Daylights: Increasing Your Daytime Cycling Visibility

My Vespertine Vesp brightens these darker cycling pieces and can be used for walking and running.

Most of my cycling is done along the bucolic roads that wind past the horse farms and pastures of central New Jersey. There are times, however that I commute along busier highways where bike lanes and protected paths are virtually unknown. I do my best to make myself visible to traffic and since I mostly ride in the daytime hours, have gotten into the habit of wearing bright clothing (or my bright vest, the Vesp by Vespertine NYC) and using bright lights on my helmet and bicycle.

My Nishiki with Megalert Horn and 3W Headlight

Bicycle Headlights
The point is to remember to keep it bright during the daylight hours and especially on cloudy days. Lights that are bright enough to be seen in full sun are preferable as they can offer an extra layer of visibility in traffic. Different bicycles have different needs of course and the bicycle that I ride most for commuting is my Nishiki Sport Touring.

It's half road - half touring frame allows me to have a bit more speed and less weight than most commuters. I have enough space for an electronic horn, light and camera. My computer hitches a ride on my top bar. During the day I ride with a flashing 3W Rechargeable LED Headlight from Bright Ideas.
I have upgraded to another headlight Bright Ideas also carries which is even brighter, the 3,000

Cree 3,000 Lumen Headlight at night on my Nishiki

Lumen Cree LED.

Like the 3W I was using, it is rechargeable but lighter, brighter and more compact. I have moved the battery pack from the handlebars to the seat post which gives me better access to the brakes. The Cree 3K Lumen Bicycle Headlight has four modes: Low, Medium, High Beam and Strobe. It is insanely bright and now I'm not concerned about riding at night in the country where there are often no street lights.

While I'm talking about Bright Ideas LLC, this company is dedicated to providing bright lights and reflective wear for both pedestrians and cyclists at an affordable price. I've even given some of their blinkie lights away to neighbors.

Planet Bike's super powerful Blaze 2W Micro Headlight fits between my road bike's aero bars.

Planet Bike Blaze 2W Micro HeadLight
The bicycle that I ride most for sport is my Terry Symmetry road bike. With aero bars installed there is little room for much more than a thumb bell and a small headlight. I don't train at night so this light is specifically for daytime riding safety. The Blaze 2 Watt LED Micro is many times brighter than a standard LED. It has a high and low beam and a Superflash Mode I use during my ride. Very easy to mount with no tools needed and will run up to 64 hours on flashing. Batteries came with this light and it was ready to rock right out of the box with genuine Cree XRE Powered LEDs.

My Terry Symmetry Road Bicycle

Running headlights during the day either flashing or steady can help drivers be aware of your presence at intersections and when oncoming traffic turns into your lane. I've noticed drivers waiting and letting me go first when they are coming in the opposite direction at a cross street or light.

Bicycle Tail Lights - DiNotte Lighting's Daytime Red
Seriously, this is the business end of your bicycle. You might be able to avoid trouble with cars you can see approaching but what about those you can't? I do look over my left shoulder and even have a mirror mounted at the end of my drop bars but come on! I always ride with my red tail light flashing away but you never quite know what the driver sees (or doesn't) from behind.

Coach Russ, a California based athlete and running coach who was himself hit by a car while road training told me about DiNotte's Daytime Red. These lights are made in the USA and offer top quality LEDs and electronics. The light remembers your last setting so you don't have to cycle through each time to find your favorite mode. The only trade off is that since these lights run at such a high intensity, the charge doesn't last very long (even in the flashing mode). What's worse is there is no power indicator as is present on my 3W and 3K Lumen rechargeable headlights from Bright Ideas. You go to use the light and it's just drained with no heads up. Kind of a bummer since everything else about the Daytime Red is first rate.

DiNotte Daytime Red lashed onto the top of my DR2 Trunk Bag

I personally chose the Daytime Red because that's primarily when I ride. I left the other tail lights on my bag for night time use as the Daytime Red is much too bright. However for the purpose, it is amazing. As soon as took a spin with it, cars behind me began slowing down and then went around me when it was safe to pass. It was obvious that they SAW me and from quite a distance away. A car doing 40 mph needs more time to react in order to brake. If they can see you from further away, they are going to give themselves (and you) a better chance of avoiding collision. You can check all the technical details of the Daytime Red 400R at their link but this is the brightest tail light available and perfect for daytime rides where you need to be seen. I've just started using this light and can already see a HUGE difference in my daytime riding experience.

DiNotte Daytime Red in flash-mode in broad sunlight.

Road ID Firefly Supernova Lights

This Firefly Supernova Wristband easily laces through the vents of this Rudy Project helmet.

As the season's weather heats up, you may find yourself wanting to train in the cooler temperatures of early morning or after sunset.  While there are great advantages to this, ( less traffic, pollution and heat), visibility is going to be more of a challenge.  Bright LED lights have become the standard and are cheaper yet burn longer than traditional halogen bulbs.

 

Here's a Bright Idea (or two)

LED's are so bright that they are even visible during the daytime. I have three bicycles that I ride in rotation with various panniers, trunks and baskets. Each has some sort of LED blinkie clipped on but now my vented helmets also have lights! As far as I'm concerned, the more the better. I'd rather be lit up like a Christmas Tree in July than not be seen at all.

What makes LED's so cool is that they are cool.  They don't give off a lot of heat so they can be worn pretty close to the skin such as you see here on the zipper of my hoodie. That makes them very versatile, allowing drivers to see you coming and going. Light it up!

The same light on my wrist for night running

ROAD ID's FIREFLY SUPERNOVAS

Road ID is known for making wristbands with personal contact and medical information engraved. However they also offer a line of LED lights for runners and cyclists.

These operate on a watch battery (included). Lightweight, cool and super-bright, these are the ultimate blinkies for all sorts of outdoor activities when being seen is key.




Supernovas come with a variety of attachments: bicycle, wrist band, belt/clothing clip-on so you can use them everywhere.  They weigh under an ounce and have a run time of about 250 hours. Choose, red, blue, green or clear. Best of all these are blindingly BRIGHT. Set on flashing, they are visible even in broad sunlight so you know they will get the driver's attention on night-time excursions.  Don't take chances!  These are inexpensive, (about $15 each) and easy to use.  Just a little extra insurance out there.  More Road ID safety and ID products can be found at their website: Road ID.com

In addition to riding with lights, make sure your cycle wear has reflective qualities too.

Day Lights: CatEye Rapid 5 Review

CatEye's NEW Rapid 5 on the seatpost of my Terry Symmetry - bright enough to be seen in broad sunlight.

Most local laws say that cyclists must have working front and rear lights to be on the road at night.  Well, that's certainly reasonable but I have found that you can and should go beyond what the law says.  I mean it's your life.  Wearing a helmet might not fit in with the cyclechic crowd on their "fixies" either but YOU are the one in the driver's seat.

What I have learned is that almost any bike light will be visible in pitch darkness therefore if you don't ride much after dark, a cheap blinkie might be ok.  The better deal is to get a bike light strong enough to offer visibility during the day as well.  This to me is the benchmark of a superior light and one that can be run in daylight for maximum visibility.

CatEye Rapid 5

This is new in the CatEye line of tail safety lights.  It offers 4 modes of operation, RAPID, PULSE, FLASHING & STEADY with flashing giving you up to 100 hrs on x2 AAA batteries, (provided).  Step through each mode by pressing the ON button, hold to shut off.

This light like most CatEye models benefits from their unique FlexTightTM bracket which is also included.  These brackets require no tools, only your hands to install and tighten via a simple knob.  Mount it vertically or horizontally.  You can even angle the light's position up or down.  I've used their FlexTight brackets for years and often don't bother removing them when replacing one of their lights.  They really hold up.  I've never had a light fall off or stolen once it was locked in.  The lever makes it easy to remove but effectively secures the light in place.
 

Visibility Factor

The bowed shape insures the greatest visibility from the sides, up to 90 degrees.  This light is waterproof and offers CatEye's OpticubeTM technology which is more frequently seen in their LED headlights.  In fact the Rapid 5 packs three high power LEDs plus two 5 mm LEDs with the OptiCubeTM  feature.

What amazed me most is how incredibly bright the Rapid 5 was on flashing mode in full sun.  I kept backing further and further away from the bike to get a sense of what a driver would see during the daytime.  It totally got your attention and could be seen several yards away "doing its thing".


The Wrap 

I think if you've used CatEye Bicycle lights and electronics over the past few years as I have, you will be comfortable with their universal FlexTight mounting system.  You'll get more than a little used to being able to switch out lights without going through a whole bracket reinstallment ordeal. 

The only minor beef I have is that the Rapid 5 didn't come with the Clip Attachment  (#5440900N).  My Nishiki Sport Touring has a rear rack with a trunk so my seat post is obscured.  I attach all of my lights on that bicycle on my trunk bag (see photo below) so having the clip would be very handy.  Same for clipping this light on Panniers, baskets or a jacket if you are walking, jogging or even skateboarding. 

CatEye tail light clipped on my Trek Trunk

Where this light shines, however, (pardon the pun), is in its ability to be seen at a great distance in full sunshine.  If it is THAT bright during the day, it's going to claim supernova status at night when riding is more precarious.  We will fully road test the Rapid 5 over the next few months but if first impressions are worth anything, I'd say this light is one of the better designed ones out there both for brightness and operation.  We've confidently used CatEye bicycle lights during our film shoot on one of the world's most famous bike lanes, the New York City Bike Path.  


Having just an extra layer of visibility may make all the difference between being seen and not, even during daylight hours.  I run my lights, both headlights and rear lights every time I get on my bike.  Just like wearing a helmet, it is something I simply do to be saf(er) out there.  How about you?  What kind of bicycle lights do you use and do you run them during the day?  We'd love to hear from you.

CatEye Uno Headlight

CatEye's Uno Headlight mounted on my Terry Symmetry

May is National Bike Month so with many people starting to commute by bike, now is the time to think about lighting.  If you haven't shopped for one in a while, now is the time to start looking into some of the newer, brighter ideas in bicycle lighting.  Gone are the days of those big, bulky headlights too. Most state laws require that you have a working headlight and red rear reflectors for night riding.  With so many great choices, there is no need to get pulled over, (or run over), for not having a headlight.  Sad to say I see so many bicyclists riding around at night without a headlight or it's so old and dim, they are not easily seen.   The Uno is sleek and sweet and can work for your daily commute in flashing mode or if you need an emergency light should you get caught after sunset.

This light has evolved from a unit with multiple batteries and LEDs to a significantly smaller, highly efficient light. Uno. One battery. One LED. One VERY bright headlight that can be seen for well over a mile.

 

CatEye Uno Features

400+ candlepower
OptiCube™ lens technology
Flashing and constant modes
60 hours run time in flashing mode
15 hours run time in constant mode
Runs on 1 AA battery (included)
FlexTight™ Mounting bracket
Water resistant

 

CatEye Uno comes in black & white

What I especially like about CatEye lights is that they are so easy to mount with just your own two hands.  Forget about the phillips head.  This light also can be unlocked from the mounting bracket and used off of the bicycle.  This is really quite handy should you drop something and have to go back and search for it.  Simply press the locking lever and slide the Uno out of the bracket.  Now you've got one powerful little flashlight.

One of the best uses of the Uno in flashing mode is for daily riding.  Even in daylight, you can see this thing flashing from almost mile away.  Anything that you can do to increase your visibility on the road is going to help.  The Uno is a major boost in that direction and if you live in the city where there is at least some light, this will be sufficient enough to get you home.

No, we won't recommend that you use it on pitch black mountain bike trails at night but for its size and convenience, it is a very good choice, especially if you have limited space on your handlebars.  I have Aero bars and a bell on my Terry and this little light is the only one that fits in the small space I have left.  As with nearly all of the new CatEye bicycle lights made now, you have to press and hold the switch in to change from on - flashing - steady - off.  It takes a little getting used to but I think it is an improvement on the issues some CatEye switches have had in the past.  Like all of the CatEye bicycle lights we've tested, the Uno comes complete with batteries so it's ready to use right out of the box and mounts with no tools.