What are the best Bicycle Lights?

Welcome to bicycling for beginners

If you are considering riding your bicycle at night, in low light conditions or during poor visibility such as fog, wintery showers and/or heavy rain you will need a high quality set of Bicycle Lights. The originally cars and bicycles used acetylene or carbide lamps which were dim and temperamental. The early lamps were superseded by those powered by lead-acid batteries and the more practical option of using a dynamo instead of batteries soon followed . The original style of dynamo would rest against the tyre wall and make an irritating noise whilst riding and the inconsistent illumination would increase and decrease with your speed and cease altogether when you stopped riding. Battery lamps improved with the introduction of alkaline batteries but were basically just re-designed flash lights with bicycle brackets. Although cheap to buy they were expensive to run in the days before efficient rechargeable battery technology, heavy, unreliable and only provided a small amount of illumination. These early safety lamps were all about being visible whilst cycling but times have changed for the cyclist and now cycle lights are much more advanced. Modern bicycle headlights and are similar to motorcycle lights and are designed not just to be seen but to also provide clear illumination of the road or trail ahead.

In the interest of safety it is important to be visible to motorist and pedestrians during night or low light riding. Laws differ in different countries and regions so it is worthwhile checking the legislation for your specific area.

Most cycle legislation shares the same premise of having reflectors, a rear lamp and a front lamp. It is also possible to increase visibility by wearing high visibility clothing or strips. The easiest lighting solution is to buy a set of cheap cycle lights. This would consist of a front cycle light with a clear lens and a rear cycle light with a red lens. The difficult part is choosing which type to buy with such an expansive array of products on the market. Hopefully my article will shed some light on the subject!

LED Cycle Lights

An affordable and reliable option for a child's bicycle or for completing short rides (like the school run) for the occasional rider would be a set of Smart E-line lights or similar (available from online retailers including Amazon). These a very simple battery operated by high output LED lights that are easy to fit, reliable and aesthetically adequate. These are good visibility safety lights for bicycle riding where there is already adequate street lighting. There are also some more expensive bicycle lights that use LEDs. If you are planning to cycle often in poor light or at night it might be worthwhile investing in rechargeable bicycle lights. This will save you a lot of money on batteries.

Dynamo Bicycle Lights

If you really do resent having to spend money on batteries then a dynamo might be the best option. It seems that these products are incorrectly named because they are actually miniature power generators or alternators. However, the term dynamo seems to have seeped into the human consciousness and no amount of marketing jargon will change it. The good news is that modern dynamos are much improved and with the introduction of electrical capacitors they can produce light even when the bicycle is stationary (for a short time). It is remarkable that tyre wall dynamos are still on the market! There are several different types of bicycle light dynamo on the market but the most popular are the tyre side-wall type (aka bottle dynamo - due to their shape) and the more expensive wheel hub dynamos. Whatever the exact design the principal remains the same.

Halogen Cycle Lights

If you require bright bike lights then you need to consider a halogen cycle lights. These cycle lamps were designed for use of off-road (i.e. mountain biking) but have also been adopted by commuters and road cyclists. Halogen cycle lights will be powered by NiMH, lead-acid or Lithium-ION (LI-ION) battery packs. The main advantage of these cycle lights being their adjustable beam to cater for different terrain or conditions. Good value for money and well worth looking for cheap high-output sealed unit halogen lights. Halogen lights can be quite heavy due to their size and the batteries or battery packs required.

High Intensity Discharge (HID) Cycle Lights

HID cycle lights are the brightest and most efficient lights available for bicycles. The technology behind these bicycle lights has filtered down from the motor vehicle industry. HID (aka Halide) cycle lights are the most expensive on the market but this can only be expected given that they are by far the best in terms of brightness and energy efficiency.

It is unfortunate that thieves have a tendency to target bicycle accessories including lights. It worth considering this aspect when deciding which type of lights fulfil your requirements. If you intend to leave your bicycle in public places (for example at a college) it worth ensuring that your lights are easy to remove and/or light enough to be carried in your pockets/bag or satchel (a great old word there - nobody has a satchel these days, do they?). Sadly, this is true of all cycle accessories including cycle computers which can easily be left on the handlebars and unlikely to still be there when you return.

To conclude, there are a lot a bicycle lights out there on the market and some are clearly better than others. However it is more a case of finding the best suited to your own cycling requirements. Cat Eye is one of the most popular brand names of bicycle lights that springs to mind. I have allegiance to any brand but no others come to mind at this point in time. Another popular trend (perhaps more with MTBs, off roaders etc) is the cycle helmet light. These are very similar (or actually the same) in design to the ones cavers and pot-holers use. The benefit of using a cycle helmet light is that they aim light directly where you are looking. Just remember to turn it off when you get home or you might burn your partners eyeballs out - they will certainly be dazzled by you!

James Riddle

Clipless Pedals and Cycle Shoe Cleats

Welcome to Bicycling for Beginners

It comes as no surprise that some cyclists find the concept of clipless pedals confusing. The innovative clipless pedal superseded the less fashionable cage and strap style of toe-clips that were still popular in the 1980's. Clipless cycle pedals quickly became popular with cyclists because they are generally lighter and with practice much simpler to use. The concept is exactly the same as toe clip and straps but involves more of an initial investment. A concern of many cyclist (myself included having used toe-clips and straps in the past) is the problem of removing the foot quickly when you need to stop. The only genuine problem is when you are forced to stop suddenly or unexpectedly for example by an inconsiderate motorist or pedestrian (often the case in my own experience). It has to be noted that a competitive cyclist rarely makes any unnecessary stops.

Clipless pedals are specifically designed to allow the cyclist to be able to clip-in and clip out of the pedal easily. The investment is much greater because the cyclist has to buy a system of pedals and compatible clipless cycle cleats. The cleat refers to the projecting metal or hard rubber (or plastic) incorporated into the underside (sole) of the cycle shoe to provide traction. These types of cycle shoes are now often referred to simply as cleats by retailers, cyclists and enthusiasts. There are many different variations of design often separated by the style of cycling, for example road cyclist would generally use a single sided clip-in pedal. Extreme cyclists (including Mountain bikes MTB's) are more suited to double sided clip-in pedals. The pedals incorporate float systems (springs) that allow a small amount of sideways movement from the foot. To clip-in the cyclist only has to engage the clipless cycle cleat shoe into the pedal and press down. To clip-out the cyclist only has to turn the heel of the shoe to release it. In the event that cyclist participate in both (or more) sports then he/she must decide whether to buy separate pedals and cleats for each bicycle (for example road and mountain bikes) or buy one system to use for both sports.

Although it is natural to initially feel apprehensive about using clipless cycle pedals and cleats they do have several advantages. A clipless pedal system provided the cyclist with a more efficient method of pedalling. This is because the foot is firmly attached to the pedal (via the cleat) and utilises the entire revolution of the pedal stroke or cadence. So maintaining the same cadence (crank speed) the cyclist is getting more power from the same amount of effort. When the foot is not attached firmly to the pedal the cyclist only utilised the power from the down stroke (when pushing downward on the pedals). Using clip less pedals the cyclist can pedal more efficiently by also utilising the energy from the up-stroke - which has to be done before applying another down stroke. The outcome is clearly that for the same amount of energy a cyclist can ride further or faster with less fatigue. An additional benefit being that the rider reduces the risk of muscle injury or dehydration from over exertion - except for the fact that a competitive rider would simply go for more speed! (FTW)

Advantage

• Improved power and performance
  

Disadvantages

• Expensive
  
• Shoes (cleats) and pedals have to be compatible
  
• You cannot use the pedals without the shoes (so no going to get the paper in your slippers!)
  
• May be uncomfortable for cyclist who have had knee injuries
  
• Painful injuries*
  

*Obviously there are some disadvantages but it has to be stated that once the cyclist is used to the system, injuries (from not unclipping the shoes from the pedal) are unlikely to occur. Painful injuries applies to sudden impact or unexpected incident when the feet are attached to the pedal (via the cleats).

There are several popular brands of clipless pedal on the market. Shimano Pedalling Dynamics (Shimano SPD - copied by some brands) is a popular choice for mountain bikers. Other popular brands of clipless pedal include Crank Brothers, Wellgo SPD, Ritchey SPD, Speedplay (Frogs), Look and Time (ATAC) - often called ATTACKS. Crank Brothers designed a four sided clip-in pedal known as the "Egg Beater" which can be used for road or off-road cycling. Some cyclist have noted that SPD style pedals can take some getting used to due to their smaller size. Look pedals are a popular choice with beginners to clipless cycle pedals. Touring cyclists prefer to use pedals that can be clipped in on one side but also have a conventional flat side that can be used without cleats. This type of pedal may suit the cyclist who like to nip down the shop for a newspaper in his/her slippers. Later designs of clip-in pedals (based on the requirements of the cyclist) are likely to allow most pedals to be used with or without cleats as this technology becomes more advanced.

If toe-clip and straps or clipless cycle pedals do not appeal to your style of riding or budget a less expensive and environmentally friendly alternative is available. I recently discovered an inventive product on the market called feetbelts. These are toe straps that are made from recycled seat belts and attached to the pedals with bolts. They can be adjusted to fit your footwear choice so it doesn't matter so much about your choice of cycling shoes. A very interesting option for the less committed cyclist. Less of an investment and more convenient than the old fashioned caged toe-clips of the past. I have not tried these but would reserve some doubt about removing the feet quickly (if you have them quite tight - as required for them to work properly). They are very similar to Power Grips (Power Grip Sport Pedal and Strap Sets).

There is no doubt that for most cyclist who invest in clipless pedals and cleats there is no turning back. Please read my next post about the Bicycle Lights

James Riddle

The Advantage of High Quality Cycling Clothing

Welcome to bicycling for beginners

As an absolute beginner to cycling you may not be too concerned or interested in cycling clothing. Initially any clothing that is comfortable will be adequate although sports clothing is obviously best. In good weather and for short bicycle rides a t-shirt, shorts/skirt and trainer/sneaker combination is not a bad choice. When it comes to longer bicycle rides, competition or cycling events (including charity rides) wearing the right clothing becomes more important. This is because during any endurance ride or exercise the body builds up a lot of heat. In very hot weather condition failure to dissipate this heat could (under certain conditions) lead to heat stroke or hyperthermia. Specialized sports clothing allows for this heat to be dissipated during the sporting activity. This will become more important as you become more proficient or competitive at your chosen cycling discipline. Even if you are just cycling to keep in shape or to lose weight wearing the correct clothing will make cycling more comfortable. Cycling is such a popular activity and cycle clothing is huge industry with an incredible range of products to suit all shapes, ages and denominations. It is not all garishly coloured Lycra!

So we have established that specialized cycle clothing is primarily designed to maintain a safe body temperature. This makes cycling more comfortable and therefore the rider is more proficient. So wearing the right gear will help you cycle for longer periods with less risk of getting sore or suffering from fatigue induced injuries.

A keen cyclist should consider buying the bare essentials including following items of cycling clothing:-

• Base Layer - a very important item of clothing because it wicks (takes away) sweat from the body and vents it through your outer layers of clothing i.e. a jersey or your rainwear. This will prevent you getting a chill (or hypothermia) in cold weather conditions. A base layer will also keep you dry and comfortable in hot weather conditions. Base layers can be expensive but they are well worth the money. In addition you can wear them in winter under your normal clothes and you will not feel the cold.
  
• Cycling shorts and/or Cycling Trousers - no explanations required really, shorts are obviously the way to go in warm weather and trousers/base layer (and tights - yep, some men wear tights too) combinations for cold weather cycling.
  
• Cycling Rainwear/waterproof jacket and trousers - it is important to keep dry when taking part in cycling or sports events because the body can get very cold quickly. If you can keep dry you can keep warm and therefore energy is not wasted generating additional warmth. If the human body's core temperature drops too low hypothermia can set in
  

Once established as a regular cyclist and with more of an idea of which style of sport you prefer to take part in, it will become clearer which cycle clothing you need to add. There is an incredible array of sports and cycle clothing available for this popular and diverse sport. A lot of the clothing and accessories can be used for more than one type of cycling as they are not specific to any strict style of riding. A waterproof jacket for example will keep you dry (not always guaranteed) no matter if you are riding a BMX, a mountain bike or taking part in road race. Cycling clothes and accessories are marketed and aimed at specific areas of sport but as a consumer it is possible to mix and match to suit your specific requirements. If you find that you are now cycling on a regular basis and in all weather conditions (we don't all live in California) consider adding the following cycling clothing and accessories.

• Cycling Gloves or Mitts - provide hand protection and additional handlebar grip in all weather conditions (particularly important in many cycling sports including mountain biking and BMX riding)
  
• Gilets and Vests - these provide more options for dressing for the conditions when you need lightweight cycling gear can be combined with base layers and jerseys for additional body cover. The advantage being that the arms are not restricted by additional layers of material.
  
• Tights - as mentioned above tights can be worn by men and women and they provide an additional layer of insulation.
  
• Arm and leg warmers - these are lightweight additional layers for the arms and legs (obviously). The advantage being that they can be easily carried during an event and use if and when required.
  
• Overshoes - as the name suggest these are usually waterproof and can be fitted over the shoes to keep them protected (clean and dry)
  
• Cycling shoes - Most modern road bicycle shoes are designed to correspond with "clipless" pedals. These means that the shoes have a cleat (usually a plastic fixing) on the sole of the shoe. This can be clipped onto the pedal (you may need to buy a set of clipless pedals if your bicycle doesn't already have them. Shoes are marketed to cater for the specific tolerances of their specific sport. This is an area where you need to buy the correct shoes for the right sport. Cycling shoes are designed to keep your feet on the pedals improving the amount of energy throughout each complete revolution of the pedals.
  
• Eyewear - In some sports (and even on some roads) you may find it worthwhile to protect your eyes. It is easy to be struck in the eye by windborne debris, insects or stones flicked up by other vehicles. If you want to protect your eyes there is a wide range of specialized glasses, visors and goggles to chose from often with sun/glare protection incorporated.
  
• Headwear - if you decide that a safety helmet is not for you can find a wide range of alternative headwear to wear instead.
  

If this is not enough to tax your cycling budget the list of accessories is almost endless. Many of the strange and unusual products on offer are surplus to requirements. However, for extreme cycling sports like BMX, Downhill and Freeride it is worth getting kitted out in protective body armour and pads. In addition for the more robust activities it is recommended that you investigate the correct safety gear for each individual sport.

Happy cycling...the most important thing of all is that you are wearing a smile and not a grimace! Please read my next post on the subject of Bicycle Shoes and Clipless Pedals

Jimmy Riddle

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Updated 12/05/2009

Dawes Giro 300 Review

Welcome to Bicycling for Beginners

Dawes Bicycles have a good name in the UK for building high quality road bikes, mountain bikes and touring bikes. In recent years they have also introduced hybrids and heritage bikes. In fact Dawes make all sorts of bicycles including children’s bikes and BMX. They even make most of their most popular bicycles in male and female versions.

The first problem I encountered with Dawes was getting a brochure of their products. To do this you need to complete a form on their website and wait for it to arrive in the post. This took quite a long time and I thought that I had made mistake and completed the form again. Sure enough a few days later the brochure arrived, followed a few days later by another one!

The brochure contains glossy images of most of Dawes product range. This particular brochure (2008) is actually a large fold-out sheet of paper. There is very little information about each bicycle in the brochure and consequently little to learn from the product brochure that is not available on the internet already.

The second problem that I encountered in getting a Dawes Giro 300 was finding one! The days when bicycles were diligently hand crafted by skilled bicycle mechanics in their country of origin are long gone. I’m not sure if any bicycles are still manufactured in the United Kingdom. Perhaps one or two very small specialized bicycle manufacturers still persist. This is a great shame but sadly, the majority of our bicycles are now shipped by container from foreign shores. An example of this is that my Dawes Giro 300 was built in Cambodia (according to the packaging).

This type of manufacturing means that products are imported in batches. This means that products can go out of stock for large periods of time. This is what happened with the Dawes Giro bicycles at the end of summer 2008. This was frustrating but understandable, made worse by internet retailer claiming to have stock when they clearly did not have any. I recommend ringing and checking before placing an order with internet retailers. In the end I rang Dawes directly and they were very helpful indeed, or perhaps it just seemed that way because by chance it was the day that they had just come into stock. My local bike shop had already informed me that the bicycle were back in stock.

It was December when I actually got my hands on my Dawes Giro 300 for the first time. In the end I bought it through an internet retailer who was able to supply the cycle much cheaper than my local bike shop. I would usually have preferred to use my local bike shop but I live in a remote area and they do not offer a delivery service. It would have been beneficial to have had the bicycle set-up by the bike shop in advance.

My first impression of the Dawes Giro 300 is that it looks fantastic. It has a very elegant red paint finish. I examined it very closely and found no defects, scratches or blemishes in the finish. I only had to make a couple of slight adjustments to the bicycles original setup and it was ready to ride. If you buy the bicycle on the internet you have to complete the assembly at home. This is a simple task of putting on the front wheel, seat post and saddle and handlebars. The gears and brakes on my bicycle needed some very slight adjustments.

My first ride on the Dawes Giro 300 was just a quick “test ride” down the street where I live. I travelled approximately 1 mile and found that the front derailuer was not working properly. So I returned home and made some adjustment to it which involved altering the angle slightly and re-setting the tension on the cable. After these small tinkering sessions I test rode the bicycle again and it was excellent. It is just a fantastic “entry level” road bike in my opinion. It may not have the bells and whistles (actually you do get a bell – I didn’t bother fitting it though) that higher end road bikes have but it ranks above most other basic racers on the market. This is why I went to such lengths to acquire this particular bicycle. It is absolutely perfect for the casual cyclist that wants to cruise around on a fairly decent bike without spending a fortune.

There are a few negative aspects of this bicycle that I have discovered in the short time that I have owned it. One of the problems is the cheap and cheerful black plastic pedals that come with the bicycle. They look like they would be better suited to a child’s bike or supermarket MTB. I was very surprised that it shipped with these inadequate components and will upgrade them as soon as possible. Dawes has written their name on every conceivable component that they can fit their name on. In addition almost every component and the frame have Dawes logo plastered all over it. I’m not bothered about this because it looks really smart. I just feel slightly annoyed that the one place where a really good Dawes logo should be is on the front of the frame (headset). In the old days bicycles had metal logo badges that were fixed on with rivets. Dawes have slapped on a foam sticker that is already beginning to peel off. Some of these very cheap money saving exploits spoil the overall image of a very good bicycle.

The fact is that the Dawes Giro 300 is a very good racing bicycle. It is fast and furious and that is all that matters when you are infected with the road cycling bug. Please read my next post about Cycle Clothing

Jimmy Riddle

Bicycle Maintenance

Welcome to Bicycling for Beginners

There is little doubt that bicycling is great fun and good exercise and generally an enjoyable activity. However it has to be remembered that cycling does have a dangerous side. If you maintain your bicycle properly you can greatly reduce the risks involved. Keeping your bicycle in good mechanical condition is your own responsibility. Failure to maintain your bicycle could lead to a dangerous accident and/or expensive damage to your bicycle. It is never nice to set out cycling and end up having a long walk home instead!

New bicycles usually arrive with an instruction manual that tells you how to look after your specific make and model of bicycle. This is useful information because it is specific to your components and type of bicycle. I’ve written a short guide to some very basic general bicycle maintenance. If you bought your bike second hand or ride one that you found in next doors shed/garage my maintenance guide might be helpful!

Bicycle Tyres
It is important to maintain your bicycle tyres by keeping them inflated at the correct tyre pressure. This will decrease wear to the tyre and reduce the chances of getting a puncture in the tyre. Maintaining the correct tyre pressures will also protect the wheel rim from being damaged if you hit a pot hole, road furniture, stone or other obstacle. The tyre pressure information is usually written on the tyre wall. Regularly check your tyres for levels of wear and damage. Examine tread carefully for any cuts in the tyre surface and remove any sharp objects that may have become lodged in the tyre.

Bicycle Brakes
There are four main types of brakes used on bicycles.

• Calliper Brake
• Cantilever Brake
• V Brake
• Disc Brakes

There are two types of disc brake.

• Mechanical
• Hydraulic

Mechanical disc brakes use conventional cables and brake levers when operated. This type of brake requires manual adjustment to offset any wear of the brake pads. Check the condition of the brake pads and cables regularly.

Hydraulic disc brakes use dedicated brake levers and brake fluid when operated. Some types of hydraulic disc brake adjust automatically as the brake pads wear down whilst others require manual adjustment. There are two types of brake fluid to use in hydraulic brake systems.

• Mineral
• Standard

Regularly check the brake pads for wear and alignment. Brake pads should be evenly spaced from the wheel rim and ideally 1.5mm from the rim. The pads have an indicator that show when they are ready to be replaced. If the pad is worn to the indicator line it needs to be replaced. Failure to replace the brake pads could result in either an accident or damage to the wheel rim or tyre. Lubricate brake pull-cables. If the cables are stretched, frayed or make a creaking sounds when the brakes are applied they need to be replaced.

Brake blocks (or pads) have a series of grooves in them to indicate when they are sufficiently worn and require replacement. When the blocks are worn down to the indication markings it is time to replace them with new ones. To make minor adjustments to the braking pressure there is usually an adjustment screw where the cable enters the brake lever. If you discover that there is too much travel on the brake lever make an adjustment to the cable so that the brake blocks/pads are closer to the wheel rim (approx 2mm).

Bicycle Chain, Derailleur Gears and Cassettes
There are lots of different types of gears and gear mechanism fitted to bicycles. The most popular type is the front and rear derailleur system. This is popular with road (Racing), mountain (MTB) and touring bicycles. This type of gear mechanism is also used for most fitness or hybrid bicycles.

The highest gear is selected when the largest chain-wheel (front) is coupled with the smallest sprocket (rear). The lowest gear is selected when the smallest chain-wheel is coupled with the largest sprocket. The gear mechanisms work by adding tension with the gear levers. When tension is added the mechanism moves the chain over to the next chainwheel or sprocket. To change down gears tension is released and the mechanism retracts. The front mechanism operates the chainwheel and the rear mechanism operates the rear sprockets (collectively known as a gear cassette).

To ensure that the front and rear gear mechanisms work correctly make sure that they are free from dirt, grit and (particularly) sand. Oil all the moving components of the front and rear derailleur with an appropriate lubricant (usually a dry molybdenum oil).

General Maintenance Tips

• A common mistake in bicycle maintenance is the use of deep penetrating oils on chains and bearings. Never use DW40 or similar products on your bicycle chain (or bearings). This type of product is too thin to cope with the friction of a fast moving chain drive. In addition this type of oil will actually remove existing lubrication on the chain and could cause lasting wear and damage to the bicycle chain and sprockets. Never spray this type of oil into bearing housing either for the same reason. This will dissolve the grease in the bearings and can cause a large amount of expensive and dangerous damage to your bicycle.
• Avoid cleaning your bicycle with a pressure washer because it is possible to strip lubricating grease from the bearings. If you do decide to use a pressure washer take care not to direct the water jet in to any bearing housings on the bicycle.
• Keep all gear and brake cables lubricated with a suitable PTFE lubricant.
• Routinely check your tyre pressures and inspect the tyres for any cuts or embedded sharp objects.
• Check that the headset allows the bicycle to steer smoothly. There should be no stiffness or juddering in the bearings.
• Check for loose or damaged wheel spokes and examine the wheel alignment.

Bicycle maintenance is mostly common sense. Keep all moving parts (except gear levers – which work under tension) adequately lubricated with the correct type of oil or grease for your bicycle components. Keep the bike clean and make repairs when necessary. Look after you bicycle and it will look after you. Please read my next post entitled Dawes Giro 300 Review - see if you can guess what it is about!

Jimmy Riddle