Best lighting

[Vezzaford]

Hi all, after a year off from knee injury I am excited to get back on the wheel.What winter lights are people using? Do people find lights on the wheels help with visibility from cars? I’m about to buy some to aid with evening and morning rides and worry I will not be seen. Thanks!

Topic

[Starduster]

@mstone 226529 wrote:

Yes, as a driver the number one thing that tells me there’s a bike ahead are yellow pedal reflections moving up and down. I try really hard to see cyclists, but too many presumably have no idea how invisible they are. Small blinkies or low-wattage taillights are basically useless, they get lost in all the other ambient lights. Combine that with a fashion-forward drive to remove all the “ugly reflectors” and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. (Reflectors will generally be brighter than a small light because they’re powered by the car’s own high-wattage headlights rather than what can get squeezed out of a AAA or coin cell.) Have both a taillight and a rear reflector. Good lights aren’t cheap, but still cheaper than a visit to the hospital. “Testing” lights by looking at your bike in the dark is very different than what’s seen by a driver on the road. Clothing color basically doesn’t matter, neither white nor black can be seen relative to something reflective.

I will second the importance of pedal reflectors. I know they are “not cool” and “unfashionable” to some, and it is very difficult to find that feature on high end platform or clipless pedals. Yet that reciprocating motion (from behind) could be a lifesaver. Also, at the low end, they are usually the last reflector to “fall off” on an old run down bike.

I had run white reflective tape on these pedals for years, but thought I should update them to yellow. School bus yellow reflective tape found at Grainger (https://www.grainger.com/product/ORALITE-Reflective-Tape-School-Buses-45TT09). Not as bright as a reflex reflector, but close enough.

At least two manufacturers have gone a step farther and make urban pedals with bright motion sensitive lights. One of our local riders is running a set and loves them.

[mstone]

@Starduster 226534 wrote:

I will second the importance of pedal reflectors. I know they are “not cool” and “unfashionable” to some, and it is very difficult to find that feature on high end platform or clipless pedals.

I’ve run Shimano PD-780s for years on my commuter bike: https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/deorext-t780/PD-T780.html

Those were discontinued a few years back in favor of the PD-T8000, which add pins to the flat side and are probably much better when used with regular shoes in the wet: https://ride.shimano.com/products/pd-t8000

Not cheap, but high build quality and serviceable. (Mine are over 10 years old, going strong; the cost isn’t so bad amortized.) There’s also a version with the “click’r” system which I know nothing about.

I’m fairly skeptical of pedals with lights unless they’ve also got reflectors–reflectors work, they’re always there, and they don’t run out of power.

[arlcxrider]

Many cycling shoe models have reflective heels, as do shoe covers for the colder rides. The entry-level Sidi MTB shoes I use for commuting have large reflective patches on the heels.

[mstone]

@arlcxrider 226543 wrote:

Many cycling shoe models have reflective heels, as do shoe covers for the colder rides. The entry-level Sidi MTB shoes I use for commuting have large reflective patches on the heels.

Just stay aware that fabric-based reflective stuff tends to wear out a lot faster than a retroreflector. (I’ve got a lot of clothing items that “used to be” reflective.) The 3M stuff is like magic when it’s new, but the glass microbeads fall off or something over time.

[SusanG1693]

I really like my outbound helmet mounted light. It has variable settings and works well. I also have bike mounted front and rear lights and a reflective strappy vest that I mounted a rechargeable red light on.

[Meh]

@SusanG1693 226548 wrote:

I really like my outbound helmet mounted light. .

I really like their light pattern too

[Author]

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