Night riding



Uawadall

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2015
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I know its been asked before, but do you night ride? I haven't done a single night ride yet, I don't trust drivers enough. Do you or would you consider riding at night?
 
I find night riding to be the best type of riding! There's something very relaxing and tranquil about it. I don't generally feel safe as a pedestrian out on the streets at night time, but I feel very safe night riding as I feel relatively unstoppable.

I think as long as you have the correct equipment and know the route well (e.g. where the potholes are), there's nothing to fear. If you wanted to try it, you could consider going with a friend the first few times? That adds an extra layer of security to it.
 
I don't ride at night alone but when I have someone with me I do. It's really fun, I live the sound of nature at night. Except for when animals eat other animals, I live in the country as that can get kind of scary.
 
My riding time during weekends is in the early morning before the sun is up - the sun is too hot especially during summer. On weekdays when I feel like riding, I do it after office hours, before dinner usually. Night riding is refreshing since the atmosphere is cool but not cold.

However, when cases of hold up became rampant in our village, there was a warning to riders - male or female - to avoid riding solo because they might fall victim to the criminals. Expectedly, my husband forbid me to ride at night except when I have company.
 
I have always love riding at night, but safety is a little more of a concern. It always helps to have a familiar route because then you don't really have to worry about anything big, but of course that is always a best case scenario. It also helps to have some others with you like @Veater mentioned. Either way, though, it is much more peaceful and if you can find a nice, crisp night then few things can compare in my opinion.
 
I am not a night rider. I also find it to be dangerous. The only time I might take up the bike at night is in the case in where I need to go somewhere which is relatively near.
 
Honestly, I also see it as something dangerous to night ride. It's easy to get hurt and the darkness, despite lights, increases one's chances to get involved in an accident.

But I reckon it's quite fun to do so (only in a safe road though!)
 
I actually love night riding. Get a good bright rear blinky, a head light of at least 350 lumens (my personal preference as there are few street lights on my routes), make sure the light has enough juice to last the entirety of your ride (Dont learn the hard way like me!!), and get some hi viz/relfective clothing. I prefer a handlebar mount headlight over a helmet mount.

Definitely don't go as fast as you normally would because hazards come up a lot quicker, if you see them at all, and I would recommend only riding a familiar route. I have noticed that drivers give me a much larger berth on the road than during the day, with most of them actually going to the other side of the road when they pass; some even flash their brites to let me know they are passing.

For me, night riding is like meditating; everything is enveloped in darkness so there are no distractions. I use these rides to work on my cadence, or riding in the drops, or what ever technical thing I can work on without going too fast.
 
It would really be a dangerous thing to do, as there are less witnesses in case you get run over by a car (not kidding), and drivers would normally be less careful because there are less people in the streets, as well as less cars to compete with. They would drive over the speed limit, and they wouldn't bother slowing down for bikers, so it will be a really dangerous situation and a gamble to just ride around after dark.
 
The last time I cycled in the evenings, was back in my college days...which was a very long time ago. And I realized how dangerous it was, even though there were fewer road users back then. As soon as I purchased my first car, I avoided riding my bike in the evenings. I would love to ride in the evenings, but the risks overshadow any enjoyment I would get out of it.
 
I do very little night riding nowadays because I have to be home in the evenings. But it's relatively safe here to ride your bike at night and occasionally when I'm in town buying something I often see cyclists on the streets as late as 10:00 at night.
 
I know its been asked before, but do you night ride? I haven't done a single night ride yet, I don't trust drivers enough. Do you or would you consider riding at night?

I ride in the night, especially when it's hot during the day. It was never a problem for me to ride in the night because I always use my bike lights, and it's less traffic anyways. I have been stopped by police, but honestly for nothing, I never broke any laws, and when they asked me what I was doing, I'd just tell them enjoying my freedom.

Some have stopped me to make sure I had the appropriate light on my bike, which was just harassment to me. On many nights, I would go on 15 mile rides to my next city and back, it's really nice.
 

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