Commuting - 3rd shift commuting;2am

So i started a new job early this month. I work from 2am/1am to 8am 5 days a week. I work at a bakery. I like the job a lot. I had not riden to this job till today. and it ends up raining when i leave.
only 1mile away, not much of a commute.


I also just quit this week at my old job that i rode my bike to every day that was more normal hours, but had problems with the boss.
that was 0.7miles away. so i increased my compute with the new just right down the road.


I was just kindof interested in if other people commute at night?




the good thing is i already have had all the lights i needed, i have a a Light and Motion Stella 200 (http://www.bikelights.com/info.asp?uid=316&p=13) not really needed for a short already nicely lit commute. but it might be nice for winter and fighting snow plows. And some planet bike super flashes

I work second shift(3pm-11:30pm)and I commute and enjoy the night riding. Less traffic, but it can be a little worrisome on Friday nights.
Congrats on the new job!

I work overnights. I have less stress than when I used to work days. Plus it allowed me time to finish Grad School (which was the main reason I switched to overnights).

I primarily work days but very occasionally something comes up that requires my attention overnight. With good lights, commuting at night is quite enjoyable. My daytime commute is 10 miles but my nighttime commute is closer to 15 as the 10 mile route takes me through a part of town that I would rather not ride through during the night.

Until recently I worked 2nds(3-11) and found out I like riding at night almost more than in daylight.:thumb:
It's all 2 lane highway with bike, I mean Amish lanes almost all the way.(God love the Amish) Its very peaceful listening to the crickets with not much traffic at that time. A great way to relax after work!:p Just don't ride on a Friday or Saturday night, to many drunks playing bumper cars.

Bike commuting at night can be such a joy. For a few years, I had a wacky irregular schedule that put me on snowy dark roads fairly often. As long as you have good bright lights, it was actually a peaceful quiet pleasure. Enjoy....

I work third shift, have for 20+ years. I like it, no where near as much office politics.
I enjoy the ride in to work, no where near as much traffic as when I am going home in the morning.
I work Sun.-Thurs. so I don't have to deal with the Fri. Happy Hour traffic.

Sounds like a pretty sweet commute, OP! Congratulations.

Seeing as it's well-lit, I'd stick with the lights you have, but I'd get a high-visibility vest - cheap, lots of visibility, easy to leave hanging on the bike (stuff it in a bottle on a bottle rack) so no hassle at the other end.

Commuting at night is my preference, for all the reasons mentioned above. Have worked all 3 shifts during my career and commuted at all hours. Night commuting is so much better now with decent lights available. Used to use those little bottle generator powered lights- what a PITA. Had to ride the brakes down a few hills on my regular commute to avoid blowing out the bulbs or frying the generators. And of course they were useless in the rain because the driving wheels would slip on your tires when they got wet.

I work days, but I'm always commuting in the dark. I leave the house at about 5a.m. and return home at 8p.m. or so. Except for a couple of weeks during the height of summer, I'm a night rider. I feel much more visible at night, as I'm lit up like a UFO and I'm quite sure I can be seen from much further away than in daytime.

...what's it like being a baker? Can you share some recipes? (please???)

In my last job, my hours were extremely variable, so I ended up commuting either way at any hour. It can be very peaceful commuting at 2am.

I also used to work swing shift in L.A. and got off at 11pm. I was glad that Hollywood was a never sleep kind of area. That gave me places to go after I got off.

In my last job, my hours were extremely variable, so I ended up commuting either way at any hour. It can be very peaceful commuting at 2am.

I also used to work swing shift in L.A. and got off at 11pm. I was glad that Hollywood was a never sleep kind of area. That gave me places to go after I got off.

I get home some nights at around 11:00. It's dark then, but not so late that everyone's inside. I like it, as it's a lot more peaceful and the traffic isn't a problem then.

...what's it like being a baker? Can you share some recipes? (please???)

I would love to but I actually don't make the dough. I just roll it out, put in the the pans and bake them all.

I bake coffee cake. not really the most bike friendly food. ill just say. SO MUCH BUTTER AND SUGAR. and its messy. Good but sweet.


I do have my own recipes. stuff that are even good for riding with. (cliff bars and even granola bars get expensive.) I make my own bar, maybe i will share them later.

Im trying to collect bike friendly recipes.

I just got home from work. Im sleepy. goodnight everyone.

I leave my house for work at around 3:45am. I have a P7 flashflight for the front, and a couple blinkies on the back (superflash and regular PB one). Never have had any problems.

In fact, I prefer the early morning commute to the one coming home at around 2pm. I just stay away from the trails on the am ride since they don't have any lights, and every once in a while a skunk will decide to mosey down the middle of the trail.

Riding at night RULES, dude!!!11!!11!11

I work shift work and my favorite shift is 3rd (4 PM - midnight). There is very little traffic. I've even done the entire 7 miles trip without a single car passing. Just awesome. Peaceful. Relaxing. My wife was terrified of me doing it until I asked her to follow me home one day, and saw that all of two cars passed me up. With proper visibility preperation one can't possibly be less visible than they are during the day. I recently bought a "Take-A-Look" mirror and using it pretty much squashed whatever remaining terror I had about riding around cars.

Going in for the midnight-8 AM shift is also pretty sweet - but there's a little more traffic because some folks are coming home then. The lowlight of my rotation is starting the day shift because there's so much more traffic, but two of those six days are on the weekend and those aren't bad, especially on the way to work.

So all in all, I think I have it pretty well.

Edit: Isn't working the midnight shift great once you get back home? Nearly everyone else is gone, it's quiet, and you're so tired that you sleep great.

Nothing is better than getting home from the midnight shift on a cold day to a cold home, taking a shower and then slipping into a bed that you warm with your own body heat... ohhhh yeah. I can't wait.

I work from 6pm till 3-4 am and i love it, esp the ride home. it so peaceful and there are no cars out. the only day i wont ride is friday due to the drunk idiots around here. just get yourself a good like and you'll be set. i use a 200L stella and its like a car headlight i can see everything and have time to react.