How To Stay Safe While Riding Your Bike At Night

Use Proper Lighting And Practice Safe Cycling

There are many types of lights to use when riding a bike at night, but most important of all, handlebar lights, a helmet light, and rear lighting. Your handlebar light helps to illuminate the road ahead and prevents accidents while the rear light not only improves your visibility, but signals to oncoming traffic your location. Lastly, helmet lighting enables you to get a better view of your surroundings and will improve your peripheral vision.

Staying safe on the road during nighttime requires you to pay attention to your handlebar lighting. Never flash your lights as it can temporarily blind drivers passing by. As a good rule of thumb, always point your handlebar lights downward about 20 feet away from you.

Most lights are rechargeable USB-based, but they also have a shorter operation span. It is important that you have the right amount of illumination at all times, so keep a battery-powered light with you every time as backup. Also, remind yourself to regularly re-charge your lights after work. There are some good tips on travelling at night here. 

Remain Mindful And Focused

It is easy to get lost in your own world when cycling, but make sure you pay attention, never outride your lights, and stay in your lane. Equally important, make it a point to keep your speed in check and allow yourself time to avoid collision.

What To Wear Out Cycling

Make sure you purchase specialty cycling clothing from the necessary blend of fabrics and layers to protect you during chilly nights. Gloves and skull caps are great accessories that help you keep away the nighttime chill. 

It is also important that apart from illuminating your bike, you also work on making your clothing reflective. You can purchase a vest or helmet with a reflective function, but you can also purchase tape separately that can make all parts of your bike visible such as the fenders, bags, crank arms, and panniers.

Protective glasses are your last line of defense against cars speeding by as they can kick up rubble. To protect your vision, invest in a nice pair of clear glasses, or if you prefer a budget version, purchase safety glasses from any local hardware store.

Smart Riding Tips

-Always inspect your bike and check the parts before heading out for a ride. It is important that all parts are functioning and you don’t have to wait on the side of the road to fix your bike chain, for example. When riding an electric mountain bike, make sure the battery is fully charged, the lights are working, and the brakes are fine. Check the throttle settings too!

-If you’re not accustomed to riding at night, make sure you go over your route during daylight hours to see potential danger zones and obstacles. Knowing about them ahead of time can prevent potential accidents. A well-lit bike path is also great for beginner cyclists as it allows you to get acquainted with riding at night.

-Consider having a cycling buddy with you because it’s much safer to ride in small groups. Additionally, remain calm when encountering surprising potholes on the road and ensure that your weight is on your legs and not your seat for stability.