I am just curious who you are, how you got started, etc.
I see alot of stuff in catalogs now with lighting systems and also alot of 24hour marathons where lighting is a necessity.

If you've done any of these events or have other interesting experiences and/or advice regarding riding at night I'd be interested to hear it !!

J.

I ride at night some and I really enjoy it. My most recent night riding was two weeks ago at the 24 Hours of Big Bear. I was the only rider on the team that had to do two night laps. The first one was great. The second one was pretty rough after already being up for over 24 hours.

My biggest advice is start out on trails that you are familiar with and get a good light. I use the CygoLite zForce NiMH light. It is pretty expensive but definately worth it.

Here is a link to it. https://www.cygolite.com/light/products/1zForceNiMH.htm

Here it is at Beyond Bikes. https://www.beyondbikes.com/BB/ItemDesc.asp?IC=QLT7824

i ride at night, even just on roads for fun... its really soothing and comfortable. just you and the air. make sure you have lights/reflectors though.

Yeah, I just getting started riding off road. So far I like it alot...although I can't say I'm thrilled when it gets really muddy but that's the leftover roadie in me...
It is very nice to not have to worry about traffic.

Oops, double post.

We have group night rides every once and a while and those are a blast. It's very different than riding in the day and makes even your most-ridden trails seem almost new again. Definately go with a good light. Helmet mout if possible. I use a turbocat trailguide and am very happy with it. It lights the trail enough to ride alone if I have to without a problem, and is not too obnoxious. Some of those expensive lights seem to be too bright, I'm sure they're great for the rider wearing it but it's hard for other riders.

If you do get into it you'll have a great time. It's a completely different experience.

I ride at night and, as a matter of fact, will be going for a night ride tonight. I've also done a 24 hour race (Idyllwild, CA).

For the race I had a cheap pair of duallies that worked well for the race but the mounting system sucked (two mounts that needed a screw driver and rubber spacers to work) and the stupid wire would come out whenever things got bumpy (imagine going down a semi-technical singletrack and having your light suddenly go buh-bye...not fun at all) so I got rid of them and bought my current lighting system, the Nightrider Flamethrower (handlebar mounted HID system with LED backup).

The Nightrider system is absolutely great with a longer battery life, incredible lighting capability and more than enough settings to take care of pretty much any situation however, it does have one major drawback: price. They retail for $400+ so not everyone can afford one. If you're on a budget, you can definitely find some $100 light systems that will work just fine.

As for night riding itself, it is a whole different discipline than riding during the day. In some ways it's actually more fun but it requires a lot more attention to detail and you have to really keep an eye on what's going on ahead of you as you can't see as far up the trail as you can under normal conditions. All in all though, it's really something every mountain-biker needs to do once-in-a-while.

Can't say I've ever raced at night, but I do ride at night. Good lighting is a must, trail knowledge helps too. It's a whole new experience riding the same trail at night versus day. It's not something I like to do alone though, unless it's a way easy trail. Maybe it's just the fact night adds a sense of increased danger, depending on the trail.