While driving a car at night can often be difficult because your visibility is limited; for cyclists it can involve even more risk because of poor visibility for both you and those around you. Cycling in the dark really can be a struggle and because of this cycling accidents at night aren’t uncommon.
With this in mind, there is a constant quest for light manufacturers to produce innovative lights that provide enhanced visibility, below we have taken a look at a few of the latest innovations in bike light technology.
In most countries around the world, the law requires you to have white front and red rear lights fitted on your bike when cycling at night. You must also ensure that the bike is fitted with a red rear reflector. Cyclists must take the necessary precautions when cycling in the dark as drivers of motorist traffic need to be able to spot you from a distance, ahead of time in order to take action. There has been a surge in the introduction of new technology to help cyclists in being more visible at night.
Double O Light
An ongoing Kickstarter project, the Double O lights have been described as a simple, safe and secure solution for everyday cycling. Featuring LEDs that aren’t as bright as those in conventional bike lights and that are also spaced more widely apart, the Double O lights are bright enough to ensure that you are visible, without dazzling other road users in the process. For convenience, the lights feature a magnetic design which makes putting them on and taking them off hassle-free.
Another Kickstarter project, the Revolights take a different approach to making you visible as you cycle. Installed within the wheels of your bike, the Revolights bike lights consist of four narrow rings of LEDs which provide 360 degree visibility to illuminate not only the ground but also road signs and elevated obstacles. This visibility makes it easier for other road users to see the rider, ideal as most collisions at night are due to limited side visibility. USB power adds to their convenience.
Brainy Bike Lights
Developed following research from the University of Oxford, the Brainy Bike Lights project a cyclist symbol in order to help drivers quickly recognise that a cyclist in nearby. Relying on the ability of our brains processing symbols and imagery, the lights use the international icon for cyclists in order to tap into our way of thinking.
Utilising LED technology, the lights can be viewed from up to 20m at all angles in both daylight and darkness
Not strictly a light but instead an already equipped bike, the Lumen from Mission Bicycle Co. makes use of a powder coating featuring retro-reflective particles to provide excellent visibility. Designed to glow like the sun when car headlights shine on it, the bike features hundreds of thousands transparent spheres making the bike look grey and unsuspecting in daylight but bright and white in the dark.