When It Comes to Bicycle Lights, Go Big, Go Bright
Posted By Thomas Bahde on December 11, 2009
Image: UCSD Bike Shop Blog
I recently went shopping for new front and rear bicycle lights so that my wife and I could both be fully lighted for Saturday’s Tweed Ride. Because I ride relatively short distances at night, and don’t do it that often, I primarily need my lights to be seen, rather than to see where I’m going.
Looking at the available lights at several local shops, I was struck by the trend towards very small LED lights, and I do mean small. Some are the size of a quarter, some a little larger. While these little guys promise bright LED technology, their small size raises concerns about visibility. As a driver, I’ve seen many bicyclists lately whose lights are literally the last thing I notice. In fact, I have to peer closely to notice the small, dim lights tucked under saddles or clipped to belt loops.
I suspect the idea behind the small lights is to appeal to either the lightweight racing set, or the minimalist urban hipster set. People who roll with tiny lights probably also think they just need something to be seen, but take it from a bicyclist and driver: they don’t do the job.
Now, I’m no scientist, but it seems logical that if you want to be seen, you should ride with bright, relatively large lights. Why would you compromise your safety on a bicycle for the sake of size or weight? On my quest for new lights, one shop employee even pointed out that some of the lights they carried might not be street legal because they couldn’t be seen from 300 feet, as required by California law*.
When it comes to roadway safety, especially in the dark or in inclement weather conditions, there are a lot of factors beyond our control, regardless of the vehicle we choose. Lights are one element that we can control, so it just doesn’t make sense to equip your bicycle with inadequate lighting. If we as bicyclists expect the rights we are due as roadway users, we must also make sure we do everything we can to equip our vehicles safely and responsibly.
*The particular light we were looking at was a rear light, but California law oddly requires only a red reflector on the rear of a bicycle, not a light. See California Vehicle Code 21201.
EcoVelo has a lot of information and reviews about different lights.
After reading this post, I started wondering whether my 2008 Light & Motion Stella 120 lumen was adequate (in the “be seen” category). I followed your suggestion and checked Ecovelo’s site, though got tired searching for light info (did see other cool posts in the process). Eventually found a post on lights that was helpful to me:: Ecovelo’s suggestion that you combine lights as needed. Felt a little silly using my old helmet light too, with the Stella, until I read the Ecovelo post (and first yours).
Thanks for helping one more cyclist be a little safer riding at night!
As I mention in “Night Ride Home” on my blog, I do love riding in the dark when I won’t endanger others, but falls have made me think a little differently. After too many injuries the past few years, I have a new appreciation for bike lights for my own safety too!
I, personally, think that good lights are the most undervalued piece of equipment on bicycles. I am still nursing a broken wrist I suffered in a fall because I hit an impediment in the roadway that I should have seen, and would have seen if I had been using my good headlight. But that would have required stopping by the house to grab it, so I set off in the dark with only my blinky front light.
Since I’ve been driving a lot more the last several weeks, I am amazed and frightened by how inadequate most cyclists’ lighting devices are. One or two small LEDs are not visible to drivers!
If you are riding your bike after sunset or before sunrise you really, really need to “grow up” and invest in a real lighting system. I’ll never ride at night without mine again.