Will you be cycling in the dark?

[Sandra6]

I have to cycle home from work in the dark in the winter months, and I hate it. Even with good lights and a hi-vis jacket I just don't like it.
I wouldn't choose to do my "for pleasure" rides in the dark as they wouldn't be as much fun, I'll just have to make the most of weekends when the clocks change.

 

[djb1971]

100% of my riding is during the hours of darkness now it's getting dark earlier.

I love it, especially riding the country lanes when it's pitch black! Good lights are the key to being seen and seeing large holes. The only downside, especially on fixed is being chased by badgers that don't hear you approaching. They're nasty little bu**ers!!

I shall be riding during the hours of daylight in a couple of weeks though around the lakes

 

[fossyant]

Night riding is great fun !

 

[tadpole]

I don't have much choice, but I do take care and wear hi-viz jacket, reflective tape/piping on my jacket, two cree 5 lights in the Front, and two catseye red ligths on the back. Brain turned up to max, and spidey senses all a tingle.

 

[Peowpeowpeowlasers]

I love riding at night, there seems to be less wind, it's generally quieter and you see all manner of wildlife.

And just from my personal experience, motorists give cyclists much more space at night - although that might be down to my lighting and reflective clothing.

 

[ushills]

I am definitely more visable at night and the roads are quieter, I actually hate the mornings at the moment as sunrise is always an issue with being visible, true darkness is much safer.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I have no choice but to ride in the dark as I start work at 8am, but to be honest I love it. When I was a teen we used to hack down public footpaths with the lights off just guessing the way; it was very stupid but quite good training for sensible riding as an adult.

As for lighting, well I love Knogs for when I need to be seen and have an old Cateye for seeing where I'm going, although I dare say that will be upgraded this winter.

I'm itching to go round our local resevoir in the pitch dark but am too chicken shoot to do it on my own

 

[Accy cyclist]

I think that potholes and poor street lighting are the main problem. As someone else said, remembering them is a wise thing to do but we can't remember them all and what if we're on a new to us road?
I'll definately have to get a decent light so i can see these holes better than at the moment with my "see me only" light. Are they very good, and what will i have to pay for one that actually shows up the road ahead of me?

 

[Peowpeowpeowlasers]

Good lights are expensive. I use an original Hope Vision 2, it's really designed for off-roading (I used to use it as such all the time, with a mate after he'd finished work) but it's also good on the road. Doing 20mph it lights up everything well enough for me to come to a halt, any faster than that and I'm in the dark. Its pattern isn't narrow and directional like many cheaper lights I've seen, it casts a huge umbrella of light out in all directions (so blinds motorists too, which I don't see as a bad thing).

A mate of mine has the Exposure Maxx-D which is just unbelievable, you can't miss a thing with that, it can light up an entire hillside.

You may baulk at the cost of these lights but the way I look at it, would you rather wake up in your own bed at home, or in a hospital bed with lots of broken things? A few hundred quid on decent lighting is well worth the cost.

 

[theclaud]

Good lights are expensive. I use an original Hope Vision 2, it's really designed for off-roading (I used to use it as such all the time, with a mate after he'd finished work) but it's also good on the road. Doing 20mph it lights up everything well enough for me to come to a halt, any faster than that and I'm in the dark. It's pattern isn't narrow and directional like many cheaper lights I've seen, it casts a huge umbrella of light out in all directions (so blinds motorists too, which I don't see as a bad thing).

A mate of mine has the Exposure Maxx-D which is just unbelievable, you can't miss a thing with that, it can light up an entire hillside.

You may baulk at the cost of these lights but the way I look at it, would you rather wake up in your own bed at home, or in a hospital bed with lots of broken things? A few hundred quid on decent lighting is well worth the cost.

You don't? They are really horrible for pedestrians too. You don't need exceptionally bright lights in urban settings. What you need is reasonably bright, reliable lights, that hopefully have a brighter setting for when you are out in the sticks. I use Fenix LED torches, because I love their simplicity and portability, and the fact that they have variable power settiings. And they are only about £40. Their only disadvantage is that there's no warning before the battery goes, so if I'm on a lengthy night ride I have two mounted on the bars.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Good lights are expensive. I use an original Hope Vision 2, it's really designed for off-roading (I used to use it as such all the time, with a mate after he'd finished work) but it's also good on the road. Doing 20mph it lights up everything well enough for me to come to a halt, any faster than that and I'm in the dark. It's pattern isn't narrow and directional like many cheaper lights I've seen, it casts a huge umbrella of light out in all directions (so blinds motorists too, which I don't see as a bad thing).

A mate of mine has the Exposure Maxx-D which is just unbelievable, you can't miss a thing with that, it can light up an entire hillside.

You may baulk at the cost of these lights but the way I look at it, would you rather wake up in your own bed at home, or in a hospital bed with lots of broken things? A few hundred quid on decent lighting is well worth the cost.

£239 for a light(and that's with 85 quid off)?!!! http://www.rutlandcycling.com/34336...ogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=pid34336 I can picture the faces of those who scoff at us paying that for a whole bike!!
Anyway, if it's as good as you say, and you can't be stingy on safety. Then i might have to invest in one.

 

[Peowpeowpeowlasers]

The Exposure is utterly astounding, trust me. It's like having your own personal full beam (like in a car) and the battery lasts ages.

The only thing I don't like about my mate's is when the light is taken off, the handlebar clip looks like something that could tear a chuck of flesh from your stomach/thigh as you vault across the bars.

 

[HovR]

As a commuter and transport cyclist (as well as recreation) I will be doing a lot of my cycling at night.

My bike is equipped with three lights at the rear (including a 1 watt Mars 4.0), and 2 lights at the front which include a "Be Seen" flasher/backup and a Cree XML-T6 torch as my main light, which will easily light up a whole road (so no worries about potholes).

I've also purchased a slightly ridiculous amount of rechargeable AAA batteries to keep my lights powered through-out the winter.

 

[Inertia]

£239 for a light(and that's with 85 quid off)?!!! http://www.rutlandcycling.com/34336/Exposure-MaXx-D-Mk-4-Front-Light---2012.html?referrer=froogle1?utm_source=google&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=pid34336 I can picture the faces of those who scoff at us paying that for a whole bike!!
Anyway, if it's as good as you say, and you can't be stingy on safety. Then i might have to invest in one.

I love night riding, depending on where you ride will dictate the type of light you need, if its one to be seen or one to see by. Unless you are cycling on unlit roads then you don't need a mega expensive one, IMO, if you DO need one to see by may I recommend a magicshine?

I have had two over the years, this is my current one

http://www.magicshineuk.co.uk/products/MJ-816E-1800-lumens-Magicshine

Much cheaper than the alternatives Ive found and they haven't let me down yet.

 

[GrasB]

There's about 2 weeks/year when I don't legally need to light up for my morning commutes but it never really gets light enough not to need lights.

Personally I'm using 2x 60lux B+M front lights (I can power one of them from a AA pack if needed) which give great see-by illumination for high speed night riding, this is supported by a Exposure Diablo on strobe for an attention grabbing boost. At the rear I have a DiNotte 300R with another AA(A) powered light. I keep on killing the battery powered rear light.