Road Cycling - First night time ride

Well I took the bull by the horns and left well before light this morning, and rode into the city for my TTT. Other than my cold fingers, I quite enjoyed. There was next to no traffic, it was quiet and the weather was good.

Just thought I would share.

Brendon

What is TTT?

Paul

Team Time Trial

I love to ride at night! I find night rides to be some of the most plesant rides I have ever been on.;)

careful though. I hate it when I am driving home from a friends house and I almost run over a stupid cyclist without lights or even reflectors. I agree that night riding can be fun, especially really early in the morning, but be sure to be safe also.

I have to train at night in the winter and it's very scary. This area if full of elderly drivers who shoudn't be on the road and young kids with poor judgement and very fast cars.

Consequently, I do my long distance riding on the weekends during daylight and recovery or intervals during the week.

I think it depends on the time of day and where you ride for night riding.

I ride predawn often. Before I did it, I thought the drivers would be more cranky then the weekend drivers. I mean they are getting up early and going to work aren't they? That would make ya cranky wouldn't it?

Odd thing is that in several years of doing this I have just had one incident of someone yelling obscene things at me predawn. I ride most weekends and I get a lot more obscenities yelled at me on Sunday mornings on rural roads then on Monday mornings.

Why are the people so cranky on weekends? Where could they be going to in such a rush? Who knows?

Pat,

I have noticed the most rude drivers on Sunday morning are those going and coming from church. Go figure that one.

Originally posted by Phatman
careful though. I hate it when I am driving home from a friends house and I almost run over a stupid cyclist without lights or even reflectors. I agree that night riding can be fun, especially really early in the morning, but be sure to be safe also. Are you implying that I might be the sort of person that rides without lights? tut tut.

I rode with a very bright flashing LED front light, and 2x 3 LED Cat Eye rear flashers, one on flash the other on constant. The guy I was riding with rode about 100-150m behind me on the cycle lane beside the motorway and he reckons all he could see was red light.....

Brendon

Do you guys think that flashing rear leds get a drivers attention better than that of a solid red light. (I know the best solution is to have both equiped).

But as a driver as well as a cyclist - I get a quicker fix on a cyclist in the distance if he/she has a flashing unit. especially when tail lamps of other vehicles confuse the issue.

just a thought

I was training at night for a while, but after several incidents with either inattentive drivers (or possibly inebriated or possibly just rude drivers), I switched to pre-dawn rides. No incidents since (with the exception of the guy who delivers newspapers out of his car and swerves from one side of the road to the other - but at least I recognize him now). I think even the worst of our neighbors really don't want to start their day by screaming obscenties out the window or running someone off the road - quite a different crowd than those returning home at 9 or 10 in the evening.
One huge improvement for me regarding lighting was the switch from your standard cateye 2 AA battery-driven headlight to a Niterider Evolution. The cateye type of light is to be seen, not to see. The Niterider really lights up the road (and there are even brighter models available). In addition, everything easily unclips for your daytime rides.

Congrats, NZL, and welcome to the world of night riding!

I enjoy riding at night- actually, I start my rides in the early morning, like at 4:30am, when it's still dark. I invested in some decent lighting for my bike, and I'm sure I'll be investing in some really good lighting soon too, as daylight savings will be coming on soon. I love the quiet of the nighttime, but one thing I've noticed- riding at night really does make me antisocial. I can't stand riding in the daytime and dealing with all the fools and idiots anymore. At night, you just have a lot less of it, and sometimes none of it, which is nice.

Koffee

It's wierd but I can't recall any night time cranky drivers ir predawn either I know that commuting in Seattle is better in the AM commute than PM the afternoon crowd seems real cranky where the AM crowd (except bus drivers) seem not to care that I am there.

Early AM rides are the best! There is no better way to welcome the rising sun than on the saddle watching with anticipation to the east. This is when you appreciate the simplicity and solitude of the bike.

Oh yeah! I ride along the lakefront, and watching the pre-dawn turn to a full sunrise is fantastic! I just love seeing the sun slowly rise from the horizon and over the water, then burst through the clouds like it did this morning.

I love starting my morning like that.

Koffee

Those of us who work 80 hours a week, ride in the early am and late pm alot. :( It is rare for the sun to not set while I am riding. Sundays are my favorite day, because I actually get to ride during the daytime, when I can see something other than a small spot in front of me. :D

I have done predawn training rides for about 4 years now.

I ride with a niterider headlight and 2 rear flashing lights (LED).

I predicted before I started doing it, that early morning drivers would be a bit cranky and maybe a bit in hurry.

What I experienced was that early morning drivers are generally not in a hurry. Also, for some reason, STOP signs are YIELD signs around here (central Florida) until about 530 AM. I guess it is the fine print.

Another thing, is I ride in the mornings on weekends usually on lightly travelled roads. Almost every week some driver slows down to hurl obscenities at me. In my years of predawn rides, I have had this happen once.

Also, the drivers seem to treat me better in the predawn then they do on the weekends. On the weekends, I get the old honk and squeeze. You know - loud horn - followed by the driver coming needlessly close as a method of intimidation. I have NEVER had that one in the morning. I guess with my lighting going, I am considered an "honorary motorist" or something.

I have noticed a reversion to poor driving habits at around 7 AM by motorists. I guess they don't let the bad drivers out till then or something.