Oh no - it's that time of the year when you leave in the dark to go to work, and then return home in the dark. Bit of a tunnel, if you get my drift.
With cycling the name of the game is to be SEEN! It's the minimum requirement. Then there is to SEE. So, when you ride along a street at night time, even if the wonderful LED street lighting is bright, you need to be seen by other road users. Then, when the street lighting is minimal or not present, you have to SEE where you are going.
There are a range of lights which have this 'see me’ factor to them. These will be fine if you know that your route is well lit, and will not deviate much from door to door. Our range of lights at RAB such as the Blackburn Click USB range and Exposure Trace are great for that, as they have the habit of being intensely bright as visible sources, rather than a focused beam in complete darknesses.
At the other end, lights like Exposure's Joystick and the Blackburn Dayblazer range deliver big payloads of light ahead of you, for those unlit roads and paths. Some may argue that in built-up areas they can be quite anti-social to oncoming traffic. However, you can aim them in such a way to remain visible without making an annoying glare.
Maintenance-wise, it's always a good idea to charge your lights as soon as you get home if they are below say, 75%, and you can unplug them before bedtime to prevent overcharging (if you are not using a smart charger.)
We would also advise not to leave your lights tethered if you leave your bike unattended, as there's nothing worse than your high value light being stolen, which in turn makes your journey home miserable and dangerous. Develop a habit of taking them wherever you go.
At RAB we use a variety of lights which we are available to buy and are happy to run through their benefits and performance to help you choose what works best for you.
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