Today's Bike Ride

[anthonykay]

On lights the issue is endeavouring to ensure that idiot motorists see you, especially on curving country roads.

Finding myself lying in the road and hearing "Sorry I didn't see you" concentrated my mind.

I reckon the main hazard of having an inadequate front light is drivers emerging from side roads without seeing me - but then, that's a major hazard in broad daylight. I do actually wear hi-viz (with reflective bits) over my "normal clothing". The route to Belton is not too hazardous: there's now a good cycle path alongside the A512 between Loughborough and Shepshed, and most of the way between Shepshed and Belton is along the traffic-free NCR6.

I was on the point of ordering a Knog Blinder front light a few days ago, but then read some rather mixed reviews. So I'm still considering what to get.

I totally agree with what Graham has said. If I then told you that I regularly drove through Belton in my company-car driving years (sometimes at night), as it was on the fastest route from Melton Mowbray to the A42/M42 junction, then I hope you will take his words seriously.

Yes, the B5324 through Belton does carry some scarily fast traffic. I only need to cross it , not ride along it, on my journeys to choir practice (and had to wait for a couple of fast drivers last night); but I have often ridden various stretches of it in daylight, so I know what it is like.

For what it's worth I have twice come off a bike at night and almost slid under a Ford Escort (not the same one). On both occasions the car skidded to a halt with the front tyre less than a metre from my head. I did have a front light that was good for the time (which was many years ago) but both occasions were scary.

So neither of these incidents were related to the quality of your light?