If you’re cycling at night, whether on lit roads in town, unlit roads or off-road, it’s important to be properly prepared.
There are obvious steps to take, such as fitting bike lights, but there are other steps you can take to make riding at night safer and more comfortable.
We asked Matt Woodcock, training manager at Cycling UK, and Chris Bennett, head of behaviour change and engagement at Sustrans, for their advice on how to ride safely at night.
And, if you’re a mountain biker, we’ve got tips for trail riding at night too. 1. Use appropriate lights
Bike light laws in the UK state you must run a front white light and a rear red light between sunset and sunrise.
The lights you need for cycling to work in town are very different from those you need to ride on unlit country lanes or off-road.
If there’s decent street lighting on your route, your light only needs to ensure you are seen by other road users. On dark roads or pitch-black trails, the lights have to illuminate the road or trail ahead of you.“If you’re riding along unlit country lanes, you’ll need a different lighting setup to riding in an urban setting – or you may need to have a mix of lights if you’re riding through both environments,” says Woodcock.Whereas a lower-power blinky might work as a front light in town, you’ll need a much more powerful front light for a mountain bike ride or country lane.The best bike lights for road […]
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