Living Car Free - Errands at night - find an excuse to go.

I love love love biking at night. It is so quiet and cool. The lights are pretty, the ground seems to move faster under my headlight. The streets are empty of cars.

I live with 3 housemates, I constantly offer to go to the store for them or whatever, any excuse to get out at night. If you haven't tried it, go out there. I like having to go get something, the existance of some alterior motive just makes me push it harder. It's especially nice after a long day, when you think you don't have any more go left in you...very refreshing.

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I hear ya. The early early morning is a good time too. Just last week I woke up @ 4:30 am and decided to go fetch some coffee. It was absolutely stellar to have two of the main streets in my city completely to myself. So roomy, so fast, so without noxious exhaust.

:)

i agree... i have a psych block that makes me think riding is unpleasant at night. yet every time we are out at night/early morn, I enjoy it ever so much. quiet and cool, and it feels like I own the place. even though statistically it is less safe (i think), it seems to me that people (cars) notice my (lighted) bike more and take more care than they do in the day. wonder why that is.

I remember when I used to rollerblade on a daily basis in High school. I spent all year looking forward to Christmas and Thanksgiving, becuase I could go out at about 4pm and I would have the entire city of Phoenix to myself. Even the security gurads went home. Though I now commute daily by bike, I still do most of my recreational road riding at night when it's nice out and traffic is light (still 90 here). Seems like a strange thread, but kudos for jogging good memories.
Adam

it's great this time of year - nice cool, but not chilly evenings.

there's a park between my house and the grocery store, i love how as soon as i hit the grassy part (small paved trail), the temp drops about 10 degrees, due to the leftover heat not reflected off the pavement

I think it is deceptively safe. watch out for the drunks and clueless drivers though. and makek sure you have lights!

ride safe!

i am finding night riding a pleasure. it seems to jog old memories in me of long ago around here when things were alot quieter and slower paced. my favorite time to ride.
acorn

i am finding night riding a pleasure. it seems to jog old memories in me of long ago around here when things were alot quieter and slower paced. my favorite time to ride.
acorn

I'm really starting to like it, too. Especiallywhen I can get people to ride with me. On Saturday night some friends, who live about three blocks away, came over and we rode our bikes to a sushi place about a mile and a half away. It was such a blast. The streets were pretty much empty and it was cool out (for Savannah that means the temperature was below 90). The four of us all have good headlights so it was cool to see the streets illuminated by our bikes.

Throw me in the pool of nocturnal riders. It was my favorite part of commuting. I'd put in 8 hours of work with a bunch of teenagers thrust together in a treatment center, and the 25 mile ride home was just the thing to decompress. The ride took me through woods, and city, I saw deer, coons, possoms, skunks, dogs, cats, hoes, drunks, druggies. There were nights when the full moon made the nights seem like day, and nights that the fog was so thick that my time on the bike was sent into close to half the time I'd spent at work.
I had the chance to ride the other night, reconning my commute to a Zen Center. It was one of those fun nights with rain soaked streets that reflected the lights and colors, it made the world seem it was melting, and it wasn't from bad LSD.
I enjoy a bike ride most any time: day, night, rain, snow, cold, hot. I don't know that i have a favorite time of day, I do have some favorite times of year to ride.

i rode home last night at 2 am in heavy rain,i had all my rain gear on and a big smile. it was like when you were kid playing in the rain.

I rode home from work last night in the dark for my very first time. I thought I'd be scared to death because my headlight is only good for letting people know I'm there and not for lighting anything up. I ride along the water in Berkeley and it was the most beautiful sight I've seen thus far. The lights on the water were great. Even riding over the freeway on the pedestrian bridge and seeing the lights of the traffic underneath rushing by was beautiful.

Before the wife and kid, I used to be on a later of a schedule and would often go out for late night rides. There was nothing better than a calm, warm summer night. The winds die down and there is nothing but open road and freedom....Did I mention that I am married and have a kid? Enjoy the freedom.

I work until 11:30 PM so every ride home is a night ride. I ride through the heart of the city and see some ****.

Before the wife and kid, I used to be on a later of a schedule and would often go out for late night rides. There was nothing better than a calm, warm summer night. The winds die down and there is nothing but open road and freedom....Did I mention that I am married and have a kid? Enjoy the freedom.

It does make one occasionally long for those long solo rides, doesn't it? On the other hand, now that my boys are older, it's a lot of fun to take one of them along.

:)

My friend and I always bike at night through downtown Houston. It's a business DT, so there's rarely any cars out. It really feels like we own the streets at night. Plus, you don't have to worry about tan lines. With our humidity, it's a lot more comfortable to ride at night as well. Lately, it feels like there's not anyplace in this city we can't reach.

I run my paper routes in the early a.m.; I finish by six on weekdays (seven on weekends), so now with the days getting shorter I'm in the dark for two hours every morning. It's very peaceful and quiet, I love it! Especially when you can stop for a minute, look up, and see the constellations so crisp and clear overhead. A bright moon just makes it perfect. I just have to keep a close eye out for bunnies and raccoons :p

I just have to echo the seeing some cool stuff at night, especially in the urban jungle. Sometimes it makes you grateful that you're on a bike, and have the stuff you got.