Advocacy & Safety - Is it stupid to ride when it is dark?

I am curious as to whether any of yo uhave experience riding bikes at dark? As fall approaches and the hours shorten thisi is becoming an issue?

The cited crash happened at dusk which is far more dangerous than night-time.
In the dark, a decent lighting system and reflectors make you highly visible. In my experience, as long as you are sensible, night-time riding is no more dangerous than day-time riding.
At dusk, your lights and reflectors are not effective. With a low sun (and worse, a wet road) you can be impossible to see unless the driver is particularly bike-aware.
I often wait for the sun to set before heading off, to avoid the dangers of dusk.

I work shift work and I find the best time to ride is coming home afterwork ( 11:30 ) in the evening. All the clowns with their coffee and cell phones are safely tucked in their beds were they can't hurt anybody. Its a lot cooler and quieter in the evening. Just my 2 cents worth.

Riding in the dark maybe safer than daylight riding. There's not as much traffic. If you are lit up properly, ie headlights and blue and red rear flashing halogens, maybe a reflective vest, you will be very visible.

It is not stupid, but it can be more dangerous. Being well lit and having a good system to allow you to see the road will help, but background lighting and glare are also problems. Avoid areas with lots of distracting background lighting such as shopping centers and busy intersections.

Ride cautiously.

There is no such thing as too much lighting.

I feel very safe on my commute between 3:45 and 4:45 in the morning.

No too many people out...even the donut shops are still closed.

For the busier ride home, the advice above is good. Use enough lights and reflectors to be seen, then add some.

I use good front and rear lights, as well as a couple large automotive reflectors on the back. I've never had any problems riding at night.

See
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/lights/lights.htm

As a night person, I do the overwhelming majority of riding at night, usually after midnight. My personal experience is that it is safer than daytime riding for the simple fact that there are much fewer cars on the road, and because my lights make me more visible from a greater distance than I would be on the same roads during daylight hours. As a result, I find that I am given much wider berth by passing cars at night vs. "just enough" room during the day.

This is traffic-congested suburban Raleigh, North Carolina. Your mileage may vary.

-Bob

Riding in the dark is just like riding during the day.

It can be done quite safely.

It can be done in ways that are almost suicide.

Thinking back I can not recall any close calls when I rode at night. Of course I was well lit and reflected. Remember that reflectors are needed from the side and well as front and back.

There are some areas I would not ride in at night. Most things that are bad during the day get worse at night, be it bad crime or bad roads. But some places get nice. Roads that are secondary routes for rush hour can be nice once that is over. (But near hell if rush hour lasts extra long and they are filled with frustrated drivers).

Oh and I would avoid riding from about midnight til about 3, at least in places anywhere near any bars.

From the blog: "Williams was riding fast, in the dusk, without lights, when a motorist turned left in front of him."

Riding at dusk or at night without lights is stupid. I ride at night more often than during the day, and I am absolutely positive that I am seen from a greater distance, and drivers seem to be more aware of me, at night than during the day. I let my son stray out in front one night, and I could clearly see his rear blinkie from a half mile away.

I ride at night most of the time (for exercise and fun) and with my rear xenon strobe, front headlight, and reflective sidewall tires, I've felt safer then than during the day. Until I got a helmet mirror, it was also much easier to track approaching cars from their headlights. The lighter traffic is nice too...

Now, pedestrians wearing dark clothes and other unlit bikers are a different story. I've had far more close calls with them than with cars.

Only problem I've had at night is cars not dimming their high beams on country roads. Once I was so blinded I literally couldn't see where I was going and lost spatial orientation. If they hadn't finally dimmed their lights I would have probably been in the ditch or the grille. Probably wouldn't be a problem other than in the country because in the city/suburbs there is enough other light around to keep the eyes from getting too light sensitive.

I ride my commute every night after second shift at the hospital. Unlike some posters, I believe night riding is more dangerous. And it isn't really about the lights.

Even cheap lights make you visible to drivers in front of you and behind you. Conversely, even the best lights do not make you visible to drivers to your side. The biggest danger at night is cagers entering the street you are travelling on, from a side street or driveway. Headlights only help a little in this common situation -- the cyclist has to be alert to these drivers, and prepared to evade them.

Another danger at night is not being able to see debris and bad surfaces until it is too late. Good lights might help some, but probably not enough.

I think it is safer to ride a little slower at night, and be a little more alert. It is a new kind of riding, and you need training and experience to be safe with it,

Riding at night is a bit riskier due to many factors. Impared drivers might be the biggest one. But if you prepare and choose sensible routes, you will be fine.
Invest in a high-output rechargeable lighting system. NiteRider makes an excellent system and their rear flashing taillight is incredibly intense.
Most of us don't use pedal reflectors - they fall off most regular pedals, and they don't really work on clipless. However, they do attract drivers' attention, so I use reflective ankle straps instead (even if I don't have long pants that need sinching). A reflective vest is a nice addition. I also use a reflective helmet band - it glows like a halo when headlights are on it. Specialized sold 'em about ten years ago, but I don't think they're available any more.
There is also high-intensity reflective tape that works amazingly well. Comes in many colors. My wife has some in black on her commuter bike -- looks like black tape, but when light shines on it, it glows. Cool stuff.
Be creative in your quest to be visible and avoid the dangerous routes. Sure, you might look like a geek, but at least they'll be able to SEE the geek!

blue and red rear flashing halogens, maybe a reflective vest, you will be very visible.


Maybe so, but I doubt that's legal.

Maybe so, but I doubt that's legal.

I've never had any hassles from the fuzz. The other night popo was following me. Probably checking me out for DUI. Then, popo passed in the left lane and sped away. But, never know about popo.

Being blinded by car headlights is a problem, IMO. I ride along the Hudson Greenway most of the way home after dark so as not to contend with cars, BUT, the West Side Highway is right there next to the path, so even with my new 30W setup it's hard to see the path through the glare of the headlights coming "at" me (really to the right on the other side of a substantial barrier). I inevitably have to remove or lower even my clear-lensed riding glasses because the slightest bit of grease or sweat on them maginifies the glare effect.

Lights and reflectors.

Each of the past three nights when I was driving home from work I encountered bikes with no lights and poor reflectors. Didn't see any of them until the last minute. Luckily there were no close calls.

Only problem I've had at night is cars not dimming their high beams on country roads. Once I was so blinded I literally couldn't see where I was going and lost spatial orientation. If they hadn't finally dimmed their lights I would have probably been in the ditch or the grille. Probably wouldn't be a problem other than in the country because in the city/suburbs there is enough other light around to keep the eyes from getting too light sensitive.

Solution: Helmet mounted HID. Shine that puppy right at the driver and (s)he will get the message.

i ride in the dark everymorning (leave for work at 445 am) and love to be on the road then. i did notice something in the blog that seemed contradictory though:

"...He was supposedly a good cyclist, a young man, properly equipped and capable.
As I understand it from news reports and one of the emergency personnel responding to the accident, Williams was riding fast, in the dusk, without lights..."

to me, riding at night/dusk without lights is in no way properly equipped. while i don't go as far as many people do to feel comfortable, i have lights and am in the process of adding lots of nifty reflective tape highlights to my bike. as the weather starts to drift towards rain/fog on a regluar basis i'm tracking down good protective clothing that will make me really stand out.

Riding in the dark maybe safer than daylight riding. There's not as much traffic. If you are lit up properly, ie headlights and blue and red rear flashing halogens, maybe a reflective vest, you will be very visible.

Those blue lights WILL get you into trouble here in CA. Been there...

Some of my most favorite riding time happens at night. As other members have pointed out, the most dangerous time is dusk. This time of year, dusk comes and goes quickly, unlike June-July, when dusk can last until 9 PM (In the northeast)

Get yourself a good headlight, tail light, and some reflectors, or reflective material. Wear white, or some bright color. (I wear a white jersey, and I have always had a white helmet. That is just personal preference. ) I have been using a Cateye HL-EL 500 since they came on the market last year. This is quite effective in my area, for my rides. People see it. (And it has been mistaken for a motorcycle headlight.) If you plan on riding in a more rural area, where street lighting is spartan or not even there, you'll want to consider a strong lighting system.

Why so many don't use a headlight at night is one of those things that I cannot figure out at all.

A lot of the bags and other accessories sold today have that reflective tape built into them. That's good stuff.

Riding at night is nice. The daytime traffic is all done (the idiot factor is a lot lower), and you don't even need sunscreen.

I feel safer at night in the city, less safe at night in the country.

The city streets are lit up, so even potholes aren't a big issue for me. One thing I do need to feel right are glasses with good clear lenses.

In the country when the road is really dark, even with a little headlight I get nervous about what lies ahead. I've nevr used an uber powerful headlight, I'm sure that helps.

Two caveats - I wouldn't cycle alone if I was a woman in remote places, and I'd watch it on Friday and saturday nights after midnight or so - too much booze + cars = deaths.

Being blinded by car headlights is a problem, IMO. I ride along the Hudson Greenway most of the way home after dark so as not to contend with cars, BUT, the West Side Highway is right there next to the path, so even with my new 30W setup it's hard to see the path through the glare of the headlights coming "at" me (really to the right on the other side of a substantial barrier). I inevitably have to remove or lower even my clear-lensed riding glasses because the slightest bit of grease or sweat on them maginifies the glare effect.
This is a problem for me too. I wear eyeglasses, and that seems to make glare more bothersome. Have you tried a helmet with a visor? Also, remember the driving trick of looking to the right side of the road when headlights are coming at you; never look directly at the lights.

Well you could argue that since it's the most dangerous time it's stupid...
But then you'd have to argue that since men 16-24 comprise more % of fatal crashes that you shouldn't ride at all between those ages.
Dosn't quite work that way.

Practical soloutions to real risk... bright lights, reflectors good route finding.

I wouldn't cycle alone if I was a woman in remote places Gee, I wouldn't if I were a man either. Heard stories at one of the LBS's of some nasty things happenning to lone cyclists at night. They were males, too.

On the other hand, somehow I don't think of the country as so dangerous. A bad neighbourhood in the city is much worse. In a truly remote place, on the other hand, your main danger source is probably wild animals (other than humans, that is).

I cycle to work in the dark. I start work at midnight. If I leave the house around 10:00 pm, I will take a busy street with lighting (less traffic). If I leave earlier, when there is more traffic, I will take a less-traveled but very dark parkway. Each day I gauge how much "moon light" and what day of the week it is. Tonight is the beginning of the holiday weekend, so I left at 7:30 pm and will work a modified schedule. (Not possible most of the time.) In addition, I will not commute tomorrow or Sunday night. I try to gauge my route and time to whether the drunks have come out yet or the "nasty" teenagers cruising are at their party destinations. I am a female but go through elabarate measures to disguise myself as a man. I love to cycle at night. A couple of nights ago, I saw a motorcyle in my mirror, however I did not know there were two motorcycles. One got within 1 foot of my side and reved the engine. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I ride on the very right shoulder of a large shoulder in the dark parkway and ride almost in the center of the street on the streets with lighting. I have two lighting systems. I find that shining the light in the drivers face in a right turn lane, before I enter an intersection, gets their attention so they don't turn in front of me. I like the light on top of my helment. I also wear a blinky on my helmet and a blinkey on the back of the bike. I have a solid light on the back also. I try to be "seen" but I don't want people who are drinking to look at me and drive into me. I wear a reflective vest and ankle straps. (Forgot to mention my commute is 25 miles each way.)

Is this guy serious?

Gee, I wouldn't if I were a man either. Heard stories at one of the LBS's of some nasty things happenning to lone cyclists at night. They were males, too.

On the other hand, somehow I don't think of the country as so dangerous. A bad neighbourhood in the city is much worse. In a truly remote place, on the other hand, your main danger source is probably wild animals (other than humans, that is).

Yes of course you are right - men can be targets too - robbery, bikejacking etc. In NYC assuming you are not cycling through a handful of notoriously bad areas (which i never have cause to do, thankfully), it's actually pretty safe, and drivers are used to seeing cyclists which is a plus. There are still some touchy areas, namely bridges. I'd call remote anywhere you are isolated from passerbys, police, etc and bridges are a prime example. There were alot more bike jackings in past but thanks to advocacy groups lke TA a lot more attention is given to putting good lighting on the paths and riders are more aware now.

In addition to hooligans and drunk drivers possible anywhere, what about wild animals for you folks down south and out west? Is this more of an issue at night? I know mountain bikers have been attacked by mtn lions/wildcats on occasion.....the scariest beast I ever encountered on Long Island was a deer....

I work shift work and I find the best time to ride is coming home afterwork ( 11:30 ) in the evening. All the clowns with their coffee and cell phones are safely tucked in their beds were they can't hurt anybody. Its a lot cooler and quieter in the evening. Just my 2 cents worth.

but then you have to worry about the drunks (G)

I love riding at night. I use reflectors and lights. It's cooler, less traffic, and most cell phone addicted morons are away.

I enjoy night.

This is a problem for me too. I wear eyeglasses, and that seems to make glare more bothersome.
Have you tried getting an anti-reflective coating on your glasses lenses? Makes using the computer nicer too :)

I agree with most of the others on this subject that I found it to be safer to some degree then daytime riding. But I'm also lit up like a Christmas tree! BUT, there is a different type of idiot driving on the road then there is during the daytime; during the day you have the person who's in a rush and your a fly in their way and you shouldn't be on the road anyway; during the night you have the drunk who thinks like an insect and steers toward pretty blinking lights, and you have the trouble makers out to have fun at your expense. Bigger cities can be dangerous to ride through at night so when I lived in Los Angeles I never road at night. So my experiences have been different then PGoat said in regards to riding in the country vs the city at night. Over all I found more problems with the day drivers; however I do most of my riding during the day because I like to look at the scenery when I'm riding on a country road, and at night you don't see as much; and at night I have more problems with inhaling bugs!

You need to make sure you light yourself up the best you can for the money you have. My entire lighting system cost me a total of $100 and it consist of a 13 watt Cygolite Metro headlight (for an extra $40 you can get a 25watt Cygolite Explorer headlight), Xenon Vistalite amber strobe for the front, Cateye LD600 5LED tail light and barend tail lights. Plus I have a pair of reflective leg bands, reflective tape on the helmet and reflective beading on the seat bag. I have not since moving to Fort Wayne Indiana seen anyone lit up as well as me and most use no lights at all!!! I even had motorist comment on how well they saw me.

I wrote the blog entry cited at the top of this thread. It was written as an editorial for the local paper, so I went lightly on the amount of fault that lay with the inexperienced, but enthusiastic, young man. The friends and family of the pilot never want to hear that the crash was caused by pilot error. I hinted at it in the body copy, and adressed it more directly in a sidebar feature about night riding, which the paper did not use.

This was one good chance to address the whole topic of car-bike relations in my community when people were paying close attention. It also appeared the day before the young man's funeral. So I thought it would be better to skim over how much of the fault lay with him (most of it) in favor of trying to make a few good points about road cycling in general.



http://citizenrider.blogspot.com/2005/08/what-works-at-night.html (http://citizenrider.blogspot.com/2005/08/what-works-at-night.html).

This subsequent blog post is the sidebar that never got published. The paper's editor is a cyclist herself, so it may get in later. And it applies mostly to my fairly rural riding area, where a bit of pickup-truck malice can be expected. Make yourself visible to those jerks and you just give tham a better aiming point.

"Make yourself visible to those jerks and you just give tham a better aiming point."

Not sure what your getting at, are you hinting we should run around with no lights? If your thinking that your dead wrong and will be dead shortly if you follow that route! Sure drunks are often attracted to flashing lights, BUT law enforcement agencies wonder about that leading some to not use flashing lights at night when stopping a motorist for a ticket while others say it's safer to use the flashing lights. When I use to live in an area that would experience dense fog that led to chain reaction accidents due to one motorist going slower and the other going faster and when asked the slow motorist what will they do the next time to avoid an accident they said they would speed up, while the faster driver said they would slow down...obviously the same result will occur.

Personally since I drive a car and have seen, and almost hit, cyclist's who had not lighting or reflective stuff I would rather see them lit up.

fewer people at night and not as hot, the main problem i have is with skunks on the pathway that i ride on if you catch them in your lights right they will bounce along infront of you with no problems but if you piss them off watchout it can get smelly

http://citizenrider.blogspot.com/

Ok, then maybe it is only as stupid as the car driver

Some of my rides are with a neighbor before breakfast and work. During the fall/winter/spring months when it's not yet light out when we ride, we light up as much as possible to avoid getting flattened by some early morning driver who hasn't had her 2nd cup of java juice yet.

Headlights -- the little 4AA halogen from Cateye is cheap, lights pretty well, but eats batteries (I use NiMH rechargables)

Red LED flashers to the rear, one each on the bike and back of the helmet (the higher it's mounted the more visible it'll be).

LED flasher/reflective vest, like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/LED-SAFETY-VEST-16-SUPER-BRIGHT-LIGHTS_W0QQitemZ7544676806QQcategoryZ67225QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem It may look a bit geekish, but I'll risk being un-cool to avoid being a hood ornament.

The goal: Look as much like Santa Clause's sleigh on Christmas as we can. :D

I am curious as to whether any of yo uhave experience riding bikes at dark? As fall approaches and the hours shorten thisi is becoming an issue?


Key points to safer night riding:

lights: bright bright BRIGHT is key here....buy the brightest front and rear lights as you can afford. Keep in mind light angle needs to be proper, otherwise all that brightness is pointless.

helmet: light colored helmets are preferable, as they are more visible. I use a silver helmet myself.

clothing: light colored if possible, if not, use a light colored backpack. My pack has a huge light grey strip down the middle, which is reasonably visible....not ideal, but my lights make up for it.


Then just follow proper safe riding form when on the road, and you are about as good as you'll get.

I'm not a big reflector fan nor advocate since they are only marginally effective, so I don't use those (although I probably should be).

I use good front and rear lights, as well as a couple large automotive reflectors on the back. I've never had any problems riding at night.

See
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/lights/lights.htm

ha ha ! good one! It looks like he just surfed around on our site and added our in the trenches experience to his article. Even down the the electrical tape around the lights. It's a very nice summary of our lights discussions from last year. Hopefully it will be more comprehensive and people will heed!

Pretty nice article, even shows a pic of the cateye I use myself for rear lighting....


....may change though, as I've had reliability issues with that model as of late....going to the bike shop today to possibly just buy a niterider taillight.

Except for the CatEye lights, I've had poor reliablility with Vista, RealLite, ClipBrite, Performance Flare and no-brand el-cheapo lights. The brackets and fittings just don't hold up after a few hundred miles.

On the current Performance Flare, and Nashbar handlebar-tube LEDs, they don't stay lit the entire ride. Even after several repairs. Confusing for drivers.

On the current Performance handlebar-tube LEDs, they don't stay lit the entire ride. Even after several repairs. Confusing for drivers.

How long is your ride, hundreds of miles? Do you have the LED's on steady state instead of blinking?

Now, I agree flashback LED's need work.
1. too expensive
2. don't stay in securely
3. too fragile when handlebars kiss the payment

Of my original set, one still works. I bought a second set, but will reevaluate in the spring after a season of dark riding.

Conversely, even the best lights do not make you visible to drivers to your side. The biggest danger at night is cagers entering the street you are travelling on, from a side street or driveway.

Disagree and agree. Biggest danger is from side vehicle turning into you. But even cheap light can make you visible to drivers from the side.

First, about night riding in general:
1. too many riders override their lights. You need excellent lights to ride at day time speeds. It will take longer at night to decide if that blackness on the road is a hazard to avoid or not. Either slow down or get better lights. Do a forum search for "light" and my name for suggested table of watts needed at different speeds.
2. too many riders don't have a backup front light in case primary fails. Depending on your distance, a flashing and bungee may be all you need for backup.
3. too many assume if they can see, others can see them. False
4. too many assume if they can be seen in light reduced areas, they are safe. False, in metro light enriched and light dimished transitions you need to make a presence.
5. some times are not good times to ride: Fri pm's require extra caution. Bar closing times also require extra caution and reduction of blicking for visibility. [ drunks will target a blinking light like a moth to the flame ]
6. Safest riders combine both active lighting and passive lighting.
7. Turn on lights at sunset. Don't wait until nautical twilight or astronomical twilight. You can get sunset, civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight times from www.wunderground.com

Here is what I consider the minimum:

Passive lighting:
1. reflective sidewall tires
2. reflective jacket [illuminight or even white ]
3. reflective strips on helmet
4. reflective tape on all diamond frame tubes: West/South/East
5. reflective tape inside rims. Can be all surface for a smooth effect, or strips for strobe effect.
6. reflective tape on West/South/East sides of seat post

7. [ plan to add this year ] RAAM requires contestent bikes to have reflective strips on the cranks.
8. [ optional ] reflective tape on fenders. Mine are silver, so I don't bother.


Active lighting:
1. at least 10watt headlight
2. bright taillight. [ cateye TL-LD1000 ? ]
3. [missed by most night riders ] Front amber clearance lights at 45 degree angle to straight ahead so you catch those drivers who are about to pull into you. Last year I had one stop at the last minute when she saw the amber side light. Let's see, light was less than $10. Cost of accident would have been more than $10. What's the rocket science decision?

4. [optional] if have road bars, flash back bar ends so drivers behind you can better guage your width.


So a short answer to your question:
Is it stupid to ride on streets and roads when it is dark?

YES, if you and your bike are not equipped for safe riding in the environment.
NO, if you add both the passive and active lighting to yourself and your bike. It's actually quite fun. Some cagers don't like to drive at night, so you'll have fewer vehicles.

Hope this helps. Let us all know what you decide and your decision about night riding.

I ride at night often and only with good front and rear lights. I have recently added blue "tireflies" to my valves and it looks great! But also the blue is the same as emergency blue as in police and ambulance flashers! So from a distance, the combination of red blinkies and blue "tireflys" might fool someone into thinking that I am a cop. Only downer is the mercury batteries.

I just bought the tireflys for cars at k-mart on sale for $4.00, but if you dont know what I am talking about check this out:

http://store.tireflysonline.com/bicycles.html
http://store.tireflysonline.com/tireflyspro-blue.html

Also "discovered" that my 15 watt nite rider helmet mounted light can make street signs "blink" from 600 feet, simply by looking at the sign, then moving my head back and forth.

I like riding at night in good neighborhoods, especially this time of the year. Riding in not-so-good neighborhoods makes me a little nervous. But, then, that adrenaline rush can be a good thing :D - and I'm a little nervous in those neighborhoods during the day.

My night-riding bike is lit up like a Christmas tree. I have two headlights on it: a Cateye Opticube and a Cateye Micro-Halogen. I don't consider either, by itself, to be truly adequate. The Micro-Halogen puts out a stronger beam; the Opticube lights up a larger area; together they light up a fair amount of roadway but I still don't feel safe riding as fast as I do during the day. Another thing I like about having two headlights is that, if one should happen to fail, I would still have the other one.

To answer the original question: No, it's not stupid to ride when it's dark.

As others have said, in many cases, motorists give more room (pass with a greater margin of safety) when it's dark.

Only two things you need to worry about when riding at night...

1. Making sure you have good lights on your bike.

2. The ocassional drunk who doesn't see your lights.

I agree that the flashing vest is a must. If you think reflectors are good enough, take a look the next time you see a cyclist or runner with just a reflective vest or reflective tape--they can't be seen until a light shines on the material, and not even from every angle.

The vest suggested (it snaps closed?) is superior to the "Vu-Vest", which was the first one I bought. The buckles cracked almost immediately, so while the flashing circuit works fine, it's just not functional.

I ride my commute every night after second shift at the hospital. Unlike some posters, I believe night riding is more dangerous. And it isn't really about the lights.

I agree about technique. Avoid busy streets, drinking establishments, know the shoulder width and garbage can schedule. Learn the fake right turn, use a mirror. I disagree about the danger.



Conversely, even the best lights do not make you visible to drivers to your side. The biggest danger at night is cagers entering the street you are travelling on, from a side street or driveway. Headlights only help a little in this common situation -- the cyclist has to be alert to these drivers, and prepared to evade them.

I have the opposite view, I stand out so much from the enviroment, that everybody is aware of me. My headlight could easily blind somebody, if I encounter a rolling stop- I flash them (turn the handlebars, shine in face) which is rude but effective.



I think it is safer to ride a little slower at night, and be a little more alert. It is a new kind of riding, and you need training and experience to be safe with it,

I ride year round regardless of weather, or daylight. I go slow because it is safer. I usually catch problems with plenty of time and sometimes I stop or wait for traffic. To be fair I have an expensive lighting system.

the main problem i have is with skunks on the pathway that i ride on

And kamikaze rabbits.