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I made a new website for a campaign I'm beginning:
It's that time of year! The time change means drivers are going to be night blind for a week or two. Make sure you have those lights charged up and ready for your after work commutes!
Less Ninja, more Christmas tree!
I've seen a few of these (or similar to these) now and they do seem to have a few advantages.
This first one was the one I saw I think
https://www.amazon.com/Torch-Casco-Bicicleta-Integradas-Blanco/dp/B...
My wife saw this one elsewhere. This was panned as dystopian elsewhere for other reasons, but for the first one (I think) that I saw, there were some noteworthy things.
https://lumoshelmet.co/pages/kickstart
For one, they're visible over cars because a rider's head is taller than a lot of cars, rather than being at what amounts to knee, hip or belly height for other bike lights.
Another plus is that more square inches of the light gives me a better perception of the movement of it. (The size of a car or motorcycle light is larger for a reason too I suppose.) The pinpoint lights which while fairly bright (and more aero of course) don't give me the same sense of depth perception or change in closing distance, and blend in more with other bright lights and reflections.
The thing I imagine I wouldn't like is that when my more traditional bike light front or rear has gone bad, I just get a new one, and it doesn't cost too too much. But a whole new helmet or that costs more that a perfectly acceptable bike for lots of people, or certainly a used bike, so the price may be a bit steep for many folks.
So while I'm not running out to buy one, I did find the rider to be much more visible.
This one's a lot le$$
https://www.amazon.com/XUBA-Steering-Mountain-Accessory-Chargeable/...
I remember other threads here where helmet-mounted was seen as a problem, but i fully agree re: having the light up and visible to more drivers. And i really appreciate being able to point my light without pointing the whole bike too.
I'm a fan of steady-state lights since I ride along the lake where the park lights can be hit an miss. For about $35 I've really liked an earlier version of this for the last five years:
https://www.amazon.com/Offroad-Rechargeable-Headlight-Mountain-Cycl...
Unlike a lot of lights that are kind of scattered this has a decent beam pattern that's handy in the dark. I did replace the battery pack this year after the wires pinched and split.
I've got a generator hub powering a head and tail light and it's the best thing I've done. Both lights are bright have stand lights and the headlight has a patterned beam that lights up the road without blinding oncoming traffic. It's always there and I don't have to worry about batteries or re-charging.
It is a pricey option but well worth it.
For something a little less pricey, I like these Reelights.
https://www.reelight.com/collections/all-products/products/rl700-se...
They're always on, and never need batteries. Pretty bright for "be seen" lights, but to light up a trail or path that's not street-lit, a secondary front light is a good idea.
Several years ago I got a new bike with a generator hub and excellent head and tail lights - Busch and Muller Lumotec IQ Premium Cyo and Toplight Line Brake Plus. If these or something comparable might be an option for you, I highly recommend them.
The head light sure makes potholes and other surprises visible at night, in addition to making me visible. The older version of the tail light that I have gets brighter when braking.
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/b&m-hl.php
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/taillights.php#rackmounted
Will second this. I have four bikes now with generator setups (three Shimano and one SON hub, all some flavor of IQ Cyo headlamp, three with wired taillamps too) and it can't be beat. You have a really good beam pattern and it's always there.
I think lights are underrated. A study on cyclists in Denmark shows incidents of injury a 19% less frequent for cyclists who always use a light. This was a designed study, not an observational study. Mostly we see the latter type of study which is subject to confounds.
The safety effect of permanent lights is about the same as some estimates as helmets.
Since I learned about the permanetn light study I always use a light unless I am riding in a group, even when it is sunny outside.
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