Last night
 

I was nervous. It snowed on Sunday and the snow has yet to be cleared from the side path. Around here, cyclists are a rare thing and at night, they're even more rare. So I was feeling a bit worried that taking the lane at night was going to end in disaster.

It turns out, my only worry occurred during the daylight portion of my ride. A car was in my lane and was trying to get around both the car next to it and me. When it finally got around the car next to it, the car that suddenly appeared behind it had to hit the brakes hard.

But the night portion of my ride was different. Factors definitely included less traffic but they were still hauling ass on a 45 mph road but pulling into the next lane with plenty of road to spare and no "near misses." I'm wondering if the lack of streetlights had something to do with this. Was I actually more visible without other lights distracting drivers? Has anyone else noticed poor behavior around you during sections of heavily lit road but good behavior when the road is dark?

To wrap it up, commuting in sub 20 degree temps, with a snowy blanket of white, and perfectly clear skies is something that shouldn't be missed. I'm going to be sad once the weather starts warming up. ;)

Usually, UA, I hold to the maxim that "when the weather gets bad, the drivers get worse"; however, I've noticed this winter that, when the weather turned foul, I had courtesy extended to me from drivers! Of course, as soon as it started getting better, speeds got faster and drivers got more rude -- buzzes and the occasional honk.

I don't envy you the night ride, though -- some folks I've seen around here, who SQUINT TO READ LARGE PRINT because they're too vain to wear their specs, are out on the roads at night! I have light a-plenty, but damned if I trust them!

+10 on the sub-20 rides; primal, isn't it?

+1

But I'm not gonna miss the cold.

You are a rare breed of rider but one, I think, well worth preserving.

I have noticed the darker the road, the better treatment effect. In facts, there are certain roads that I would never ride at night on a bike (or in the day either for that matter) because I think I would get lost in the dazzle of the lights.

It kind of depends on how you were visible. Tail lights and other active forms of illumination do better when they are not competing with other forms of lighting. Also, they do not necessarily need to be angled properly.

As for drivers, they are a strange breed. While most of them are courteous and give me ample room when the weather is nasty. Some of them do not change there driving habits regardless of the potential hazards.

I agree with the notion that we are more visible on dark roads than when competing with a bunch of lights. I also think DX has it right about the drivers getting worse as the weather gets bad. We don't get much snow here (maybe one inch per year), but it started snowing five minutes ago. Three minutes ago I heard the local ambulance head up the road to do its business. When the rain starts, siren. When the snow starts, siren. When the sun comes out, siren. When night falls, siren. Needless to say, I hear a lot of sirens (about a dozen per day).

You got more room during the dark part of your ride precisely because the motorist did not know you were a cyclist and were afraid that the flashing light was something that could really damage their car.

It use to be that way for me as well on an unlit stretch of highway. As the same motorist became use to seeing my lights, they quickly learned I was a cyclist that could only do minimal damage to their cars. As such, they began passing closer and closer over time. Motorist are extremely poor judges of lateral separation at night.

As it stands, motorist give me way more room in the day than they now give me at night, opposite of what use to be true. So the theory of “safety in numbers” is not working for me.