Night Riding - Light Issues
Winter, okay autumn, is well and truly here, so for the next six months if you are joining any of the YOGi evening rides you will need lights. It’s possible to get by with the bare minimum legally required lights on the road but you won’t be able to see where you’re going!
We’ve been riding on and off-road at night for 20 years now so we know a thing or two and of course light technology has developed massively over that time. Originally we were using tiny Cateye 1 watt lights that would barely illuminate your wristwatch. I once rode along a grass verge for 100 metres before someone pointed out to me that I wasn’t actually on the road! It’s worth remembering that our winter rides are pretty much the same as the summer ones apart from the fact that it is dark. A lot of the road routes that we use are unlit country roads and lanes so it is preferable to have decent lights.
There are a number of different options on the illumination front, whether you go for a contained system like the Exposure lights or the separate battery pack option like Lumicycle or Light & Motion. It is possible to get a budget system like the Smart twin-halogen with a lead battery for as little as £25 that is adequate but generally you won’t get any change from £100. Lumicycle’s website has a very useful ‘System Calculator’ that allows you to experiment with numerous lighting set-ups and see what your run-time will be with various battery options.
A few points to remember when making your choices;
- Lamp type: Basically you’ve got three choices – halogen, HID or LED. HID is the best, it’s like the aliens are landing….but they are very expensive. To be honest halogen lamps are more than adequate. Most experienced night riding YOGi’s use halogen lamps with a few of the more well heeled using HIDs. LED front lamp technology is developing rapidly and prices are coming down. A change is afoot and a number of YOGi’s are now using the latest LED front lamps, notably the Exposure lamps. They are quite expensive but they give a reasonable beam length and an incredibly white light.
- Beam pattern: For road riding you need a beam with quite a long ‘reach’ to be capable of seeing at least 10 metres as you hurtle downhill at 40 mph. Yes, speeds are just the same at night! For off-road mountain biking most riders like a bit more width to their beam to be able to spot those trees and see all the available ‘lines’. A lot of our riders that use halogen lighting use two lamps for mountain biking; one wide beam and one long reach to get the best of both worlds. Don’t forget that if you are using two lamps you will need more battery power. If you’re using a HID lamp beam, pattern isn’t really an issue because they’re so bright.
Rear lighting is much simpler; the only option has to be LED. They are light, small and reliable. The brighter the better, though you may get road riders complaining that they are getting blinded but what do you expect when you’re an inch from the wheel in front!
Most of us now use LED’s on their fast flashing mode as we think this is more noticeable to your average motorist. Usually the rear light is fitted to the seatpost but wherever you put it make sure that it is visible. When riding off-road we generally turn-off the rear light so as not to blind fellow bikers, plus other vehicles aren’t an issue.
If you are riding on the road it’s worth having some reflective material on your body, particularly any moving parts, as it attracts the attention of drivers and they will be momentarily ‘puzzled’ as to ‘what’ you are. A good place for reflective items is around your ankles, as hopefully, they will be continually moving. The jury is out on luminous yellow tops – it seems to work well at twilight but the evidence suggests not so well in the dark.
Night riding can be extremely rewarding, it certainly beats sitting on a static trainer for hours at a time. Night riding with a group is less intimidating than going solo and other road users generally give you a little more respect. For our roadies most of the base winter mileage is done at night, it’s character building. Whilst for the mountain bikers it’s a totally different experience to daylight riding, it sharpens your skills and reactions; you have to ‘feel’ the trail and the way the bike is responding. Whether it’s a ride around the outskirts of
You'll also find a guide to how to look after your expensive Lithium Ion battery written by our expert Tim Williams here.
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Kim Wiltshire
