Riding at night...

[Digital Gee]

I don't.

Am I missing something fun?

[Bill Kapaun]

If potholes, small animals, debris....

[dauphin]

I love riding at night...yes you are

[Yen]

Yes... seeing the blinking headlight flashing on the trees or signs or windows and wondering what the residents inside the homes must be thinking.....

But seriously, if you do, use lights and wear white or reflective clothing if you have it.

[stapfam]

Not really. I have to ride at night due to work getting me home late at night in the winter and we normally take the Tandem out across the hills for a quick 30 miler. Sitting on the back I don't see much and neither does the pilot as he keeps turning the lights off to aclimatise his eyes for night riding and to save battery life.

Only thing is the wld night life. That is unbelievable but being single- you already know that.

[Blue Jays]

My night riding only occurs when training rides run late. I've got Cat Eye lighting both front & rear for when that happens. It's not something you have to do to make your life complete. ;)

[bones]

Some people only come out at night:

http://midnightridazz.com/

[maddmaxx]

I've often thought about it but even near dusk the more populated portions of the trail seem to undergo a population transformation....The evening crowd seems to be a cross between a barter society and a Jethro Tull album cover.

[Tmax1]

Riding at night makes me want to put streamers on the handlebars and cards in the spokes. Wait. I've done that!

[Beverly]

This is my first year for riding at night and I love it.

I invested in a good set of lights since we ride the river trail and the last thing I want to do is run off the trail. The only problem so far has been walkers who don't have any lights or reflective clothing.

[cyclezealot]

when it is hot, i'd much rather ride at night. Just take the good lighting system. Learn the better routes to avoid heavy traffic. Take a spare light, one light for activities such as repairing flats. On a warm , moon light night, it can be great fun.

[jibi]

I love riding at night. Sometimes all through the night.
less wind noise traffic, if the moon is out sometimes its all the light you need, headlights can be turned on for oncoming traffic.

On longer Audax rides its a necessity and on expeditions saves on riding through hot dusty days.

I recommend it.

george

[gear]

I commute by bike and leave at 4am, I find it to be the best time to road ride. Almost no traffic and what little there is makes itself known long before they get to me. The lights on my bike make me much more visable in the dark than drivers trying to spot me during the day when they have a lot more they have to take in. Because there is so little traffic; I get to use the whole road like a pro racer. And there is always some nocturnal animals wandering around. It's the best.

[Artkansas]

Flexibility

Being restricted to daylight hours cuts you out of a lot of good trips that you might otherwise have had.

[centexwoody]

I don't.

Am I missing something fun?

For me, it depends upon where I'm riding as to whether I'm willing to be out on the bike at night. Too much traffic at higher speeds makes me feel really vulnerable whether I'm in a bike lane or not. Evening meetings sometimes require me to ride home in the dark and frankly, it just keeps me a bit nervous. Riding the non-shouldered country lanes around here at night (before 10pm or midnight) would be simply foolish since the students drive like idiots, sometimes drunk idiots. Very early in the morning is okay because the idiots are still asleep.

We have no MUP's here in my community so there isn't anyplace for me to ride that isn't also shared by vehicles...

In mid-summer to escape the heat, I'll start out on rides well before dawn with my lights on and love that time seeing the sun come up and the world come awake. At least the night/early morning rides can let you take advantage of the great reflective clothing available.

[sknhgy]

I love riding at night on deserted rural roads. It is great to see the stars and enjoy the solitide.
I usually ride between 8-10pm. When the weather warms up I will be going out for some wee-hour rides.
Make sure you have a good headlight so you don't hit any dead coons or other road-pizza type debris.

[stapfam]

My night riding is generally offroad and for that you do need good lights. They get expensive but you still need a spare lamp for if the big lamp fails. Then there is the helmet lamp. Great for seeing what that beastie is just lurking out of the main fixed beam. Then there are the occasions when you meet some other nutters night riding up on the hills. Stuart was in one of his "Save the battery" modes on one ride and we could see a couple of other riders struggling up a hill. We were going to meet at the top of the hill so we kept the lights off until we were about 50ft away from them. Ever seen 4 bike lights jump 6 ft in the air with fright?

Then going downhill at 30mph on the slippiest mud we have ever come across and a Large shape ran in front of us. Stuart realised he could not brake and had to keep going. Supper the next night was partridge- We caught 2 with the wheel and Stuart caught one in the chest. All I got was a mouthfull of feathers- but at least I knew how to kill the birds.

Night riding is fun- but don't play with the trucks. They don't see bikes at all.

[Jet Travis]

I love riding at night on deserted rural roads. .

I think I would like that, too. But around here there are too many drivers talking on too many cell phones. So, I'm a daylight-only guy.

[spry]

I don't.

Am I missing something fun?

Get out in the night life player,
Put your bait in the water,
Wear that reflective tape on your shirt,shorts,shoes so you give the appearence of a skeleton at night.Got a good flashing blinkie?

[Digital Gee]

Get out in the night life player,
Put your bait in the water,
Wear that reflective tape on your shirt,shorts,shoes so you give the appearence of a skeleton at night.Got a good flashing blinkie?

Well, biking at night looks like it COULD be fun, but seeing as how I don't have all the accroutroments (and yes, I konw I butchered that word), I think I'll wait a while.

[Terrierman]

I like riding at night. Going through late afternoon into evening through twilight, possums roaming, raccoons climbing down, deer sharing the bike path. A blinkie tail light and the Terrierman special 3 watt LED mini-mag light are all it takes for me to enjoy my favorite time of the day. I think it goes back to days of yore when more beer was involved in those hours on the clock.

[staehpj1]

Well, biking at night looks like it COULD be fun, but seeing as how I don't have all the accroutroments (and yes, I konw I butchered that word), I think I'll wait a while.
I think folks go overboard with lights. I think that I am in the minority, but I think an inexpensive blinkie and a headlight with two aa batteries makes you more visible than you are in the daytime and is sufficient in most conditions that I ride in.

Offroad at night is a BLAST. There are two approaches to this. One is lights that really light up the trail. The other is minimal lighting. I actually think the latter is more fun.

I have ridden stupidly fast on trails with a headlamp that ran on aa batteries. You have to really know the trail by heart to go fast though. Actually I have even ridden stupidly fast by moonlight. It was an absolute blast.

The cool air is nice in the summer. The bugs can be a pain though, depending on where you ride.

[sknhgy]

Folks around here are not-at-all used to seeing a nighttime bike rider. Blinkies really throw them. I can tell by the sound of their vehicle that they are surprised when they come up on me.
I can hear vehicles from a long way off. Almost always, when they get to where they can see my blinkie they hit their brakes and slow way down till they figure out what I am.
I've had people tell me the next day how surprised they were to come up on me - then after they go by they figure out it was me. I am gaining notoriety around here.

Definitely go night riding. Its the bomb.

[kk4df]

I ride early in the mornings, before dawn. On the bike just after 4AM. I love that time of day. Everyone is still asleep, with only a few lights coming on inside. About the only cars I see are the newspaper carriers. And the dogs are usually still soundly asleep.

[rafael]

Night riding is worth the try. My first experience was in commuting after dark; in the past year I have begun riding brevets: 300k or more will often start and finish in darkness.

Rain, cold & snow can be more miserable at night, but riding on a country road on a clear night - especially on a fragrant summer's night - fills me with joy. I avoid heavily traveled roads at night more than I do during daylight because frequent oncoming headlights are annoying.

Use a headlight that will allow you to see an obstruction at 15 feet or more, a taillight visible for a quarter mile (the multiple LED models are great; I dispute the common wisdom that favors blinking lights), and reflective materials (I have a 6" reflective triangle on the back - folks tell me that is the first thing they saw as they overtook me). Watch out for deer and other critters.

[cyclezealot]

reflectizered vests, ankle straps, flashing helmet lights, two sets of lights on the front and back. Those revolving reflectizered ankle straps ; how can a cyclist be missed.

[MTBLover]

I actually feel safer riding at night in the city. Cateyes front and back with reflective clothing helps, I think. However, do I ride when the bars close? NO WAY!!! :):)

[cyclezealot]

Some things , i do fear riding at night tho. Light failure. Things like flats are only aggravated by night riding. Take along extra lights.

[dauphin]

Well, biking at night looks like it COULD be fun, but seeing as how I don't have all the accroutroments (and yes, I know I butchered that word), I think I'll wait a while.Gary, I think us red star folk deserve a spell checker on here, don't you??

[Digital Gee]

Gary, I think us red star folk deserve a spell checker on here, don't you??
Ayup. Thought that was part of the deal, actually!

[Big Paulie]

spelchek.com

[George]

I live in a 55 and over community and after 9 o'clock I can ride with no problem as everyone is in bed or just home watching TV. One night I had my blinkers on, and a lady pulled out in front of me and pulled over right away. She was wondering what the blinking light was. I told her, so people see me and don't pull out in front of me.

[Dchiefransom]

Don't forget to have a red reflector on the back as well as the rear light( California), and the yellow pedal reflectors. The wheel reflectors also need to go back on unless you have reflective sidewalls or reflective tape on each side of the bike. You could always tell them the sparkly tassles coming out of your handlebar ends are your side reflectors.

[SSP]

I don't.

Am I missing something fun?

Riding at night is inherently more dangerous than riding during daylight. Reported injury and mortality rates for nighttime cyclists are much higher than for daylight cyclists (however, the data is obscured somewhat due to the much higher rate of cycling under the influence of alcohol/drugs at night).

That said, I commute in the dark at certain times of the year. To do that, I have an older bar-mounted headlight (10/30 watts halogen), a 1 watt LED headlamp, 2 Planet Bike Superflash blinkies, and quite a bit of reflective material on the bike and myself.

It can be done, but I wouldn't call it "fun". Mountain biking may be a different story.

[SSP]

Use a headlight that will allow you to see an obstruction at 15 feet or more, a taillight visible for a quarter mile (the multiple LED models are great; I dispute the common wisdom that favors blinking lights), and reflective materials (I have a 6" reflective triangle on the back - folks tell me that is the first thing they saw as they overtook me). Watch out for deer and other critters.

While it's important that drivers see you, it's just as important that they recognize you as a bicycle as early as possible. Blinking LED's are immediately identifiable as a bicycle, while steady state LED's are more ambiguous.

I encountered a night riding cyclist a few days ago who only had a single steady state LED...although I saw the LED well before I got to him, it wasn't at all obvious that he was a cyclist until I got quite close.

[SSP]

Gary, I think us red star folk deserve a spell checker on here, don't you??

Get the Firefox 2.0 (http://www.mozilla.org/) web browser.

It has an automatic spell checker built in that works on any web form you have to type into. Just like with a good word processor, it automatically highlights misspelled words as you type, and with a right-mouse click you can pick the correct spelling from a list.

[Road Fan]

I don't.

Am I missing something fun?

As long as you can see the potholes or know where they are, you are missing a LOT of fun! Under the stars its a very different experience.

Midnight Road Fan

[Road Fan]

Ayup. Thought that was part of the deal, actually!

What's the red star for? is it a danger sign, the opposite of a gold star on your report card?

Road Fan

[Beverly]

Get the Firefox 2.0 (http://www.mozilla.org/) web browser.

It has an automatic spell checker built in that works on any web form you have to type into. Just like with a good word processor, it automatically highlights misspelled words as you type, and with a right-mouse click you can pick the correct spelling from a list.

The Google toolbar also contains a spell checker. I use it at work since they limit our choices of web browsers.

[NotAsFat]

I don't.

Am I missing something fun?
In a word, yes. Riding at night lets you extend your "riding season" in both spring and fall, if you work a day shift. It's also nice in the hottest part of summer. The wind often dies down at night, too.

You will want a nice, bright headlight. Most of the inexpensive headlights are only good for being seen. Fortunately, you can build an excellent 20-watt halogen system for about $70-$80 worth of parts.

Parts list:
Malibu outdoor 12v halogen fixture. (http://usalight.com/malibu_spot_low_voltage_landscape_lighting_cl507_c_90_p_1_pr_584.html)
20 watt, 12 degree spot, MR16 halogen bulb (ansi code ESX)
Conduit hanger sized to clamp on your handlebars (http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=0717801).
Lamp cord.
Connectors.
Battery of your choice. SLA batteries are cheaper, but heavier.
Battery Charger.
Locktite
Silicone sealant.
Velcro strap.
Old inner tube.
Cable ties.
Assorted washers and nuts.

Tools:
Wire cutter/stripper/crimp tool
Small phillips screwdriver
Sharpie marker.

Directions:
Remove and discard the ground spike that came with the lamp. Open the lamp body. Remove the two screws that hold the bulb socket in the lamp, apply locktite and replace the screws. Insert the bulb, screw the lamp lens and cover onto the lamp body. Trace the outline of the bulb's reflector on the outside surface of the lamp's lens with the Sharpie marker. Remove the lamp lens and run a bead of the silicone sealant along the guide line you just traced. Make it thick enough that the rim of the bulb's reflector just touches the sealant when the lamp is assembled. Put the lens back on, set the lamp aside with the lens pointing down and let the sealant cure overnight.

I used a long, narrow, SLA battery that just fits in an old style aluminum bottle cage. I wrapped an old inner tube around the battery to cushion it a bit, and ran a velcro strap between the bottle cage and the frame to hold the battery in place. It's not particularly waterproof, but I don't like riding in the rain in the daytime, much less at night. :D

It's not strictly necessary, but I made a short wiring harness that stays on the battery and plugs into the wires that run up the down tube to the handlebars. Crimp your connectors onto the wires with the crimp tool. Don't worry about polarity, the lamp doesn't care. Polarity only matters when you're charging. Secure the wiring harness to the bike frame with the cable ties.

The conduit hanger has a flat portion with a hole in it opposite its opening. Run the mounting screw that came with the lamp through the hole in the conduit hanger and secure it with an appropriate nut and lock washer.

Open the conduit hanger and slip it over your handlebars. Use a strip of that old inner tube to cushion the bars and absorb a little vibration. Tighten it up and plug everything in. (You did charge the battery while you were waiting for the sealant to cure, didn't you? ;)) You should have one of the brightest bike headlight beams around. Tweak the adjustment and you're ready to take back the night. Unless your route has 40+ mph descents, you won't have to worry about overriding this light. Battery life depends on the capacity of the battery you pick. A 5.5 amp/hr pack should be good for 2 hrs.

The "Total Geekiness" sticky in the Commuting forum has lots more good ideas for home built lights, but this one is simple and works very well.

[guybierhaus]

Gee, I thought we had spell checker, but just learned it's my Firefox browser. Anyway as part of my no helmet riding pholophosy, (example of my spelling is so bad, spell check can't find the proper word), I don't wish to ride in anything but ideal conditions. Night is not ideal in my riding world, primarily because there are no street lights, few houses. Now those in lighted communities it may be fine. I particularly noted how abandon the city streets are at night in Philadelphia and Reading, PA. With all the street lights and ad signs, would think that is a great time to ride.

[n4zou]

I'm addicted to riding at night. My favorite time is very early morning and riding into sunrise. The trick is to be very noticeable. I employ many blinkies and a good flashlight. I also have retained all reflectors. Below is a photo of my setup.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r154/n4zou/extramount.jpg
A Mag-Lite 2AA 3-watt Mini-Mag produces enough light and runs for 2.5 continuous hours and doesn't weight very much. I also have three amber blinkies. One mounted forward and two mounted on the rear rack that can be seen in the photo. A rear mounted red blinkie mounted on the racks reflector tab can't be seen. I also have a red, white, and blue strobe stick on front. It strobes Blue-White-Red then Red-White-Blue. It's extremely effective!

[sknhgy]

People who aren't used to seeing cyclists have no idea what a blinking red light is. My guess is that their first thought is "emergency vehicle."

[cyclezealot]

It's a good setup Zou. But, I insist on enough light to see the potholes. Do you have a bright light for such. Maybe you ride on well lite roads. Flashlights sounds pretty minimal light? ?

[stapfam]

It's a good setup Zou. But, I insist on enough light to see the potholes. Do you have a bright light for such. Maybe you ride on well lite roads. Flashlights sounds pretty minimal light? ?

Its great to be seen on rides, but I also want to be able to see. Attachment is of the lights I use on a ride and 3 of these will be on the bike. I can see with these and if people cannot see me- they will be far enough away not to bother me. Rear is taken care of with 2 red cateyes- one on constant, to be legal and the other flashing.

[Curiouswill]

I'm starting to enjoy riding during the dark, especially when it can gets extremely windy during the day. It is usually comparativly calm and when I use the back roads, empty and clear for me to use the entire lane (I still move over to the right whenever I see any vehicles coming up from behind).


Gee, I thought we had spell checker, but just learned it's my Firefox browser. Anyway as part of my no helmet riding pholophosy, (example of my spelling is so bad, spell check can't find the proper word), I don't wish to ride in anything but ideal conditions. Night is not ideal in my riding world, primarily because there are no street lights, few houses. Now those in lighted communities it may be fine. I particularly noted how abandon the city streets are at night in Philadelphia and Reading, PA. With all the street lights and ad signs, would think that is a great time to ride.
Then highlight the misspelled word and right click it for the "Search Google For:"pholophosy""

It will open a new tab with the google search and usually if you look near the top results you will find the proper spelling which I did and it is, Philosophy.


I uses the firefox 2 and are a supporter of this browser big time.

P.S. I think that this function is a built in functions for firefox but I might be wrong and it came from some add-on that I have. Just wanted to let you know in case you do have the functions.

[big john]

The only night riding I will do here in SoCal is off-road on known trails and fire roads. I have ridden after midnight on road and that was O.K. with a carefully chosen route, but the drivers here are scary enough during the day.
I used to ride at night with a small off road club who always finished with pizza and beer. There was a guy who had a battery from a Honda Gold Wing on a rack under the top tube. On the front of his bike he had 2 motorcycle headlights. You could ride with him without any lights of your own as he lit the whole area. He also had a cassette player and a selection of tapes. Fun times.

[stonecrd]

I don't ride at night for two simple reasons: 1. I rather sleep in the morning 2. I ride to exercise and would prefer to get all my sweaty activity done prior to dinner. So for me its after work or afte sunrise on the weekends.

[cyclezealot]

How about workout intensity at night. I feel it is unsafe to really push oneself. Day rides I can go for speed. Never at night. Those pot holes keep coming up faster than they can be seen.

[n4zou]

It's a good setup Zou. But, I insist on enough light to see the potholes. Do you have a bright light for such. Maybe you ride on well lite roads. Flashlights sounds pretty minimal light? ?
I do have a DIY MR-16 halogen light setup. Add the required 7-AH SLA battery and you find a very high weight penalty. Believe it or not the Mag-Lite LED Mini-Mag flashlight does provide an adequate amount of light. The beam is adjustable between flood and very narrow spotlight, which is what makes it very comparable to more expensive light systems.
http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/9872/pict0072kg8.jpg