Revised Lighting Requirements

The lighting requirements have been revised slightly. In the past, the requirement has been lighting that satisfies the RUSA Rules for Riders and applicable state laws. The new additional requirements:

• Two independent headlight units and two independent taillight units mounted on the bike are required.


• Two headlights or taillights powered by the same dynamo or batteries do not constitute independent units.


• Helmet-mounted lights are fine, but they do not count toward the requirement.

This is the norm for most if not all 1200k riders anyway, so it will probably not mean a change from your current setup.

Some examples and details:

• Independent headlights could be two battery-powered units, or a dynamo-powered light and a battery-powered unit, for example.


• Independent taillights could likewise be two battery-powered units or a dynamo-powered taillight and a battery-powered light. The same dynamo can power both a headlight and a taillight.

The goals here are safety and resilience, of course. With today's technology, bright enough lightweight, inexpensive battery-powered LED lights are available, and provide valuable redundancy.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

-jle