San Antonio Cycling Club Travel Journal

Through experience, we gain knowledge for biking safety. Each time we ride through an intersection and watch just how motorist responds to our position, we learn how to be prepared for the time that a different motorist may put our lives in danger. So each and every trip in traffic that we have improves our ability for riding a bicycle safely and securely. An element of basic safety has to be addressed just before we even get on our bicycles in traffic and that includes safety accessories for your bike as well as safety accessories that you put on.

Top Bike Safety Accessories in San Antonio

 

Planet Bike Blinky Helmet Mount Bicycle Taillight

The Planet Bike Blinky Helmet Mount Bicycle Taillight will cover your rear while you are cruising down the road. This taillight contains three ultra-bright LEDs that are mounted behind a parabolic lens. This makes it possible for the light to be seen by traffic approaching you up to a mile away.

This bicycle tail light has a mount for their helmet along with mounts so it can be placed on the fender of the bike or the seat post. This flexibility allows the rider to chose was to position the light they feel is the most effective. The entire enclosure is waterproof so the light can be activated no matter what the weather conditions are when you are riding your bicycle. The Planet Bike Blinky Helmet Mount Bicycle Taillight can operate in one of two modes. There are the steady light and the battery saving flashing mode. In the flashing mode, the battery life can last up to 100 hours. The power unit for this light array is a single AAA battery. For added protection of your rear guard is the placement of Scotchlite TM strips on the sides that will aid others in seeing you. This will help make sure you have an incident-free trip the next time you take your bike out for a ride. Helmet Blinky Light

 

Monkey Light Colorful Bike Wheel Lights

The Monkey Light Colorful Bike Wheel Lights will make your even ride like being at a party. It is impossible for someone not to notice you unless they are actually blind. The constantly changing design offers to viewers 42 different themes in which the rider can choose from that will display 16 different colors. MonkeyFX electronics produce many varieties of patterns automatically.

The 32 LEDs are directly attached to the spokes of your bike. This is done securely with each light being mounted in three places on the spoke for a vibration-free attachment. The lights fit securely on all 20” or larger wheels of a standard bicycle. The triple AA battery pack is mounted on the hub of the wheel so there are no possibilities of a connection coming loose. The entire light set is made of durable rubber construction that is waterproof. This makes it safe to use in dry or wet conditions. The light display comes on automatically once the wheel is in motion above 10 mph. This way the batteries will not be used when the bike is stationary and unattended. The average battery life is up to 20 hours. There is even a stainless steel strap to prevent the lighting device from being stolen. If you want not only be seen but noticed then this is the bike light system you need for your evening rides around town. Monkey Light wheel light

CatEye Reflex Bicycle Taillight

The CatEye Reflex Bicycle Taillight is the automatic rear lighting system you can mount and forget since it will protect your blind side at all times for you. This rear light comes to life whenever darkness is detected or motion in the rear from an oncoming vehicle is noticed. This is accomplished with a sensitive sensor in its optical array of vision. The CatEye light can be preset to 5 different modes.

It can be set at constant, flashing, pulsing, rapid flashing or in the battery saving long-life mode. The lens itself is specially designed so it can be seen at a 180-degree area of vision. The light itself is emitted from four 5 mm LEDs and one larger central LED. The power is from a twin set of AAA batteries. The constant and pulse modes have a battery life of up to 30 hours. The rapid flashing lasts up to 60 hours and the slower flashing mode can emit light for up to 100 hours. The extended long-life mode has the ability to last 120 hours. The light source of the CatEye is not your only protection. The lenses also have reflective characteristics so it can be seen even when not activated. This way you will never have to worry about being seen by anyone approaching you from the rear while on the road again.

 

NiteRider Lumina 700 Cordless Light

When you have mounted a NiteRider Lumina 700 Cordless Light on your bike, you are ready for a night excursion with a smaller but more powerful lightweight illuminator than what most others have to offer. The name is 700, which refers to the maximum amount of lumens this light can project on the roadway in front of you. The NiteRider Lumina 700 can be set to 4 different light intensity settings.

These are high with 700 lumens, medium at 350 lumens, low at 200 lumens and 40 lumens for walking speed. There is also a flashing mode that can be used at your discretion. To power, the illumination of this bike light is a single Lithium-Ion Batter. It requires 6 hours to be fully charged. The discharge of this power varies depending on the intensity of the beam you decide to use. At high the battery lasts up to 1 ½ hour. In the medium setting, the battery lasts up to 3 hours. You can get 5 hours and 55 minutes of light on the low setting and on the walking setting the light will work up to 18 hours. The NiteRider Lumina 700 Cordless Light can be mounted on either the handlebars or on your helmet. The handlebar mount fits bars up to 1 ¼”. The helmet mount attaches to most standard bicycle helmets. The light itself is an LED for long life and reliability.

 

Buztronics Wireless Bicycle Turn Signal

When you use the Buztronics Wireless Bicycle Turn Signal bicycle light those following you on the road will instantly know just what direction you will be heading. This is a rear-facing pod that illuminates the direction you are going to travel with 14 LEDs in the shape of 2 arrows per side.

The turn signals are also sequential to help give a clear visual indication of the direction you intend to travel. The signal functions include left and right turn along with both flashing for hazard warning. This is a wireless system that is equipped with a signal pod and mounting bracket for the seat post. There is also the pod control unit that is mounted on your handlebars for easy use to send the wireless signal to the turn signal pod. To help the rider to be aware that the turn signal unit is flashing, the pod controlling unit also sends out an audio signal to indicate it is on. The Buztronics Wireless Bicycle Turn Signal unit is built to be used by commuters in an urban environment. The components are made out of a high-quality polymer and are built to endure the environment in which most cyclist experience including being water-resistant to protect the pod from rainstorms. This bike signal unit is powered by a replaceable CR2032 battery, one of which arrives with the unit when purchased.

 

Serfas Seat Stay Tail-Light

The Serfas Seat Stay Tail-Light is the water-resistant light you can have identifying you on the road no matter what the weather conditions are. This is the second generation seat stay light from Serfas that has been improved on its design and capabilities to fit the needs of the active rider.

The casing of the TL-STN Stay Seat Taillight is made of a water-resistant silicone material. In the center is a 1/4th watt super bright red light. On opposing, sides of the centralized light are three 4 mm LED lights to give you a total of 7 lights illuminating your position. These lights can be set in 4 different modes to accommodate your needs. There is steady on all the time, flashing, strobe and off. In the flashing mode, the batteries can last up to 100 hours. The other on modes has a short life span. The power unit is two lithium CR 2032 batteries. The mounting mechanism for the Serfas Seat Stay Tail-Light is from two straps that connect the light to any tubular frame section on a bike. These same straps are removable. The TL-STN Stay Seat Taillight is the best way to illuminate your presence on a night ride. The long life of the batteries along with the multiple modes of light makes it ideal for any riding conditions. This will make riding at night on or off the road safer for you to do.

 

Planet Bike Spok Lights

Safety is an important part of biking, especially if you are riding at night. If you frequently bike at nights, then you have to invest in a good quality bike lights. It’s important for two reasons: firstly, others should know you are coming so that they can steer away from you and secondly, you need to know your path and a powerful light will show your way.

With many options in the market, you need to make your choice after taking into account the features that you want as well as the amount of money you are willing to spend on it. One option is Planet Bike Spok lights that can be used to light your way at night. The Planet Bike Spok light set is bright and they have a hood that helps to keep the light away from the cyclists’ eyes so that they can continue to see their path. CD2032 battery is included along with these LED bike lights and this runs for approximately 100 hours. These lights also provide more than one mile of super visibility and its translucent case provides about 220-degree view. The lights are 2.0 LED and these are almost four times brighter than the previous versions. The nylon strap and adjustable hooks that come with these lights help to mount them. People who have used this product find it extremely useful and worth the price at which it sells.

 

Serfas Superbright USB Rechargeable Tail Light

The Serfas Superbright USB Rechargeable Tail Light is the USL-TL60 model that produces 60 lumens. This brightness is made to help you get noticed by anyone approaching you from behind when you are on a night ride on your bicycle. On a clear night, this 60 lumens illumination can be seen for up to 1 mile behind you. The USL-TL60 Shield USB Taillight has 4 different settings for you to use.

The high mode produces 60 lumens and can stay on with a constant beam for up to 2.4 hours on a full charge. The low mode produces 35 lumens and can provide a constant beam for up to 5 hours. The high flashing mode produces a blinking beam of 60 lumens and provides this for up to 4.5 hours. The low flashing mode produces a blinking beam of 35 lumens and can ream blink for up to 14 hours. Immaterial of how you use this taillight, the recharging time for a full charge is 3 hours. This is accomplished by plugging it into any USB port on a computer or other device that has a USB connection including the USB charger that accompanies this taillight. The beam is produced by a single LED light source and is advertised as the world brightest single LED taillight in the world. The Serfas Superbright taillight is RoSH compatible. This means the 6 most common hazardous material used in most electronics is not used in its construction.

 

Planet Bike Blaze 1 Watt Headlight

The Planet Bike Blaze 1 watt bicycle headlight is a 3-mode headlight with QuickCam brackets meant for bicycle commuters or those who ride in low-light conditions. The light’s three modes are high or low beam and SuperFlash flashing mode for safety.

The light appears to be well made with plastic components of good density and a reinforced allow midsection to protect it from breaking in falls or bumps. Anyone who’s used them know that QuickCam bracket mounts are where it’s at when it comes to quick adjustment and removal with no tools required. This light uses 2 AA batteries and is said to get 7-20 hours (depending on light mode) of service from those batteries. The whole thing weighs about 4 ounces (with batteries) and uses LED lighting to get those hours of service. Of course, no Planet Bike Blaze 1 watt headlight review would be complete if we didn’t talk about the company itself. Planet Bike is based in Madison, Wisconsin and dedicates 25% of its profits to causes that promote and facilitate bicycle usage. The company remains small and dedicated to the cause of social outreach through bicycle programs for the needy around the world. That’s pretty cool. This particular headlight is mid-priced and so far, Planet Bike Blaze 1 watt review listings on the Web show it to be a favorite product for many riders. Most say it’s the best light for the purpose they’ve purchased.

 

Bontrager Flare 3

The Bontrager Flare 3 appears just as bright as the Superflash, and in fact, the thing I like best about the Flare versus the Superflash is that the Flare 3 really has good side visibility — in my opinion, a good bit better side visibility than the Superflash.

Like the Superflash, the Flare 3 light will run for a long, long time on a set of batteries. My Superflash fell off when the mounting clip failed, and I’m happy to report that the mounting for the Flare 3 seems much more sturdy and has held up very well. I really don’t have any negative things to say about the Bontrager Flare 3 — it’s been a great, bright taillight that sips batteries slowly, gives great visibility to the rear and sides, and has very sturdy mounting hardware.