Lights

The most important piece of winter regalia for your bike, lights will go some way to keeping you safe during the extended period of darkness heralded by the change of the clock. The ease with which a light is installed varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but some now have tool-free fittings, while those that don’t rarely require more than an Allen key.

Think about the positioning of your lights, and whether you’ll be riding alone or in a group. A headlight angled upwards is likely to succeed only in dazzling oncoming traffic rather than lighting the way ahead. Position it so it matches your field of vision and the area of the road on which you need to concentrate – directly ahead. By contrast, if you’re riding alone, angling the rear light upwards will make it harder to miss. Riding buddies will be unlikely to thank you for a face full of dazzling red light, however. Angling it downwards when riding in a bunch is sensible.

Roads are typically dirty in winter, so keep lenses clean with a soft cloth. Almost all modern lights, particularly high-powered headlights, run on rechargeable batteries, so keep them topped up. Many lights are charged via USB, so getting into the habit of connecting light and laptop when you arrive at work will ensure you have lighting for the way home.