Night riding

[Adam]

I tried to post this yesterday, but it doesn't seem to have popped up.

It's the time of year for riding at night. (??) I'd like to hear other folks' strategies and recommendations for fun rides at night.

My rides at night have mostly been 15-20 mile road rides, fairly fast. The main problem I've had is relaxing, especially at higher speeds with the reduced visibility. I've been curious about trail riding but haven't tried it.

thoughts? I'm not buying dynamos right now, but have adequate lights, backups, vest, etc. I'm mostly looking for ride ideas, things not to do, things that are more fun than they sound, etc.

Thanks

Adam

[Roberta]

I find night riding very stress relieving and soothing, because I ride slower at night.  It's a great way to end the day.

For my one bike that doesn't have Dyno lighting, I have two lights.  That way, no worrying.  On the back, I have three red lights.  I also have reflector vest, triangle and reflector ankle straps (that Riv sells).  It's the holiday season soon, so my bike will shortly be lit with holiday lights.  How can you not feel good about that!

[Artaud]

I love it! I just came back from a 40km ride on a mix of trails, roads and residential streets. I started 30 minutes before sunset and came back through pitch black streets. I had forgotten how cold it gets after sunset though.

I like how I hear different sounds, especially near the trails - it makes you feel tolerated (but maybe not quite welcome) by whatever critters lurk in the shadows...

Denis, in NC

[Patrick Moore]

I believe that reflectors, Sam Browne belts, triangles, stickers, tape, are essential to augment lights. But with bright lights front and rear, battery or dynamo, and ample reflectors, I'll bet riders are more visible at night than during the day.

I'd stay off of multilane boulevards where the overwhelming presence of car headlights drowns out bike lighting, but for slower and narrower roads, I'd think myself pretty safe.

Patrick Moore, who long ago used to commute ~12-14 miles across town at night on busy streets, but would probably not do so now, in ABQ, NM.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[ascpgh]

I like to separate the arms race of lumens and reflective area on my night rides. They are slower, tend to last longer if I'm not on a to-bed schedule for early wake up. Not so concerning after this weekend. I was at the dog park with my pup and before I really took note of the sunset. 64° was headed for the 40°s under the clear skies and I was in shorts, T-shirt and a shell.

I've reported on night rides around here before, where there are definitely two cultures of dark riding. One that starts around the corner from my house has been more of a Dirty Dozen Bike Race training ride and has been running three sadomasochistic hours and thirty miles weekly. The other began with my friend and me after the regular riding season meeting at that coffee shop ended in October. We meander, we invite new to the dark riders, we go places the high tempo riders skip for better paces and miles while they train for the Dirty Dozen bike Race originated by ultra rider Danny Chew. They all tend to be on their road racing bikes with battery lights. I have evolved (over 25? years) to dyno hubs, wired LED head and taillights, carrying a rechargeable set to back others up in case of a fail. Don't like phantom bikes around me unless we're clustering around a rider who's batteries died. A few of us continue into the bad weather, be it wet or cold. It adds to the challenging character of night riding. Headlights redefine a place you ride in the daylight, focussing on what's important and redefining all else. 

I like to include photo stops, curious passageways, local sights and surprising connections. Food and drink often involved. Too hard for new initiates to dark riding to grasp the fast cool of darkness mentioned by Denis in NC and adequately provide for full spectrum physical output so we try not to get too sweat soaked at any point although everyone's experience (effort/perspiration) will vary on any given hill so accommodation is my byword. I like to have a big enough bag on my bike to carry extra layers ("normalizing" items for a restaurant) and a lock for stops.

I commute year round and my days begin and end with my rides before sunrise and after sunset for all but about three months and a week or so of the year. I pedal each leg allowing myself to be amazed and let some wonderment into my head. One neighborhood on my route has made quite a resurgence in the fifteen years I've been pedaling through it. Businesses have anchored, people have reason to be there and a core of artisans have been promoting a "First Fridays" evening sidewalk festival for years now with businesses open sidestreets marketplaces sprouted for the night adding to the resident restaurants, coffee shops, a tea house and microbrewery. Takes all the stress from work out of my head or clears it to begin another day.  

From rides past:

Tuesday Night Ride

Another Tuesday Night Ride

Tuesday Night "Dark Roast" Ride

Burritos and Bikes Night Ride

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

On Monday, November 8, 2021 at 6:57:10 PM UTC-5 Adam wrote:

[Bones]

I too commute year-round and I ride primarily at night. I work evenings and nights and commute via bicycle, and I've been doing so for about ten years so I'll add some safety tips. I took a pretty nasty midnight spill back in May. I took a right hand turn a bit too close to the curb and could not see the thin layer of gravel/sand on the street. It was pitch black, no cars around, I had a dynamo on the bike, and I was traveling at about 15mph. Still didn't see it. The bike went out from under me and I skid about 15ft. So lesson number one was to slow down on the turns and take 'em wide. The bike was almost completely unharmed, except for a minor scuff to the left grip and a lovely new red paint job, courtesy of my palms. Plenty of bruising and scrapes but mostly on my hands, which I suppose instinctively did their job. I went back the next day to collect the pieces of my apple watch, which did a fantastic job protecting my wrist. That was lesson number two: always wear gloves. After I got up and realized how bad it was I reached into my BananaSax and pulled out a bandana, which made a great tourniquet. I wish I had packed two though, as both palms were in very bad shape. Lesson number three: always pack a few bandanas.

I'm not adding this to discourage anyone from riding at night, I just hope other folks can learn from my mistakes. I love riding at night, especially late. Few cars, no sounds... it's a whole different world. Like Roberta stated: very stress relieving and soothing. Especially after work.

Bones

[Adam]

Thanks for all the thoughts everyone.

Yes Bones, this is exactly the sort of thing I've been expecting to happen to me! Based on what other folks are suggesting--and this story--I feel like the smart thing to do is to chill out a bit as far as my pace at night goes. I think I've been pushing it a bit too fast and losing track of how nice it is to cruise around after dark.

I agree about the quiet and dark being fun. I'm still wanting to try some trail riding at night, may do that soonish. If anyone has advice on that front, I'm interested to hear it.

I also appreciate the suggestion of night groups rides with a destination. I always ride solo and tend to not want to plan things, but it seems like a fun thing to do, especially in the winter.

Adam

[Ted Durant]

On Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 5:55:52 AM UTC-8 Adam wrote:

\Yes Bones, this is exactly the sort of thing I've been expecting to happen to me! Based on what other folks are suggesting--and this story--I feel like the smart thing to do is to chill out a bit as far as my pace at night goes. I think I've been pushing it a bit too fast and losing track of how nice it is to cruise around after dark.

I agree about the quiet and dark being fun. I'm still wanting to try some trail riding at night, may do that soonish. If anyone has advice on that front, I'm interested to hear it.

Much of my night riding was also commuting, and that always carried with it the sense of urgency to get home to help with the kiddos. Still, I always found it calming to ride at night, and that my senses seemed to be heightened. When I started doing long brevet rides, I found riding country roads under the stars in the wee hours to be especially exhilarating. On one overnight ride I spent some time on a trail that had a tight canopy of trees. I found that to be less fun - riding in a small bubble of light, unable to see much of anything.  Slowing down is important in those conditions. The good news is that I find that riding at night _feels_ faster, so slowing down is okay.

Ted Durant

Milwaukee, WI USA

[rlti...@gmail.com]

I have three bikes with dyno hubs and an e-cargo bike with lights powered off of the battery. I love having lights ready without worrying about if they are charged or not.

I had a commute for about 8 years that was about 8 miles each way and 95% off-road. Pretty rare for suburban San Diego. For that commute I used a Saferide battery light on the bars supplemented by a helmet mounted Zebralight. I only needed the helmet light in a few spots since I knew the trails very well. Even on the road a helmet light comes in handy occasionally. Especially since a bar mounted light typically won’t illuminate around tight corners.

If I chose to do my road commute I would have a couple of steep downhills where I would typically top 40 mph. At night I would keep my speed lower since even the best dyno lights would be be insufficient at those speeds.

I used to see group night rides on the trails I commuted on. It must have been the “scared of the dark mountain bike club” since most riders had at least a bar light and a helmet light with each pumping out far more lumens than necessary. Quite a few were overachievers and had lights mounted on any spare surface they could find.

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 8, 2021, at 3:57 PM, Adam <adam....@gmail.com> wrote:



I tried to post this yesterday, but it doesn't seem to have popped up.

It's the time of year for riding at night. (??) I'd like to hear other folks' strategies and recommendations for fun rides at night.

My rides at night have mostly been 15-20 mile road rides, fairly fast. The main problem I've had is relaxing, especially at higher speeds with the reduced visibility. I've been curious about trail riding but haven't tried it.

thoughts? I'm not buying dynamos right now, but have adequate lights, backups, vest, etc. I'm mostly looking for ride ideas, things not to do, things that are more fun than they sound, etc.

Thanks

Adam

[Jeffrey Arita]

Bones,

Thank you for sharing.  I, too, have been guilty of not donning all the gear one normally does.  The palms thing really stuck in my mind.  Thanks again for the kind reminders!!

All the Best,

Jeff

Claremont, CA 

[Brady Smith]

I'm a teacher, so I used to commute in the dark pretty frequently. Now that we've moved and I have to drive (SLC to Park City is not really bikeable with any regularity, unfortunately), in the warmer months I'll do after work rides with the expectation that I'll get home in the dark. I usually follow the RUSA guidelines for night riding--bright vest, ankle reflectors, two taillights, and my dynamo front light with a battery light in reserve. I do try to keep my speed lower heading down canyons in the dark, though. The night riding is peaceful, and I love watching the sun set over the Oquirrhs from across the valley. 

Brady, 

Salt Lake City

[Christopher Cote]

I'm mostly a trail rider these days. Having a good set of lights is a game-changer for 4+ months out of the year. I do have to remind myself to dial it back a notch at night, even (especially!) on familiar trails.

Denis, great pics! Can you share any more details on that bike?

Chris

[greenteadrinkers]

To augment my SON, I recently added a Paul Gino mount on my Sam, I then mount the small Cygolite on the Gino, beam pointed ahead close to the front of the wheel. The Cygolite fills in the area up close, while the SON can reach more out in front. Not sure if I love the set-up but, it's fun to try things out.

[lconley]

B&M make a 1.5W headlight for the Shimano 1.5W dyno hub. I considered trying two of them in parallel on a 3W dyno hub and aiming them near and far. Could also be mounted high and low.

In my college days, we rode at night with no lights, but that was when our eyes were young and before cyclists were considered revenue opportunities by the local authorities.

Laing

[Artaud]

Thanks Chris!

It's a canti Crust Romanceur, which after a previous life as a very-pretty-yet-fairly-boring randonneuse has been resurrected as the most fun bike I currently have. I went with mostly modern parts to try to recreate an old idea...

Denis, in NC

[Bill Schairer]

Please don't ride with one of those blinding, pulsing, rear strobe lights.  On my ride home last night somebody with one of those decided he had to pass me and I could barely see anything.  I guess he probably felt safer but he was definitely putting me at greater risk.  I also try to remember to put my ankle reflector bands on - the argument I read that made sense to me being that the motion clearly identifies one as a cyclist.  Cheap and easy so why not?

Bill

San Diego

[Eric Norris]

AMEN, brother! Super-bright rear lights have been a pet peeve of mine for years. You don’t need a light that bright, and you’re creating a hazard for whoever tries to ride behind you. They’re rude and send the message that you’re oblivious to, or don’t care about, the safety and comfort of others.

Lee Mitchell, a local legend in the cycling community who spent thousands of hours supporting rides as a sag driver, once told me that the single most effective piece of nighttime gear is a reflective ankle band. Hands down. The motion is attention-getting and immediately sends the message that you are a cyclist.

I take that advice to heart and always wear a reflective band. I like the “stick-out” kind that Rivendell sells: https://www.rivbike.com/products/ankle-reflector-rar 

(Bonus: Right now, the Riv ankle bands are on sale!)

Eric Norris

campyo...@me.com

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[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

This thread reminds me I'm long overdue for a greatly needed head clearing night ride and still have a roll of 3M reflective tape and some reflective dots I've meant to apply.  I keep stalling because I haven't actually cleaned my bike(s) in forever and whenever I do it's because I'm swapping something or another and then wait to be sure I want to keep the build before I further accessorize.

I really enjoy night rides and being fortunate enough to reside in a complex directly across from trail access to a network of multiuse trails through a sprawling park mostly consisting of open meadows means leisurely riding under nothing but the moon and stars with little need for much lighting except for the few sections that run though more heavily wooded areas with a full canopy, Though I've tended to not venture too deep on the longer loops any longer and more or less stay nearby the more open trails which also intersect the local road crossings to allow easier detours and bail-out options since the park closes at dusk.

I have not yet ventured into Dyno or generator hub territory, although I did have prior plans to attempt an LED set up with a vintage Sturmey Archer Dynohub on an abandoned 3 speed project, but that fell through for unrelated reasons I won't get into here.  For lighting I have a couple Princeton Tec Eos lights which have 3 brightness settings and the brightest does a pretty good job lighting up the trail under the darkest canopies in our local trails.  I keep one mounted on the bars (currently on a drop bar single speed) with a second on the helmet for peeking around the curves during the darkest parts.  I've played around a bit with light placement and although I really liked having a light mounted low near the wheel since it really highlights any irregularities or obstacles in the trail ahead, I really didn't care for the shadow from the wheel/tire on one side.  I tried a fork crown mount on my recent build but it was awfully close to the tire and offered neither the same detail of the terrain like low beam near the hub or midfork mounts nor the convenience of the bar mount for easy on/off for when riding in those open air moon lit smooth trail sections where I really enjoy the complete lack of any artificial light and a leisurely pace.  This is all a very personal approach for my particular route and if I were doing more commuting or riding after dark in busier areas and with more car traffic I think I'd already have converted to a generator of some sort.

The Eos 'Bike' models I have are very outdated and likely have long been replaced with newer models but I've no plans to upgrade until they meet their demise and still run on a few AA batteries (I think, should probably double check and refresh with the time change that just occured since I can't recall when I last put fresh batteries) and I really liked the multiple mounts they came with:  bar mounts with rubber shims, helmet mount with velcro strap, plus an elastic headband for regular headlamp usage.  If/when I do replace I'll look for something rechargeable, so the consumption of standard batteries is certainly the biggest drawback.

I have a back-up Planet Bike Beamer light mounted similarly to the handlebars of another bike but it comes nowhere near the brightness of the EOS so I rarely use this one alone and try to remember to bring the helmet light to supplement whereas if I take the Eos equipped bike I'm otherwise more confident with just the single bar mounted light.

Now I just need to get back out there one of these nights.

Best,

Brian Cole

Lawrence NJ

[Edwin W]

I love riding at night. It really expands on the magic of biking in general.

I am like many others on this thread, loving dyno lighting for active lighting at night. Steady lights front and back. 

For passive, I have a Riv ankle band strapped to each side of my basket, reflective plastic on each wheel, something like this, a yellow reflective triangle hanging off my saddle, and all of my pedals have reflective strips. What is nice about my setup is I don't have to grab anything special out of the door: it is all on the bike, all the time.

Ride like the wind, under the moon,

Edwin