VegasCyclist

I just got home tonight (about 20 min ago) and I felt pretty compelled to write a post about commuting....

I attend a karate class about two to three times a week, it's a night thing starting at about 7:00pm and lasting roughly one hour. Sometimes we go over a hour and sometimes a little less, I often hang out for a bit after the class and talk to some people who I have lately made good friends with. I've been going for a year. I started going to the school because I wanted something to help me cross train with for my cycling, but after a while I just really enjoy it as well. When I was looking for a school I really didn't go very far, I met one of the head instructors and later took a free into class. It all kinda worked out for me, since the place is only about three miles away from my house, so I could ride there and back making a short commute, extra miles, as well as a good way to warm up before and cool down after class. During the summer I normally leave and it is still daylight outside, the long days make for some beautiful sunsets to watch while I ride. During the winter daylight savings makes me ride totally in the dark both ways, which is not all that bad. I'm pretty visible, since I have a 4 led rear light, a powerful niterider halogen headlight, a bright yellow helmet, a bright neon green jacket, as well as reflective tape on my pannier rack/bag. the ride itself is pretty straight forward, I leave my house, get onto a main road, make one right, ride for two miles, make a left into the place and I take the same route in reverse to get home. As a side note, the main road I ride on for two miles is a six lane moderate traffic street, with a speed limit of 45 mph, and no designated bike lane (but the right lane is nearly double wide) so there is enough room for me to be on the street safely (IMHO)

I currently live with my parents, which makes things a bit interesting, naturally they worry about me riding in the dark (as well as riding during the day) but they never stop me from riding they always just tell me to "be careful" Las Vegas weather works pretty well, and I'm able to ride all year, we only get roughly 3-5 inches of rain so most of the time it is clear and dry.... The "danger" aspect comes into play when it rains, my parents never want me to ride in the rain, however I do anyways (I guess I should listen to them more) but my reasoning is that if I don't ever ride in the rain, how am I going to be prepared to ride in it if I have to some day (racing, living in a rainy area etc.) So I just go. I probably get maybe 15-20 days of rain riding a year, and it is normally not much rain, our storms only drop probably a half inch to a inch in a day (~2.2 cm) sometimes they may drop more, but my area doesn't really get too much of it. Flooding is often a problem here, but since we live on a relatively high area it is normally just wet and not flooded.

The biggest problem lies in the fact that in the winter if it rains on a day I want to go to karate I ride in the rain at night. Likely this is the worst visibility that is possible for both driver and cyclist. I take the same route when riding this way rain or not. I've probably ridden in the rain at night maybe 6 or 7 times total, so it is not a common thing.

Tonight was different I guess, it rained pretty much most of the day, but stopped a half hour before I had to leave for karate, so I went on the bike. (figuring it would dry up pretty quick like it always does here) Everything went fine I always take it pretty easy and safe when it rains and so I arrived at karate, did my class and prepared to leave. I get on the bike and head back, but as I make it to one of the only two intersections I have to traverse I see police lights in the distance. after I get a green light I approach and see that the entire street is blocked and I have to take a small detour to get home, not a big deal probably delayed me 5 minutes at most. however the reason for the detour was a what I thought was a car accident. It appeared as just another crazy accident that happens when people are careless in the rain, however the difference here was that I noticed (after asking a police officer if there was any other way around than the detour) that a cyclist was involved, I could see the mangled bike on/near the sidewalk. The bike had no lights that I could see, however it was a quick glance. About 15 feet away from the bike was a body covered in a sheet....

I don't know the full story, however the accident must have occurred only 10 to 15 minutes before I arrived, because paramedics had not arrived on the scene as of yet.

So as I rode home the rest of the way, I could only contemplate what had happened. Was it the driver's fault? or the Cyclist? who has fault really, would they call it an accident otherwise? did the car accident occur due to the cyclist making a car swerve, or did the cyclist get caught up in the accident, being in the wrong spot at the wrong time. I guess it made me think a bit, since had I left karate earlier I may have been caught in that same spot. It's a tragic society that we live in, people die everyday for our transportation, and yet no one seems to realize it....

My point of posting, (other than getting my feelings out there) is to ask does anyone here ride at night, and if so do you ride when it rains? am I just asking for it by riding at night in the rain? maybe it's my 20 year old attitude of "I'm invincible" but I don't know anymore......

I heart goes out to the family of the anonymous cyclist who died tonight.

temp1

I have seen a lot more covered bodies that just got thrown from a car, all traffic accidents are tragidies, but do not let them deture you, if you can, learn from them, I have put in hundreds of miles at night in Chicago (a bit more traffic than LV I believe) in all weather conditions and I am still here, be careful, good luck and KEEP RIDING

cyclezealot

Some of us think we can be seen more clearly at night.. I take lots of reflective stuff and blinkers, etc.
I do ride at night. However, quite infrequently when it rains..
As to the safety of cycling..I believe in statistics..Driver fatilities are pretty high too.. Just because we don't have a metal shell about us, are the statistics higher for cyclists over say motorists. I do feel more comfortable, where I think I have a white line seperating the cycling lane from the motorists.. My fear of cycling in the rain..Loss of traction..

Ed Holland

VegasCyclist
Don't be put off riding in the dark & rain by this sad incident. The best thing we cyclists can do is be visible, for which you seem to have a good system worked out. Moreover, follow the rules of the road. Visiblility and predictability are the watchwords here.
Here in the UK the most worrying conditions are fog, which can be very dense and make severe limitations to visibility for all road users - especially at night. I still ride in these situations, but I ride more cautiously and try even harder to anticipate the moves of other road users.

Keep on riding,

Ed

erraticrider

I do think that I am more visible in the night -- the flashing LED in a dark background seems to me more visible than any amount of color in what would always be a multi-colored, complex shaded background of the day.

Rain, though, always worries me -- especially after one rainy evening when a car almost took me out at an intersection turning left accross my lane without signalling or anything (the driver did not have his wipers going -- probably didn't see me due to the rain on his windshield).

shishi

I ride at night all the time...all weather in NYC. I would say make sure that you are visable...blinking light. Also, and I know this sounds silly...but always be fully aware of your surroundings while on the bike and always visualize the easy route out of an accident. That may be turing hard and taking a fall...heading for the grass or whatever. But it is always best to be prepared to avoid the car, and or course, not go into the path of another.

Matt

LittleBigMan

I never take it lightly when a cyclist is injured or killed. The important thing is to learn all the facts about the crash to determine what caused it, so you can learn from someone else's mistakes, if possible.

The rainy night could easily have contributed to this crash, but it's impossible to know the whole story without gathering all the facts. Whose fault was it? Why did it happen? What factors contibuted to the crash? How could it have been prevented?

Learn all you can. There may be a lesson in it somewhere beyond "it was dark and rainy." Nevertheless, I think it prudent to exercise caution at night, especially in the rain, as I think you are doing by maximizing your visibilty. But if poor visibility was not the cause of the crash, finding out what really happened will add to your own protection.

mtessmer

I ride in pretty much anything and have been doing it regularly for over 22 years, year around. I think everything has been pretty much said but I would add never assume some one sees you, be totally aware of your surroundings. The nice thing about biking is all your senses are alive.

hayneda

I'm a car free full time bike commuter. Also, I'm a randonneur. As someone that has riden through the entire night while on my randonneuring rides, I have become absolutely convinced that I'm safer at night that during the day. A well-lit cyclist simply sticks out like a sore thumb.

One caveat, however, is that during that period of time between fully light and fully dark, your bike lights don't compete well with other, much brighter light sources.

Light up and ride on,
Dave

naisme

I ride at night, and because of a similar situation that I had good fortune to live through, I am still here, and very aware that at night nothing can be seen. In a month I will be celebrating the annivesary of a ped-auto accident I was involved in. I, 20, trying to beat a light ran out from aline of cars in the left turn lane, and got hit, dislocating my hip and breaking my leg. It was dark and I was wearing denim: jeans and jacket.

40 days after the accident I was told that any other hospital in Ft Worth, would have cut my leg off. Fortunately, I had been taken to Tarrant County Hospital, and they tried a new device, that since has been saving legs and arms, the Hoffman device.

i only share the story because for a while after the accident there was a period where crossing the street was very difficult for me. I wasn't about to take chances. And that is still there as I bike. I'm a bit more agressive, but when I am around traffic I am very much aware of the power and damage a car can do to the human body. I don't want to experience that again.

All the books I read about commuting include a chapter if not a few words about riding at night. Suggesting that one blinkie is seldom enough. The officials of the Paris Brest Paris require participants to ride with a helmet and to have sufficent lighting both front and back, along with wearing a reflective shash or belt. Tells me that even with refelctors, blinkies and head lamp I'm not well lit. One book suggested testing the system on your bike out, by lighting it up at night and going to the end of the block and seeing if you can spot your ride. If you thought you could be seen then chances were good you probably would be seen.

One of the disadvantages of riding here in Minnesota, is the cold. Often windows are frosted over and drivers can barely see the road much less what lies at the side.

Knowing all this I still get out there and ride. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Keep up the riding, use this as a learning experience, get involved with bicycle advocacy, so this doesn't happen to another cyclist, it is how bicycle lanes are created, and bicycle safety awarness is promoted.

https://www.bikeleague.org/index.cfm

Good place to start, and get invovled locally.

LittleBigMan

Also, watch out for motorists who want to turn into you at driveways and intersections when the setting sun is behind you. (This is where my whistle has also helped me.)

vrkelley

Without repeating the good advice already posted, I commute at night also and have this advice.

===================
Give the driver every possible chance to see you:

* When signaling to turn, count to 5 before putting your arm down.

* If you're waiting to turn, signal twice: before you stop and then again as you are moving into the turn

*Watch for courtesy waiting...One car allows another to "go first" even though he didn't have the right away. But nobody saw you.

* Watch the wheels of the cars. If the wheel is turning or the driver's head is turning, he's gonna turn

* If a car is turning in front of you and you have the right of way, assume the driver is NOT going to yield.

* Assume the driver does not see you at all.

* Keep safe distance. If you can kick a car in any direction, YOU'RE TOO CLOSE
===================

Now give yourselve every possible chance:

* When tired or having bike troubles, signal early and get off the road. Racers have spotters that rescue them--you don't.

* Know you're route. It's easy to get tired and space-out concentrate

* Ride only with equipment you trust. If you're scared something's gonna crap out on the ride, fix or remove it or don't ride at all.

* Get the best possible lights you can afford

vrkelley

Oh uh and get a set of tires that corner and ride in the rain. There's nothing worse than dropping a bike in traffic because of a slide out.

If you can't afford tires, ask your LBS to give you some loaner used ones till you can buy a decent set.

cerewa

"Keep safe distance. If you can kick a car in any direction, YOU'RE TOO CLOSE"

if you can kick a car...or if somebody can reach you with his/her car door!

VegasCyclist

as a follow up to this story, as I understand it, the cyclist was at a stop sign trying to cross the 6 lane street (eastern) as he came to the stop sign he ran through it without stopping, an oncoming vehicle (SUV) heading south tried to avoid the cyclist, but failed hitting him with the back end, the car ended up swerving into oncoming traffic and causing a multicar accident... I believe the driver was in critical condition as well.

The cyclist had no lights and no helmet.

LittleBigMan

My God.

vrkelley

***Exactly***

vrkelley

>The cyclist had no lights and no helmet.

Sorry to hear that. That's what I mean about cutting drivers an even break. If they can't see a cycle or don't understand the cyclist's intentions, other people can get hurt also.

...I'm stepping of soap box...rather...stepping off

The Rob

One night last week I was riding home on the Springwater trail. The trail parallels railroad tracks and there is usually a train sitting there with it's headlight on and pointed in my direction. Irritating, because it's a bit like wheeling into the Void at this point, not being able to see anything but that bright light to my left and the post markers to my right.

I saw the dark-clad fool slowly peddling in front of me only after I'd passed the locomotive. I saw and heard him pretty much at the same time; his drive-train was squeaking like a herd of mice. No lights. No helmet. No reflectors. If this clown had been a bit slower on the path and closer to the headlight of the train, I might not have seen him in time to avoid running all over him. The EL-300 Opticube I have on my bike does a pretty good job of lighting my way, but this person showed up literally only as a hole in the wash of my headlight.

I understand that there are people who ride simply out of necessity due to economic factors, people who are not enthusiasts as we members are, but I have nothing but contempt for those who don't take responsibility for their own and others' safety.

vrkelley

>I understand that there are people who ride simply out of necessity due to economic factors

I myself don't have the best lights etc. But a roll of that automative reflective tape costs about $3 and it goes most anywhere.

I' surprised that bike Mfgs don't paint the whole bike in reflective materials.

The Rob

Gadzooks, man! I think you're on to something!