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Night Riding
 

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lrzipris
Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 532
Location: Doylestown, PA

3/20/13 12:47 PM

Night Riding

Although I've ridden at night before, it was usually in town, bathed in ambient light. But last night, I took my fendered Surly and did my first night ride in the dark--and, boy, was it beautiful! Although it was not deep in the woods, but on a canal path, and I have more lights--front and back--than a Christmas tree, nonetheless it was so peaceful, so serene (except for startled deer and honking geese)! I'm primarily an early-morning rider, but maybe I should reconsider.

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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT

3/20/13 1:01 PM

Night Riding

When I lived in Wisconsin, we did a weekly night ride from La Crosse out to Trempeleau for dinner at a bar, and then a ride back again. And homeward commuting during the fall and winter was done mostly in the dark. It was amazing, especially when the moon was full.

Here in CT, Devil's Gear does night trail rides, but there's so much light spill onto the trail most of the way that it's not quite the same thing. Still, we manage to startle a few animals.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

3/20/13 1:13 PM

Where I live, there're a lot of roads one would not see much any traffic for 1/2 hr at a time. I often thought of riding those roads at night would be really nice.

But if I do, I'd debating whether I need to pack a side arm along!

I feel a whole lot more comfortable night riding in the woods, mtn biking, that is.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

3/20/13 1:31 PM

night riding is good

I love riding home from work in the dark. Some dark roads and short trails. I've got real good lights, wouldn't do it without them.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

3/20/13 2:47 PM

I used to fly maybe a bit too fast in the woods with the light/night. No distractions when you can only see your line. ;)

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Dave B
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 4511
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

3/20/13 4:05 PM

Best Of Times

These are probably the best times ever for bike riding in the dark. Super bright and long run-time LED lights are both common, relatively cheap and you don't have to replace the batteries, you just recharge them.

I remember riding in the late fall and winter mornings when the best lights used 2 C-cells and a standard incadecent flashlight bulb. I still marvel at how we saw anything and how drivers saw us.

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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT

3/20/13 5:42 PM

LED

When I was commuting in WI, I built a 2x3W LED light and wired it up to my generator hub. It made for a fantastic, well-lit ride. Rechargeables are great, but there's nothing like making your own light.

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Nick Payne
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 2625
Location: Canberra, Australia

3/20/13 11:01 PM

Some of my most memorable rides have been at night. Many years ago a friend and I rode from Perth to Newman (we both had jobs in the mine at Newman) - about 1200km, mostly across semi-desert, and because of the extreme heat during the day, we did most of our riding at night. There was so little traffic once we got a couple of hundred kilometres north of Perth that we didn't even bother with lights, which were pretty crappy in those days anyway - we would just get right off the road the once or twice an hour that a vehicle passed. And when the moon wasn't up, with the nearest towns being dozens or sometimes hundreds of kilometres away, the stars were amazing.

Also, the cycling club of which I was a member in Perth in the 1970s used to organise a full moon rides a couple of times a year in the warmer months - meet at 3am, get in a couple of hours on the bike, and finish at an early morning cafe for breakfast just as the sun was rising.

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