The Importance of Bike Lights

 Bike lights are an important safety accessory that every person needs if they bike at night, in town or on the trails. Bike lights not only allow you to see what lies ahead, but also make you visible to traffic. 

City law states that all persons who bike at night must have a white light on the front of their bike and a red light or reflector on the back of the bike. Both must be visible for at least 300 feet. We have several options for you, based on your bike riding needs.

I started off my bike commuting with two Infini Wukong lights; one white and one red. These are small, battery powered, and inexpensive lights that can be installed easily on your bike or helmet. The Infini Wukong is my go-to for a rear taillight; even if you have a reflector I'd suggest investing in a small rear light. I feel one can never be too safe, especially when riding in town.

The Infini headlight is more to be in compliance with city law and promote visibility, but for distance lighting falls short in my book.

The next step up would be the Bontrager line of lights (Ion for white and Flare for red). These are affordable lights that will give you more visibility and light than the Infini Wukong lights. However, these lights are powered by AAA batteries (3 for the Ion and 2 for the Flare lights) so you will be purchasing batteries on a regular basis to keep yourself safe.

If you really want to have prime lighting I suggest the Night Rider Lumina series of lights. You will find these to be more costly, but the investment is worth it! I was upgraded to the Lumina 650 last year and was beyond impressed. (Note-the Lumina 650 is now Lumina 700)

The Lumina 650 has three levels of lighting; most of the time I keep it on the lowest level for my basic commuting needs. Out on the trails this summer I used the other two levels to aid my ride. It's a very sturdy light and has handled my clumsiness several times. It's a rechargeable light and comes with a USB cord that you can plug into your desktop or laptop computer. No surplus of batteries to stock up on! 

Whatever kind of riding you do in the evening hours we have options to keep you visible and safe!