In an attempt to enhance my – sorry, actually have a – social life locally, I have joined the choir in Nearest Village. (No I can’t sing, why do you ask? The poster said they were looking for good, bad and mediocre voices, and I took them at their word). Now as Nearest Village is a mile and a half away, there’s no way I’m going to drive there, and it’s too far to practically walk, which means I’m going to have to start cycling in the dark again, for the first time since I stopped commuting. Going out wasn’t too bad, at 7pm, what with the long summer evenings here, but by the time we finished it was 8:30 and dusk. I have lights but they’re the sort of lights I had in London – ones to make you visible to the drivers, not ones that actually light up the road. Out here it gets dark. Very dark. Very very dark.
If tonight, in the dusk, under the trees, was anything to go by, I’m going to have to get new lights. Until then, it’s probably fortunate that I know the road well enough that I could ride it blindfold, because that is basically what I will be doing.
Any rural cyclists out there? What illumination do you use?
Try this:
http://www.abacuslighting.com/news.asp?id=117
yup, that’d do it
Stupidly bright torches that come with bike mounts. One on the bike, one on your helmet (so the light points where you look). From Hong Kong off tinterweb.
(Like MTB lights but less painful on the wallet)
They are pricey aren’t they? I’ve seen head torches suggested as well, a bit more practical for me as I don’t wear a helmet.
Headtorch is probably the way to go for navigating. I’ve got an old Petzl that I used to think was wonderful but is now pretty heavy. You begin to feel it on your neck after a while…
The new generation of xenon/LED headtorches are light and bright. LEDs are normally not good for distance unless they have good optics as well. You can adapt the 3v ones to use rechargeable lithium polymer cells which are uberlight! This is one of those areas where you want exceptional reliability as well…
You can get really silly (http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/petzl_ultra_headtorch/) or you can pick up a bargain! (http://www.sailgb.com/p/myolite_3_xenon_halogen_3_leds/) Might get one of these myself! With 76 metres range!
whoa. 240 quid for a head torch? For that money, I’d expect it not to make me look like a prat.
What’s the legality of cycling with a head torch? Isn’t there a danger of dazzling oncoming drivers? I did read somewhere long ago (I mean, really long ago, last century, and before the internet, so it may even be true) that there’s a maximum allowable brightness for on-road bike lights.
If you’ve dazzled them they can’t say they didn’t see you.
true…
I doubt the rozzers in Bigtownshire go out at night – it’s too scary and they might actually catch a criminal, which leads to paperwork….
As for lighting – I use a “stereo pair” of LED lights mounted lowish down on the forks another high up on the bars and set flashing and one on a headband also set to flashing. Rear: one steady, one flashing on the seat post.