Amanda P
Legendary Member
- Location
- York. Well, York-ish...
It's horses for courses. If your cycling is all going to be in town where there are lots of streetlights, flashing lights at both ends may be fine -as a legal minimum.
If you're going anywhere really dark, you'll need to spend a bit more money on at least a really good, steady front light, whatever you have at the back. If you do this at all often or at unpredictable intervals, a dynamo is worth considering.
When I'm driving, it's busy, dark and there's lots of other traffic and confusing lit-up things, I find that it can be hard to judge the position and speed of a bike visible only by flashing lights. A reflective jacket and/or steady lights are much easier to place. So I'd reccommend that whatever else you do, get yourself a high-viz and reflective jacket. You can get them at most pound shops (I forget the price...).
I like to use at least one steady light, and a flasher as well at the back.
Where I cycle, I need the brightest steady front light I can afford; if I go into town, I may switch to a second front light that uses less power but is a bigger disc of light to oncoming drivers.
Driving into York recently , we got stalled in traffic (I'd said we should use bikes, but Mrs Uncle Phil had to drop off a sewing machine, and it was dark and raining...). Queuing down Gillygate, we counted 67 cyclists passing us. Only 33 were fully and legally lit. (And one of them was a policeman).
If you're going anywhere really dark, you'll need to spend a bit more money on at least a really good, steady front light, whatever you have at the back. If you do this at all often or at unpredictable intervals, a dynamo is worth considering.
When I'm driving, it's busy, dark and there's lots of other traffic and confusing lit-up things, I find that it can be hard to judge the position and speed of a bike visible only by flashing lights. A reflective jacket and/or steady lights are much easier to place. So I'd reccommend that whatever else you do, get yourself a high-viz and reflective jacket. You can get them at most pound shops (I forget the price...).
I like to use at least one steady light, and a flasher as well at the back.
Where I cycle, I need the brightest steady front light I can afford; if I go into town, I may switch to a second front light that uses less power but is a bigger disc of light to oncoming drivers.
Driving into York recently , we got stalled in traffic (I'd said we should use bikes, but Mrs Uncle Phil had to drop off a sewing machine, and it was dark and raining...). Queuing down Gillygate, we counted 67 cyclists passing us. Only 33 were fully and legally lit. (And one of them was a policeman).
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