Here we go again – evenings plunged into premature darkness while farmers in the Outer Hebrides dance a jig of joy for their extra hour of morning light.

I can feel the seasons skipping by now. This was the first end of British summertime in 25 years that my mother hasn’t called me to remind me to turn my clocks back. Fond of her bed, my one-year-old daughter slept in till past “9am” on Monday morning. It wasn’t really 9 of course. For a one-year-old, as for a forty-plus-year-old and now even for an octogenarian, turning back the clocks is pure nonsense.

As a cyclist, turning back the clocks adds an additional item to the daily commute’s checklist. Lock? Check. Key? Check. Helmet? Check. Gloves? Check. Waterproofs? Check. Then, lights? Check. With batteries? Check.

By comparison, it’s so easy if you drive. Pulse? Check. Car key? Check. And off you go. My car even tells me when a light bulb needs changing (and which one). Cycling always has been a bit more DIY than driving. The police are manning their annual checkpoints on Magdalen Bridge and Botley Road. Hopefully the same carrot and stick approach that Thames Valley’s finest usually take, whereby the fine for not being lit is waived if you produce a pair of lights within a week.

Gone are the days when the only lights available were those dreadful EverReadys, the size and weight of a half a brick. LED-bulb technology has evolved quickly in the past 10 years. The lighting options for 21st century cyclists are brilliant.

Cateye have cornered the budget market with a fine range of superbright LED lights. But you must remember not to leave them on your bike. I have had a few stolen which, at £30-plus per unit, is a dark experience.

On the LED-front, there are headlights from £50 to £500, some bar-mounted for road cycling and others helmet-mounted for off-road use. They are mostly rechargeable via mains or USB. Last year I invested £150 in an Exposure Diablo, mainly for night rides in the Chilterns. It is blinding. Drivers can see you even with their eyes closed. My main preoccupation is not to look drivers or pedestrians in the eye, as wherever I turn my head, a sabre of lumens cuts a vicious swathe, potentially scarring their eyeballs.

Flashing red LED clusters for the rear should complete your all-round “protection”.

For city riding, the clever money is on dynamos. Not the old style that click on and off the tyre sidewall, but hub dynamos. They generate minimal friction and provide ample light for front and rear bulbs. The beauty of them is you can’t forget them and they don’t need charging. You can use locking nuts to prevent the wheel being stolen and the light fitting front and rear are unlikely ever to get stolen. Anyone looking at lights for city riding should consider a hub dynamo upgrade.