Parts and equipment for motorcycles, quads, scooters and bicycles
How to choose the right lighting for your bike?
L'lighting is one of the most important safety equipment. It will be a question of seeing, but above all of being seen! Bike lights have two purposes: they allow you to be clearly visible and seen byar road users but also to illuminate poorly lit roads, especially outside built-up areas. The best bike light? The one who ensures your safety and your visibility. The constraints vary between a bicycle intended for urban use and a racing-type bicycle or mountain bike. How to choose the most suitable lighting for your practice?
Lux, Lumen: what are the differences?
The constraints vary between a bike intended for urban use and a typed race bike or mountain bike. How to choose the most suitable lighting for your practice?
The Lumen is the unit of measurement of the light emitted par a light source, whether you are located proximitated or at a distance from this light source. This value therefore remains unchanged regardless of your position par compared to this: it is the luminous flux produced by the lighting.
The Lux indicates the quantity of light at a given point on an illuminated surface (the road, a wall). It therefore indicates the light intensity at a specific location distant from the light source. It is the lens of the lighting that will make the difference in the calculation of the Lux. The more this lens will focus the light ray, the greater the value in Lux will be at a given point. A good lens will be able to illuminate near, far and side areas on a regular basis.
Which bike light to choose?
Here are the parameters to consider when buying your bike light:
- The environment where you ride (city, trail, countryside, outside built-up areas).
- The light conditions (daytime, morning, evening).
- Your bike (electric, VTC, road bike).
- Your needs (p.ar example, do you have to light the road?).
- Your daily life (can you recharge your lights via USB during the day? How many hours do you ride?).
Urban bike light
In town, urban lighting is generally sufficient to see ahead. On the other hand, to be seen par other users, it is mandatory to have a lighting device.
A power of 20 to 30 Lumens or 10 Lux for front lighting will be seen effectively.
If streetlights are scarce, a power of 100 Lumens will be needed to illuminate the road. For the rear, 15 lumens will be enough to be seen.
With many intersections, a model with side lighting will be welcome. Compact, easy-to-recharge lighting will therefore be perfectly suited to the city, and very practical on a daily basis.
If you are used to parking your bike in public space, it would be wiser to choose a removable model, which you only have to ranger in your pocket when you leave your bike.
Road bike lights
On the road, the front lighting must offer a minimum output of 300 Lumens.
Do not hesitate to select a model with a wide beam to see also on the sides.
There are models going up to more than 1000 Lumens.
If you opt for this type of lighting, we advise you to install them correctly, and direct them downwards, so as not to dazzle the vehicles arriving in front.
If you are planning long night outings, a model with a removable battery will allow you to take a second one on board to increase the autonomy.
For the rear, a power of 100 Lumens will allow you to be seen from several hundred meters, which is appreciable on roads limited to 80km/h: the motorist or the rider will have time to anticipate, and to take their distance to overtake in complete safety.
MTB lighting
For mountain biking, especially on technical terrain, you have to see the obstacles precisely, and as soon as possible.
In this sense, powerful lighting, with a wide beam will be the most appropriate, in order to see wide, and possibly be able to change trajectory. We recommend that you orient yourself on a power of 800 to 1000 Lumens.
It is also possible to combine lighting on the bike, with "mobile" lighting, which will follow your gaze, on your helmet, always with the aim of anticipating the next events as much as possible. difficulties.
There are bike lights with battery on the frame. Adapted for mountain bike use, they have the advantage of being very robust and durable. Their battery must be recharged from the mains.
For the rear, if you take paths closed to car traffic, a small lighting of 20-30 Lumens will be more than enough! If you need to pass over an open road to finish your ride, we recommend opting for more powerful lighting.
Which power supply for your bicycle light?
The choice of power supply will rather be oriented according to your frequency of use of the bike and the type of route taken.
There are several types of bike light power supply: dynamo bike lighting, with batteries, battery-free bike light and rechargeable via USB.
Depending on your bike, its accessories (mudguards, rack) and your practice, you can choose the type of power supply that suits you best.
If you work in an office, you can choose bicycle lights that charge via USB. This type of bike light is easily stolen car it is, in general, removable. So remember to remove them when your bike is parked.
Dynamo bicycle lighting (hub or wheel) remains the most common due to its practicality. Food par dynamo can fit front and rear bike light. Your bicycle lamps are recharged with each pedal stroke.
La dynamo is rather recommended for daily urban use or occasional out-of-town use.
Batteries and batteries for better lighting, are rather to be chosen for daily or occasional rural use.
What is passive lighting?
Active lighting is not immune to failure or forgetting, so passive lighting is also essential to ensure the visibility of the cyclist. If designed well, it can provide much higher efficiency in the beam of automotive headlights. Front (white), rear (red), wheel and pedal (orange) reflectors are mandatory.
Bike equipment
The Federation recommends that you equip the bike as a priority. Reflective accessories are inexpensive, they are light, reliable, very effective, and you won't risk forgetting them, in any season.
Choose what's most convenient for you: reflective tape on the frame or mudguards, reflective tape tires, spoke strips, saddlebags or hazard spreaders, etc
Discover our entire range of reflectors et reflective stripes.
Cycling equipment: reflective clothing
Since October 1st, 2008 the port of high visibility vest is compulsory outside built-up areas at night or when visibility is insufficient. Without this equipment, the cyclist is liable to a 2th class fine (fixed fine of €35, which can reach €150 after an increase). Manufacturers are starting to offer more elegant clothing that is more suitable for cycling and can replace fluorescent vests. You must check before purchasing whether they are approved. When the cyclist equips himself with clothes, he must think about it, otherwise he will have to add a vest on top, which is not the most ergonomic!
You can equip your clothes by sewing on commercially available strips of reflective fabric. If not approved, this allows you to transform your own clothes according to your taste, but ensuring visibility.
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