My town is about as bike friendly as you can get. Most roads have designated bike lanes, or friendly “Share The Road” signs. All in all, bikers and motorists get along well here, but we’re not immune to accidents. Last week, I was driving in the evening and I saw a car accidentally force a cyclist off the road near a stoplight. He wasn’t hurt, but I could tell he was shaken. As an enthusiastic cyclist myself, that worried me. Did the car just not see him?
Whether you’re hopping on your bike to enjoy the spring weather, or to be a little more environmentally friendly, safety should be a priority.
The most important thing to consider when riding at night is how to see and be seen.
Here are a few of our favorite LED bike lights for night riding:
1. Clip On Bike Lights
These LED lights attach easily to the front and rear of your bike. The white light clips to the front break cables to help you see where you’re going, and signal to others that you’re heading their way. The red light clips to your seat rails, brightly marking your bike’s rear. They both operate in steady beam and continuous flash modes, visible from up to a mile away. They’re weather resistant and have a long battery life.
2. Twist On Bike Lights
These LED battery operated lights have the same features as the clip on version, except they use flexible gear ties to attach to your bike. I especially like these lights because they can attach in different ways to different places on your bike. I ride a Schwinn path bike which I love, but the seat is on a built-in shock that makes using standard screw-on taillights impossible. This light wraps exactly where I need it, and I don’t have to worry about it falling off.
3. Bike Spoke Lights
For ultimate visibility (and a lot of fun), you may want to attach a few bike spoke lights to your wheels. They’ll make naturally hard to spot wheels impossible to miss, and help motorists tell how fast you’re going. They’re bright, battery operated, long-lasting, and durable. You can create your own custom lighting look with round or oval lights in red, green, amber, or disco/color-changing styles. Just clip them on and ride off into the sunset (and beyond!)
So would that cyclist have avoided the stoplight snafu if he had some bright, flashing lights on his bike? I guess we’ll never know, but the next time I hit the road on my Schwinn, I’m not going to take that chance.