Riding at Night. What to Bring and How to Do It.

When the daylight runs out before the ride does

You can ride at night and enjoy it. Run a front light bright enough to see the road, not just to be seen, keep a rear light on, wear eyewear you can see through in the dark, and plan the route before you roll out.

Shorter days or a schedule that eats every hour of daylight can push a ride past sunset. In December 2020 we made this video for exactly that rider: the one thinking about taking the ride outside after dark, and wondering what to bring.

Seeing and being seen are two different jobs

If you ride a dark road with only a little blinky up front, you notice the problem right away: drivers can see you, but you cannot see the pothole.

A light that gets you noticed and a light that lights the road are not the same light. Our post on being seen covers the first job in depth: lights on every ride, flash in daylight, and something on your feet that moves so drivers know you are a person on a bike. This post is about the second job, the one that only shows up after dark.

For seeing, you want a real beam on steady, aimed down at the road ahead of you so it lights your path without blinding oncoming drivers. In the video we ran the Garmin Varia UT800. Garmin's manual lists it at 100 to 800 lumens and rates it IPX7 for water.

Make it bright enough to see the road and aim it low enough to be polite.The front light rule we ride by after dark.

What the law asks for in Washington

Both rules come from RCW 46.61.780. The word "added" matters, because in Washington the rear reflector is required and the taillight goes with it, not in place of it. If you ride somewhere else, check your own state's rules, because they differ.

What we bring on a night ride

1. A front light for seeingRun a steady beam aimed at the road, know your runtime on the mode you actually use, and leave some margin.
2. A rear light, and ideally radarAt night the car behind you is the one you cannot see coming. A radar tail light tells you before you hear it. Our radar breakdown covers the current options.
3. Eyewear you can see through in the darkWe wore the 100% S2 with a photochromic lens. 100% says the lens adjusts its tint with UV and lists light transmission from 89 percent down to 24. With no UV after dark, it sits at the light end of that range, so your eyes stay covered without much tint in the way.
4. A head unit with your route on itFamiliar roads look different at night. A loaded route on a Garmin Edge or a Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT keeps you from guessing at turns.
5. Everything chargedPlug in your lights, radar, computer, and phone the day before, not the hour before.

The front light is for you. A steady beam on the road is how you see what is coming.

The rear light is for them. Run a red light on the back with a reflector, and add radar if you can.

Pick roads you know, tell someone your route, and go enjoy the quiet.

Common questions

What lights are required to ride a bike at night in Washington?

RCW 46.61.780 requires a white front lamp visible from at least 500 feet and a state approved red rear reflector visible up to 600 feet. A red rear light or flashing LED taillight visible from 500 feet may be used in addition to the reflector.

Should my front light flash or stay steady at night?

For seeing the road after dark, run it steady and aim it down at the road ahead. Flash is for daytime, when the job is getting noticed.

Can I wear photochromic glasses at night?

Photochromic lenses darken in response to UV, so after dark they sit at their lightest tint. 100% lists its S2 photochromic lens at 89 to 24 percent light transmission.

Gearing up for dark rides?

The roads are quieter after dark, and that is half the fun.