9 Easy Ways To Be More Visible While Biking At Night
Today more than ever bike safety is a major concern, especially after the sun goes down and you're on a night bike ride.
With distracted drivers and road hazards cyclists need to give serious thought to different ways to become more visible while riding your bike at night.
In the past it was easy to just throw some reflectors on your bike and call it a day but simply put, that simply doesn't cut it anymore folks.
Luckily there are a ton of bike safety products to help us to make ourselves more easily seen among all the hustle and bustle.
Several of these items are great for adding more biomotion to your bike for even more traffic safety.
Our suggestions below are geared towards night time riding but hold true for daytime rides as well!
Be Seen With Biomotion
Biomotion is the idea of not just adding bright color or reflective pieces to you wardrobe or bike, but to adding in areas that move with you or your bike.
By adding bright or reflective pieces to the moving parts of your body (feet,ankles,legs etc.) or to your bicycle (wheels,spokes,cranks,tires etc.) you are creating movement.
This is movement that draws the human eye. In doing this you are much more likely to stand out among other bikes or vehicles on the road.
It has been shown that incorporating biomotion pieces into to your cycling gear is a great way to become more visible on your bike.
It will greatly enhance your chance to be seen by distracted drivers while cycling at night.
Our top 9 tips for being more visible while biking at night.
#1 – Flashing Bike Lights
The first and easiest way to add movement is of course a blinking led lightset. These flashing lights blink, causing light patterns that catch the eye and make you more easily seen by motorists as well as other cyclists.
Blinky bike lights are an easy way to add visible motion to your bike
#2 – Relective Ankle Straps And Reflective Tape
A oldie but a goodie, reflective ankle straps have been around for decades. They are an inexpensive and easy to use piece to add to your wardrobe for that night bike ride. You can also add bike reflective tape to the mix, put it anywhere on your bike for more pop!
Reflective ankle straps create some nice visible movement
#3 – Neon Cycling Shoe Covers
These shoe covers or “booties” go over your shoes. As you pedal you cause a circular motion that can really draw the eyes.
Neon shoe covers or “booties” are great for biomotion
#5 – Bright Colored Warmers
Leg warmers cover the lower part of your legs if you are wearing shorts so that your legs don’t get cold. The essentially become an extension of your shorts, creating a tights like setup. Arm warmers do similar but are worn on your arms and knee warmers on the knees.
Neon leg warmers are great attention grabbers
#6 – Flashing Wheel Lights
Wheel lights attach to your wheels, as the wheel turns it creates a circle of light that can be seen from the side by oncoming vehicles and cyclists. If you're looking something a bit more simple these spoke lights work great.
Flashing bike wheel lights really get drivers attention from the side
#7 – Tires With Reflective Sidewalls
Today, many bike tires are available with reflective sidewalls or piping on the side of the tire that is visible when light hit it. This creates a circle of white light that really stands out if viewed from the side.
Reflective sidewalls are great for side visibility
#8 - Reflective Bike Jacket
In today's market there are several options for bright colored and reflective bike clothing. Many of these pieces can be used either for riding at night or running. When light hits reflective cycling gear it lights up and makes you more visible.
Hi-Vis clothing is a must for night riding.
#9 - High Visibility Cycling Gloves
An easy to way to up your safety game is by adding a pair of hi-viz gloves to your kit. These don't have to be super high end, just something that is comfortable as well as warm if you're going out in the cold.
High visibility cycling gloves for the win!
Let’s wrap it up shall we...
We all want to be safe and be seen while out riding right?
By following some or all of our suggestions we’ve listed you will take a huge step towards standing out in traffic while riding your bike or commuting to or from work.
Also, following local laws and regulations while out and about is a huge must!
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this article and please feel free to share it with friends or family who can benefit from this piece.
Happy pedaling!