General Cycling Discussion - Riding at night alone

I love riding at night [road]. But sometimes I feel eccentric or like I'm a nut or something. I mean taking off at 2am in the morning, that kind of thing. I know a lot of people ride at night, like randonneurs etc, but except for them, do many cyclists ride 'alone' when they do ride at night? Riding out in the boondocks at 3am in the morning can be exciting, but also sometimes I think foolhardy as well. Then of course, there's the 'car' issue; but I try to light myself up with all kinds of reflective gear, pulsing lights etc.

What do others think about this. Riding with others would be best [for safety reasons], but I ride alone. Comments? [How crazy am I?]

Well, I can't really comment ... I'm a randonneur who has been riding at night since 2001, and several of my randonnees have been solo. :D

I have an instinctive fear about riding alone in the forest and at night. I've had strange things happen when alone both, in heavily wooded areas, and while riding alone, at night. One early Saturday morning I had someone try to run me over while I was riding alone, at about 3 am, on my way back home from a girlfriend's house.

Riding at night, mountain lions are nocturnal. They prey at the dusk hours.

During the winter, my after-work rides are at night and alone. So far so good.

Riding at night, mountain lions are nocturnal. They prey at the dusk hours.

Dusk is when I saw one cross the road in front of me, and then crouch on the embankment on the other side of the road, on a randonnee through the Canadian Rockies. That made me nervous.

I like riding at night too. The only other people I see riding at night I'm pretty sure are dealers. So long as the cops don't mix us up, I'm good.

I think it breaks down into two different activities; riding up to midnight, and riding midnight to dawn. The first is pretty common and good exercise after dinner. After midnight is fun, but a little weird. I did a post about my full moon solo ride, getting back around 8am. It was worth doing, but I paid for it the next day...messed with my sleep cycle [pun] and felt like crap for a couple days. And that's the issue, recovery from riding 8 hours plus not sleeping overnight is a double whammy.

My experience, safety is a non-issue. As long as you are somewhat aware of where the drunks empty out of the bars it could hardly be more low key. I did a stretch where I didn't see one car for a few hours. Breakdowns, that's a concern..who wants to be wrenching a bike in the dark at 3am. Road hazards? 100s of night rides, I've never had a problem with unseen junk on the road or diving into some huge pothole.

Eccentric? That's an interesting thought. Turn it around...so you are an adult who has the experience, fitness, skill and gear to a marathon bike ride over night and watch the sun come up while in the saddle. Though it sound interesting, you do't do it because other peope regard it as weird of foolish..or perhaps they simply can't do it themselves. So, you choose not to experience it...and that's normal/healthy? Seems to me that's a worst diagnosis than being deemed eccentric.

I suppose the day will come when you can only ride a bike during certain hours in prescribed bike lanes. Until then, I'm riding my ride.

I love riding at night.... How crazy am I?

Not at all crazy. I've ridden at night since I was 10 and I ride at all hours. Which is safer? Neither. I've been attacked both day and night.

I know exactly how you feel. I am the only adult bike rider in a town of 150 people in a rural setting. I'm the "crazy bike guy" - been called that to my face good-naturedly. Nearly everyone in town asks me about my riding when they see me. I ride at night during the winter months and they are used to it. At first it bothered me but now it doesn't. Like someone else kind of said; what's more eccentric, riding a bike at night or sitting in front of a picture tube for hours at a time and drinking fermented sugar? Less folks ride bikes at night but does that really make it eccentric? You've got to live your life!
I always carry mace and when I'm feeling particularly paranoid I carry a collapsible baton. I sometimes ride in remote river bottoms where mountain lions have been spotted but I don't feel my chances of encountering one are very good. I live in Illinois where citizens are banned from carrying guns or else I would probably carry one on some of my more remote rides..

Dusk is when I saw one cross the road in front of me, and then crouch on the embankment on the other side of the road, on a randonnee through the Canadian Rockies. That made me nervous.

Your posts are a real inspiration. Yea, I was going to ask if you'd ever had some scary experiences at night. Ha, yea, mountain lions would do it.

I used to have a job where my only free time was from 10pm - 4am. I regularly rode at 1 or 2 am. After being stopped by the police every other time I went out I stopped.

Apparently, as far as the police are concerned, anyone riding a bicycle past 6pm is a criminal and can be stopped for no reason.

Worst offenders are the LA County Sheriffs dept and Torrance Police Dept.

One time I was stopped by torrance cops at 2am and I was in my skin tight full spandex race kit. I hadnt broken any laws and the police said they stopped me "because they thought i was someone else". Then the cop asked me if I had any guns, drugs or hand grenades on me and I said "yes, I have an AK-47 in my back pocket". The fricken cop even patted me down to check.

Now that I ride only during the day I never get stopped anymore. Go figure

I used to ride an MUP home from my bar tending job, the MUP supposedly was closed from Dusk to Dawn. In 3 years I only got questioned twice by the local law enforcement. They both admitted I was probably safer riding there than on the roads with the drunk drivers. :D Saw plenty of wildlife, both the four legged and two legged variety...:P

Aaron :)

Riding alone after midnight in the rural, and suburban areas around here is fantastic. Some of the most heavily traveled roads become my private TT course. I love being able to hear a car a mile away. If it sounds like it's being driven fast, a have tons of time to get off the road.

My favorite time to ride, went out last night on a 20 mile pub detour on the local MUP just to enjoy the moon and the lack of dog walkers, the members of certain bicycle groups who feel the need to pedal side by side, and anyone else who uses the trail with ear buds in.

I like the solitude of night riding and it is even better during the winter. The best is coming home at about 10 PM in an inch of new snow, no wind, 30F and big flakes falling.

last night on the bridge over the poudre river, moon was hiding behind some clouds.

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk221/switters_bucket/IMAG0007.jpg

Riding at night, mountain lions are nocturnal. They prey at the dusk hours.
But apparently not always. The only one I've seen was out at about lunch time - and it was carrying a big squirrel over to its two cubs for lunch. I do see many more deer than usual on night rides near dusk (either morning or evening) - and they're probably more of a threat.

Yup, between 4AM and 5:30AM on weekdays. Its about the only time I have to ride during the week. Been doing it for 20 years in two different locations I've lived at here in Southern California. Current location I do laps of about 6.3 mile/10km each on suburban streets with good lighting. Evening (6PM - midnight) and early AM (midnight - 3AM) there are either too many cars or too many drunks on the road (bars close at 1AM).

when i first started riding it was almost always after midnight, that's when i got off work. cops would stop me a few times a week and ask me what i was doing. i don't live in a very cycling (or pedestrian) friendly city. they routinely destroy what little sidewalks we have and leave it that way for weeks during construction work, many places have worn down trails in the dirt next to major city streets. otherwise no problems, i still like to ride at night.

I was told, by a friend, about an elderly rider who works at a downtown hospital; rides to work @ 3AM, 365 days a year, dry, rainy, or snowy/icy. He's the ONLY guy in town I'll give a bow to.

As far as night rides, done a few, when my schedule demanded it; but if I don't have to be, I'm not out after midnight. Nothing out there I need to see or be around that badly -- plus, aimless rides at 2-3AM puts you on the list for random moving targets; around here, it's more a fear you'll get hit by accident. This is the town where a thug unloaded a full clip from an illegal AK47 at his 'baby mama' from less than 30 feet away, and she's the one walking the streets now.

Starting about 2AM, is my best time for restful sleep, so no, I won't get out and ride.

Those of you that enjoy it, enjoy; I have 3 reasons I don't. Cheers....

I am a night rider and I love it.... it's the only time that I can get out and not feel like I'm shirking my duties as a father and husband...before night riding, I had to check everyone's schedule and homework and determine if I could ride that day.... now, I wait till everyone is in bed and I'm out the door... At first, I was a little freaked at all the animals and a few homeless people roaming the MUP...but now, it's my get away or time alone and I look forward to it. Picked up a magic shine, a niterider sol and multiple flashers....and now with winter coming, I snagged a pair of Lake MXZ 302s for $150 ... Night, cold, rain....love it .... oh and since I switched to night riding I've dropped 20lbs in 2 months......it's changing my life (and wardrobe).

I've been on GMR alone at night. Mountain climb with 2500 feet in 8 miles. Pretty much traffic free but scary when you think you're in the mountains alone with animals that just might like my flavor.:D

I have gone up with buds as well. One group went up hoping to beat the dark but didn't sowe descended in the dark. Feels much better with a group but doing it once in a while alone is kind of fun.

I do ride in the foothills every so often alone but nothing like riding up the mountain alone, in the dark. Better than facing a bunch of scary animals behind steering wheels.:p

Pic of riding in the mountains alone at night, about 2,000 ft up the mountain I had to stop for a pose.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4132/5191411462_20f43eff5a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40913998@N06/5191411462/)
IMG_4399 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/40913998@N06/5191411462/) by gulpxtreme (http://www.flickr.com/people/40913998@N06/), on Flickr



Couple of videos that show just how dark it is up there.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU2_LVzbgcU


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fYu_PuHrMw

Night riding can be quite peaceful traffic wise. Having a hat with visor is a great plus dealing with lights from traffic I have found.

I ride after midnight quite a bit, sometimes in the mountains, and always alone. Safe, as there are far fewer cars, sometimes none. Far fewer flats, actually none for me yet, as I take the lane practically 100% of the time. I find much more wildlife at that time as well, which I like.

The latest I ridden was through Montreal at 11pm a couple of years back. It was great fun.

A conversation , a couple years back, riding home from The Musician's jam at the Tavern
Local PD asked me why I was out a 2:00, I got to ask him if he played a musical instrument ..
he said he played the Bagpipes..

I like riding at night too. The only other people I see riding at night I'm pretty sure are dealers. So long as the cops don't mix us up, I'm good.
If you live in the same Sacramento I do, there's plenty of non-drug dealing night cyclists, at least in midtown. South Sac and Del Paso Heights might be another story though.

I've been riding at night since childhood. I don't get hassled by cops, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, or stupid people unless I ride around bar closing time on Friday nights and weekends.

I ride at night almost every night. I have plenty of lighting and the stock reflectors.

Here's a couple interesting things I've encountered on my night rides. I've seen much more, and have video proof.

EDIT: Deleted video with music on it from YouTube to prevent any copyright strikes. 3 strikes and you're out according to YouTube. I have a clean record and would like to keep it that way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSft8cMFQAs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSft8cMFQAs

I did a lot of night riding in Baltimore when I lived there... easily the best time: lighter traffic, less buses.

If you live in the same Sacramento I do, there's plenty of non-drug dealing night cyclists, at least in midtown. South Sac and Del Paso Heights might be another story though.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSft8cMFQAs


Hey Neighbor!

I'm in Roseville actually.

Hey Neighbor!

I'm in Roseville actually.
Nice to meet you! I live in midtown, and it is the most cycling-friendly part of Sacramento. I see more bikes down here than anywhere else. In fact, one day I was waiting for a friend to drive down to meet me at a restaurant on 20th and L. I was sitting on my bike on the corner, and I saw someone get pulled over by Sac PD. It was my friend, who accidentally ran the stop sign at 24th and Capitol. The officer let him go with a warning to watch out for cyclists and pedestrians.

I used to start my commute at 4:10 for my 5 AM shift. I didn't give it a second thought and never had a problem with police. It's in the middle of the city, so mountain lions weren't a problem either.

It was just another trip to the office.

I love riding at night [road]. But sometimes I feel eccentric or like I'm a nut or something. I mean taking off at 2am in the morning, that kind of thing. I know a lot of people ride at night, like randonneurs etc, but except for them, do many cyclists ride 'alone' when they do ride at night? Riding out in the boondocks at 3am in the morning can be exciting, but also sometimes I think foolhardy as well. Then of course, there's the 'car' issue; but I try to light myself up with all kinds of reflective gear, pulsing lights etc.

What do others think about this. Riding with others would be best [for safety reasons], but I ride alone. Comments? [How crazy am I?]

Riding alone at night is great, and I recommend it to anyone. You don't really need any real reason to get out there, apart from the fact that you just feel like it at that moment (another benefit of living alone, but that's another thread). I've seen all kinds of animals and heard all kinds of bird calls at night that just aren't there during the daylight, and while people worry about the "car" issue, I find it much less of a problem at night simply because there are much fewer of them around.

At first, i thought riding at night would be kinda cool... And it would force me to buy more toys for my bike (headlight, tail light, helmet light, etc.). The first and only night ride I did was rather bittersweet. It was in October around 9pm and everything went well for the first 5 miles. The lights worked great, there was no sun beating down on me... as such, i didn't have to worry about sunblock... there were hardly any cars to worry about... Iit was great. It was just me, my bike and lots of open road... but then shortly afterwards, things went bad...every couple hundred feet, there were patches of flying insects everywhere! I couldn't avoid them. It got to the point where I was using my water bottle to get them off my face! Instead of riding my normal 20 mile route, i had to cut it short and turn around! Now that it's relatively cool in Houston, I'm gonna try another night ride soon... Hopefully, I won't have the same bug problem this time around...

I ride my bikes (pedal and motor powered) at 3am all the time. IMO that's the best time for me to straddle a bike. You see things (changes in the environment) you wouldn't see during the day and as one person mentioned the sound of birds chirping and singing at that hour is something you won't experience at any other time. Note my area is urban and near a beach, Pacific Beach in San Diego. For me it's 1000x more enjoyable to ride at that hour, it's almost spiritual - and oh - I pedal in the middle of the street in the car lane at that hour. I once rode my pedal powered bike smack dab in the middle of the freeway in the fast lane at around 4am on a Saturday morning. I had the freeway to myself. Because you only live once. And I'm still alive to talk about it. You'll find some of the best, most unique lighting systems at the Burning Man Festival. I don't care for cars. I like motorcycles, bicycles, and mini-bikes. Ride safe :)

At certain times of the year the bugs can be a problem, especially if you live between two major river systems like I do. You just have to learn to adapt. Wear glasses and don't ride with your mouth open. There are times I won't leave the driveway without a can of bug spray. If you have a flat while riding along the edge of a swamp on a hot, dank night you will appreciate having a can of OFF. I know from experience.

I love riding at night [road]. But sometimes I feel eccentric or like I'm a nut or something. I mean taking off at 2am in the morning, that kind of thing. I know a lot of people ride at night, like randonneurs etc, but except for them, do many cyclists ride 'alone' when they do ride at night? Riding out in the boondocks at 3am in the morning can be exciting, but also sometimes I think foolhardy as well. Then of course, there's the 'car' issue; but I try to light myself up with all kinds of reflective gear, pulsing lights etc.
What do others think about this. Riding with others would be best [for safety reasons], but I ride alone. Comments? [How crazy am I?]

I love riding in the city at night it is the best feeling in the world bombing down some street you never or rarely have gone down. Taking up the entire street and riding as if it is your own driveway is awesome. I am living in an area right now that I have to ride on busy country roads and it has made me nervous and I hate riding em the day let alone at night. I let a friend borrow my cygolite and I was left with my PB half watt accidentally it was an alright experience better than expected still I prefer city riding to country riding.

I love commuting at night, I feel safer then than during the day.

I terrorized the streets after 1 a.m. for years on my way home from work, oftentimes extending my commute longer than its 16 miles. (I lived in a pretty small city and traveled mostly back-roads.) I never thought anything of it.

In the boondocks of Illinois, vehicles always seemed to give ample birth when passing that late at night, and there was always less than a dozen cars in both directions. I never felt threatened. Of course, I never rode on Friday or Saturday nights.

Critters are pretty active at night, though, and startled me quite often before I upgraded to a nice light setup.

I had my first after dark ride Sunday. I now have the lights to ride at night.

Riding at night will be a requirement for me this summer because of the 100 degree plus heat indexes we get in Texas. I am working to ride a double century by the end of the year. Sunday i did 90 miles in 11 hours 15 minutes clock time. That is not fast enough to do a Permanent popular. It was fun just the same.

I've not ridden much at night, does anyone else have problems with meeting traffic, that throw their lights on bright? I know what they are doing, trying to figure out what you are, but it's blinding.

I've not ridden much at night, does anyone else have problems with meeting traffic, that throw their lights on bright? I know what they are doing, trying to figure out what you are, but it's blinding.


It's not a problem for me as of yet. OTOH I usually look to the side of the road rather than the approaching car, so if someone were to flash me, I may not notice. When I ride at night, usually there are not that many cars. If I do take a road with lots of cars, I light myself up so well that the opposition usually will give me a wide berth. I like a ride at night.

I've not ridden much at night, does anyone else have problems with meeting traffic, that throw their lights on bright? I know what they are doing, trying to figure out what you are, but it's blinding.

I ride with my light on medium. If a car won't dim it's brights I wave my hand in front of my beam in order to blink at them. If that don't work I turn it on high and aim it right at them. That works. I have a Shiningbeam MC-E flashlight mounted on my bars.

I ride from about 4:30 am till about 6:30 or so most mornings unless I have a it more time than I sometimes ride until after 8 am. Here in the winter it's dark till after 7:30 and I love it. N

I love riding at night. I find it makes less difference in a small town (where traffic is light already), but in a large city, a few hours after the bars close, riding through the streets is exhilarating! You own the street at 3 AM.

Also, as a younger man, whenever I could not sleep, or my eyes popped open at some terrible early hour I would go for a spin while the sun rose with the nauseated feeling of exaustion in my belly. Some of the more memorable moments happened while I rode at 5 AM.

Lately I have been hiking and (the last few weeks) XC skiing between 11 PM and 1 AM - taking the dogs for a run when there is no one around to tell me to put them on a leash :D Also I usually partake in an herbal nerve relaxing inhalant while I am out, and my half hour stroll becomes a 2 hour hike as I get lost and try to find my way out of the trail system :)

After my kids are in bed it seems like a great time to get out for some exercise, but often I have trouble deciding whether I should go out for an epic at midnight, or save my energy and possibly ride in to work in the morning. I often skip the evening ride then stay up to 2 AM watching TV anyways and wind up taking the car to work.

he said he played the Bagpipes..

so the answer was no

I've done some night riding on full moon nights at the beach, but in the rural area where I live I'm a bit afraid of all the nocturnal critters that run out into the road at night. I don't want to hit a possum when I'm heading down a hill.

I see, maybe 4 cars on my way home .. the Estuary shore on my right for a couple miles.. wide shoulder.

+ 3 lanes wide.. most of the way..

Dark, Cold and Wet keeps them on the couch , in front of the TV.

Riding at night, mountain lions are nocturnal.

Bedbugs are nocturnal too. You're not safe anywhere. Ride on.

I'm safer riding at night than during the daytime.

I love urban night riding...

I feel the same way. I'm in Baltimore City and I enjoy feeling like I have some parts of it all to myself after 2 or 3 a.m. I feel safer riding at this time, but I don't know if I actually am or not. I can't dwell on it anyway because I doubt I could give up the solitude.

Well, at least around here 3AM = less cars which in turn equals less chance of getting creamed. I'm also extremely well lit and 100% impossible to miss at night unless you're putting nail polish on the toes while driving. Or texting. Or...shoot :) oh well, keep riding!

Interesting the distinction made in riding before and after midnight. I ride frequently at night, usually getting home at or before midnight. I have to admit there is a different feel when you get past midnight. Things seem much more deserted.

I think there's another distinction to be made- riding overnight versus riding in the pre-dawn hours. When I commuted I usually left home before dawn. By then, though, the "deserted" vibe is dissipating as the world (natural and man-made) becomes active again. The early commuting hours (say, prior to 7 am) are much mellower than the later hours when people are much closer to their starting times and therefore in more of a hurry. So even though there's traffic, it's not too bad.