How to stay safe riding your e-bike at night.
You can feel it—summer has become fall. If you live in the northern US, the leaves are changing color, and the air is getting brisker. And whether you like it or not, the days are getting shorter. That’s why now is the perfect time of year to talk about staying safe riding your e-bike at night.
Whether it’s on the TM-B or another e-bike, we believe all riders deserve to be safe year-round.
If you ride your bike to work, you’re going to lose a lot of light on your morning and evening commutes after daylight saving time ends (don’t forget to set your clocks back!). But you don’t need to let this force you back into driving. We’ve put together the ultimate guide for making sure you can see—and be seen—riding in the dark.
In this article, we'll explore:
The ultimate guide for safe night riding.
Proper e-bike lighting.
You might ride to avoid driving, but e-bike lighting works very similarly to car lighting. In fact, TM-B comes with a built-in, 1500-lumen white front light, a red rear light, and turn signals. If your bike doesn’t come with built-in lighting, follow lighting best practices by adding these to it.
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White front light: Potholes, puddles, gravel, and even ice patches are harder to spot in the dark. Make sure your bike has a white front light, and that it’s bright enough to illuminate the road or path ahead of you. Why white? It’s important that people know which direction you’re going, and white is universally understood to mean oncoming.
- Pro tip: If your front light can be easily tilted, turn it slightly angled down. Just like deer freeze in headlights, pedestrians tend to stop short when a bright light shines in their face, which can lead to accidents.
- Red rear light: A red light for the back of your bike helps drivers see you as they approach from behind. Why red? Red is universally associated with stopping, which lets drivers know they’re looking at your back, and that you’re moving away from them.
- Turn signals: If your bike has turn signals, they’re perfect for riding in the dark—they’re another way to use light to bring attention to yourself on the road. If your bike doesn’t have turn signals, however, read on for our workaround.
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Helmet lights: Add a mounted light to the top or front of your helmet. Lights that slide right into the vents of your helmet or LED strips can be added to the back, too. And just like with the lights on your bike, the rule is white on the front and red on the back.
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Pro tip: More helmets, like ALSO’s new Alpha Wave, are being manufactured with built-in lights for extra safety.
Reflective gear and apparel.
When it comes to safety, your body needs to be visible, too. TM-B’s Biomotion lighting was built with that in mind, illuminating the rider’s body and limbs, so drivers recognize them as a moving human, and not just another light on the road. Adding reflective surfaces to your body also catches light and bounces it back directly to the source, making a world of difference.
- Reflective wrist bands: If your bike doesn’t have turn signals, grab yourself a pair of these. Because reflective surfaces bring visibility to your movement, reflective wrist bands can draw extra attention to your hand signals.
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Reflective ankle bands: If reflective surfaces help drivers see movement, no part of your body moves more while riding than your pumping legs.
- Reflective sidewalls: Accidents at intersections are common because cars often have to turn through bike lanes. Avoid left-cross or right-hook collisions by adding reflective sidewalls to your tires, so you’re more visible from the side.
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Reflective jackets and vests: If it’s getting darker out, it’s probably getting colder. If you’re out shopping for new outwear this fall, it can do more than keep you warm—look for a jacket or vest made from reflective materials.
A wardrobe upgrade.
Whoever said people shouldn’t wear white after Labor Day obviously wasn’t a cyclist. Making changes to your clothing choices helps you see and be seen riding at night.
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Light and bright colors: Dark colors blend right into the night sky, making you hard to spot when commuting. Opt for light, bright, or even neon colors in low light.
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Pro tip: While you can enforce this rule on yourself, you can’t control what other people wear. Be on high alert for pedestrians in dark clothing at crosswalks or stepping out between cars.
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Transparent lenses: Sunglasses do more than just shield your eyes from the sun – they protect your eyes from wind, dirt, and more. But you can’t wear your sunglasses at night, no matter what the song says. A pair of transparent lenses keeps debris out while still letting plenty of light in.
Choose the well-lit route.
Just because a route has less traffic doesn’t necessarily make it safer, especially in the dark.
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Stay on main roads: Side streets may be less congested, but they also tend to be poorly-lit. That makes it harder for drivers and pedestrians to see you. Main roads tend to be well-lit and have designated bike lanes, which is a great combination for safety.
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Pro tip: Not familiar with main road routes near you? The ALSO app gives you an average of three routes to choose from, including main roads, and displays turn-by-turn navigation on TM-B’s hi-res touchscreen, the Portal.
Switch up your riding habits.
The change of the seasons means it’s also time to change the way you ride to stay safe at night.
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Lower assist level: You can’t see cars, pedestrians, or other obstacles as easily when it’s dark out, so you have less time to react to them. And because e-bikes are heavier, you have more momentum behind you, meaning it takes longer to slow down. When riding at night, choose a lower assist level to keep your speed in check—TM-B has up to 10 assist levels, so you have plenty of options to err on the side of caution, and its hydraulic disc brakes are engineered to react fast, even in wet weather conditions.
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Pro tip: When was the last time you got your brakes checked? As we head into the shorter days of fall and visibility drops, it’s important to make sure your brakes are working properly, so you can come to a stop safely and quickly.
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Make eye contact: Don’t assume drivers or pedestrians see you. Whenever possible, make eye contact with them before you make a move like turning, starting, or stopping.
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Take up more space: Avoid hugging the side of the road. It might be your natural instinct to do so to avoid inconveniencing drivers, but you’re less visible there.
- Give wider passing room: Give pedestrians extra space whenever possible.
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Signal early: Let drivers and pedestrians know you’re turning well in advance. If your bike doesn’t have built-in turn signals like the TM-B does, use common hand signals:
- Left turn: Extend your left arm straight out to the side horizontally.
- Right turn: Bend your left arm upward at a 90-degree angle, or extend your right arm straight out to the size horizontally.
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Stop or slow down: Bend your left arm downward at a 90-degree angle.
Sound safety.
Safe riding at night isn’t just about seeing and being seen (it’s about hearing and being heard!).
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No earbuds: Sorry, music lovers, but you need to be extra alert when riding at night. We recommend setting earbuds to awareness mode so you can hear your surroundings, riding with only your right earbud in so you can hear the road on your left, or taking your earbuds out completely.
- Pro tip: Alpha Wave comes with integrated audio. Built into the panels above the ear, the speakers are designed to deliver the type of transparent sound that makes you feel like your life is being soundtracked while allowing you to hear what’s going on around you, just as well as your media.
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Use your bell: TM-B comes with a built-in bell, but if your bike doesn’t, the short days of fall are the perfect time to pick one up. Ring it to warn pedestrians as you approach.
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Pro tip: Want to be extra safe? Beyond ringing your bell when passing pedestrians, announce yourself with an “On your left” or “On your right.”
Before you ride.
There’s nothing worse than getting stranded in the dark, so preparation is crucial for your safety.
- Battery charging: As we said before, if it’s getting darker out, it’s probably getting colder. That means decreased battery capacity. Be sure to charge your battery, lights (if they aren’t built into your bike like they are on the TM-B), and helmet regularly during shorter days. And get in the habit of checking your charge before you ride—with the ALSO app, TM-B riders can check their battery life and charging status from the palm of their hand.
- Tire pressure: Because colder weather causes air molecules to contract, they take up less space, causing tire pressure to drop. This can lead to blow outs, longer stopping distances, and all kinds of other things that cause accidents. Before you ride this fall and winter, be sure to give your tires a good pressure check.
The bottom line.
There’s a lot to love about the change of the season, like switching from iced coffee to hot. But hardly anyone likes the shorter days that come with fall—cyclists especially.
Riding is something that brings you joy. Keep at it, but make sure you do it safely.
Frequently asked questions.
How bright should my front light be for riding my e-bike at night?
Minimum brightness varies depending on what streets you ride on. While 200-400 lumens may be enough on well-lit city streets, 400-800 is needed for side streets that have less lighting. To make sure you strike a good balance between main roads and side streets, we recommend choosing a front light that’s a minimum of 400-600 lumens.
Should my red rear light flash?
Not in the dark, no. While a flashing or pulsing red rear light may work better for visibility in daylight hours, a steady light is ideal for night because it helps drivers judge distance better.
Should my lights be on even if the street is well-lit?
Yes. Your lights should always be on when it’s dark, even if the street is well-lit. In fact, most US states require a white front light and red rear light (or red rear reflector) by law.
Should I lower my assist-level when riding my e-bike at night?
Yes, it’s a good idea to lower your assist level when riding at night, and to travel at slower speeds. E-bikes are heavier, so they have more momentum behind them, meaning it takes longer to come to a full stop, which can lead to accidents in lower visibility.
Is it safer to ride on main roads or side streets at night?
While main roads tend to get more traffic, that doesn’t make them less safe if they have the proper infrastructure. Main roads tend to be well-lit by comparison to side streets, and they often have designated bike lanes for protection.
Does cold weather affect my e-bike?
Yes. Cold weather can reduce battery capacity, meaning you don’t get as much mileage out of your charge. To avoid getting stranded in cold weather, charge your e-bike regularly, and be sure to check your charge before you ride.
Does cold weather affect my bike tires?
Yes. Cold weather causes air molecules to contract and take up less space, which causes your bike tires to lose air. Be sure to check your tire pressure before you ride.
