To see and to be seen

As autumn days are getting shorter, cyclists need to use their lights more often. Here we would like to give some useful advice on how to pick the lights that are right for your riding-style and your bike.

Pre-mounted lights

While most bicycles are sold without lighting so you have to purchase the necessary front and rear lights separately, some city, tour, trekking and certain children’s bicycles are equipped with lights when they come out from the factory.

• From the built-in systems - bikes equipped with an electrical generator or dynamo (a magneto producing an alternating current) - it is worth going for the hub dynamos. Dynamos encased in the hub of the wheel have a highly advanced technological background today. They produce minimal additional drag and they are very effective while the chance of breakdown is very low. The lamps that work with this system are also highly evolved and some models can keep going for a short period of time even after the biker has stopped.
  
• Dynamos that rub against the tire rim are more likely to fail and produce more relevant additional drag while they also wear the tire sidewall. There are better and more efficient lighting options available nowadays for a moderate price so it is worth considering an alternative if you have this kind of dynamo.
  

Battery powered bicycle lights

All the mountable halogen lights, xenon strobes, LED lights and flashers belong to this group.

• • Flashers: these are rather used for indication, to draw attention to the cyclist’s presence on the road. They can easily be put on your bag strap, your helmet, coat or other piece of clothing. They usually employ LEDs and are battery powered.
  
• • Multi-purpose lights: these are available with halogen incandescent or LEDs. Thanks to the rapid technological advance of recent years LED lamps with high luminous efficacy are becoming more and more popular and widely available. These LED lights are less liable to break-down and they combine lower expense and higher light output with longer battery life. LED lights can be used in flashing and steady modes and the individual LEDs in the lamp can even be dimmed separately. The rechargeable battery powered lamps go for a shorter time but their light output is higher and they are in most cases easy to recharge. Halogen lamps represent a more basic category and are usually non-rechargeable. These halogen or xenon incandescent lights consume the most energy compared to other types of bicycle lights so the battery life is unfortunately the shortest in their case.
  

Incandescent lamp or LED

Traditional incandescent lights are typically sold with normal battery powered lamps not with rechargeable systems. Those xenon and halogen lights however that have rechargeable batteries represent a somewhat competitive alternative to LED lights but their heat output is relatively high and they are more sensitive to mechanical impact. LED bike lights are easier to get with a rechargeable energy source and LEDs not only have a near-infinite service life, they are also very unlikely to break down. Light-emitting diodes are developing fast and that means higher and higher light output capacity and the introduction of a variety of colours but bear in mind that higher light output results in more heat produced therefore lower efficiency.

Useful advice: lights with a rechargeable battery require regular switching on as the accumulator’s capacity can decrease if it is not used for a long time. These lamps should be checked time after time even when not needed for biking.

Being visible

Visibility is of crucial importance both in town and outside of the city. The biker should be visible not only from the front and back but also from the side so that other vehicles and their drivers notice the bicycle easily when approaching a crossing. The best solution is using lamps that are constructed in a way that they project light laterally as well. This is made possible with the design of the lamp, with a suitable plastic cover. Another solution providing great visibility is a lamp with high light output as the illuminated area around the cyclist is noticed from a distance. Visibility can also be enhanced with reflectors on the wheel, with reflective straps and stickers on the bike and on the biker’s clothing (like ankle and wrist straps), with visibility vests or a wind coat of bright colour.

Practical points of consideration

• Mounting/Attaching the light
  The way a certain lamp can be mounted, attached affects which model you should choose. The ones that can easily be mounted and taken off without using special tools, by hand, even in gloves are ideal if you want to remove the lights frequently. Certain lamps come with a mount that has to be fitted in advance and the lamp can be attached -clipped on, or slipped onto the rail of the mount - and detached easily afterwards. Some other models employ a Velcro strap or rubber band for mounting and are easy to take off and slip into your bag or pocket when you stop and lock the bike somewhere.
  
• Handling and usage
  The next point of consideration is if switching the light on and off is easy and if it is water resistant or not. Some models are easy to switch on and off even in gloves and this really is an issue since the lamp often has to be switched on or the mode has to be changed while pedalling.
  
• Endurance
  Since bicycle lights are used out of doors their resistance to weathering and different mechanical impacts is another important point to consider when purchasing them. The design (sturdiness) and water resistance of the cover is the first issue here. The simpler models are easier to take apart and are usually made of less resistant, cheaper materials so they react more sensitively to mechanical impact. Stronger, more robust models have aluminium covers and sealed (closed system) rechargeable batteries that are mounted separately from the body of the light and are connected to it with a wire. These are highly resistant therefore ideal for off-road use. Most lights these days are water repellent but only the better models can withstand bigger rains. In heavy rain, it is better to switch the light on even during the day time for better visibility in the traffic. Those who are pedalling 24-7 in snow and rain should definitely look for sturdy, water resistant bicycle lamps.
  

Useful tips:

• It is better to buy front and rear lights separately and not as a set.
  
• It is well worth trying the lamp before buying it.
  
• Those riding in the city in a moderate tempo should choose cost effective lamps with diffused light sufficient for indicating position, that work well in flash mode and require less energy, making for longer battery life or less frequent recharge.
  
• Those riding outside the city or in not well lit areas should get more focused lights with a powerful beam that reaches relatively far.