Riding in the Dark

Being October it' dark in the mornings. Very dark. You have to prepare for this. Cars are dangerous enough in daylight but in the dark they become extra scary. I think of the times I've ridden in the past while it was dark outside and man, that was crazy.

I don't think I would every go again without at least a front white light and a back red light. You may not know this but there are a lot of options when it comes to lights for bikes. When I first looked into it I had no idea. The question you must ask yourself is "do I want to actually see with this light or do I only need to be seen with this light?" Turns out there is a huge difference between the two. I first went with the cheaper option and got a light just to be seen. My wife got the other option and bought a more pricey front light that is bright enough that it actually helps you see with it. After borrowing hers while on a solo ride I realized I had made a big mistake. It seems crazy expensive but if you do a lot of riding in the dark I've learned it's well worth it.

This is the NiteRider MiNewt 350. It's not terribly heavy and at 350 lumens it's pretty bright. It's all self contained in one unit so there is no battery pack to worry about. At the highest power the battery lasts about 2 hrs and the recharges using a USB cable. It mounts easily to your handle bars and has a quick release that makes it easy to switch to other bikes.

This is the backlight I wear. It's cheap and easy but works just fine.

I wear a reflective vest that's not a full vest but more just straps that you wear like a vest. It's easily adjustable for when you have a jacket on or not. I had a hard time finding one like this. I could only find it at a running shop near my office.