It’s the time of year when, leaving the house, I pack my bike lights without fail. I have LED lighting, nothing fancy on the front but a strong light on the back with a funky throbbing mode that has been known to annoy the cyclist behind me but also soothe the odd motorist with road rage.

I’ve had a couple of upgrades to my lighting system recently, not enough to see without street lamps but enough to make me more visible to cars.

I believe this is vital for my survival and one area where the law is spot-on.

However, it seems a lot of Oxford residents don’t agree with me or the law, and once again there are a worrying amount of cyclists flying around in the dark with not even a reflector to mark them out.

But watch out guys – the police like to carry out what I call ‘Operation Naughty Winter Cyclist’ and it usually coincides with the clocks going back.

Last year they issued a £30 fine for anyone cycling around in the dark without bike lights but they did also kindly rescind the fine if you presented a subsequent receipt for some new bike lights at St Aldate’s police station within seven days.

But how do you decide on what lights you need when there seems to be such a vast array of them on the market?

Personally I have always the left the decisions on lighting to others, my father until my late teens, and now my partner chooses for me.

This has always resulted in rather ugly lights that neither fit in a handbag nor pocket and usually result in my evening’s outfit being rather downgraded with a back pack to carry them around in.

What I really want is a Knog light. Actually, I want them all!

Knogs are pretty little silicon things that don’t require any brackets as they attach themselves. Coming in a range of colours and sizes, they are guaranteed to match your outfit and handbag and frankly, what more could a girl want?

But to be utterly honest, these things look great but they won’t get me across Port Meadow at closing time and I have been thinking seriously about something stronger since my nightly haunts usually involve a bit of off-roading.

Buying lighting to see and not just to be seen entails stepping into a world of confusing electrical terminology where every manufacturer claims the strongest lumen for the best price. To top it all off, if you want a rechargeable battery, you have to be aware of the major differences between them.

Li-Ion, although lightweight and enduring will break the bank, but lead acid or NiCad doesn’t like the cold.

NiCad requires full discharge before recharging but NiMH don’t and Li-Ion shouldn’t be discharged beyond 80 per cent or you risk ruining its cycle life.

But rather worryingly, if you make it through the confusing buyers’ guide and you decide to take a leap of faith with the Li-Ion battery, somebody will then tell you they are prone to explode if abused (abuse being physical damage to the cell – they don’t break down if you shout at them).

Considering this information, I am still procrastinating over the decision and will not be seen out blinding my fellow road users with my 1,200 lumens any time soon...