Riding the SART at night with lights question.
 

Hey all ,

I just bought a light for my bike (JetLites Starfire Single Beam w/ 20 Watt bulb) to be able to keep riding this winter and I've got a question. Can I expect to be able to go the same speeds (19 mph average) on the SART as I can during daylight? If not what can I expect? I haven't ridden at night since I was a teenager, but I'm really looking forward to keeping up the miles this winter instead of getting fat[ter].

Also I had a great experience with the place I bought it from, "Mountains Plus". They didn't have the exact light I ordered so they called me to ask if they could send me the same light, but with the upgraded (38 dollars more) "fuel gage"... said "yes"?!?! He said he knew it sounded wierd, but he said some bikers can be very picky...:rolleyes: Anyway, so many complain about bad transactions done over the internet that I just wanted to comment on how great this one was.


And no, I don't work for them, I design playgrounds.

Hey man, a friend of mine that lives down by the iceskating place (Gypsum CYN), says he was riding near Greenriver and encountered a smaller female mtn lion. eported it to the ranger at Featherly. Ranger said she had just had cubs and prolly looking for food. So they knew about it. Just a heads up to be careful if you go near that area.:D...I think you ride from HB, so may not need to worry, but I remember a few weeks ago, someone else also asked about night riding in that area.

I don't know specifically about SART at night, but with decent lighting, darkness in of itself really isn't an issue. When I commuted by bike (haven't done that for a while), I would hit 30-35 MPH on the descent on my late-night ride home with a 5W light providing illumination. During the day, I might hit 40 MPH on that hill.

Hey Beanz,

Thanks for the heads up. I don't want to be the "road biker" that was food for some animal like that poor MTB out at Whitting Ranch.

I'll be leaving from work at the SART and Ball Rd./Taft Ave. and going north more than likely, but maybe I'll just turn around at Weir Canyon and keep to that 10 mile stretch. Do laps if I want more miles in.

They heve pretty good ice at that ice rink by the way, I take my daughter there.

Thanks again for the warning!

Hey Jason,

I took it out for a test run around the local streets here this evening, but with all the street lights it's hard to imagine what it's like on the pitch black SART. If you can ride with a 5W light at those speeds, this 20W halogen should be ok, it is incredibly bright.

Earlier this year when my friend crashed on the stretch of the SART near my place of work, I had to go and get my truck to pick up his bike and the other rider. By the time I got back to pick him up (we were racing the sunset anyway) it was BLACK out there!

It's amazing how even a little light goes a long ways in the pitch dark. Of course, knowing the road helps. You're not looking for where the road's going then. And angling the light to project as far forward as possible on the road helps things. You shouldn't need to see the road right in front of your wheel. You should have already seen that section a second ago.

I'd be worried more about the fools hanging out on the trail. Once a guy pushed a shopping basket down one of the underpass slopes at us! We were riding the tandem during broad daylight. Good thing we were on the tandem or iGna would have chased him and ripped his head off!:D

Hope you're not riding alone!

I am considereing getting some lights for my bike so I can train at night also. I plan to stay on the roads near my house and away from areas that I don't know well. I considered SART, but my concern was not the wild life, but with the natives. There are some sections of the SART that go through some "not so good areas" and the over passes make great shelter for the homeless. You would be on the trail by yourself. If something happened............... I don't know, but I would avoid it.

I hear ya and if I was going south on the trail and through Santa Ana I would be more worried, that's not to say I'm not concerned about the stretch through Orange and Anaheim, but I don't see the same "wildlife" as exists in Santa Ana. I can't even imagine riding on the street at night though, especially where I live, that just sounds very scary. I need to talk to my friend Dennis Barrena, he rides tons of miles with lights in the winter and see what he thinks of the SART at night.

Thanks for your input Polonswim, I still have a few weeks to digest all this before I decide what to do.

Hey I LIVE right by GYpsum Canyon ! Come on out ...that way when I ride the next morning she won't be hungry !!!! Besides it will inspire you to get those 30-35MPH sprints in!

:eek:

Ok, you convinced me, I'm there! I need to work on my sprints anyway.