Riding a bike at night can seem intimidating, but if you can see where you’re going and can be seen, riding at night can be an enjoyable experience. According to the California Vehicle Code [CVC 21201(d)]:

A bicycle operated during darkness upon a highway, a sidewalk where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction, or a bikeway… shall be equipped with all of the following:

1. A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle.
2. A red reflector on the rear that shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle.
3. A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet.
4. A white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles that are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors.

Before you rush off to the local bike shop to purchase your new lamp or reflective gear, think about your needs. Here are a couple of fun/geeky online resources:

• Planet Bike – various lights with photos showing the light’s actual coverage area
• Bicycle Lighting Systems – massive database of products and useful information

If you want free front and rear bike lights, be in San Francisco on the evening of Tuesday, December 2nd for Light Up the Night! SFBC in conjunction with the SFMTA will be installing blinky front (white) and rear (red) lights at various locations December 2nd from 6-7pm.

My Favorites:

• Cheap and bright Velcro ankle straps that also keep my pant legs free from chains
• Blinkies (any kind): Lively, can have varied cycles to bring a little Vegas to my 2-wheeled wonder
• NiteRider: No, not the Hoff. A chargeable battery pack that packs a punch with mega-bright white light — can use the laptop battery as a power source
• Fierce Fluorescents: Yes, don’t be shy about bright, reflective clothing.
• Where do I get those bicycle generator lights?!

Here’s the disclaimer and an important one: Having lights and reflective gear will not eliminate dangers inherent in bicycling. So keep it real and ride safely.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 at 6:58 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.