At Par
Gordon Hobbis November 1, 2007

Now that the Canadian dollar is par with the US dollar it makes sense that our time clocks should match as well. This weekend Daylight Saving Time ends and we are all supposed to set our clocks back 1 hour, unless you are from Saskatchewan. Those from Saskatchewan get a one hour head start on the rest of us because they need it. Do you know the difference between having your bike stolen in Saskatoon or in Vancouver? It’s so flat in Saskatoon that you can watch the thief ride away with your bike for 3 days. With less light comes, of course, more darkness. Luckily there are plenty of ways to illuminate that darkness, and for bike riders that is a good thing. The Province of British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act states that cyclists must have on the front of their bicycle a white light that is visible for at least 150 m and on the rear of the bicycle a red light as well as a red reflector. Cyclists are permitted to use flashing red lights. These rules are in effect one half hour after sunset till one half hour before sunrise.

There are many choices of bicycle lights available today. Generator powered, battery powered and even hydrogen powered bicycle lights are available. The decision as to which one is right for you can be boiled down to the question of whether you want to see or be seen? Being seen is critical for the commuter who can never have enough visibility. Seeing the road or trail is critical if you want to ride at the same pace as you do in daylight. Often for commuters there is enough ambient light that seeing the road is a secondary concern to being seen. For commuters who ride on unlit bike paths or mountain bikers on trails seeing is the first concern. For being seen there are a multitude of products available that all do a good job. Generally, more lights are better. I like to suggest having one light flashing and one on steady for the front and the rear. LED technology is great for these because they are very visible, lightweight and energy efficient. They draw so little power from the battery that the run times are in the 100’s of hours.

For lights that will let you see the road like you are still riding in Saskatchewan there is a technology explosion in new battery materials and bulbs. LED is an acronym we are all familiar with now but how about HID, Li-Ion, Lumens and Borofloat. That last one is a trade name but here are some things you need to know about the new high power lights that are available today. They are expensive. If you want to see the road it won’t be cheap, so budget $150 and up. The power for the light will come from a rechargeable battery pack. The new technology here is Lithium Ion, which is the same as in your cell phone, and if you don’t have a cell phone then go back to Saskatchewan. Li-Ion batteries are lighter then nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium or the old sealed lead acid batteries.

To tell how bright a light is stare directly at it then close your eyes and count the white spots. If you would prefer to measure brightness without doing the white spot test then check the lights Lumens. A Lumen is a measurement of how much light is reaching what you want to illuminate. In scientific terms, 1 Lumen equals one foot candle falling on one square foot of area. Don’t get hung up on this definition too much or your brain might explode. Some light’s brightness levels are referenced by candlepower, which is a measurement of the brightness at the source and can be a deceiving when comparing lights. Other factors of a light’s brightness are the reflector used to focus the light and the lens that the light shines through. Some manufacturers will rate their lights by the actual light output of the finished product. Others will quote the bulbs manufacturer’s rating, before putting it behind a lens. That’s where borofloat comes in. It’s a type of glass that has excellent transparency and heat resistance. The last thing you want for your high powered light set is a plastic lens that distorts or blocks those expensive lumens you bought. Too dark to ride, get a good light and you can keep those pedals turning.