How to be seen and safe from all directions

[Froze]

For the rear I have a Light & Motion Vis 180 now, plus a Planet Bike Superflash Turbo which is a piece of junk in regards to not being very sturdy or bright, as well as a Cateye LD600 which I had a battery leak and destroyed the unit. So after doing a lot of reading I decided to try the Cateye Rapid 3X when they go on sale later this season. This light is designed like the old LD600 which had great side visibility and the new 3x will be the same just a lot more intense. Here's how it looks at night:

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[BrightCyclist]

Great article.

It is so important to be visible out there at night,we otherwise become a sitting duck.

Because we're all cyclists here, when WE are driving, we know what to look for on the road and consciously (or subconsciously) look out for other cyclists on the road.

But many motorists aren't like us.

This is why I think it's important for cyclists to be lit up like a Xmas tree. I wish we could make it cool to stand out at night, this would save lives.

But aren't they expensive? Well, not really. Even though most of us prefer to buy American made, there are many quality, affordable lights coming out of China these days, there's really no excuse not to have 2. (front & back) You could pick up a set for under $35.00

Further, with the Lithium ion battery technology, many bike likes are going down the path of being USB rechargeable. This means you can plug it into your PC or wall charger and charge it up that way. This is really handy if you bike to work as it can be charged during the day.

Ideally, you want at a bare minimum 500+ lumens for the front. Pointed slightly down so as not to blind other motorists. I have mine on a strobe mode as it stands out more. And pointing slightly down has the advantage of showing where you're going better.

On the rear, a 150+ strobe is adequate and if you're amongst heavier traffic or want to be extra cautious, then put lights on your helmet too.

We're now beginning to see some really cool tech where LEDs are incorporated into the clothing to show the intention of the cyclist, because lets face it, many cyclist don't use hand signals, although we should.

For those that don't wear a helmet :-/ there are clip on lights that can be attached to shirt collars, baseball caps and also headbands.

Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions and safe riding.

www.thebrightcyclist.com

 

[Froze]

The Bright Cyclist...I don't like having to give my Facebook information just to read your site so I'll skip it.

150 lumens in the rear is overkill, you would blind rear coming motorists and cyclists and may end up making one mad. However like I said in an earlier post the more rear lights you have the more effective it is over just one rear light regardless of the brightness of that one light.

 

[oportosanto]

This seems to be easy enough. The standard reflective lights on the bike and the same with our clothing if we are riding at night.

 

[Gombafej]

Thanks for the links! I'll make sure to check them out. Thanks for your post.

 

[Froze]

One thing I forgot to mention, Chinese made generic lights only put out about 1/2 their rated lumens...if they're lucky!

 

[oportosanto]

Yep, that's a good tip and when buying safety materials no need to be cheap or else we might regret it later.

 

[eduguy]

I don't know about the price, and I can't find it. If it's too expensive, people might not purchase it because most will just use a reflective strip.

I think this could be useful for mountain biking as well. It would help a lot with night riding. I personally never bike at night, so I would not need this, but I think it's a great idea for those who do.

 

[oportosanto]

It's not too expensive, it's just a regular price for something that make us safe. At the same time, Chinese products are cheaper, but lack in quality.

 

[AdamUpHill]

Looks good but does anyone know how much it weights? Taking in consideration the 4 x AAA batteries, the light itself and the mounting system makes me think about some possible nape pain.

 

[oportosanto]

The weight is not really a concern I believe. I feel that we should be worried about being well visible because our life depends on that.

 

[GemmaRowlands]

This looks fantastic, and I am certain that you would definitely be seen if you were wearing that! I think that visibility is such an important issue. When I am driving my car, I have lost count of the number of times that I have seen somebody at the last minute and had to swerve slightly because they were wearing dark clothing at nighttime. It is a silly thing to do, as you need to ensure that you take your safety very seriously whilst riding.

 

[oportosanto]

Many times it's just use common sense, come on, you need to be visible! It's something that really makes me nervous when I am driving, people riding that I cannot see, they can cause an accident.

 

[OursIsTheFury]

I think they sell reflector pads that you can wear on your helmet/arms/legs/back when cycling near nightfall, so when cars approach they can really see where you are located. You can also get additional lights for you bike, as even a single dot can make the entire difference of a driver seeing you in the dark or not. Why not try it? These are really amazing safety equipment, and it will make your cycling a lot safer during more times of the day.

 

[oportosanto]

Yeah, there are lights super easy to attach and detach, cheap too, so no excuses not to be visible really.

 

[moneyman]

I have acquired LED lights for my bike to be seen in the traffic. If it is even a little bit dark I put then on immediately to prevent accidents. In my opinion it is futile to keep them on at the day time.