Originally Posted by
vinfix
I try and learn my lessons from out of the ordinary experiences. I learned early on riding fixed at night was not comfortable for me- it gets country dark in my area as soon as you get out of town- no streetlights. Lights are good to be seen, not as good at seeing stuff like potholes and other road hazards in time.
I had a couple of squirrel strikes on a recent ride- on my geared bike, so I can't blame the quietness of a fixed gear. I did almost hit a chicken once- never did find out why he was crossing the road.
I totally understand that, where I live it’s the same. After dark, it’s dark. But when I ride at night I ride with extremely bright lights (1200 lumen) and I carry a backup 2200 lumen flashlight. My headlight is designed like a car lamp in that it casts a wide beam. I saw him from a good distance back, as such assumed he’d know I was there and would move off. I now use a large dome brass striker bell to ‘announce’ myself If I see any animals ahead of me. Raccoons and deer in my area are quite stubborn though.