I love riding at nite . The later the better .because less people on the steet and in there cars.
Less sound to get in the way . Best nite to ride are sunday thru wednesday. Some time you can go out and not see aliving soul for hours . You just have to love the nite . Thanks Spidercyclist .

I've always loved riding at night.

I remember my first real night ride. I was 11 or 12 years old and lived, at the time, in a small CO town. My little brother and I and a couple friends who were sleeping over all snuck out of the house around midnite or so and went tearing around town on our BMX bikes. I don't really remember where exactly we rode, or how long we were out for, I just remember having a blast, and at one point stepping into the post office lobby to warm up. (It was during the winter. The snow on the ground and streets just made it all that much more fun. You haven't lived until you've gone over the bars at full-tilt on purpose into a snowbank ). At that hour a town town that small (Pop. ~1200) is pretty-frickin' quiet. It was like we had the whole town as our personal playground.

Turns out the cops spotted us, but they already knew who's kids we were, so rather than doing anything about it they simply called our parents and let them know what was up. We didn't even know we'd been caught 'til the next day.

It was worth it .

Been riding in the dark (mostly off-road, but more recently on the road as well) ever since.

-Trevor

"I got hit when a car crossed a double yellow. CPD didn't give 'em a ticket saying that since it was at night and I didn't have a front light it was unreasonable for them to see me. total b.s. and I have the insurance check to prove it."

welll.....gotta agree with CPD that it was unreasonable for them to see you unlit. However, it is illegal to cross a double yellow under any circumstances. He shouldve been ticketed for that if nothing else.

anywhoooo....more proof that the streets just werent intended for bikes (said with the greatest of sarcasm)

Well it also depends on what the state and city laws are regarding night bicycle operation. Here we are required by law to have red rear and white front lights and they must be visible from some set distance on a clear night. That's never enforced, but should you be in an accident, you'll put yourself in a bad place by not being in compliance.

Of course even if Chicago has such a requirement, the right thing to do would be cite the driver for improper lane change, the cyclist for improper equipment, and send it to the insurance companies or the court for a determination on any damages. Given that there was a settlement, that last part is what sounds like happened. My guess is the reasoning went like: yes, the cyclist should have been lit and it was unreasonable to expect the driver to see them. On the other hand, it was a double yellow and had the driver obeyed the law, they wouldn't have been in a position to hit the cyclist in the first place. Their illegal crossing that line directly led to the accident.

I love how bats follow me, using my bug-packed beams as a free lunch. I love riding after the pubs and clubs have closed, when the streets are deserted. I love the circus of lights. I love the silent whirr of wheels and stars.

The downside? Nighttime grinds up unlit hills take forever. And you have to remember to charge your lights. But that's about it. With some big lights, you own the night.

I agree with what folks are saying. There is a different rythem in the night. I"m a fan.

I also have one light in front and two in the rear () (one solid on my bag and one blinking mounted on my seat stay).

Summer nights in big cities (New York a lot, Boston somewhat) seem to pulse with life in every direction: you can see people walking, driving, biking around; you can hear music and conversations from bars and houses and the like. When you head out into a warm night on your bike, it feels like you might just find anything and everything - the world seems to open up wildly like a fish-eye lens on all sides.

If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be Tranquility.

want to say thanks to all for their thoughts. I've collected the juicy bits and will use them if possible. Here's what I've got:


I love the different sense the city has (I'm a urban night rider). Go downtown to the financial district and all the streets are open and all the buildings sort of channel you in but you're free to go as fast as you like. I love the sparkliness. I love steam coming out of manhole covers. I love watching people do their evening things, going to movies, going to bars and clubs, taking carriage rides.

What I love is that state of darkness where you can't see much beyond your front wheel, the ground seems to unwind off a giant roll before you—you almost feel as though you can ride off the edge of the world.

In the dark one seems to travel faster and smoother.

Less cars and depending on what streets you're on, you've got the city to yourself almost.

I find it relaxing for the most part, and feel like I can concentrate on the ride or my thoughts more than trying to avoid cars and watch for traffic. Taking small streets and alleyways adds another level of stealth and non-disturbance. Night rides are good, that's for sure, decidedly different, but good in their own way.

i like it most because in the city there are less cars, and you can take up a whole lane of traffic, and not have to worry about it.

everything feels different at night. Even your most common path can feel new and exciting.

I love how the wind is often blowing less at night in the city

i really enjoy riding at night for the most part. everything seems more peaceful and relaxed and i can just ride. i always enjoy riding to certain areas of the city where i can get a good view of the skyline or at least part of it. i also enjoy being able to get on certain roads that are normally sketchy to ride on, but at night i can go really fast on them. i always wear a red blinky light on back and recently bought a led headlight for the front.

Everything is new. Sights, sounds, everything. Your perceived speed is much higher. If in a full moon period, utter beauty and every shape takes on a surreal quality.

I prefer drunk drivers to drivers in a rush to get to work who haven't had their Mocha Lattes yet.

You can hear the cars from further away, since it is quieter. They are easier to see as well, since (most) have their lights on. If you look in the right spots, such as street signs or building windows, you can tell that there are cars around blind corners because of the reflections.

There's also the random stuff you see late at night - bums standing on street corners tend to do more interesting things than office workers.

The solitude is also a big one for me. Sometimes I get off of work early (read 2-4am) and hit the trails. I almost never see another biker. It's a good feeling to know you are the only one where you are, the only one not just sleeping at home...

I like hearing the zip of the wheels on the smooth main roads which are empty at night and getting hot dogs or burritos at 3am after working up an appetite riding around with friends

mainly the silence.....

I love how bats follow me, using my bug-packed beams as a free lunch. I love riding after the pubs and clubs have closed, when the streets are deserted. I love the circus of lights. I love the silent whir of wheels and stars.

When you head out into a warm night on your bike, it feels like you might just find anything and everything - the world seems to open up wildly like a fish-eye lens on all sides.

If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be Tranquility.

You forgot to mention David Hasselhoff

If I had to sum up David Hasselhoff in one word, it would be Tranquility.

riding at night makes me feel like i'm doing something deliciously naughty. it’s like sneaking out of a girl's bedroom through the window. while people are sitting around their dinner tables talking about their days, i'm out exploring the weird and wonderful place that my city changes into after dark.

That just means you're not going out late enough!

I love night riding, I beleive in visibility despite the drawbacks (people change the way they drive around you when they see you especially at night, that ain't good IMO)
I worked nights as a messenger for several years, my fovourite thing was getting a call at 3am to run something from downtown to a nearby burb. so so empty & quiet, 12 miles later, back in sack completely relaxed

hey, go easy on me, it's a wonder i can even drag myself out of the house once 'king of queens' starts.

Riding at night means the streets are mine. It means the stoplights are slowlights and the stopsigns are slowsigns. I can ride in the middle of the lane and listen for cars because it's so quiet. I can breath air not exhaust. Yeah, I ride at night a lot.

And I've never gotten a speeding ticket on my bike while the sun is shining. Only by light of the moon. Twice.

Night time fun = Dyno lights on an unlit, thickly wooded bike trail. Slow speed > visibility problems > fear > more light > high speed > fear ... and the cycle continues.

You get a bus lane AND a bike lane? In Scotland the bike lane IS the bus lane.

I am another proponent of night cycling. I work long hours so in winter I pretty much only ride at night.
I love the lack of cars, even on normally busy roads and that sense of peace and inner calm you get when you are alone and focused on the task at hand.

It's pretty much only in the downtown area. There are 2 or 3 lanes of car traffic going one way, then a bike lane and bus lane going the other direction. The bike lane is right in the center of the road, pretty much...

my second job delivering movies at night kind of ruins the whole experience. plus it's been damn cold after dark lately.


but when it's warm and i'm not working late, i prefer night riding. mainly because (as previously said) i'm probaly philly's biggest recluse/paranoiac. i hate being looked at, and at night in my neighborhood the only other people out are drug dealers, and well, they hate being looked at also.

it's kind of like our unspoken bond.

You might be able to get a 3rd job if you look at them once in a while

Or spend all the money from your first...

[QUOTE=Wierd Beard]You get a bus lane AND a bike lane? In Scotland the bike lane IS the bus lane.

Boy, you get a bus lane? Here there are only car lanes, buses run in them and bikes often get the unpaved shoulder, when there is a shoulder.

At night I can ride around with my handy bike mounted gun rack without getting any funny looks