{"id":133300,"date":"2016-01-29T15:31:57","date_gmt":"2016-01-29T13:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/?p=133300"},"modified":"2016-01-29T15:33:02","modified_gmt":"2016-01-29T13:33:02","slug":"come-to-the-light-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/29\/come-to-the-light-side\/","title":{"rendered":"Come to the Light Side"},"content":{"rendered":"

All cyclists know that sometimes riding in the dark is inevitable regardless if the reason is late arrival from work or training after dusk. Without a proper light it could be very dangerous. But how to choose the best lighting system for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before you start thinking about shopping for bike lights, make sure both you and your bike are visible. If you ride purely under the street lights of an urban environment then it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll just need front and rear lights that will make you visible to other road users.<\/p>\n

A more demanding rider will need high-output lighting systems. These are usually rechargeable lighting systems that offer maximum illumination. The most powerful lights are often characterized by a separate battery pack attached to a smaller head unit, that’s a lot more powerful than a standard torch. They are higher priced but much brighter than safety lights, and they help you see where you\u2019re going on the trail or road in nearly all conditions.<\/p>\n

Get illuminated<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Most<\/a><\/p>\n

In such cases, the intention is to get as much power as possible. If you\u2019re more into mixed-trail riding, you need good lights all the time, and the battery life gets more important. The output of the lights is measured in lumens. A lumen is a unit that quantifies the amount of light falling on the object you want illuminated. Good to know: You may have a 1500-lumen light, but if the battery enables you to run it only at 50% power during a fast cross-country\/trail ride, it\u2019s less bright than a \u2018weaker\u2019 1000-lumen unit where you can use 100 percent. Keep in mind that a too powerful light can be a disadvantage sometimes \u2013 particularly in wet or foggy conditions, where bounce-back and glare mean you see less than with a less powerful unit. It\u2019s similar to driving a car in fog.<\/p>\n

Handlebars<\/b> or helmet?<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Which<\/a><\/p>\n

Most lights come with both bars and helmet mounting options. Which is better comes down to personal preference, but both kinds have its pros and cons. Helmet light shines where you\u2019re looking, but it flattens out visible trail features and can be knocked off by low trees. If you have a light mounted on the handlebars it\u2019s easy to see indicators and operate switches. A less practical part is that the light only goes where your bars are pointed. In reality the best solution is to use helmet- and bar-mounted lights, even if you have to buy lower powered units to afford both. It also means you have a backup should one battery die. Before spending your money always double-check if the light fits your bars or your helmet.<\/p>\n

Mountain bikers should also consider whether they want a narrow beam for straight and fast riding or helmet use, a wider beam for slower, more technical terrain, or a combination of both \u2013 which is likely to be more expensive.<\/p>\n

Battery power<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Which<\/p>\n

Most of the lights use rechargeable systems featuring lithium-ion batteries. They can be charged hundreds of times, making them an inexpensive and environmentally sound alternative to disposable batteries. Unlike alkalines that dim slowly during battery life, most rechargeables deliver consistent light until their power is exhausted. A few years ago, you had a variety of different bulb options to consider, but LED lights have improved and come down in price so there really isn’t a choice any more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All cyclists know that sometimes riding in the dark is inevitable regardless if the reason is late arrival from work […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":133302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[328,329,334,330],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-133300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outdoor-mountain","category-road-cycling","category-socialising-and-culture","category-urban-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nCome to the Light Side - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"All cyclists know that sometimes riding in the dark is inevitable regardless if the reason is late arrival from work or training after dusk.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/29\/come-to-the-light-side\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Come to the Light Side\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"All cyclists know that sometimes riding in the dark is inevitable regardless if the reason is late arrival from work or training after dusk.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/29\/come-to-the-light-side\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-01-29T13:31:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-01-29T13:33:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2p6e6u75xmxt8.cloudfront.net\/2\/2016\/01\/profi1332.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"525\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Adam Marsal\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/29\/come-to-the-light-side\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2016\/01\/29\/come-to-the-light-side\/\",\"name\":\"Come to the Light Side - 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