If you are someone that fully enjoys riding your bike at night, there are a variety of things that you are going to want to bring with you to ensure that you are able to do so safely. Riding your bike at night presents its own unique challenges that you will want to be fully aware of in order to make better decisions. Below, we will talk about some of the equipment that you will want to have available if you are looking to bike ride at night.
Equipment For Riding Bikes At Night:
- Clear Sunglasses or Safety Glasses.
While you might have a pair of tinted sunglasses for daytime riding, you are going to need a pair that is not going to dampen your view at night. By investing in either clear or light lens colored glasses for nighttime riding, you should be able to effectively protect your eyes without minimizing the vision that you have to work with. Maintaining optimal vision is crucial especially when you are already dealing with limited vision as it is. Clear is going to be the best choice when you are opting for nighttime riding glasses because it can allow you to see everything and protect your eyes at the same time.
- Reflective Tape.
If you are going to be riding at night, you will absolutely want to be investing in reflective tape. Not only do you want to utilize the reflective tape on your bike, but it should be placed on everything from your helmet to your clothing. The idea is to make yourself as visible as possible. By having reflective tape attached to both your person and your equipment, you should be able to effectively make yourself as noticeable as possible. You can add reflective tape to all of your bike clothes which will allow you to become increasingly visible even in the darkest of nighttime.
- Larger Tires.
Unfortunately, you are going to have a lot less vision when it comes to riding at night. Because of this, you will want to try to install larger tires onto your bike. Installing larger tires onto your bike is going to allow you to deal with any bumps that come along the way. Being able to handle the bumps or unexpected potholes in the road while you are riding at night is crucial to keep yourself upright and safe. Using larger tires is the best way to ensure that you are able to get away with hitting some of the unexpected bumps along the way.
- Headlamp On Your Bike.
Another major thing that you will want to be sure to invest in when you are planning on riding a lot at night would be brightest bike light on your bike. You want to have a headlamp installed on your bike because it will allow you to effectively be seen wherever you are and most importantly to allow motorists to see and notice you while you are riding. While you might be able to see those driving vehicles on the road while riding your bike, it can be very difficult to see cyclists without the proper night gear such as headlamps installed. Thus, to make it safer to ride at night, you will want a headlamp installed. You should be opting for a headlamp that offers bright enough illumination so that you will be able to see everything in front of you on an as-needed basis.
- A Lock.
If you are going to be riding at night and parking your bike anywhere, you are going to want to have invested in some sort of proper locking mechanism for your bike to ensure that it remains safe even when your eyes are not on it. Having a good lock that you can use at nighttime is going to minimize the chances that your bike gets stolen when you leave it somewhere. You should be able to find one that is suitable for your needs that fit various budgets and price points.
- Reflective Backpack.
If you are going to be carrying anything with you, it would be wise to invest in some sort of reflective backpack that will allow you to truly be seen no matter where you are. Having a reflective backpack on your back at all times while you are riding at night is going to help other motorists and bikers see you when you are in front of them. At the same time, you can find one with reflective strips on the straps as well which can help you be seen while you are coming towards them. This is a great way to increase the level of visibility other motorists have of you while you are riding at night which is going to make it much safer for you to ride.
- Front and Rear Lights.
When you are going to be riding at night, you will want to be sure to have both front and rear lights installed. This is especially true if you happen to ride on improperly lit roads which are not going to offer enough illumination to see at long and short distances. You can find bike lights on the market that offer incredible power in even the smallest packages which will help you see wherever you are riding.
Overall, there is a lot that you are going to want to have available when you are looking to ride your bike at night. Riding your bike at night can be a very rewarding experience but you want to have all of the necessary gear in place in order to make it as safe as possible. It can be very dangerous if you are not prepared to ride at night while making yourself as visible as possible and by increasing your own level of visibility at the same time. The equipment mentioned above is only some of the essential equipment that you are going to want to invest in for the best possible nighttime riding experience.
