Lighting for Cyclists

Having proper lighting while you're cycling is a matter of life and death. Hundreds of cyclists are killed each year in accidents that may have been prevented if they were more visible to passing vehicles. Lighting systems come in several forms, are lightweight and use long-lasting LEDs.

  1. Taillights

    • It's estimated that nearly 30 percent of car-on-bike collisions happen from the rear. Vehicles are unable to see the cyclist. Remedy that by installing a red LED taillight. This light system mounts to the seat post of your bike with the turn of one screw. While systems may vary, most offer a series of flashing red settings with the goal of increasing visibility and saving battery life.

      Taillights can range from approximately $30 to $100 depending on number of lumens and length of battery life. The brightest taillights emit roughly 35 lumens.

    Headlights

    • Headlight systems are compact, easy to install and can provide upwards of 1,000 lumens. These systems attach to the handlebar, are built with LEDs for longevity, and have a life of three to 10 hours at the low or high setting, respectively. Most systems, due to their higher lumen output, will require a small battery connected to the light via a cord or USB cable.

    Helmet-Mounted Lights

    • While a handlebar-mounted headlight will provide the most illumination, a helmet-mounted light can assist with rider-oriented lighting. In other words, if you need to look outside the beam of the main headlight, your helmet light will be useful. This lightweight, clip-on light system provides 50 to 100 lumens.

    Cordless

    • If you need to avoid the extra weight of a remote battery for your front headlight, cordless versions are available. But, you'll sacrifice lumens and operation time between charges. You can expect lumen outputs around 250 and battery lifespans of roughly 2.5 to 4.5 hours. But if you want less clutter on your bike and need to shave a few ounces, cordless may be your best choice.