Homeward bound on the Boulevard of the Allies after working the night shift.

No cars ahead as I drove across the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge into Schenley Park.

The boulevard curves to the left, back to the right and again to the left as it climbs a short hill.

High beams were on to spot any wildlife. But the wildlife they brought into view was the two-legged variety -- seven youths on bicycles riding toward me in the outbound and inbound lanes.

Slammed on the brakes. Punched the horn. Punched it again. And again. The cyclists appeared to be as surprised to see me as I was to see them.

They're not happy about the intrusion of a car on their ride. They flip a finger -- their IQ number? -- as they quickly pedal from the boulevard to a road leading to the Panther Hollow Bridge.

Where had they come from at 2:30 in the morning? Had they been partying at the park pavilion that overlooks the boulevard?

None of them was equipped for bicycling at night. No headlights. No taillights. No bright-colored clothing. And no helmets.

What were they thinking?

"They weren't thinking; they'd shut down their brains," said Jerry Kraynick after I related last summer's experience.

Kraynick, who owns and operates Kraynick's Bike Shop in Garfield, said bicyclists "should do everything they can to help motorists see them. They have to do their part."

That includes a headlight mounted on the handlebars, a taillight fastened to the seat post, easy-to-see clothing, and a helmet with some reflective tape on it.

"If you do all that and motorists claim they can't see you, they have no businesses driving a car or truck," said Kraynick, a veteran road bicyclist.

Gary Bywaters of the Ambridge Bike Shop said new bikes are required to have a clear reflector in the front, a red reflector in the back, orange pedal reflectors and clear wheel reflectors in the spokes.

"All a new bicyclist has to do is buy a helmet, a headlight, a taillight, and they're ready to go."

So how much does it cost to brighten yourself and your bike?

Helmets start at $30. A quality headlight goes for $25. A "blinky" taillight begins at $8. Headlight/taillight packages start at $20.

"That's not a lot of money to save your life," said Barry Jeffries of Dirty Harry's Bicycles in Verona.

Jeffries uses two taillights, including one mounted on the back of his helmet, to make himself more visible to traffic approaching from behind. He said spoke reflectors known as "Fireflies" use LED lights to highlight the reflectors.

"There are a lot of ways to light up a bike and its rider. The more the merrier," he said.

One of those ways is to use leg bands with LED lights to wrap around jeans or pants, said Bob McKinney of Iron City Bikes in Oakland near the University of Pittsburgh. He also recommended helmet lights and taillights that feature steady, slow- and fast-blinking settings.

"Be sure the taillight on the seat post is aimed at drivers' eyes,' he said. "Make it easy for them to spot you."

Kenny Scholl of School Bicycle Centers in West View and Warrendale, said taillights fastened to backpacks or messenger bags worn by bicyclists can be ineffective if they get jostled around on rough streets, especially those made of Belgian blocks.

Josh Ellis, manager of the Trek bike shop in Shadyside, commutes to work from his home in Edgewood. He said he has seen a number of bikes and riders that aren't properly equipped for night riding.

"It doesn't make sense because the cost is minimal," he said.

For more information, go to www.ambridgebikeshop.com (724-266-1111); www.dirtyharrys.net (412-828-2667); www.ironcitybikes.com (412-681-1310); www.schollsbikes.com (412-931-6711) and www.trekofpgh.com (412-362-8735). Kraynick can be reached at 412-261-2610.