headlights don't illuminate you in the same way that a driver directly behind or coming towards you would.
I've currently got one of the Chinese Cree lights and, like others have said, I normally have a smaller battery operated one as a back-up.
You can put as much reflective stuff on your bike as possible, but the one piece of advice I'd echo above is to forget about right and wrong and ride in a way that protects you.
Don't put yourself in positions where there's nowhere to go if someone suddenly wants to occupy your bit of roadspace.
And remember that being 'in the right' will be of little consequence to your family if the worst happens.
As my Nana used to say, it's far better to arrive a little late in this world, than to arrive early in the next.
I currently run two rear lights, but only because I had one spare - I never used to. So any decent rear light is my advice.
It's from the front that tends to cause the most problem - and this is true whether it's night or day unfortunately.
Drivers pulling out from side junctions tend to be the worst problem (and I guess this would include those pulling on to a roundabout) as their own headlights don't illuminate you in the same way that a driver directly behind or coming towards you would.
I've currently got one of the Chinese Cree lights and, like others have said, I normally have a smaller battery operated one as a back-up.
You can put as much reflective stuff on your bike as possible, but the one piece of advice I'd echo above is to forget about right and wrong and ride in a way that protects you.
Don't put yourself in positions where there's nowhere to go if someone suddenly wants to occupy your bit of roadspace.
And remember that being 'in the right' will be of little consequence to your family if the worst happens.
As my Nana used to say, it's far better to arrive a little late in this world, than to arrive early in the next.
Robertj21a said:
Good to see so much common sense about using proper lights at night - now can you please encourage the other 98% of cyclists who don't bother !.
I shout to any fellow cyclist I meet at night without sensible (or even bare minimum) lighting and reflectives.Usual response is swearing and being told to mind my own business. At the extremes it has been threats of violence, and being pursued by one chavvy oaf. All of which tells me that they probably wouldn't consider themselves to be "a cyclist", as usually a friendly offer of assistance or advice from one cyclist to another (along the lines of "your bag has slipped, and no-one can see your rear light") is usually met with a thank-you at the very least.
Now, Robert, if you would be so kind as to run along and have a word with the 98% of motorists who drive along seemingly oblivious to the RVLR offences they are committing in their (technically, and legally unroadworthy) cars and vans when they drive with misaligned, or unserviceable lamps and signalling devices...
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