Bicycle Supplementary lighting and conspicuity
Headtorches
Headtorches are a useful adjunct to bicycle lights. They can be pointed without steering the bike, giving useful “fill-in” lighting especially on poor or very dark roads. They also allow the wearer to read road and directional signs placed on high signposts.
Some rechargeable systems offer a head torch option powered from the main battery pack.
[edit] Automatic turn signals worn on hand
In recent times, automatic turn indicators became available. They react to a change of orientation (an angle) in relation to Earth gravity; they blink only when a cyclist’s hand is out-stretched to indicate a turn[11].
[edit] Reflective and high-visibility materials
Retro-reflective materials, in the form of reflectors, reflective tape, and reflective clothing, are useful in making a cyclist visible to other road users. Reflective materials can be applied to bike, rider, luggage, and tyres are available with reflective sidewalls.
[edit] On the bike
Reflectors and reflective tape provide additional visibility (especially when applied to moving parts of the bicycle) and are mandatory in many jurisdictions. Pedal reflectors in particular are very visible to following traffic as they move up and down; unfortunately they are not compatible with most clipless pedal systems, although adaptors are available for some, mainly older SPD models, and a few single-sided designs are available with built-in reflectors. In the UK, where front and rear pedal reflectors are compulsory after dark, most cyclists with clipless pedals are therefore riding illegally. The law is rarely, if ever, enforced, but could potentially be used in court to reduce financial compensation if the cyclist was hit by another vehicle. The CTC have suggested that the requirement could be waived if the cyclist fits an additional rear reflector and/or lighting, but this was not changed in the last revision of the UK vehicle lighting laws (which permitted flashing LEDs). Riders of recumbent bicycles have pointed out that the pedal reflector requirement is nonsensical for them, since the reflectors point straight up and down in use, and are invisible from other vehicles. As of 2008, California law allows white or yellow shoe reflectors (front and back), or reflective ankle bands, in lieu of pedal reflectors.
Reflectives are visible only when in the beam of a headlight, and even then only within a narrow locus. Importantly, they do nothing to light up the road. Reflectors are not a substitute for lights.
On dark roads reflective materials such as 3M’s Scotchlite will show up boldly in car headlights. Evidence shows that bright material on the sleeves can prompt drivers to give more passing distance. Retroreflective materials can discourage some oncoming motorists from dipping their headlights, as the rider become less visible if they do.
The colour of lighting should be checked in the rider’s area. A single solid colour can disappear under artificial light, particularly yellow sodium vapour lighting, and colour blindness is common; red/green colourblindness can make yellow fluorescent vanish against a green background (hedges or grass), although people with red/green colourblindness dispute this. Vests with both yellow and orange fluorescent plus wide strips of reflective may be the best solution.
In recent times electroluminescent clothing has become available to add to the existing array of LED-illuminated armbands and helmet blinkies. An electroluminescent helmet has been patented.