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Night riding is awesome !!!

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Old 02-09-07 | 11:40 PM
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Night riding is awesome !!!

I always commute to work before dawn, it seems like there is much less traffic at that time ...

Recently I rigged my bike up with a 20w garden light and a large trailer LED tail light powered by a 12v sla 5ah battery...

I went to the movies tonight to meet a friend (saw Hannibal Rising - awesome slasher movie!) and rode my commuter bike ... left the house around 8:30 pm.

Bike ride was awesome, bike ride back was even better !

I want to go out at night more often now ... it just seems like the road is a lot less stressful and the ride seems more enjoyable to me like that.

Night Riding !!!
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Old 02-10-07 | 12:00 AM
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This fall I did a lot of riding between midnight and 3 am. Really nice. No cars out and all the lights are blinking.
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Old 02-10-07 | 12:12 AM
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+1! In living close(within .5 mi) to the Natchez Trace Parkway I get to go out on frequent night rides. When I lived urban I loved riding at night, too. You're right, it's SO much less frenetic. My rig of choice is the NR Trailrat, though I started w/a 15.00 Cateye. Kept falling off the handlebars, so I duct taped it. Friends and co-workers think I'm a little nuts and they're probably right, but how many of them have ever seen a wolverine? Saw one back in November out on the Trace. Must've been an escapee of some sort, because they don't live this far south in the wild. Still, it was an awe inspiring experience. Night riding rules.
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Old 02-10-07 | 03:16 AM
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Originally Posted by nashcommguy
Night riding rules.
Indeed!
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Old 02-10-07 | 03:28 AM
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This summer some friends and I made a point of only BMXing street from the hours of 11:30pm till 4:00am, no cars are out, no police to hassle you and you can hit some lines you've never imagined possible because you cant see them during the day.
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Old 02-10-07 | 09:25 AM
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Yea I like night riding with my ANSI vest you really glow like a nuclear reactor.
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Old 02-10-07 | 02:34 PM
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Yeah, night riding's pretty fun unless it's frigid out. Like last night.
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Old 02-10-07 | 02:54 PM
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From: nashville, tn

Bikes: Commuters: Fuji Delray road, Fuji Discovery mtb...Touring: Softride Traveler...Road: C-dale SR300

Check around @ your lbs. In just about every metro-urban area is a group of people doing 'urban assault'. Riding after 10 PM through parks, alleys, etc. When I lived in Pittsburgh the group was mostly bike messengers and lbs mechanics. Similar to what wethepeople posted, except they were all on mtbs. Very subversive and pure fun. Be ready though. I went out w/them a few times and the ride can get pretty intense. But, you'll see the urban landscape from a whole different perspective.
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Old 02-10-07 | 02:59 PM
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Originally Posted by jyossarian
Yeah, night riding's pretty fun unless it's frigid out. Like last night.
Yeah, I was dressed for 15-20mph, not 5mph... I'll be ready for tonight's ride in prospect park though.
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Old 02-10-07 | 04:36 PM
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I saw two deer less than a 1/4 mile from downtown Columbus on the Scioto River MUP. Right there night riding was worth it. It was very wierd to come around a corner and have my front light splash on both of them. Fair sized rack on the one, the other was a doe I think.
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Old 02-10-07 | 05:49 PM
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I like to ride fixed around the yuppie-wonderland in which I live. There are some traffic circles that I like to go 'round and round on. Not banked, but I'm not fast enough to need banking; the best you can do in Maryland anyway for a velodrome.
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Old 02-10-07 | 06:01 PM
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I train in the early mornings before dawn and it is very peaceful for the most part. My freinds and co workers also think I'm nuts, but I ride when I have the time, I have seen lots of Deer within a few feet of me, on roads. Seen some strange humans as well. Night riding is pretty cool.
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Old 02-10-07 | 07:31 PM
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I ride at night alot. In the summertime it is great. There is one stretch of road where there are no streetlights and it is pitchblack dark. My little Cateye really does not illuminate the road. I get by because I know the road so well. I understand why persons who tour and some commuters want effective lighting.
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Old 02-10-07 | 07:47 PM
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I rode last summer at night for the first time. It was amazing. It was warm, but there was no sun, so it wasn't unbearable. I did some winter night commuting, coming home from a movie at 11pm and 3F. Once I got warmed up, it was kinda fun
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Old 02-10-07 | 08:08 PM
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I just got lights so I could ride at night in the summer since it's so hot during the day. I'm a cold weather sissy though and it's been freeeezing lately. Can't wait to try 'em out.
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Old 02-10-07 | 09:15 PM
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From: White Bear Lake, MN

Bikes: Klein Attitude(off-road), Cannondale M700(commuter), Nishiki Performance Equipe(Roadie)

Aside from my commutes I ride after my kids are off to bed. I night ride a few times a week during the fair weather seasons. I gear up for winter weather commuting 5 days a week and don't care to do it again at 9PM. Anyway, my wife gets some relaxation time at home and I get some extra miles in. It certainly opens up more training opportunities for me since I race.

Nightime is actually my favorite time to ride and MTB trail riding is blast. Creepy long shadows and white-eyed critters staring you down is just surreal. I use a JetLite Starfire and/or Cygolite Nitro XM.
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Old 02-11-07 | 04:16 AM
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I love night commuting. 4:00 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. is my favorite time. The drunks are home, and I have the streets to myself. I have an HID on the front, and two blinkies on the back. I wear an ANSI lime vest (like the construction workers wear), and I put reflective strips around my ankes. I use those velcro things designed to keep pant cuffs out of the chain.

It's fun even when it's cold. When I'm geared out for 0F, I have so much on I feel like a tank methodically pedalling down the road.
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Old 02-11-07 | 05:10 AM
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I prefer doing everything at night. There's just less people to worry about in general.
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