Riding a bike at night is considered much more dangerous than during the day. If you must ride at night, you need to be prepared. We have come up with our 5 top tips for riding your bike at night to ensure you stay seen, don't go off track and avoid any nasty situations.
1. Lights 💡
Riding a bike in the dark isn't fun when you can't see in the dark so Tip #1 is pretty obvious. Get yourself a good pair of lights! Don't settle for cheap when it comes to safety, you need something bright with high lumens and a good battery life! If you don't have good lights, you may not be seen by motorists and have poorer visibility on roads or bike paths where street lights aren't present.
We recommend: Knog Mob Kid Grid.
2. Reflective clothing 👕
Make sure you stand out at night on your bike so cars can see you. If you're wearing all black, the chances are you're not going to be seen or appear very visible to other cyclists, pedestrians or traffic. If you're in the market for cycling apparel to be seen, then we highly recommend Proviz Sports for their stylish reflective 360 range of cycling wear. Check them out!
We recommend: The Proviz Sports Reflect 360 Range
3. Plan your route in advance 🗺
The tracks you ride during the day may look different in the dark and confusing so make sure you know where you are going. Using a good smartphone mounting system (like Quad Lock) is a good idea so you can use apps such as Google maps on the go. We like Google Maps it is free to use and you can save out your route or follow a route with turn-by-turn directions and real-time traffic information to ensure you won't get lost and get to your destination in good time.
We recommend: Google Maps
4. Ride with friends or in a group 👫
Riding your bike alone at night can be scary and you know what they say about safety in numbers! Talk to your friends or colleagues and find out who cycles along a similar route so you can ride together. Also if you ride in a group and run into trouble such as get a puncture, you have help on hand.
We recommend: Riding with friends from work or home who follow a similar route.
5 . Have a good tool kit handy 🔧
In case of an incident such as a puncture, or mechanical fail, it's going to make life much easier if you have a first-rate tool kit on hand. Check out Park Tool, a US company who have some pretty handy multi-tools that can fold up and fit easily into your backpack or saddlebag.
We recommend: Park Tool Multi-Tools
If you have any other top tips for riding your bike at night, let us know in the comments below.
