Commuting - Fear Factor Late At Night

okay I'm working new hours, by choice 4-midnight. to free up my day for more cycling. which I have
been doing and it's been great! Now I 'm serious about cycling to work. (hey, gas in Seattle is almost
$3.00) got a new head lamp for my helmet, got refective gear, just a tiny part of me is worried about weirdos. I'm quite the shrimp , so no one would really mistake me for a man, I'm going to do it anyway,
just like to hear if anyone else cycled late at night in an urban setting... the only advice, although good,
I've gotten was from guys, like have a flashlight to fix a flat.

How "urban" do you mean? Urban industrial? Urban decay? Urban neighborhoods? On a bike you'll zoom by most of the lone weirdos. Gangs of kids would cause more worry.

Hi Marge,

I think it's wise to have concerns like these. One thing I've noticed is that because of your speed relative to a potential thug's, most of the time you're there and gone before you really register as a target.

I notice you write 'weirdo' instead of something more menacing. Are you concerned for your safety or just that random pervs will cross your path...? I think knowing that will help us dispense better advice.

I'll be doing something similar, and I've decided that I will choose the longer route, which takes me around the edge of town, rather than the shorter route, which takes me through the middle of town. Is that an option for you?

Oh, one thing I would avoid are bicycle paths ... especially bicycle paths through trees. You can't see what's around the corner, or what might be lurking in the trees. Wide open roads are a much better option ... especially well-lit wide open roads through benign residential areas.


BTW - did you mean this post to be in the Winter forum?

The post should probably be transferred to the commuting forum actually.

I am a girl too, but it's difficult for me to give advice in your situation because I live in a relatively low-crime city, so I never feel too intimidated riding at night. The only thing is, I would avoid bike paths, just like Machka suggested, especially if they are "out of the way" and hidden behind trees. I might also occasionally do the reverse of what I normally try to do and pick more heavily travelled roads as opposed to the more deserted ones. The traffic is never that heavy at night anyway, and it's safer to be around of people than on some dark tiny street (esp. if it's not residential) all by yourself.

If you have serious concerns, you might considering getting some sort of self-defence device, such as pepper spray. If you do, always have it handy (I read some people clip pepper-sprays to handlebars, so they can grab them the second they're needed).

Moving this to Commuting.

--J, a Forum Mod

Bad neighborhoods. that might be the biggest worry. Can you ride around them. One thing in California, even though dry I hated the ocassional fog. Can any lighting overcome fog? When clear, I wear lots of reflective gear along with multiple lighting systems.
the advice about lighting for flats is well taken.. I was once unprepared. Could not repair a flat in the dark. My advice, take one of those 'Princeton Tec' Led lights than strap about your forehead. Give you all the light you need.
one disadvantage of night riding. I don't think any lighting system gives you the intense light you need to see fields of broken glass. I think night riding results in far more flats than day riding , as a result.

I don't think any lighting system gives you the intense light you need to see fields of broken glass. I think night riding results in far more flats than day riding , as a result.

A good HID will, if you're willing to outlay the $$$. A powerfull HID will also contribute to your safety simply because it blinds an opportunist looking at you from a position ahead whereas you can see him clearly. A helmet mounted unit allows you to point the light independent of the bike, shine that sucker straight into someone's eyes at arm's reach and you'll cook their retinas.

What do you ride? how's your urban cycling skills? i.e. are you comfortable bunnyhopping up/down gutters and over obstacles at any sort of speed? basically the best defence is to use your superior speed & acceleration over someone on foot to avoid a situation developing in the first place. If you're cornered and you don't have the physical strength then reach for the mace and the tazer. If you need more force then get a ccw and a glock and learn how to use it properly.

Above all else work on your 'situation awareness' - be aware of your immediate environment, try to anticipate a danger spot and think ahead how you'll deal with it. The idea is to never be taken by surprise or without a plan.... be just a little paranoid (but only a little :) )

Has anyone mentioned pepperspray? Keeps the dogs away, too.

The flashlight isn't a bad idea, particularly if it's a 6D cell Maglite. It weighs over 3 pounds and is nearly 20 inches long. Even a shrimp could swing a pretty mean arc with something like that.

http://www.maglite.com/product.asp?psc=6DCELL

You should probably spend some daylight hours mapping out your routes. I say routes because it would probably be best to be a bit unpredictable about where you are and when you are there. You'll also want to have a "Plan B" and "Plan C" in case you feel the need to divert from your planned path. An alley or trail may not be a good primary path, but in a pinch it could be a good scoot route. It would be best to see what it looks like when the lights are on.

If you know some folks at work you can trust, see if any of them are heading your way. If so, let them know you're riding and see how receptive they are to checking on you and your route as they buzz home. The 4pm ride in to work is probably not as big a deal as the 12pm ride home. Obviously, the folks that watch the clock and hit the door right at the buzzer won't see much of you, but if you share cell phone numbers they might call and let you know if there is a riot in progress along your way. Touch base with Supervisors, Schedulers, Lead workers, etc. Many times they leave after everybody else, so if you leave close to shift change, they will pass you at the middle or end of your ride. A toot and a wave would be some of the best security money could buy. Plan well and you could have a fairly steady stream of tooters (co-workers) passing you along the way. It would make you feel better and if any undesireables are watching, they would be put on notice that you're not completely on your own.

Finally, contact the local authorities and see what kinds of things have been happening along your route. Some municipalities actually post call reports on their websites. This will give you some ideas of areas you should avoid if any. Also note locations of Fire Stations, PD station houses and other 24 hr/day "safe" places you can divert to if necessary. If you see a Cop along your routes by all means stop and learn their names, same goes for certain other professions out working that time of night. DO NOT talk to the man in the purple crushed velvet hat. ;)

If you're smart and stay alert you can avoid 99% of whatever may come up. For that other 1% when faced with actual force you can't outsmart or outrun....well...

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.070

Excellent advice people.

I just bought a Cateye EL-500 (only $39.95 at nashbar) and I am so impressed by that single LED headlight it's just amazing. And it will blind you if pointed right into your eyes. I prefer cycling at night as the UV down here in S FL can be pretty intense.

I don't blame you for having worries like this. I ride (at least twice a week) around midnight. As melodramatic as it sounds I went out and bought myself a nice butterfly knife. I figured if my well-being really came in jeopardy I know the gist of how to inflict injury with a knife. Depending on your setting, part of my ride involves a trail that is off the street, thus not anybody else (other than weirdos) is there to help me if somebody has blood lust. So, take that into consideration.

----
Reza Fakhrai

I commute through a 'bad' part of town at night. I also used to live in a similarly 'bad' part of town. I have always worked in some of the worst parts of town. My adivce: Keep moving, preferably swiftly, don't engage people and stick to busy routes. Stop being both polite and afraid and just get along minding your own business. And yeah, pepper spray is a good idea as well. If it's time to deal with something ugly either run or fight with all you've got, just as dirty as you can.

okay I'm working new hours, by choice 4-midnight. to free up my day for more cycling. which I have
been doing and it's been great! Now I 'm serious about cycling to work. (hey, gas in Seattle is almost
$3.00) got a new head lamp for my helmet, got refective gear, just a tiny part of me is worried about weirdos. I'm quite the shrimp , so no one would really mistake me for a man, I'm going to do it anyway,
just like to hear if anyone else cycled late at night in an urban setting... the only advice, although good,
I've gotten was from guys, like have a flashlight to fix a flat.


1)tools:

Carry at least a leatherman, tire levers, CO2 inflators or a pump, and a set of allen keys.

2)tubes:

Don't mess with patching when trying to get to a job, replace the tube, and patch it when you get home. Carry two, since you might miss a thorn that day you get a flat.

3) lights:

Buy big. I say at least a 10w halogen for the front (I used a niterider trailrat 2.0, but heard the light & motion lights are better), and a cateye TL-LD1000 for the rear. Key here is water-resistant designs. Also make sure your front battery is charged regularly...don't risk running out of juice. Keep at least an extra pair of AAs for the taillight as well.

4) stnadard commuter fare:

Raingear, emergency change of socks, zip-loc baggie for wet socks, change of shoes, etc. Boy scout motto applies here: Be Prepared. It's better to have a few pounds of stuff you don't need than not have it when you do need it. Going to work with soggy pants one day was lesson enough for me.

Remember, it's almost safer at night, since your lights are more obvious, so long as they have enough power to throw a nice glow. The real danger is at dawn and dusk, where it's not bright enough to see your clothes, and not dark enough for your lights to really be effective.

Just be predictable, use a little common sense, and pack you workbag the night before....you will be all good to go :)

I used to live in the city and time of day makes a big difference in harrassment level. 7-8am no problem. 5-6pm big problems. I imagine same with 4pm vs 12 midnight. Might want to drive it a couple of times at midnight to see how it looks.

Biggest thing I can recommend is "be off the roads by 2:00 AM."

At 2:00 AM the roads are filled with nothing but drunks.

I too ride occasionally late at night because of work and through pretty crappy areas (three shootings since April -- we're on a roll!) of our town. I stay off the main roads, riding through mostly residential neighborhoods. There might be some kind of trade off there, fewer cars to mess with you = fewer cars that may be good samaritans if something actually happened, I don't know. I make it a rule to stay off the sidewalks and tend to stay in the middle of the road, away from parked cars, as traffic will allow.
I always ride with a cell phone and have at least started dialing the cops on one occasion. The nice thing about my cell is the sides light up and I think people get the idea or at least I think they did in my instance.
I would be wary of a vapor pepper spray, especailly on a bike. I understand they do have a "foam" that's easier to control but I don't know if it is intended or available for the public.
It's werid and possibly suicidal, but I've often thought about going the other direction in regards to lighting or at least being able to become very dark and unseen at one's own descretion. I've been walking the dog on some nights and a unlighted cyclist has come upon us and it always amazes me how I don't see them or hear them until the last second, even suprises the dog. But those same guys probably get killed by drivers for the same reasons.
Do get one of those cheap led head lights, with the strap that goes around your noggin. Fixing and flat and trying to hold a flashlight at the same time in the rain stinks. By the way, that's the only time you will get flats in the dark, when it's raining.
If I have to stop, I make a special effort ot make sure it's under a street light etc.,
I've often thought about getting one of those expandable batons that some police departments carry, 8 inches one second 21 inches the next with a really loud flick and click, I've seen them on the internet, but... I'm not sure how the cops would view a person carrying one and if I'm going to end up getting beat up, I would just as soon not provide the attacker with a really good tool to do it. A really, super loud air horn might be the trick, one of those things they sneak into football games?
I have a handle bar bag, I like it alot because I can get into it while I'm riding without having to contort too much or take my hands far off the bars.
If it helps, I haven't had a lot of problems. A couple car fulls of kids shouting crap, getting the occasional egg/empty can thrown at me, etc., once or twice. I'm a pretty big guy, though.
I can manage to give myself a good case of the heebie jeebies riding at night and thinking about this stuff. Last fall, I about soiled myself when I heard something rushing out of the bushes and across the roadway -- nothing but leaves making that loud skritching noise on the concrete. Jeepers.

Humm, no one mentioned an obvious consideration. You want bomb proof tires, armadillos or marathons. You don't want a flat.

You'd want to do a couple of things to prepare yourself.
First is to get a pair of armadillo's or something tough. For the first few weeks, air them up 10-15psi above the MAXIMUM. This helps stretch out the bead so its easier to come off when you do need to change it.
Get yourself some nice tire levers, 2 spare tubes, patch kit, a hand pump/CO2 option, a flash light, electrical tape and a few zipties. Patch the old tube, pack it up, and stick the spare tube in (make sure you get the glass out of the tire first), then blast it with CO2 to get going quickly in the middle of the night. The small flashlight you can zip-tie to your helmet so you light up where you're looking or tape to the frame of the bike (this frees up your hands and mouth to work on the flat, don't actually use mouth to inflate tube).

If you're really paranoid and there are places to duck into, get yourself some masking tape, and tape up the flash light so it just emits a directional dim glow as to not attract attention. You might even want to pack an old tire that's stretched out as a spare if its foldable.

And PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.
You should be able to open up the QR on the brakes, take the wheel off, take the tire off, remove the source of the flat, replace the tube, remount the tire, inflat, and take off in about 5 minutes.

Also, carry a cell phone and make sure at least 1 other person, whether it be coworker, friend, family, etc, knows your route and when and where you'll be at all times. Have emergency numbers in a special group so you can access it easily. Carry readily identifiable ID on you too.

Also, a 9mm, despite what people say, can quite easily take down a hostile if need be. Armed with a suppressor, you will easily be able to escape undetected into the dead of night, leaving the corpse for discovery in the morning.

all these people lurking about in dark places. When I was in Michigan, the newspaper scared the hell out of me. In semi rural France. Crime not even thought about. I don't think. When I get back to the State's will have an adjustment to make.

I ride home at night occasionally and know a few other friends who do also. I usually schedule to meet up with them and ride home as a small group. Bikers taking over the streets at night!

There are a few wooded sections of trail and neighborhoods, I stay away from those at all costs. My routes usually follow convenient bus routes, so I stuck a bus schedule in my seat bag for flats that can't be fixed.

Vary your route slightly from night to night, if possible. Don't build up a pattern that could give people ideas.

If you need to go through the south end you might have problems. White Center, Seatac, South Park, and the adjacent parts of Burien and West Seattle are hot spots late at night, as I know from experience. I bike through downtown at any hour of the day or night and feel fine, as well as north through the U-district. I should mention that I am a guy.

It is possible to maintain fair speed on a flat (6-10 mph) for a mile or two if you need to find a better spot to stop & change the tube. Just remember to take it slow & easy on turns. Much faster than walking.

When I ride through the "hood" which is most nights I find that I feel more comfortable dressing so that people cannot tell that I am female. Also I find that my rides in the hood helps with my speed, I try not to stop. I've been fortunate, the only thing I have heard from others has been encouragement for my riding.

If I don't feel right in a neighborhood I use that section for interval training. But the world is really not that bad a place. Just ride.

If I don't feel right in a neighborhood I use that section for interval training. But the world is really not that bad a place. Just ride.

Good heavens! Where in Fairhaven MA would you not feel right?:p

I don't think anyone has mentioned something that makes noise, such as this (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=115&subcategory=1130&brand=&sku=4897&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=).

This is marketed as protection against dogs, but you can buy a mount for your bike, so I'm sure it would do the trick: Spray. (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=115&subcategory=1130&brand=&sku=1151&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

I'm sure you'll be fine though, just use common sense and be visible.

I'd just like to note that the Cat Eye EL-500 is absolutely *not* a bright light.

- Warren

Get the Best Lights you can find!!!

TUBES: put about 3-4 oz of True Goo in the tubes... it will get you home even iffin you get a thorn etc....
It has gotten me home maybe a nights... You don't know you have a flat till morning. Well worth the money to change a flat at home instwead of on the road!

I wonder if Marge is ok.

I've noticed that by riding either very early (5:00 am) or very late (after dark) most people think that the person on the bike is the one who is a little off center so maybe it won't be as bad as you think. Invest is good lighting, best thing I did. Closed cell battery and handled bar mounted 10w and 15w halogen bulbs, $140.

Ride safe,

Winnipeg, MB, Canada

I ride home through the heart of the city around midnight. So far, in four years, no problems.

This seems totally obvious, but nobody can harm you unless they get close to you. Never allow a stranger to get close to you. If they try to get close, no matter how harmless they seem, tell them in a firm voice to "Back off!" If they don't back off, make a big mean scene while you get the hell away.

But don't be too scared. Even in the worst neighborhood, 90 % of the people are good and 9 % don't think you have anything they want. So it's only 1 % who want to mess with you.

I don't know what others think, but I think the cars and road debris are a bigger risk at night than the bad guys, even for a small woman. So like everybody says, get some lights. I think LEDs are OK for cities where there are streetlights, but they're pretty dim on a trail.

okay I'm working new hours, by choice 4-midnight. to free up my day for more cycling. which I have
been doing and it's been great! Now I 'm serious about cycling to work. (hey, gas in Seattle is almost
$3.00) got a new head lamp for my helmet, got refective gear, just a tiny part of me is worried about weirdos. I'm quite the shrimp , so no one would really mistake me for a man, I'm going to do it anyway,
just like to hear if anyone else cycled late at night in an urban setting... the only advice, although good,
I've gotten was from guys, like have a flashlight to fix a flat.
I've riden through many "bad neighborhoods" during the day and early evening hours on my motorcycle, and never had a problem. I think that may be do to wearing a full face helmet and a padded jacket that makes me look even bigger, but most of the people I've seen there seemed to think that anyone on a motorcycle is crazy and they didn't want anything to do with that. And I was always respectfull of my environment, something I learned early on that was mentioned over and over again when I worked in a marginal neighborhood years ago.

I've never encountered any problems in my neck of the woods.
I'm not even going to count how many times I've rolled past cadres of elite gangsters with no problems.
And this is usually between 11PM and 4AM when I'm either getting off work, or going/coming from the gym. And I'll usually have my headphones on playing some steady beat to match my trotting pattern.
I guess another thing that keeps me from being ground into hamburger is how I'm able to easily pass for the suspected demographics of your usual street problems.
To sum it all up, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Or do all you should to blend in.

My recommended late-night kit:
1)Hip pack with previously posted tools/provisions packed in.
2)Slightly baggy cargo shorts, black or tan.
3)Short-topped athletic shoes.
4)The trusty white tank top/wife beater will deter many potential attacks, from either bullies, or loud-mouthed motorists.

Marge, I am a female and I cycle to work sometimes for the midnight shift. Riding at night is peaceful. Oncoming drivers can not tell whether you are male or female as your headlight will distort what if anything they can see. Drivers passing you from the rear usually pass so quickly, they don't know what they are seeing. It is when you are stopped with traffic, that people can tell you are female and than wonder what in the hell you are doing out at night by yourself. By golly, it must mean you are a hooker or such because all the good girls are home in bed. If your commute is short and you can vary your route, you should have no problem. My commute is between 25-30 miles each way. That is over one and half hours in the dark. The longer you cycle in the dark, the more wary you become of the unknown. I only commute to work about 1 time per week. I have to rule out weekends when all the drunks are out, rule out holiday weekends when the drunks are out, rule out heavy rain nights--as NOONE expects a cyclist to be on the road at night in the rain. So, I don't cycle too much. However, I have posted before, that I wear an old suit of my husband's to give me "men shoulders" and apply a moustache-which I take off before I get to work. Ya gotta do what you gotta do. Besides, my husband doesn't like me to cycle at night, but he approves when I don't look like a female.

I should add that I use two lights, one on the handlebars and one on my helmet. I will turn off the helmet when I am going straight through an intersection. Drivers don't know you are cyclist, they think you are on a motorcycle and will give you the right of way. However, when it looks like someone may turn into my path, I turn the headlamp on and shine it in their eyes to get their attention so they don't turn in front of me.

Humm, no one mentioned an obvious consideration. You want bomb proof tires, armadillos or marathons. You don't want a flat.

Punctures are your #1 cause of stoppages and stopping is the most dangerous part of your journey.

Check out the Schwalbe Marathon Plus, they dont come any more puncture resistant.
Rather than carry a purpose built weapon (which is illegal) I make sure that my shackle lock is close to hand and quick to grab, under a bungie on the rear rack. I have used my whole bike as a barrier for self defence.

Keep your keys, phone and some money about your person, not on the bike.
Make sure you have the number of a reliable taxi cab company.

I also live in the Seattle area and do a lot of riding after dark. Although I'm a guy, I'm quite the shrimp myself at 5'3". I agree with previous posters that at night it's impossible to tell a rider's gender unless you come right alongside them. I've been out on the roads at any hour you can name and not had problems, although I confess I've never had to ride through any questionable areas- most of my night riding is either around the neighborhoods of north and central Seattle, and between Seattle and Issaquah. I actually prefer to ride after dark. There's so much less traffic, my lungs like the cleaner air, and drivers pay much more attention to me as a flashy bright object in the dark than they do during the day.

If you have a choice, I'd recommend a sturdy, nondescript-looking MTB for night commuting; you'll blend in better, and it will allow you to bunny hop curbs and do other evasive maneuvers better than a road bike, should that be necessary. You can even ride it (on roads) with a flat for several miles if you have to; that's where being light comes in handy! Done that in a pinch with no ill effects to the wheel. I have an old Stumpjumper outfitted with slicks and fenders for dark & wet commutes.

I also live in the Seattle area and do a lot of riding after dark. Although I'm a guy, I'm quite the shrimp myself at 5'3". I agree with previous posters that at night it's impossible to tell a rider's gender unless you come right alongside them.
This is why I don't think weirdos is really a womens issue per se. You don't want flats because they leave you sitting still (and repairs in the dark and wet are no fun anyway), so I'd recommend the Marathon Plus. Good lights and assertive riding style are a must.

I'd recommend ignoring all the advice about weapons. In a real situation, you will be ambushed, won't get a chance to use them, and could have them used against you. I've been mugged a couple times, though not on my bike. One thing the attacks had in common is that I took a blow to my head before I even knew I was in trouble. Think of it this way -- what kind of moron announces intention to attack? A lot of potential victims carry pepper spray or worse.......

However, I think you should avoid situations that make an ambush easy. The road is better than a MUP, don't ride close to any structure, tree, or anywhere else where people can hide. So long as you have enough space to see, you won't be an attractive target and will be able to get away.

Later I'll start a thread about my bike jacking experience from last night. Well address some of the advice given here. A few surprises. For them as well.;)

I am also a female commuting about 1:30am. What I have to protect myself with is a can of wasp/hornet spray. It has a powerful, narrow jet of really toxic, nasty spray. I keep it in the water bottle cage. If anyone every starts running after me, I will point it at their face. Even if a group of guys come after you, you should be able to get them all. The spray travels a long distance. Havent had to do that yet, though I came close once. I use bug spray, since pepper spray is illegal some places.

Once I peddled past a group of guys dressed in all dark clothing, wearing dark sweat jackets with the hoods up. They were hanging out on the sidewalk, sitting on bikes. I thought I was dead, but I pretened I wasnt scared and picked up the pace. I turned and saw they were all peddling after me, and I really hauled butt. Ive never peddled so fast in my life. After about 3/4 mile, I looked back and I left them in my dust. They couldnt keep up. Took me quite a while to stop shaking.

I have Armadillo Tires. Don't expect NO flats. Got a flat a week with goat head stickers until I move away from the road edge. Fact is that although they are much better than traditional tires without the Kevlar belt, you will still will get flats unless you are very aware of the road in front of you. You'll need a solid head light. I have a Light and Motion HID Lithion Ion battery light on my helmet. Costly but I look like a motorcycle to motorist and can see almost as well as during the day. Costly but worth it when you are talking about safety. Do a Google search for reviews on them. They get nothing but solid 5 stars from all that have them, both for performance and for customer service from the company that makes them. The company started out making scuba diving lights. Also get a low cost $30-50 handle bar light, just in case the battery dies (last about 3 hours per charge but you make forget to charge one day) and and have it set in blinky mode (more to help keep you more visible).

my wife bikes to work at 6am and home at 10pm, my new schedule has me off at 6pm so i decided to stop by at 9:55 and suprise her and ride home with her, she works about 2 blocks from our apartment. on my way through that 2 blocks i saw 2 teens hanging out in the park by our apartment (at almost 10pm) they didn't follow me but they stared at me for a long time as i passed, then about 100 more feet i saw a really really drunk scraggly looking guy meandering in and out of the road, at least he wasn't driving... on the way back with the wife the 2 teens started walking to time it so they met us at the apartment complex entrance, so we picked up the pace and they didn't make it. so then we were hauling our bikes up the stairs and i turned around and they were watching us from the park, all i could think was "so they didn't mug us but they know where we live, nice!! there's always scary individuals or groups hanging out in that park, sometimes doing obvious drug deals (why else would 3 guys shake hands with several wanderers in a park in the middle of the night?) the cops are also frequent visitors, though never at night.. oh yeah my point was now my wife never rides home alone anymore. even if she's backed up at work and i get to circle the parking lot till 1am....

I start work at 11 pm so it's always dark when I leave the house. on my nights off I get bored and can't sleep so I ride through the neighborhoods anytime between 1 and 5 am. I've never had a problem, but I live in a "good area" Flat tires seem to be the big concern here and I guess I'm lucky because in all my years of riding I've had one flat that didn't happen at home. Lights are important, and as many have said, most (unless expensive HID's) really light up the path in front of you. has anyone tried mounting a light on the fork aimed a few feet in front of the tire?? (kinda like fog lights on a car) It's something I've been thinking about for a while.

I sypathyze...gas near Chicago has been over $3 for a long time...up to 325. I am a guy and I get freaked out at night....night commute for 2nd job. I got mor light and I just try to seem focused and minding my own business. That's not much help...you could get mace and a cell phone....even clipping it to handlebars and pretending you are on speaker phone if there are really bad parts. (I'd rther seem crazy talking to my self than ge jumped). Just Ideas,wish I could help more.

Humm, no one mentioned an obvious consideration. You want bomb proof tires, armadillos or marathons. You don't want a flat.+1 to that! First time I flatted commuting after dark was in front a crackhouse. Second time I flatted commuting after dark was was in front of a different crackhouse. I now run Armadillos WITH tire liners. Sure the wheels are heavy and it rides hard, but it rides!

I occasionally have assignments which requires me to go home quite late. By late I mean 10-11pm.
As I am riding a bike, I feel I don't have to worry much about street crime.
Most people commuting by bike here in Jakarta are the ones who can not afford public transport fares.
Some others, I must admit, are the rich, who can afford 500-1000 bucks bikes, which price can easily exceed that of a motorbike.
So, some of you might disagree with me, I take the precaution not to outfit myself like the rich, among others, by not wearing a helmet.
So far, I am safe from being mugged, or jacked, as it is the case when you ride motorcycles alone at night, no matter if you are a male or female.