Night-time Bike Essentials

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July 17, 2019 Night Time Biking

Anyone who has had to bike around a rural area at night knows that it’s quite hard to navigate around in the dark unaided. Urban areas can be a tad less challenging to navigate, but also risky due to the larger volume of cars. There are also safety risks involved when cycling at night. Despite this, biking at night can actually be quite relaxing, and is something that all cycling enthusiasts should try out.

However, you can’t just start biking around at night without the proper gear, equipment, and accessories. Due to the many safety risks involved, as well as the lower visibility, night-time cycling requires a bit more planning than your standard daytime ride. Below we look at many items that can help lower the risks involved with night-time cycling. Anything that lowers risk and betters your chances of safety is definitely worth a thought or two. Make sure you plan and research well for that relaxing night-time cycling run.

8 great night-time bike essentials

If you are thinking of outfitting yourself and your bike with night-time gear and accessories, then make sure that you plan accordingly. A half-baked night-time cycle could have disastrous consequences, so getting everything planned out is a must. Here are 8 essential items for a night-time bike run.

1. All the standard safety gear

Of course, you will need all the standard safety gear in a night-time bike ride. You will have to make a little bit of extra effort to properly outfit for a night ride, though.

Your safety equipment needs to be compatible with any accessories that you may need for cycling out in the dark. Make sure that your helmet can be outfitted with a lamp, your protectors with reflector stickers, and your vest should preferably not blend in with the night. It also wouldn’t hurt to have brightly-coloured compression gear to make sure that you are visible even in the dark.

2. Safety goggles or glasses

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Some people opt to forego safety goggles and glasses for a daytime ride, but these items are absolutely essential when riding at night. There are way more bugs and insects that fly around at night, and many will be attracted to the lights on your bike. You should protect your eyes from these. Safety goggles will do precisely that, and will make sure that your eyes are kept well away from any unwanted crawlies.

Visibility is also lower at night, which means that you have to be extra careful not to impair visibility any further. Wearing safety goggles will help make sure that your eyes are well-taken care of. Just make sure that the safety glasses or goggles that you wear are clear and well-cleaned. It also doesn’t make much sense to wear tinted goggles at night.

3. Rear lights or taillights

Rear lights or taillights are essential accessories for your bike during a night-time ride. The standard taillights are simple glowing red lights that you can outfit your bike with, and these work wonders letting other riders and road users know that you are there. In times of even lower visibility, like foggy or dusty nights, a blinking taillight would help. Take note that many taillights are battery-operated. Make sure that your taillight is always juiced up for a night ride.

You do not need to shed out a ton of cash to get taillights, as many of these are quite affordable while still being great at doing their jobs.

4. Bike reflectors

If you want to be on the more cautious side, then you should also outfit your bike with a couple of reflectors to make sure that you remain visible.

What’s the point of having these if you already have headlights and taillights? As mentioned earlier, lights usually run on batteries, and bikes can’t be outfitted with batteries like cars and motorcycles can. This means that your headlight or taillight runs on their own batteries, and should anything happen to your lights, then you’re essentially invisible in the dark. Having couple of reflectors to back up your lights helps greatly.

5. Headlamps and headlights

bike headlamps and headlights

What most people think is that headlamps and headlights are only useful for cycling through rural, less-populated, or darker areas. While this is true to an extent, headlamps and headlights can also prove quite useful in urban settings.

The use of headlamps and headlights is pretty obvious if you are cycling through a dark area – they light up your path. In urban areas and areas with many cars, headlights also serve to signal other passengers and drivers on the road that you are there. They help make sure that you are noticed, and drivers are a tad more careful once they know that there are bikers around.

6. Reflector vest

Not all reflector vests have to be the orange suits with the large glowing strips of tape that we see on the telly. Cycling companies have designed compression gear that also double up as reflector suits. If you’re a bit iffy about wearing the orange suits with the glowing tape, then make sure that you check out specialised compression gear.

Reflector vests and other reflective cycling gear does precisely just that. They reflect light in order to make sure that you’re visible. This can prove to be a lifesaver especially in darker rides.

7. Reflector strips and stickers

Finally, if you want to make yourself extra visible, then why not outfit your bike with reflector strips and stickers? These are quite affordable, and will make sure that your bike let’s everyone know that you are there.

biking at night tips

Are you looking to go for a night-time cycling ride? Cycling accessories are available here!

Follow our tips above on how to prepare for a night-time cycling ride to make sure that you and your bike are kept safe. If you’re looking for a company that carries cycling equipment and bike accessories, then check out our catalogue at Stead Cycles Beresfield. We have professionals to help you out, and we carry a variety of goods to cover your cycling needs. Contact us today for enquiries.