Blog Staff Two: Good one. There's two purposes to a light, one of which I find much more important than the other. First, so others can easily notice you. Second (and less useful) so you can see. There are lots of light systems out there that work to light the path–actually a basic $30 headlamp is even more versatile and just as effective. Personally, I rely on street-lighting for most of my needs. However, far and away more important is the ability for car-drivers, pedestrians, other cyclists to notice you. I find that even at night, I'm relying on several standard roadway norms, such as turn signals, lanes, etc., and unless I'm noticeable, I simply don't exist in that framework, so I can't expect to be treated accordingly.
Blog Staff Four: Yes, again with the common sense. If it is dark out and you have no lights on your bike or person, how in the world is anyone supposed to see you? Not only are you running a huge risk of getting hit by a car, but you are even more dangerous to those sharing pathways or bike lanes with you. It is an uncomfortable feeling to be walking along at night only to have a dark shape rushing at you. It is only once the un-lit cyclist has passed you that your brain can even interpret that the dark shape was indeed a cyclist. Turn on the lights or stay off your bike at night.
Blog Staff Five: Full Cycle on the hill has a sticker on their register that sums this issue up well, "Front lights help you see cars, back lights help cars see you." Imagine a roadway where cars weren't required to turn on their headlights and brake lights were optional. Sounds pretty dangerous to me, but often we neglect these rules as bicyclists. It helps everyone when lights shine bright. Without lights, boats hit shorelines, airplanes clip transmitter towers, and bicyclists confuse drivers. It doesn't help the bicycle community to ride without lights, it will only cause more motorists to dispute the two-wheeler.
Blog Staff Six: Once again, completely agree. Riding without lights is not only stupid but also infuriating and dangerous. There have been many a time when I was making a late commute and suddenly realized that there was a bicyclist several feet in front of me, forcing me to make some kind of terrifying evasive maneuver into bushes or even traffic. Not only is it stupid, but it's also getting expensive in Boulder to ride with no lights. A few months ago the penalty was upped to about $50 for each light missing. This is about $20 more than the actual cost of a bike light, so the argument that lights are expensive is getting pretty moot. If you don't have any lights, it's simple...don't endanger yourself and others, just go out and buy yourself some lights. (Or pay the fees, which are actually beginning to be enforced-particularly on campus!)
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