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And Darkness Fell |
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Written by Zach Magoon
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Monday, 30 October 2006 |
Well that's it, no more light on the commute home. This time of year is what separates the year-rounders from the, dare I say, fair weather commuters. I like this time of year when it's dark at night, but that feeling wears off about mid-January when I forget to charge my light for the 3rd night in a row and I have to ride home with little more than a dull glow. SO let's talk about lights, because you absolutely need them if you're gonna commute in the winter.
Cars can't see you without them. I have used a couple different configurations on my light setups, but here's what I currently use on my commuter rig. I have a NiteRider Trail Rat 2.0 mounted on the handlebars and a red flasher on my bike bag in the back. I just ordered a new red flasher in the back after misplacing TWO over the summer. I went with the Cat Eye LD1000 Taillight because a fellow team member gave it a good review. I wanted to get one that plugged into my NiteRider system, but it was only available in a white flasher. I think red should always appear in the back--that way motorists know which direction you are traveling. The white flasher in the back is just confusing. But perhaps that confusion is just enough for a motorist to take notice and slow down--I don't know, you be the judge.
As far as the front light is concerned, I like having the light mounted on the bars because that way the light is more consistent with the actual direction of travel. When the light is mounted on one's helmet and the rider looks around, the movement looks erratic and unpredictable to motorists--this would be bad. Of course you can supplement your main light with a helmet mounted one (like I do for trail riding with the Night Sun SunSport), but I've found it to be a pain in the ass charging two systems all the time. Speaking of charging--I feel it's a must to get a system that is rechargeable. Don't screw around with regular AA batteries--that's just silly. No matter what the manufacturer says about how bright the light is, it will never last more than a week or even a few days--especially when the weather gets cold. I get cars flashing me because the Trail Rat is so bright--no joke. I don't know if they do that to see me better or to say "turn the effin light down." Either way it's a good thing.
Reflective clothing is also a big plus for riding after dark. My commuter bag from Patagonia has had 6 hard years of use, but the reflective strip across the back still does it's job. Plus I can clip on my rear flasher--this becomes important when using different bikes to commute. It's alleviates the need to undo the light bracket from the seat post when you switch bikes. Any kind of reflection on your feet or lower legs is helpful as well--look for tights or pants that have reflective strips, or buy some pant straps.
So don't be afraid of the dark--outfit yourself to be safe--and have fun.
Zm |
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