nite riders?
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10-12-22, 08:11 PM
#52
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I used to bike off road at night - one or two nights per week - typically early fall through spring - with multiple groups ... it was fairly popular
This was in the early to mid 90's
At the time there were basically two high-end light systems : Night Sun and Niterider ; they cost around $200 ... a $30 light these days probably provides as much illumination as they provided
This was in the early to mid 90's
At the time there were basically two high-end light systems : Night Sun and Niterider ; they cost around $200 ... a $30 light these days probably provides as much illumination as they provided
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10-13-22, 06:53 AM
#53
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Night rides have been a staple of mine for decades since moving to SW FL in '86 (Hurricanes Ian and Charlie made visits and now still evacuated since electric is out and water is just starting to flow, hoping to return soon) but we are under a 10PM to 6AM curfew and those are my hours I ride putting a halt to night riding until lifted. Even when curfew lifts I still have to heal from my second wild hog hit while on a night time ride. Latest on July 26th at 3:04AM resulted in fractured Tibia still not healed and first on April 27, 2020 resulted in 2 cracked ribs + punctured lung + cracked Scapula + left shoulder trauma that paved the way for a torn rotator cuff from a crash on July 4, 2021.
Started the year with my monthly night time 100 mile FULL MOON RIDES but Prostate Cancer (PCa) issue put a halt to those rides just 4 months into the year. At 72 it's harder to bounce back from health issue but I'm determined to continue as hard as possible until I die. Now another PCa issue just popped up with latest blood work so ????
Started the year with my monthly night time 100 mile FULL MOON RIDES but Prostate Cancer (PCa) issue put a halt to those rides just 4 months into the year. At 72 it's harder to bounce back from health issue but I'm determined to continue as hard as possible until I die. Now another PCa issue just popped up with latest blood work so ????
10-13-22, 03:31 PM
#54
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NiteRider is a brand of light. Night rider is a weird name for people that ride at night.
10-13-22, 06:20 PM
#55
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10-13-22, 07:14 PM
#56
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Now what would be the fun in that? But seriously, I'm sure a lot more people would get out on their bikes after dark if they just tried it once. It embodies an element of excitement like a carnival ride does when you're a kid. Good times, Smokey
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10-14-22, 04:32 AM
#58
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well I have my batteries that have sat all summer & I don't want to ruin them by charging them prematurely. it might be healthier for the batteries to run them for an hour or so at least, top them off, then take them out. I dislike riding in the dark & having a light cut out suddenly, while I'm moving
10-14-22, 04:37 AM
#59
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Pretty sure batteries no longer need to be completely drained before being recharged .... back in the day, indeed, you could ruin a battery, because it would never charge beyond whatever power level it had when you recharged it. Not so any more, Technology and stuff.
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10-14-22, 09:25 AM
#60
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Like Maelochs stated, todays lithium batteries are more like a fuel tank. You can fill them up from any level and run them down to any level. Most lithium bat manufacturers recommend not even storing them fully charged, but instead charging them right before use.
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10-14-22, 11:28 AM
#61
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uh oh that's sounds familiar, now I don't remember what I did last spring ...
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10-14-22, 05:35 PM
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The important thing is to charge them fully before flying.
Really adds excitement to the flight.
Really adds excitement to the flight.
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10-15-22, 02:01 PM
#65
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Dynamos don't need recharging. I have a Kasai hub Dynamo, so far it works great, maybe I should have spent more for a Schmidt SON, but so far so good.
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10-16-22, 06:09 PM
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I used to bike off road at night - one or two nights per week - typically early fall through spring - with multiple groups ... it was fairly popular
This was in the early to mid 90's
At the time there were basically two high-end light systems : Night Sun and Niterider ; they cost around $200 ... a $30 light these days probably provides as much illumination as they provided
This was in the early to mid 90's
At the time there were basically two high-end light systems : Night Sun and Niterider ; they cost around $200 ... a $30 light these days probably provides as much illumination as they provided
Bright enough now, even if the beam pattern is still a little more scattered than I'd like, especially the 50w, but both setups get absolutely trounced for intensity by the 2AA Streamlight clipped to my helmet as a follow-spot
10-16-22, 08:06 PM
#67
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I do three group night rides a month. The first Friday with Bike New Bedford. The third Friday with Providence Bike Jam. The full moon ride with Fall River Bike. Providence bike jam usually draws in excess of 200 riders in the summer months. Not so much in the spring and fall. Around 125.
Last night was the rescheduled (Hurricane Ian remnants) full moon ride on the East Bay Bike Path
Last night was the rescheduled (Hurricane Ian remnants) full moon ride on the East Bay Bike Path
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10-16-22, 08:30 PM
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And yet, the people that race in cities at night, and people who deliver on bikes at night rarely use lights. As far as "things you can do to avoid being hit by a car at night" making yourself visible isn't nearly as high on the list as some people think it is. Stuff like not being distracted is much more important
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10-24-22, 03:01 AM
#69
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I ride almost every day and if I just stuck to fair weather and light conditions would never go out. All my bikes are equipped with lights both forward and back. Also have the $25 amazon helmet light set to strobe. I also have a headlamp fashioned to my helmet but leave it off most of the time due to weight having caused neck issues so the strap stays but I keep the light off except for trails in the dark and only use it for night mountain bike riding. It sounds extreme but it isn't dangerous at all courtesy of how good and bright modern bike lights are. If you go with more than one person ( never do night MTB alone because of animals like bear, mountain lion, deer sized coyotes even deer can be aggressive it's their territory after all) the total available light is so much it's totally fine.
Another benefit to dark riding is those are the times on road for example that there are the least cars. Most accidents happen during rush hour. A lot of people are anxious or tell me what a bad idea going out at 8pm is but the truth is that I live in a somewhat rural suburbanish area with wide main roads. If I go for a 1 hour ride at that time I could count on the fingers on one hand during that time the total cars that pass by me vs taking mere seconds at like 4pm and commuting somewhere. The probabilities are in my favor at that hour. And the lights are REALLY good and so is the warmth afforded by modern clothing so why not?
Another benefit to dark riding is those are the times on road for example that there are the least cars. Most accidents happen during rush hour. A lot of people are anxious or tell me what a bad idea going out at 8pm is but the truth is that I live in a somewhat rural suburbanish area with wide main roads. If I go for a 1 hour ride at that time I could count on the fingers on one hand during that time the total cars that pass by me vs taking mere seconds at like 4pm and commuting somewhere. The probabilities are in my favor at that hour. And the lights are REALLY good and so is the warmth afforded by modern clothing so why not?
10-24-22, 08:54 AM
#70
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In Providence R.I. we have a monthly night ride on the third Friday. Usually around 200 hundred show. This Friday October 22, Providence Bike Jam has the annual Halloween Ride. Below is a good representation of the monthly ride.
Click the Yourtube link at the bottom of the video for better quality.
Click the Yourtube link at the bottom of the video for better quality.
Last edited by capejohn; 10-24-22 at 09:01 AM.
10-24-22, 10:05 AM
#71
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I ride almost every day and if I just stuck to fair weather and light conditions would never go out. All my bikes are equipped with lights both forward and back. Also have the $25 amazon helmet light set to strobe. I also have a headlamp fashioned to my helmet but leave it off most of the time due to weight having caused neck issues so the strap stays but I keep the light off except for trails in the dark and only use it for night mountain bike riding. It sounds extreme but it isn't dangerous at all courtesy of how good and bright modern bike lights are. If you go with more than one person ( never do night MTB alone because of animals like bear, mountain lion, deer sized coyotes even deer can be aggressive it's their territory after all) the total available light is so much it's totally fine.
Another benefit to dark riding is those are the times on road for example that there are the least cars. Most accidents happen during rush hour. A lot of people are anxious or tell me what a bad idea going out at 8pm is but the truth is that I live in a somewhat rural suburbanish area with wide main roads. If I go for a 1 hour ride at that time I could count on the fingers on one hand during that time the total cars that pass by me vs taking mere seconds at like 4pm and commuting somewhere. The probabilities are in my favor at that hour. And the lights are REALLY good and so is the warmth afforded by modern clothing so why not?
Another benefit to dark riding is those are the times on road for example that there are the least cars. Most accidents happen during rush hour. A lot of people are anxious or tell me what a bad idea going out at 8pm is but the truth is that I live in a somewhat rural suburbanish area with wide main roads. If I go for a 1 hour ride at that time I could count on the fingers on one hand during that time the total cars that pass by me vs taking mere seconds at like 4pm and commuting somewhere. The probabilities are in my favor at that hour. And the lights are REALLY good and so is the warmth afforded by modern clothing so why not?
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10-24-22, 11:25 AM
#72
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Another benefit to dark riding is those are the times on road for example that there are the least cars. Most accidents happen during rush hour. A lot of people are anxious or tell me what a bad idea going out at 8pm is but the truth is that I live in a somewhat rural suburbanish area with wide main roads. If I go for a 1 hour ride at that time I could count on the fingers on one hand during that time the total cars that pass by me vs taking mere seconds at like 4pm and commuting somewhere. The probabilities are in my favor at that hour. And the lights are REALLY good and so is the warmth afforded by modern clothing so why not?
I used to ride to work frequently when I was on 2nd shift (2p-11p) The midnight ride home was far less stressful than the daytime ride in; even in the heavily developed suburban/commercial areas I traveled. Way easier to deal with the 4- and 6-lane parkways, particularly the massive intersections, when you’re only dealing with 3-4 vehicles, rather than dozens coming from all directions.
Most of my route was lit, to one extent or another, so my on-bike lighting was more to “be seen” than “to see with”
I also liked to go out late for fast-paced tempo rides. There’s a couple nearby neighborhoods that were great for doing intervals, but were only accessible by a 1/2-to-1-mile run down a very high-traffic 6-lane that would be crazy dangerous under normal operating conditions
At 12a-1a; you might get passed by half a dozen cars, but they can see you a 1/4-mile off, and they can pass with a whole lane to spare
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10-24-22, 11:40 AM
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Lights are a must but I do believe that the most important part of night time ridding is that Reflective Vest...
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10-24-22, 08:25 PM
#75
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I live in Northern RI and the animals are incredible. You realize that you are actually part of and not necessarily at the top of the food chain. Pepper spray is a good add on to bike kit they sell special holsters for handlebars or top tubes. *ALL* my bicycles have one.
