How To Cycle Safely In The Night

Reflective Gear

Being highly visible to other people on the road is very important. This can be easily done by using reflective gear for both your bike and yourself. You should also avoid wearing darker clothes since they will make you look invisible in the night. However, if you absolutely need to wear a dark or black jacket then you should make sure it has large reflective straps that can be easily seen.

If you want a budget-friendly option where you don’t have to buy new clothes, you can simply use reflective tape. All you need to do is put the tape on your clothes, especially on your helmet, pants, and arms. You should buy bulk glow sticks for safety to keep with you.

As for your bike, if you just purchased a new bike, then you’ll likely get reflectors already on the bike. This includes handlebar reflectors, wheel reflectors, saddle reflectors etc. If your bike doesn’t come with these things, you can get them in most bike stores quite affordably.

Bike Lights

The very minimum bike lights should include a white light to the front of the bike and a blinking red light at the rear. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to get bike lights. As a matter of fact, using very bright lights can be quite hazardous and is worse than not using any lights.

When it comes to the lights on your handlebar, you should get a light that is between 400 to 600 lumens. This is recommended because lights with a higher lumen number will be too bright which can distract drivers and be quite dangerous.

Your rear light is something you should not spare on and it is best to ensure that it is fully waterproof and has an excellent battery with a long life. If you have a rear light that isn’t working, it can be very dangerous for you since cars approaching from behind won’t be able to see you properly in the dark.

You should also have a rear light at the back of your helmet which will make sure that you’re easily visible.

Follow The Road Rules

In the night, empty roads may make you feel a bit safer. However, this is not true and you need to be even more cautious and observe the traffic rules in your area.

In the event that you’re in an urban area you should avoid cycling in roads that have numerous intersections. Instead, you should cycle on roads that are quiet and less busy.

Route Planning

You should definitely stick to riding on routes that you’re very familiar with at night or have at least been on a few times during the day. You should also select areas that are very well lit and avoid intersections as much as possible.

You should use a GPS on your phone if you want to go on a strange route. It is easy to plan your route using Google Maps or even Strava.

Pre-ride Checkups

Checking your bike before you go on a ride is very important. Most people don’t do this but if you want to be as safe as possible at night, then you should thoroughly check your bike and ensure you have basic tools. Even though you check your bike, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will not experience any problems. However, there are many cases that you will find problems and be able to fix them before you go on a ride.

You should also take a couple of basic tools that will help you to do minor repairs, especially when there aren’t any other people around to help.

Be Cautious

Always be as careful as you can while riding and this means surveying the area and not using any headphones while you cycle.

Even though you may want to listen to your favorite music while you cycle, you should avoid dulling your senses in the night. You will need full use of all of your senses at night to make sure you’re safe.