doorunrun

Ah, the first commute day after the time change. Wasn't it great to have some sun in the morning? But, I guess we have to pay for it in the afternoon. By the time I got to my destination the sun just about ready to set and we're just starting November!

According to the Naval Observatory, the earliest sunsets in my area of North Florida will be from Nov. 28th through Dec. 6th at 5:30p. The latest sunrises occur between Jan.10 and 11th at 7:27a. There is also a term, "civil twilight," which is defined by the N.O. as the time when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon; which gives you an extra 15 to 30 minutes to be clearly seen without a light. Well, that may just be a technicality, I hardly ever commute without my blinkie on.

I really do admire those of you who commute in the dark. Have a safe winter!

JeffSG

I leave home about 7:00 AM and arrive about 8:15, work 3-4 hours and then ride home and work the rest of the day from home. It is nice having a flexible job that allows me to ride in the daylight. I enjoy the scenery more in the daylight.

Ride safe,

Jeff

gunner65

Time change is BS I heard it was going away in a few years but it looks like that was all rumur. There seem to be no plans other than pushing off the two weeks that it has already been pushed. I mean really why do we need more light in the morning than evening?

IR Baboon

Yeah, I just end up riding to work, and from work in the dark. Whoopie.

B. Carfree

When I lived near Sacramento, I always thought we did the time change backwards. By giving a later (on the clock) sunset, we were allowing for more outdoor activity during the smoggiest time of day: after the car-bound commuters and the sun had maximized the ozone concentrations. If we did a reverse daylight savings, we would have had abundant sunlight before the smog-makers hit the road. Since I made my own hours, I just ignored what the clock said and went about my business, but I always felt sorry for the clock-punchers.

coldfeet

Ditto..



Big Woopie

Azreal911

it was the first time this year I had to turn on my headlights going home just so cars can see me. it's sooo dark and dreary, but going to work is a joy cause traffic is backed up by construction while I easily wind my way through it.

Speedwagon98

Because we are back on standard time now. The shift to daylight savings(summer) is the artificial adjustment that we concocted out of thin air. A lot of the world stays on standard time all the time, the way I prefer it. But I don't get my way here in the US, unless I'm in Arizona(which I'm not).

unterhausen

I much prefer daylight savings time. Probably silly, right now my schedule is flexible.

jdgesus 

sun sets about 4.30p up here. BOOO.

GriddleCakes

^^^
That's funny, it set at 4:40pm here. Are there neighborhoods in Seattle that are at a higher latitude than Anchorage?

Seattle Forrest

You have it easy! Next month we'll have sun from 8 am until 4 pm. It's already going down at 4:40 pm.

unterhausen

I visited Seattle when I lived in Utah. Utah always has sun. The whole time I was in Seattle, I kept waiting for the sun to rise all the way and it never happened. I don't think I could take it. Pennsylvania is bad enough, and it took me 5 years to get over the lack of sun here.

cyclokitty 

The time change did remind me to buy new batteries for my lights which turned out to be a smart move. My rear blinkies looked really anemic and I had plenty on hand.

busted knuckles

Finally I get to use my SON dynohub, I bought it last spring.

steve0257

That's due to the timezones. In the early 80s they moved most Alaska into the same time zone as Juneau. Basically puts you on the equivalent of DST in the winter and another hour ahead in the summer.

colleen c

Worst part of Daylight saving time is not just having to change those clocks in the house that are not automatic, but to have to change all the bicycle computer clocks.

tarwheel 

I enjoyed riding to work in the daylight for a change, but was surprised that it was almost dark by the time I got home. It works out about the same for me, except if I have to work late. I don't like riding in heavy traffic in the dark.

akohekohe

Don't forget Hawaii.

balto charlie

I like riding in the dark. I like it better than dawn or dusk. I think cars can more easily see my lights in the dark. The sun on the horizon can be worse. However I do like the summer best of all. Onward commuters, 1 more month until the solstice

Steely Dan

because chicago is at the easternmost extreme of a time zone, i wish we could just be on daylight savings time year round. as it is, now that we're back on CST, the ride in to work is nice and bright, which is cool, but when i leave work at 5:30pm, it's now just full blown pitch black night. not twilight, not dusk, none of that, just regular old no-sun-light-left night.

how long til march?

cyccommute 

Hate to burst your bubble but we got more then a month where the dark is a problem. The solstice is the day with the shortest amount of daylight. However, for us cyclists, a more important time is sunrise and sunset. For the Baltimore area, the date of earliest sunset occurs on Dec 3 at 1644 and continues at that time until Dec 11. Then the sun starts setting a little later each day. For the morning commute, the date of latest sunrise is 3 Jan at 0727 until 6 Jan.

For Catholics, that's the start of advent with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception occuring in the middle of that time. The Feast of the Epiphany, or Feast of the Magi, occurs around the latest sunrise.

Aeneas

Today is my first commute of the new EST season. The last couple days it's been dark by 5PM. I expect to give my Magicshine it's first good workout tonight...

CptjohnC

Cycling, sunlight and theology. What more could one want in a post?

jdgesus 

the way i ride, my latitude is HUGE