Bicycling Magazine estimates that if people in the United States rode bikes one day a week, they would save more than $600 each year on costs related to driving, they would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24 lb. each week and they would burn an extra 1,315 calories weekly. Once you decide to join others in riding your bike more frequently, equipping the bike with the most effective lights is an important first step in riding safely. Some lights are a legal, must-have, while others are optional.
Front Lights
According to the website Bicycle Driving, every state requires bicyclists to have a front, white light for use after dark. Visibility distances vary from 50 to 300 feet, but Bicycle Driving recommends you look for a light visible from 500 feet. Steven Goodridge, author of an article titled "Cycling at Night" on the website Humantransport.org, writes that clip-on lights are good as back-up systems, but that they have a limited lighting range and short battery life. LED headlamps offer great improvements in both areas. According to Goodridge, rechargeable-battery powered lighting, while more expensive than clip-on versions, provide high light output and different light beam settings, with more than two hours between battery charging. Overall, Goodridge recommends lights run by generators, which recharge themselves, despite their heavier weight. These lights provide bright light.
Rear Lights
Most rear lights rely on red LED bulbs, which Bicycle Driving recommends be visible from 600 to 1,000 feet and be at least 2 square inches. LED lights need to be inspected often because the light dims long before they fail, according to Goodridge. He recommends an extra-bright tail light that runs off the same battery as the head lamp. Randy Swart, director of the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, uses blinking 6 volt yellow lights with a 9 volt battery and a 7 inch light band because he believes that attracting attention and safety are more important than weight.
Solid Vs. Blinking Lights
Most bicyclists and drivers believe that moving lights alert on-coming traffic more quickly. Swart is an advocate of moving lights, placing lights on both legs to move up and down as he pedals. Goodridge asserts that a rapid pulse is easier to track than a slower pulse.
Reflectors
Laws on pedal and side reflectors vary, with some state requiring them and others not, according to Bicycle Driving, which states that these lights are not necessary. Goodridge asserts that the rear reflectors required by the Consumer Products Safety Commission are too small to be of real use, and he recommends replacing small reflectors with one that is 3 inches in diameter with 7 square inches of reflector area. Goodridge also advises that an amber reflector is 2-1.2 times as bright under illumination as a red reflector.
Other Lighting Options
Swart recommends back-up systems for both front and rear lights, as well as 3M reflectors placed everywhere. He has used flashing, LED lights on his helmet that use a CR123 lithium cell battery and he also recommends an Inova 24/7 light that blinks and has a long battery life, according to Helmets.org.
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