2,400 free lights

Happy Monday. You might have noticed it gets darker earlier now for some reason. If you’re out biking in the dark, I hope you have lights.

San Francisco MTA and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition hopes you have bike lights too, which is why they’re handing out 2,400 free FRONT and REAR lights tonight. To light up your night riding, show up this evening between 5 PM to 6:30 PM in front of Fox Plaza on Market Street at 10th.

If you don’t make it tonight, you’ll have a chance later on — SFBC will have these lights available at various intersections in San Francisco throughout the winter.

Regular Cyclelicious readers know I’m not exactly a stickler about safety on bikes all the time, but cycling at night does increase the risk of a collision for you, and you’re probably not as visible as you think. I know of ninja cyclists who purposely ride stealth because they really believe motorists are out to get them, but the reality is that most people would rather not hit you, and if they see you, they can more easily avoid you.

I’m currently evaluating Princeton Tec Push LED Headlight and NiteRider MiNewt Dual headlights. Watch for a review of those soon.

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25 Comments

  1. That’s awesome. I wish we had something similar to that where I am.

    I always have my rear flashing light on my bike, however at the end of this past winter my front light broke off and just stopped working. Haven’t been able to find another one that isn’t $30…I don’t ride in the dark enough to warrant spending $30 for a front light.

  2. That’s awesome. I wish we had something similar to that where I am.

    I always have my rear flashing light on my bike, however at the end of this past winter my front light broke off and just stopped working. Haven’t been able to find another one that isn’t $30…I don’t ride in the dark enough to warrant spending $30 for a front light.

  3. I agree with your opinion. It is danger to ride on bicycles without lights at night.
    A preson had better fly to there if you had no lights on your bike.
    And, I am a middle aged Japanese, so I know Ninjya apparently. But I have not heard of the name of Ninjyarider.
    Thanks.

  4. Lights at night are essential. Here in DC, we’ve mostly stopped announcing our light giveaways, and randomly held them at intersections where riders were 1) likely to be without lights, and 2) likely to be unable/unwilling to afford them. That way the light giveaways don’t turn into a yearly subsidy for those who could/would otherwise drop into their local LBS and pick up a set.

  5. I’m curious to hear what you think of the NiteRider MiNewt Dual. I’ve been commuting with it (from Felton to Capitola) for about a year…

  6. Americans and our silly idioms ๐Ÿ™‚

    Ninja dress in black and work at night so they can be secretive and invisible, right? So invisible cyclists at night are “ninja cyclists”. ๅˆ†ใ‹ใ‚‹?

  7. Americans and our silly idioms ๐Ÿ™‚

    Ninja dress in black and work at night so they can be secretive and invisible, right? So invisible cyclists at night are “ninja cyclists”. ๅˆ†ใ‹ใ‚‹?

  8. Americans and our silly idioms ๐Ÿ™‚

    Ninja dress in black and work at night so they can be secretive and invisible, right? So invisible cyclists at night are “ninja cyclists”. ๅˆ†ใ‹ใ‚‹?

  9. Americans and our silly idioms ๐Ÿ™‚

    Ninja dress in black and work at night so they can be secretive and invisible, right? So invisible cyclists at night are “ninja cyclists”. ๅˆ†ใ‹ใ‚‹?

  10. @Clay: How about “I love it”? :-)It sounds like you have the more intensive use, though, and I’ve only had the lights since last Spring. I suspect for your commute those lights work well. What’s your opinion?

  11. @Clay: How about “I love it”? :-)It sounds like you have the more intensive use, though, and I’ve only had the lights since last Spring. I suspect for your commute those lights work well. What’s your opinion?

  12. @Clay: How about “I love it”? :-)It sounds like you have the more intensive use, though, and I’ve only had the lights since last Spring. I suspect for your commute those lights work well. What’s your opinion?

  13. @Clay: How about “I love it”? :-)It sounds like you have the more intensive use, though, and I’ve only had the lights since last Spring. I suspect for your commute those lights work well. What’s your opinion?

  14. > “ That way the light giveaways don’t turn into a yearly subsidy for those who could/would otherwise drop into their local LBS and pick up a set.

    That’s a very good idea.

  15. > “ That way the light giveaways don’t turn into a yearly subsidy for those who could/would otherwise drop into their local LBS and pick up a set.

    That’s a very good idea.

  16. > “ That way the light giveaways don’t turn into a yearly subsidy for those who could/would otherwise drop into their local LBS and pick up a set.

    That’s a very good idea.

  17. > “ That way the light giveaways don’t turn into a yearly subsidy for those who could/would otherwise drop into their local LBS and pick up a set.

    That’s a very good idea.

  18. how about a magicshine review?
    it makes pretty much any other light hugely overpriced ๐Ÿ™‚

  19. Did somebody say pirate cycling?

    (not sure if I can post photos on Disqus — let’s see if this works…)

    Shuichi — this is something like American-style ใ‚ณใ‚นใƒ—ใƒฌ

  20. Did somebody say pirate cycling?

    (not sure if I can post photos on Disqus — let’s see if this works…)

    Shuichi — this is something like American-style ใ‚ณใ‚นใƒ—ใƒฌ

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