Mondo734

I am considering commuting to and from work once our new building is finnished being built (late August to November sometime). I found that I can take the Platte MUP to the Sand Creek trail almost the entire way to my job. Now I work four 10hr shifts and I go in at 4pm and leave at 2am. I am wondering if there are any other commuters who ride these two trails/MUP's at night and if you can provide me with any tips or experiences you have had that may prove useful. Thanks in advance.

cyccommute 

I don't know that I would ride the Platte Trail north of 20th Street at night. Not the most friendly section of path. From Riverside Cemetery north, it would be okay but from there south would be dodgy.

Mondo734

what makes you say that if you dont mind me asking? Is it because of all the homeless around there?

cycronin

Nothing confirmed but I've heard stories of cyclists being mugged on the Platte Trail at night. You may want to check in the with the police to get their input, but four nights a week coming home at 2am on the trail is going to be risky no matter what. If you are going to do it you should certainly be confident and prepared to handle potential human based dangers. Use a bright light and ride fast.

cyccommute 

cycronin has basically covered it. It's not necessarily the homeless...they are mostly harmless... but there are individuals that prey on them. I have ridden that section of the Platte at night but I was very vary while doing it. Like he said, use very bright lights, be aware of your surroundings and ride fast.

BadBoy10

This makes me sad.
Why can't people just leave other people in peace?
I know I sound like a softie but really--there are some
truly sick (mentally) people in this world. Sad the homeless are being preyed upon. That is a shame.

treebound 

Just a sad fact of life regardless of where you live, just got to be smart and aware of your surroundings and try not to let it affect your life too much if possible.

cycronin

If I had to ride at night frequently at odd hours, I'd think about riding on the roads, near the center (exactly where I wouldn't want to ride during the day). There wouldn't be too much car traffic and you'd be out in the open, ideally with decent street lighting. The problem with the trails at night is too many dark areas that provide easy cover. Though the main issue with that idea is the occasional car could be just as much a threat as anyone lurking in the darkness of the trails.

Scheherezade 

Are people really out thugging at 2:30am? That's more of an 6pm-midnight hobby statistically. If you have a buddy, it might be worth trying out the trail some evening as a pair. I've ridden urban MUPs at the time of the night and they normally quite deserted.

Mondo734

I have ridden the Platte river MUP once or twice at night but it was much earlier than when I would be getting off work (10pm vs. 2am). I definitely plan on getting a bright headlight and I would probably be riding at a speed of about 17-20mph the entire ride. As for ridding it with a friend I may have to try and find someone to do this with me; its a great idea thanks.

The posts here got me thinking that maybe it might be better for me to ride to work on the MUP's and Trails and then ride home via the streets. I used google maps to see what it would give me and both road routes are actually about 4 miles shorter than the trail route. This would hopefully mean getting home about 20 minutes sooner and may prove to be safer at night.

Bahnzo

Do you work at Echostar?

Rx Rider

I'd be more worried about the 2am bar fools than real criminals at work. I don't think they'd be looking for action on the Platte River. but as others said VERY bright light, zoom and I would have a air zound readily available. I commuted for a year on that MUP and my only problem was eating a few hundred gnats, but that was daytime.

Mondo734

No I work at the Denver jail.

So I would be taking the plate trail from 8th and zuni to the sand creek trail and that pretty much puts me right by my job.

And yea I frequently snack on knats when I commute near confluence park on the platte (during the day commute to school).

no motor?

When I started riding the bike trail between home and work or GFs a few years ago I wondered how safe it was to ride at night. This trail runs under some big high tension power lines, and is part of the half block of mainly level grass field that is between single family homes or apartments. I asked a cop one day about problems on the path and he said they get called out to this area fairly often at night. We were talking after I had called them when I found an unconscious person next to the path (he was a regular, one of the other cops had memorized his social security after finding him passed out and drunk enough times), and I haven't seen them out there again in the 6 years or so since then. I haven't felt too nervous riding this trail in the dark either, bright lights and confidence tend to get others to stay away.

Mondo734

Well at this point I am very familiar with the Platte river Mup during the day time and have ridden it a few times after dark w/o lights (I dont normaly ride at night). During the few times I did ride at night it was around 10pm and there were still some other cyclists around, but at 2am I doubt that would be the case, but if I was going to be out commuting at that hour I would have a good light or two. Now for the Sand Creek trail, I am much less familiar with that. I have only ridden it about 3 times and all were in the day. The Sand Creek trail seems much more secluded and with much less traffic even during the day.