First ride home in the dark tonight then...

[cyberknight]

The bulk of my commute is on unlit rural roads, and to ride home in the dark after a day at work is one of life's simple pleasures.

My average has dropped by about 1 mph each way atm, the dark, the wind and lack of sunlights really dragging my speed down.

 

[ianrauk]

My average has dropped by about 1 mph each way atm, the dark, the wind and lack of sunlights really dragging my speed down.

Yup, same... that and it's dreadfully boring commuting home in the dark.

 

[LoftusRoadie]

I (mostly) enjoy commuting home in the dark along the towpath. It's quiet and relaxing - I just can't stand all the puddles that never seem to disappear!

 

[simongt]

Had to use the car a couple of days ago and on the way home it was raining. Pondering the fact that my vision was not helped by the rain obscuring the side windows and door mirrors, thus making it more difficult to judge speed / distance of other car users in the various commuter queues. I know that particularily when it's dark and raining, we're still better off on a bike as one's vision is nowhere as reduced as when one is stuck in a car. Although one of the lads at work doesn't 'have the mojo' to commute in the dark yet. Sounds like a lack of confidence in his ability and his bike - ? But he still goes out in the dark on club runs.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Good news is that we're already at the peak of how early the sun sets.in the evening (as opposed to sunrise which most people don't realise still gets later until the end of December) http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/manchester

Bad news is that the brighter evenings don't really become noticeable/useful for a person working a 9-5 job until March (at least here in the North, those soft Southerners get noticeably brighter mornings sooner).

Had to use the car a couple of days ago and on the way home it was raining. Pondering the fact that my vision was not helped by the rain obscuring the side windows and door mirrors, thus making it more difficult to judge speed / distance of other car users in the various commuter queues. I know that particularily when it's dark and raining, we're still better off on a bike as one's vision is nowhere as reduced as when one is stuck in a car. Although one of the lads at work doesn't 'have the mojo' to commute in the dark yet. Sounds like a lack of confidence in his ability and his bike - ? But he still goes out in the dark on club runs.

Might be for the exact reason as you say, worried about not being seen by drivers because he knows what visibility is like when he drives in the dark.

 

[cyberknight]

Yup, same... that and it's dreadfully boring commuting home in the dark.

Finding it hard to judge efforts on a couple of hills as well in the pitch black , even with good lights its not like you can see all of the hill so you can either go by feeling 9 which makes it slower ) all go b*lls out and blow half way up.