Safer Night Riding Begins With Good Lighting

Well, it’s that time of year. The days are getting shorter and shorter. I don’t know about you, but we need to keep riding regardless of sunlight or moonlight. There is something about riding at night. The same trail or street you have ridden hundreds of times take on a whole new look and feel. Shadows can play tricks on your eyes. Moonlight is not enough to light up the path. Riding can be more challenging…and dangerous.

We want you all to be able to experience the wonders of night riding. Since we always take measures to ride safely, we wanted to pass on some equipment know how on lighting systems for road riding, mountain riding, or commuting.

Safer Night Riding Begins With Good Lighting

Modern high-end light systems offer enough brightness to give your riding companions sunburn (kidding!). And, they come in a wide variety of price points. But, how much light is needed for safe road or off-road riding?

Light It Up
To illuminate the road or trail ahead for your own eyes, not just to be seen at night by others, 10 watts is a good starting point. In general, the greater the headlight’s wattage (or lumens), the brighter the light. There are also systems with yellow and white light, the latter being brighter at the same wattage (or lumens).

Find The Right Features
Modern lighting systems are packed with features. There are twin- and single-beam headlight systems. There are different battery types (rechargeable batteries are found on better lights). There are ingenious quick-release mounts so you can install and remove the light in a blink. Most lights offer high- and low-beam options like your car (use the high beam for downhills, pitch-black woods, high speed and intersections). There are even computerized light systems on which battery usage and light output is controlled via microchip.

Trail Torch
The ultimate trail setup is having one handlebar light and another on your helmet. The head-mounted light illuminates your field of vision and is especially handy for following bends in the trail because it moves with you as you turn to look (just don’t look directly at friends when riding because you’ll blind them for a few seconds). Meanwhile, the bar-mounted beam allows monitoring conditions directly in front of the bike for bumps, roots and trail irregularities.

Portable Power
High-watt light systems require large amounts of power so battery systems have gotten very sophisticated. Bicycle lighting systems use lead-acid batteries, Li-Ion batteries, Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad) batteries, and Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) batteries. Li-Ion batteries and NiCad batteries are lighter and less susceptible to power loss at high or low temperatures than lead-acid, and will last many more recharge cycles. NiMH batteries weigh 30% less than NiCad batteries and offer similar run-times and durability. Proper care and feeding of your battery must be followed to insure you get maximum battery life. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding charging and use of any rechargeable battery.

Night Rides Can Be The Best Rides
Having a good light means you can ride safely at night, which is sometimes the best time to ride. It’s after car-commuting hours so the roads are less busy. The sun’s gone down, so it’s often the most comfortable time of day, too. And, at night, off-road riding can be magical. The best way to decide on a lighting system is to come in and look at some to compare features and cost. Which one is best for you really depends on how and where you plan to use it and how much you’d like to spend. If you can answer these questions, we can help you pick the perfect light.

So this covers the basics of lighting for night riding. We would also like  to supply you with more in depth  information concerning basic lighting and rechargeable lighting. Check the links for more great information.

Buyer’s Guide To Basic Bicycle Lights

http://jaxbicycles.com/articles/buyers-guide-to-basic-bicycle-lights-pg522.htm

Buyer’s Guide To Rechargeable Light Systems

http://jaxbicycles.com/articles/buyers-guide-to-rechargeable-light-systems-pg523.htm

Have fun riding at night! Be aware and safe, and have a great time experiencing cycling in “another light”.

PD

Interbike 2012

So we just got back from the Interbike convention in Las Vegas. For those of you that have never heard of Interbike, this is the largest bicycle trade show in America. We get to check out all the latest and greatest bikes, parts, accessories, and clothing from all types of bike related companies. Interbike is like Christmas for the bike industry. There are so many unique products and people to experience, and we wanted to share a few images of cool things we got to see. Thanks Las Vegas, can’t wait to see you next year!

We like to ride bikes!

We love to ride bikes at Jax Bicycle Center! We thought it might be fun to share some pictures of our staff and group rides that we have taken over the past month in Wisconsin, Colorado, and California. We encourage riders of any skill level to join us on our weekly rides from our multiple locations. No riders are left behind! Come out and have fun with us. Check our shop ride times at http://jaxbicycles.com/articles/group-rides-at-jax-pg15.htm

Cycling Tips – Back to school time – does your child’s helmet fit properly?

Kids love riding bikes. Is this a big surprise? Back to school time gets more kids out on the streets riding bikes. It is the drivers responsibility to watch out for these kids. As parents, we should be spending the time teaching our children the rules of the road and how bicycles fit into the circulation of vehicles. Unfortunately, drivers of motor vehicles hold most of the cards in their hands by the sheer size of the vehicle they drive. We want your kids to be safe, and wear a helmet…a PROPERLY fit helmet!

So I always have to go by the bike department at Target when I go with the family. The kids go to the dollar bin, I go by the bike department, it’s just my “thing”. I get so frustrated about how poorly the bikes are built, but I will leave that for another time. Today I must focus on kids helmets!

I always see parents struggling with sizing the helmet to their child. Some kids go along with it, and others scream bloody murder. That’s just part of being a parent. Of course, there are no “helmet specialists” who work at Target, so the parents do their best with “what they feel is best for their child”. I respect that! I still see far too many kids out on bikes without helmets. But with that said, it is one of our many jobs as parents to make sure our children have properly fitting helmets for maximum safety. It is just as important to purchase a properly fitted helmet as to be concerned with the quality of the helmet.

Helmets And Children 

One of the great benefits of buying a helmet from us for your son or daughter is that we can adjust it to your child’s head while you watch. This serves two important purposes: the helmet gets adjusted for optimum safety and you learn the key adjustments and how to make them. This knowledge comes in very handy because kids occasionally like to play with the straps and buckles, altering the fit. So, it’s important to regularly check the helmet’s fit and correct adjustment problems to keep your child safe and comfortable.

Helmet Adjustment
When making adjustments, don’t cinch the chin strap too tightly. While this might feel okay at first, it will probably feel tighter and cause chafing and discomfort on a ride. Watch where the side straps align, too. They should pass next to, not over, the ears. The buckles should rest just below the ear lobes.

Always check that the helmet rests squarely on the head so that the helmet’s brow juts forward to protect the forehead and face during a fall. Some helmets include bumped-out brows or visors for this purpose. The front edge of the helmet should rest at or near the top of the eyebrows. One of the first mistakes a child often makes when putting on his own helmet is to tilt it back, exposing his forehead to the dangers of a fall. So always double-check this before rides.

Helmet Care
Another important thing to keep in mind is that the helmet is a protective device that requires proper care to do its job. Teach your child to treat his helmet with respect because if he abuses it, it may not be able to offer protection in an accident. For example, repeatedly dropping a helmet on a hard surface or leaving it in a parked car on hot summer days are mistakes that can seriously reduce a helmet’s protective qualities.

Helmet Institute
For more information about helmets for adults and children, visit the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.