{"id":28483,"date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.siroko.com\/blog\/c\/cycling-in-the-dark-tips-for-riding-at-night\/"},"modified":"2021-10-08T14:35:32","modified_gmt":"2021-10-08T12:35:32","slug":"cycling-in-the-dark-tips-for-riding-at-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.siroko.com\/blog\/c\/cycling-in-the-dark-tips-for-riding-at-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Cycling in the dark. Tips for riding at night"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/b>As the daylight hours dwindle or the winter season sets in, we slowly head back to our indoor bike trainers to start pedaling at home again. But, as Darth Vader would say: “If you only knew the power of the dark side”. With proper bike lights, the right clothing and a few safety rules, the dark side is not only powerful but also a lot more fun than staying at home in front of a screen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bike lights<\/b><\/h3>\n

Never go out cycling at night without them. Make sure you have a front white light and a rear red light. <\/b>Each can be used in steady or flashing mode, depending on the circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their power is measured in lumens.<\/b> The higher the number, the more powerful the light. In other words, more lumens = more brightness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make sure you<\/span> know the traffic rules in your country<\/b> or the country you are traveling to, and <\/span>ask yourself three questions to choose the right lights<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Where are you going to ride?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. At what speed?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. How long will you cycle in the dark?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Depending on the answers, you will need more or less powerful lights. The best and most powerful ones are expensive, so if you are on a tight budget you may not be able to ride as far, as fast and as long as you would like.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you are<\/span> riding in well-lit areas<\/b>, <\/span>be-seen lights<\/b> will suffice to make sure you\u2019re clearly seen by pedestrians and other vehicles. The front one must have<\/span> at least 100 lumens<\/b> for minimum safety. Over 100 lumens means you will be seen and you will see better in poorly-lit areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If apart from well-lit areas, you also<\/span> ride in poorly-lit or dark areas<\/b>, you will need <\/span>to-see lights <\/b>in order to illuminate the terrain ahead.<\/span> A 500-lumen headlight allows you to move around easily on poorly-lit roads. 1000 lumens offers good visibility for fast riding on dark, unlit roads. <\/b>Anything above 1000 provides better vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In poorly-lit or unlit areas our speed is a key factor in choosing the right lights as our reaction time is shorter at high speed. <\/b>The sooner we see the pothole or obstacle, the faster we can react.<\/span><\/p>\n