Lighting for Winter Commuting

The winter in Stuttgart is downright DARK and it's critical to have a set of lights that both let you see and be seen.

I run a set of Sigma Sport EVO/EVO-X lights on the front. The low beam lasts 4 hours with a new, fully charged battery while using both beams will drain the battery in 2 hours. They both put out plenty of light for commutes on fire roads and paved streets (which typically have reasonable street lighting.)

The largest cost of your light set isn't necessarily going to be the lights themselves but the battery (Akku auf Deutsch.) These are typically 75 Euro to replace, so you want to make them last as long as possible. Akkus like to be completely drained and then charged back up. So, I try to run my akku empty every day and then plug it in to charge over night. My recharger backs off when it senses the battery is full, which is a nice feature to have otherwise you have to watch the charger/battery to make sure its full and doesn't overcharge.

For Fall, Spring and, most importantly, as a backup to my Sigma Sport, I have a 7 LED blinking/standing light for the front that runs off AAA batteries. Normally, I let it blink to draw attention to myself, but if my Sigma Sports ever run out of batteries or the connections freeze, the LED (and the AAAs, which like to be cold) is always a trusty standby. Naturally it doesn't put out as much light as a halogen, but it gets me home safe.

My rear is equipped with a 5 LED standing light. I've heard a rumor that blinking rear lights aren't street legal in Germany, but I see plenty of people with them. Go for the gusto on a rear light (more that the three LED ones) and make sure it mounts to your frame otherwise you'll lose it.

Here's a link to my light set:

http://www.sigmasport.de/en/startseite/?gesamt=1&position=2

Note that akkus tend to lose their longevity after a while, so don't be cheap and let it get to a point that your main light lasts less than your commute plus a half hour or so. If you commute three times a week even, you'll save the money in gas in no time.