Can You Safely Commute at Night with a Velomobile?

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STORIES FROM VELOMOBILE COMMUNITY

Can You Safely Commute at Night with a Velomobile?

Night Rider: A Bülk Velomobile Commute After Dark

Author: BEN PARKE

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I have always preferred to ride during the day, but last fall I started commuting to a rehearsal I direct in the evenings. That meant riding after dark. I was initially apprehensive about this having never ridden in the dark before. Like most things in life, anticipation is usually much worse than reality.

 

The main thing you need for riding after dark is a good lighting system. Lupine makes the brightest light available, but that’s not what I’ve opted to ride with. I actually use the Busch and Mueller IQ-XL. I opted for this because I’m very comfortable with the quality and reputation of B&M lights and because I’ve used a lot of their lights in the past. I have the IQ-XL mounted in the nose along with a B&M IQ-XS mounted in the HotSpot on the headbump. I like having a light over my heard first because of the increased visibility it gives in traffic by lighting up some of the front of the velomobile, and second because of the increased brightness it provides on the road. When both lights are running on high beam, the visibility it gives me of the road surface is more than enough for my riding. The reflective stickers on my Bülk velomobile also enhance my visibility to drivers to the point that I actually feel more visible at night than during the day. Check out the video footage for an idea of what the combination of lights does for driving after dark.