Mr. Beanz

This was different. Strange spooky but exhilarating. Climbing up into the mountains at night. Anybody else have any pics or night stories, post em up.

I rode up GMR lastnight, about 6 miles up. Geeze it was DARK and almost too quiet. I could hear every little movement from the mountain side banks. Maybe just a lizard but I get that eerie feeling of getting jumped from above by a lion. If I kept my eyes straight ahead, it wasn't as bad but looking up to the side tyring to see something made it spooky. After 3 miles it got much better. Not sure if I relaxed but the noises seemed to fade. I only saw 2 cars and when you're up in the dark alone, it's actually nice to see them. Then I wonder if they might be dumping dead bodies haha. My imagination runs wild in the dark.

Recorded some video but eventhough I could see with my lights, the vid is pitch black. Took a few pics but event the camera doesn't pick up much. The view of city lights is much nicer in person. I don't have fancy lights but the two that I used up front were enough to get me down the mountain with a 31.8 max speed. Didn't worry me much at all holding a pretty good pace on the descent. Maybe because I know the road well. Overall, pretty refreshing ride! If I had a ride partner, I'd ride further up but alone, if somethign goes wrong, I'm in BIG trouble.



IMG_4407 by gulpxtreme, on Flickr



IMG_4399 by gulpxtreme, on Flickr


IMG_4390 by gulpxtreme, on Flickr

idoru2005

Hey Mr. Beanz, what kind of lighting setup do you have? Looks like you have two headlights. What are they?

JC 911

How was it on the downhill? I would be more nervous about high speeds at night rather than going uphill. Never know what can dart out or perhaps not seeing stuff on the road until the last second.

Mr. Beanz

Couple of cheapos. Planet Bike ($25) and a Cateye OptiCube ($40). Nothing fancy but they did the job. I aim one down at the road and one straight ahead.


lite1 by gulpxtreme, on Flickr


lite2 by gulpxtreme, on Flickr

Mr. Beanz

Downhill wasn't bad. I could see some even without the lights so it wasn't pitch black. The lights did the job but knowing the road helps too. I've hit 42 on this descent so 31, I was holding back for safety reasons. Good thing is taking the whole road cause there is NOBODY up there.

Blackdays

How did you get the pics of yourself on the bike if you didn't have a riding partner?

Mr. Beanz

A small tripod and a camera. I document my rides so I take pics and vids even if I'm alone.

Blackdays

That seems like a hassle.

Mr. Beanz

I record video on the way up while riding with one hand so that I can pan at will. On the way down. I will pick a spot, set up the litle tripod, descend then climb back up or vice versa. So I get my ride in then I pose. The little extra climbing thrown in is just bonus time on the bike. When I record video, I set up then climb back up about 100 yards then descend. Not much of a hassle considering that if I descend straight down, the ride is over too soon. Same thing when I ride with Gina. If we complete the climb and feel like riding more, we'll take a side road for some pics. It's all time on the bike which is good time.

umd

A few years ago I underestimated the amount of time it would take me to get to and across our mountain ridge after work (due to wind), and overestimated how much daylight I had left. Ended up having to do most of the descent by moonlight, with no lights. Stupid, I know. When I got to the lower half of the descent, I had done it so many times I knew it all by memory. It felt very peaceful.

I wrote a little story about it on my blog.

robncircus

I used to do night rides with some former BF regulars (HerbM and Mark AJ and Hansolo). Nothing like Baldy at night though. However, I'd be up for a cool night ride for sure if someone organizaed one. Looks fun.

kayakdiver

brianbeech

I did the same thing riding home from work - I was climbing at the darkest point with a new moon and going very slow, but it was so dark I had to hold my cell phone out to see the road. Miserable, yet strangely serene.

tugrul

Yesterday my ride dipped into the darkness. At least with the moon out, nothing worrisome except when getting dazzled by high beams at close range after a turn or hill crest. Only so far down that I can look.

aggro_jo

Was this taken with a timer and tripod?

NickDavid

I'm sorry. That signature is just incredible. Can you make me one?

Mansram01

I've always wondered if cyclists ride up mountains at night. It's the descent and the wildlife that most concerns me..

RB1-luvr

I like night hiking this time of year. We night snow shoe up Mt Greylock regularly.

gundom66

When it started getting dark around 7:00 before the time change, I thought I'd visit this small dirt trail up in the hill about 2 miles from my house behind a city college. I'd bike up to the very top and wait for the sun to go down and just hang out until it's dark. when you look around you, you'll see street lights from 1/4 to 1/2 away and the college parking lights below you. You'd think that you're all alone, then you hear someone coming up the trail. Runners, joggers, couples, or just a lonely wanderer with a flashlight and a big stick. It was kind of cool especially if you use the early moon as lighting, but it does get a bit scary when jamming down the dirt trail trying to apply your daytime skills on how to take corners at high speed. I've overshot a couple of times finding myself going through high grass and weeds. Then on the way back, the trail is right next to a runoff and a couple of times I heard really loud rustling noises that scared the effin' crap outta me! Only to find out that the dog and its master coming out from the bushes. LOL

Mr. Beanz

The wildlife was my biggest concern on the first two miles. I had never been on this road at night so going alone for the first night trip was scary. After 3 miles, the nerves weren't as shot. I did almost jump out of my chamois at mile one. It looked as if something had shot out of the brush aiming for my leg. It was the light reflecting onto the rising shoulder of the road. That one really got me!

Mr. Beanz

I did do a late afternoon ride up to Potato Mtn with a friend. He had a light and I didn't but he figured we'd be done by dark so he said I wouldn't need a light (I was new to MTB). As always, nothing ever goes as planned. We were at the top at nightfall. Sweet view over the valley but the downhill was pitch black without a light. Not sure what happend to him but I found myself alone. I waited at the bottom for about 5 mintues then headed back up into the darkness when I realized he wasn't showing. Ends up he flatted. He added air rather than replacing the tube in the dark. I don't blame him, that would have taken another few minutes working by headlight.

edbikebabe

I like night riding - but for me it's always on the mountain bike - never road.

Machka 

I am not keen on climbing at night for two reasons ...

1) I feel dizzy ... I think it has something to do with the sway of the light

2) I can't tell how far I have to climb or how steep the climb is, and so I don't know how much energy I should use, or should keep in reserve, in order to make it to the top.

I find climbing at night very disorienting.

But riding on flat ground at night can be lovely.

Rowan

If you do long randonnees, you have no choice.

The 300 Machka and I did this past weekend included about four hours of darkness. I fitted a Lumotec Fly light to the front of the tandem... the Fly was taken from my single, and normally is powered by a dynohub. It's a wonderful light -- 3W LED with a beautiful reflector that spreads the beam far and wide. I then connected it to a 10 amphour SLA battery (there is no dynohub on the tandem).

Combine that light with the full moon we had on a super-clear night, and the riding was glorious. I "woke up" Machka up at one stage when I yelled "Get off the road" to an errant possum. The slience was golden, but so was that moment!

I love riding at night and especially on country roads. The traffic is almost non-existent and for some reason whatever drivers there are seem to give me a wider berth. If there are other cyclists, you can see their red taillights way off into the distance. I can hear the livestock move away from wire fences as I pass and startle them. I've had kangaroos jump out and hop along at speed beside me. I've had possums dash into my front wheel, bounce off, then finally make their crossing. I can feel how the roadside trees retain the daytime heat and radiate it at night.

Climbing at night in clear conditions can be quite fun. Even in the rain. It sort of strips away all the extraneous stuff and you are left only with the bike and the road ahead.

Descending certainly increases my awareness.

logdrum

Last night was full moon. By 515 PM, the moon was already showing. I was the only fool climbing Sandia Crest late in the afternoon. By the time I started people other cyclists were already going home. It was really nice to come down with the full moon. The only thing not fun was it was 27F at the top of the mountain (according to one motorist car thermometer). I had the Opticube like you and a led head lamp from Lowes and a planet bike blinkie.


I do ride a lot at night, some hills, but as roadie yesterday was my second time blasting down a mountain. 4500 ft descent. The oter time was this summer at the end of my solo double century. I have and do it many times with a mountain bike but yesterday was epic. I did not start in complete darkness though and the moonlight made a lot of difference. The wind was bad though and the steep section around the ski area had a really nasty gust that almost took me out.