The Dark and Cold of Winter...

I braved the fog and cooler temps this morning and while riding, my thoughts went to riding this time of year, and the gear it takes to make the ride tolerable, or downright comfy.  As i was pondering 'what to wear', when my phone rang.

A friend called to chat. "Are you one your bike?" "Yes" "Good, i have a question about lights and winter cycling".

First topic, "lights'. I remember when i first came back to cycling, I asked around about lights. No one gave me any real info, and i just sorta had to feel my way through it.

I started out with a cheap lamp on my handlebars. It looked like a cigar. I hated it. It wasn't bright enough, and the power cable kept slipping out. IT failed on me more than once.  I switched and i like the profile of this type of light much better.

http://www.cygolite.com/products/mitycross380.html

I have the earlier version of this light. It's rechargeable. The power cable from the battery is a lot shorter than the cigar shaped lights, So i had to mount the battery on the headtube. In case you don't know what the heattube is:

Pros: I like the headlamp mount, bec its easily removed. I can put it on another bike, or take it off this bike while transporting, etc. It has two major light settings..steady and blinking, with variatios on each (including an SOS blink). I use the steady for cycling in the dark, and blinking in daylight.  Is that overkill? Well, my dad told me that, as a geriatric, a flashing light catches his attention better.  Who doesn't want to be seen by a car? I know i do.  The wattage is about 350 on mine. I find this to be adequate around White Rock Lake.  If i had the money, i'd go a little brighter, but so far, this light has worked quite well.

 Cons: The only issues i've had with the light, are, 1) i lost the knob off the handlebar mount while riding one day. So, pay attention to make sure it's tight before riding.  However, if you do lose it, like i did, it cost under $20 to replace it, which i did. 2) the little stopper at the top of the battery fell out, letting the cables pull out of the battery. I've tried taping it w/ some electrical tape, but they still pull out a little. I haven't researched to get a replacement.

As for the backlight, I've gotten pretty much any red blinking light. Mine uses two 2AAA batteries. The first one i bought, i just clipped it to my saddle bag, and sure enough. As soon as i rolled over bumps on the dam at WRL, it came unclipped. My foot, on the upswing, kicked it perfectly into the air and over the bridge into the water. I watched it blinking as it flowed downstream, taunting me.  I tied the next down on the seatpost. I recommend doing that.

Now, that i've been riding a bit more in the dark, i can say that i would like a headlamp. That would be my next purchase. The lights on my handlebars only shine in one direction, and it's hard to see around those curves. Things i have to watch for, bad road conditions, random animals, and joggers who think i have night vision and refuse to wear any sort of illuminated attire or accessories!!!

If anyone has good input on a headlamp, especially one that can be transferred to easily to different helmets.

Ok that's for this edition of Riding in the Dark!

Clear Skies!