A coworker told me my bike lights were a joke after dark, so I upgraded

I used to run those little button lights you get at the register. They worked fine on well lit streets. But last October I got stuck late at a client meeting and rode home along a dark bike path near the river. A coworker saw me pull in and straight up said those lights are only visible from 20 feet. I got a little defensive but then I looked it up. He was right about the beam pattern. I grabbed a pair of lights that put out 400 lumens front and 100 rear with a wide flood lens. Now I can actually see potholes and gravel before I hit them. The battery lasts about 6 hours on medium too. Has anyone else had someone give them a hard truth about their setup that actually helped?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesleyburns1mo ago

Bought a Garmin Varia radar tail light after a truck nearly clipped me on a country road. The thing alerts you to cars coming from behind before you can hear them. Not cheap but neither is a hospital visit.

bethcarr1mo ago

That radar tail light from @wesleyburns is a game changer, really makes you wonder how we got by without it. The beam pattern upgrade you did is exactly the same kind of thing - once you know what you're missing, you can't unsee those dark spots on the road. Sometimes people pointing out your flaws is the best thing that can happen to your safety setup.