Commuting in the dark of night.

[Ming the Merciless]

Day two of dark commuting and it was pitch black for the first half of the ride. Heavy cloud cover blocked out any twilight.

I tried the dynamo light on its own for a stretch and it was good for seeing the general layout of the road but not much cop at picking out details like potholes. In combination with the rechargeable lights, I could see perfectly.

Most of my commute has no road markings (no white lines or signs) so I was pretty pleased with how things went. Managed to do the trip in my usual time. Another week or so and the whole thing will be in the complete dark.

Have you aligned the dynamo light correctly and at the correct height? Even with that, the trick with potholes is to be looking ahead not just in front of your wheel. After a while you’ll know where pot holes are and naturally steer round them anyway on auto pilot.

 

[cyberknight]

Hadmy single lens xml t6 on this morning and glad i did as it was very dark this morning coming home , i think having a beam of light that helps you to see where your going also helps motorists see you too as i dont get close overtakes when i running it .I didovertake another cyclist with standard see mee lights and only just saw them in the fog .

 

[matticus]

Do what the drivers do; leave your fog-lights on until at least April. Cos you never know when it might be foggy again, do you?

 

[Lovacott]

Have you aligned the dynamo light correctly and at the correct height? Even with that, the trick with potholes is to be looking ahead not just in front of your wheel. After a while you’ll know where pot holes are and naturally steer round them anyway on auto pilot.

The light is well aligned but it throws out a bit of patchy light which doesn't pick out the potholes as well as the LED rechargeables.

There are a lot of potholes on some of the stretches of road and it's a bit like making your way through a minefield. These are rural single track lanes mainly used by farm traffic. There is one stretch of downhill where I am on the brakes all the way down manoeuvring from side to side picking out the sound bits of surface. The route saves me about four miles each way of nasty high speed A road so it's worth the effort.

I have built up a map in my head of where the dodgy sections of road are and I've also memorised the locations of defects on the good sections (there is a particularly nasty sunken cover on one fast down hill bit of road).

 

[MichaelW2]

The light is well aligned but it throws out a bit of patchy light which doesn't pick out the potholes as well as the LED rechargeables.

There are a lot of potholes on some of the stretches of road and it's a bit like making your way through a minefield. These are rural single track lanes mainly used by farm traffic. There is one stretch of downhill where I am on the brakes all the way down manoeuvring from side to side picking out the sound bits of surface. The route saves me about four miles each way of nasty high speed A road so it's worth the effort.

I have built up a map in my head of where the dodgy sections of road are and I've also memorised the locations of defects on the good sections (there is a particularly nasty sunken cover on one fast down hill bit of road).

Take can of white road spray paint to those potholes.

 

[classic33]

If the road surface is as bad as you say, why are you placing speed over safety in using them?

 

[Lovacott]

Take can of white road spray paint to those potholes.

I'd need about fifty cans and paint doesn't stick to cowshit anyway.

 

[Lovacott]

If the road surface is as bad as you say, why are you placing speed over safety in using them?

Where did I mention speed over safety?

 

[classic33]

But to be honest, hurtling downhill along a pitch black country lane still seems like a scary prospect.

Yet you say you can't set off earlier or ride slower, as you'd be late for work.

Unlit section of what sounds more like a dirt track than road, you want to fly down it, knowing there's unsafe parts at present. Add in rain, followed by a bit of cold weather overnight, and if you're lucky there may just be extra water on parts. Ice if you're unlucky.

 

[Lovacott]

Yet you say you can't set off earlier or ride slower, as you'd be late for work.
Unlit section of what sounds more like a dirt track than road, you want to fly down it, knowing there's unsafe parts at present. Add in rain, followed by a bit of cold weather overnight, and if you're lucky there may just be extra water on parts. Ice if you're unlucky.

I have never said that I "want to fly down an unlit road". Hence the reason I have splashed out on three sets of lights to try and make the ride as safe as possible.

I've cycled in icy conditions, fog, snow, torrential rain, gales force wind and heavy traffic.

What is new to me is cycling in pitch darkness with zero ambient light from houses or other sources. The lights I have rigged up have pretty much solved that problem.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I have never said that I "want to fly down an unlit road". Hence the reason I have splashed out on three sets of lights to try and make the ride as safe as possible.

I've cycled in icy conditions, fog, snow, torrential rain, gales force wind and heavy traffic.

What is new to me is cycling in pitch darkness with zero ambient light from houses or other sources. The lights I have rigged up have pretty much solved that problem.

From your description you'll be able to guide an air ambulance should the worst happen.

That said I once lit up a helicopter with my twin halogens...

 

[Lovacott]

From your description you'll be able to guide an air ambulance should the worst happen.
That said I once lit up a helicopter with my twin halogens...

I'm being pretty careful with aim and the two rechargeables on the handlebar have pretty nifty mounts which allow a fair bit of swivel on the fly.

I'm only lighting up my side of the road and both lights are slanted down much like a car on low beam. The dynamo light is mounted over the wheel and is German certified for on road use. On my initial half mile out of town to get into the lanes, I only use the dynamo light. Most days, I see no traffic at all once I'm on the lanes. As I said earlier, it was pitch black this morning due to heavy cloud cover and the lighting rig worked well.

I'm pleased.

 

[JhnBssll]

I'm being pretty careful with aim and the two rechargeables on the handlebar have pretty nifty mounts which allow a fair bit of swivel on the fly.

I'm only lighting up my side of the road and both lights are slanted down much like a car on low beam. The dynamo light is mounted over the wheel and is German certified for on road use. On my initial half mile out of town to get into the lanes, I only use the dynamo light. Most days, I see no traffic at all once I'm on the lanes. As I said earlier, it was pitch black this morning due to heavy cloud cover and the lighting rig worked well.

I'm pleased.

Sounds like you've got your setup nicely sorted - all that's left now is to have fun and take care

 

[Andy in Germany]

I'm being pretty careful with aim and the two rechargeables on the handlebar have pretty nifty mounts which allow a fair bit of swivel on the fly.

I'm only lighting up my side of the road and both lights are slanted down much like a car on low beam. The dynamo light is mounted over the wheel and is German certified for on road use. On my initial half mile out of town to get into the lanes, I only use the dynamo light. Most days, I see no traffic at all once I'm on the lanes. As I said earlier, it was pitch black this morning due to heavy cloud cover and the lighting rig worked well.

I'm pleased.

Dynamo systems are theoretically mandatory here, so you'll find a lot of systems are German.

To be fair the helicopter was shining a spotlight on me, so I returned the favour.

 

[steve292]

Here's my full commuting set up for what it's worth