Don’t get caught in the dark: bike riders urged to light up

As daylight savings ends and winter gloom looms, Bicycle Network is urging __bike riders to make sure they have their bikes fitted with working lights to ensure they are visible as the days begin to get shorter.

To be visible while out on the roads, all riders need to have working lights when it is dark. Anyone riding without lights can also be fined by police.

Riding Editor of Bicycle Network’s Ride On magazine, Simon Vincett, says that it is easy to get caught out without lights at this time of year and that it is important to be prepared with the right set of lights.

“As the light disappears earlier you can suddenly find yourself in the dark, particularly riding home from work. To make sure you can be seen by car drivers and other riders, and are complying with the law, you need a front white light and rear red light when it is dark,” said Mr Vincett. 

“Your front light must be able to be seen from 200 metres away and it should be attached only to your handlebars, while your red light should be attached to the seat post.”

To make sure you are can get the best value lights available, Ride On has just published its annual lights test in the Autumn 2017 issue.

40 lights were tested and ranked under a number of categories by Ride On, including on-road visibility at different angles, waterproofness, durability and usability. The review recommends lights in ‘best in test’ and ‘best value’ categories.

“You want to know that your light works outside of factory conditions, and is also easy to use and won’t break down when the inevitable winter rain strikes,” added Mr Vincett.

“Durability and waterproofness is tested by an industrial design team from RMIT University in Melbourne, while brightness is tested on the actual road by a panel of judges. We too often find that lights which are marketed as being bright actually disappoint when used on the road at night.”

It is the 12th year in a row the test has been conducted and has become a bible for __bike riders. The Autumn 2017 edition of Ride On is now available in stores around the country and online at rideonmagazine.com.au.