If you are a new biker, the best thing you can do is get the right bike light for you. Yes, most of you might think it is unnecessary. A little bit of information- 843 cyclists died in 2019 and 675 bicyclists in 2020. And the common cause of their death is NOT ENOUGH LIGHT!
At night, you think the street lights are enough, in the day, the sunlight is-but no, you can never have enough light when it comes to your safety. And this is the reason we always tell you to add some light, not only at night but also in the day!
The best thing you can do is getting a flashing light added for better visibility on the road for 24 hr. Today, we will discuss daytime bike lights vs. headlights to know which one you need.
What We Will Cover
Difference between Daytime Lights and Headlights for Bikers
1. Time
Daytime lights, as the name says are designed for days. To make you visible to the other drivers on the road, these lights are great. On the other hand, the headlights are designed for the night. On the front of the bike, at night, it is required that you use a headlight. Or you can use them when it is dusk or the sunlight is not able to make it properly visible.
This is used for the other riders and drivers on the road to see you properly. According to the law, this is vital. However, this also helps you see the road better. Both of these lights are designed to make you visible to the other riders, drivers, and passengers. But one is designed for daytime use and the other is for nighttime.
2. Purpose
The second thing that comes to our mind when it comes to the difference between the daytime bike lights and the nighttime headlight is the purpose of attaching the lights. The purpose of any source of light is to see. Now, here, the part comes-TO SEE or TO BE SEEN? DBL or daytime lights for bikes are designed for making yourself or your bike visible on the roads.
Yes, this is made for the other users to see you properly. You might have seen some of the bikers leaving their bike lights on even in the day. Do you think they did it mistakenly? Sometimes yes, but mostly, people keep the lights switched on because it makes them more visible on the roads. You might think that in the daytime, the light of the sun is enough to make you visible. But you noticed their lights, didn’t you! That’s how it is going to make a difference, my friend!
On the other part, if we talk about the headlight, this has more jobs than the daytime light. If you are lit up a candle in the day, most probably people will notice you but they will see you the same way they are seeing in the sunlight. The case is different when it is about night. If you lit up a candle, people will see you better and you can see around you too! So, the headlight helps you do both of these works together. It helps other people on the road to see you properly at night when you are riding. Also, when the light is on the road, you can see the road appropriately and the surroundings will also be more visible than before! In short, headlight works for both!
3. Lumens
For daytime cycling, any daytime light lumen should start from 100. You can go above if you want better visibility to the other people around you. But 100 are enough for any regular user. You do not need too much light in the day! While riding at night, your light must be bright. And so, you have to take care of the lumens in this case. However, it completely depends on your pace how many lumens you are going to work with.
If you are an average trail rider, you can get out at night with 200 lumens or so. Don’t go below it. However, the ideal lumen for the night is 250-400. If you are a mountain biker, the lumen will increase from 700 to 1000. The brightest lumens for nighttime headlights can be 1500-3600 or more depending on your preferences. The better the lumens the better the visibility at night! And it makes you safer than ever!
4. The Law
For bikers, daytime lights are not compulsory. So, you can plan on skipping it. But in the case of the headlight, you cannot skip the necessary light for the night. At night, you must add white light to the front part of your bike. Also, a red rear light is made obligatory.
5. Illumination
Daytime lights are usually very dim. As there is enough light in the day, the daytime light that is added to the bicycle might not be as illumination as the night lights. If you are using this one of the roads, it makes people notice you better. But it will not help you a bit to see the road. With the daylight, the road is already visible to you.
Conversely, if you settle for the headlight, the illumination will be more than the daytime lights. You can easily see the road clearly without any discomfort. Without the light, you can’t see the road and accidents might occur if you go without it. And if you want added safety, go for the best bike helmet with lights and be harmless on the road!
6. Necessity
Now that we are talking about the necessity, yes, countries have several rules regarding the front bike lights. But practically, if you think about the daytime lights, these are not necessary. Yes, they make you more visible on the road. But if you skip this one (if there is no law in your country for this,) nothing much will happen. People can still see you with the sunlight or daylight. The situation is completely different if you are dealing with the headlight.
As headlights are for the night, you cannot ever expect a safe journey without them. Imagine walking inside an unknown house when the power is off! Yes, this is how you are going to feel on the road without the headlight. So, more than daytime bike lights, the necessity of a headlight is above. If you are planning to invest in only one bike light, we will suggest you go for the headlight. However, if you do not usually get out at night then you can get the daylight light for your daytime security!
Wrap Up
No step is enough to certify that you will stay safe, and so the more steps you choose, the better. We recommend you get a headlight first as according to the law, white light at the front and a red light at the back are compulsory.
Then you can plan on adding the daytime lights to the bike! Don’t forget to tell check out our blog for more information on how to stay safe and how to work with lights!