Night rides anyone ???

[Mr. Beanz]

I did some night rides years ago but not many. This last couple of years, I started doing plenty more. Actually pretty nice riding at night. Not much traffic, cool during the Summer and peaceful. I do only ride roads that I am familiar with so I know about construction etc. Once in a long while, something different.

Being Southern California, I am able to ride even during the Winter months at night seeing temps drop down to only 43 degrees or so. That has been my coolest ride so far at night. One night I was surprised with some rain but that made it that much nicer seeing it was a short ride. I hate cleaning the bike after a rain though so I prefer not to ride in the rain if I don't have to.

I do wear ankle bands for side visibility.

Same view as above, just less traffic

Caught in a light rain

Wife and I

 

[Mr. Beanz]

Wife and I have done GMR (Glendora Mtn Rd) at night as well. Local road to Mt Baldy, 8 mile climb with 2300 ft up a mountain road. 6% average grade. Funny she does it at night with me and many many many forum members won't even do it during the day.

That's her coming around a switchback.

getting closer

One of my little videos.

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View: https://youtu.be/-cVzdPMf9zA

 

[Froze]

I use to ride a lot in the evening and into the night when I lived in the Mojave desert region of S Cal because it was too hot during the summer months to ride in the daytime, but other times of the year I rode in the daytime mostly. I really enjoyed riding at night, still do but not as frequently as I did in Calif. I'm not much of a cold weather rider anymore either, which sucks because I live in Indiana where it's cold 6 months out of the year.

When I did my longest ride of my life in one day I did it in July, which is the hottest month of the year in Bakersfield, so I left at 5 o'clock in the morning to get off the desert floor before the heat started to pour in.

 

[RodneyOrlando]

I ride a lot early evening, but have yet to try night cycling, if I did it would probably be on familiar roads.

 

[tanphivan1]

good a trip, i think you use led light power full, please name of led light

 

[Mr. Beanz]

Cygo-lite. Usb rechargeable. I actually use 2. About $80 for front and red light rear red blinking light.

 

[Helolumpy]

I ride a lot before work (5:00-6:30 am) but on a recent work trip to Ft Lauderdale, I found lots of group night rides that started at 8:00 pm.
Because of the heat, the groups head out after sunset and it was a fun expirience doing a night group ride.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

I ride a lot before work (5:00-6:30 am) but on a recent work trip to Ft Lauderdale, I found lots of group night rides that started at 8:00 pm.
Because of the heat, the groups head out after sunset and it was a fun expirience doing a night group ride.

I find it hard to ride before work. Of course I get up at 3:30 to get ready for work and I ain't riding at 2 am to get in a ride.

 

[Froze]

You guys won't believe this but when I use to ride at night in Bakersfield, this was back before 2003, the light I used was Cygolite Metro...12 watt (which I upped to 14) twin bulb halogen powered by 6 D batteries that I bought in 1996 right after I moved to that armpit of a city. Actually it wasn't a bad little light and it was cheap; back in those days the only thing you could buy was either halogen or HID which were at least $500 dollars and LED hadn't came out yet. But I had no problem seeing with it at night, I still have the light just don't use it anymore because I bought newer LED lights since then, but even though that light was the lowest costing light that Cygolite sold it still works just fine which is why I bought a Cygolite LED several years ago called the 480 Mitycross OSP, but for just $118 you can now get the higher power Mitycross 800 OSP. I use the Mitycross now on my helmet and I have a Phillips Saferide on the bar another superior light that for some odd reason Phillips stopped making them.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

MY Cygolite is a Metro, not sure of the model but not the high end. It works way better than any Cateye I have tried. OF course my Cateye was $60 back in 05. The Cygolite is about $40 nowadays and kicks butt on the more expensive Cateye I had.

MOF, my buddy has a couple headlights that use those waterbottle batteries. He was on the ride with us where I took the above shots of Gina's headlight coming up the mountain. He asked what light she was using and said he wanted to get one as it was just as bright as his $300 setup. He never did though cause he stopped riding not long after this ride.

After I compared our setups, I decided then I didn't need one of them fancy setups.

Plus when we ride the tandem at night, I use 2 front Cygolites. I had one cyclist roll by and shout, I need one of those lights! But we the two on!

 

[Froze]

When I ride at night I do wear ankle reflectors, and a safety vest with those wide reflective strips, not to mention little reflectors in the shoes, saddle bag, and helmet that the manufactures put on. For the rear I use two tail light, I currently use a Light and Motion Vis 180 (not the micro), and a Planet Bike Super turbo thingy on the helmet; I am debating getting a new rear light and I'm seriously thinking about the See.Sense Icon with 250 lumens. When I lived in Bakersfield I hadn't thought of using a reflective vest, nor did I have more than one light on the front or more than one tail light on the rear, but today with people texting the more lights you can put on the merry!

I want to share this with you guys, please note it's just what I do, I have NO proof that it works. I have two lights on the front, at night the brightest one is on the steady mode, the helmet one flashes unless I'm on a bike path then it's on steady, I use the helmet one also to flash into car windows as they approach intersections so they will see me better...hopefully. On the rear I have my brightest light on steady and the other on flash. The rear there have been studies that showed in Europe that a steady light is safer because it helps motorists to ascertain their distance from you better, BUT, in Canada their study showed that flashing light is safer because it attracted the motorists attention better, so I do both to cover both spectrums of the study.

I also saw a guy about 7 years ago with an array of about 9 tail lights and 4 headlights, he looked like a Christmas tree going down the road! As crazy as he looked you would have to legally blind to hit him!! He stood out better than any cyclist I have ever seen on the road. He had one tail light (and headlight) on the helmet, two tail lights on each rear seat stay (one headlight on each fork blade), one tail light on the seat post (one headlight on the handlebar), one tail light on the saddle bag, and a small tail light on each ankle, and one on each arm. The ones on his arm and legs were bright red bands more than they were actual tail lights like what most people would be thinking of. Plus he had little red and white lights on his spokes, and reflectors everywhere including a safety vest. I haven't seen him since but I did run into someone else who saw a guy like that about 2 years ago so I assume it had to be the same guy.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

I made this video last year. 2 rear blinkies and 2 front lights, Cygolites.

I now place one of the rear lights on my helmet attached with a velcro strip just to separate them, more coverage.

I know a guy who told me that I should never use front strobe as I may confuse drivers into mistaking me for an emergency vehicle. Meh! I'd rather be mistaken than hit by a car crossing my path while I am descending at 25 mph. Mistaken or not, I'd rather be seen. I did try the front on steady beam and it seemed cars waiting to cross the large avenue didn't notice me as well. I prefer strobe.

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[Mr. Beanz]

I also made this one of the tandem. When we ride the tandem, I attach one of the rear blinkies to the back of Gina;s helmet.

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[Mr. Beanz]

I also wear the ankle bands. Lights are good for front and rear but the motion of ankle bands is really eye catching for traffic coming from the sides.

 

[Froze]

There was a study done on reflectors, and they found that most reflectors were not all the effective, better than nothing but not real effective, however when someone was wearing ankle reflectors people noticed those before other reflectors, especially older people for some reason. So there is merit for having ankle reflectors, or better yet lights, I just haven't gone the light route yet.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

This is where I ride at night. Euclid ave. Upland Ca. It is a big divided avenue with somewhat of a trail up the center (left of image). I kid you not, I started wearing ankle reflectors because when there is someone walking up the trail at night, I can see the back tabs of their shoes reflecting with the motion of their feet when it's pitch black out. Very noticeable. I use lights but figure the ankles are not much to the front and the back but I'm betting cars see me well from the sides with the ankle bands in motion.

When Gina and I ride the tandem at night, I wear one on the right leg and she wears one on the left leg. Somebody better see us!

This side going up, the trail center, then down on the opposite side of the trail. Lady in the center, typical walker.

Pitch black, no lights and I can tell there is someone walking in the center because of these little tabs.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

As far as rear lights, there are some pretty weak lights out there. I often see people cycling on RT 66 (fast traffic, major Blvd) wearing black and very weak little red lights in dark sections. I don't get it myself but they may as well be holding a cigarette lighter.

 

[Steve5]

I enjoy night rides whenever I feel like going out. I'm generally cautious and won't do it late at night. I prefer to start early around six to seven pm in the evening just to come back early.

 

[Corzhens]

During summer, the most comfortable ride here is during the night because the heat during the daytime is punishing that will test your stamina. However, it is foolish to ride on the main road at night as if you are courting accidents. Besides, it is very inconvenient now to ride outside the village because of the heavy traffic and the pollution. To be safe, I just roam around our village since the roads are well lighted although not all roads are concrete or asphalted.

 

[DenisP]

I enjoy a night ride occasionally. It can be a pretty good way of relieving stress after a long day and help you sleep better. It's particularly nice in the summer, especially in rural areas where the crickets are out and you're sharing the road with the nighttime wildlife.

That being said, I don't generally prefer nighttime riding. My optimal time for riding is typically very early morning, like around 5:00 AM. Here you get the all the benefits of night riding coupled with the fact that the roads are even more empty.

Depending on the time of night, people can still be commuting home or going places, but at 5:00 AM sharp there literally isn't a single person on the road, save for truck drivers.