Night riding - the anti social aspect

[Angelfishsolo]

I'm bound to get criticised here for 'not knowing all the facts' and 'jumping to conclusions' but...

I wouldn't worry about him mate. If he'd have managed to injure you, the guilty feeling wouldn't have been reciprocated.

Facts are thus.

I was riding along an until section of country park on my way home from a long MTB section. I had two front lights and one rear. As I approached a section of the route favoured with the local intelligentsia I was spotted and the group formed a semi-circle to block my path. As I say I put my head down and sped up. One of the group stepped aside and as I was about to pass stepped back in front of me. My bar end caught him and he dropped like a stone. I stopped and offered to call and ambulance and (the police) but they were too busy dragging him away.

My feelings of guilt were not from having hit him but rather that I may have done him serious damage.

 

[MacB]

another fan of riding in the dark here, though I tend to stick to roads and lanes, if anything it feels safer than in daylight. Plenty of rear lights, prominent road positioning, as much to allow for a dive left as to be seen and learn your local area. Any road can be a potential problem but knowing which ones are popular rat runs, and avoiding them, seems to work ok, or at least until the day it doesn't

 

[jay clock]

I have that Magicshine light. excellent bit of kit

 

[siadwell]

another fan of riding in the dark here, though I tend to stick to roads and lanes, if anything it feels safer than in daylight.

Agree with this. On country lanes at night, you should be able to see/hear boy racers coming a mile off and position yourself to be seen and have an escape route.

 

[Globalti]

I've been night riding for several years with my local MTB club. It really is fantastic being out at night, I think my most memorable ride was in snow under a full moon - magical.

Apart from the inevitable doggers in steamed-up cars I've only had a couple of slightly nervy experiences - once when I came round a corner in an Asian district of Burnley and came face-to-face with a gang of fairly rough looking lads led by one who I'd seen before and who had an especially aggressive demeanour about him. He opened his mouth to speak just as the rest of the crew came round the corner behind me so he shut it again and glowered as I passed him with a cheery "salaam aleikum".

Another occasion in a park when we found ourselves mixed up with a large bunch of teenagers but they were just cheeky, not aggressive.

Another time when we came a cross a small group of teenage girls in a wood, absolutely pissed on vodka. They were pretty mouthy and most of us were shocked by their behaviour.

I wouldn't have wanted to have been alone on any of those occasions.

 

[colly]

This morning I ordered one of these:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/t6-wat...te-led-bike-light-with-battery-pack-set-82510

from the Deal Extreme site after following a link from the OP.

If it is half as good as it suggests then (all the way from America) it represents damn good value.

31 quid including carriage!!



Of course it might turn out to be crap but I thought it worth a punt.

Thanks Barnesy.

 

[Bman]

This morning I ordered one of these:

http://www.dealextre...-pack-set-82510

from the Deal Extreme site after following a link from the OP.

If it is half as good as it suggests then (all the way from America) it represents damn good value.

31 quid including carriage!!



Of course it might turn out to be crap but I thought it worth a punt.

Thanks Barnesy.

Let me know what your experiance is. Im also interested in one of those

 

[fossyant]

I've just got the Magicshine T6 808E - has an orange peel reflector. I'm gonna go for a few spins up Werneth Low via the Trans Pennine. The only area I expect the kids to be hanging about is the access to the TPT through the council estate - it's very close for kids to be down there with booze. The main reason i haven't been out MTB'ing locally is after a days commute you can't always be bothered transferring lights (and having flat batteries for the next day). The MTB now has it's own full set ready for winter.

I've used the TPT at rush hour in the winter and it's great.

 

[fossyant]

Just to add about the cheaper 808 magicshine, it takes a slightly wider pin 3.5mm rather than 3.1mm in the Magicshine.

The batteries aren't swappable, but you can get adapters from maplin for less then £2 that makes them fit.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Let me know what your experiance is. Im also interested in one of those

Mine's just arrived, smooth reflector so gives primarly a 'spot' light with reasonable peripheral lighting, Good for group riding as it's a bit more direct than the more diffuse type. Brightness-wise it's like a bloody photon torpedo!
Flashing mode is like phasers set to stun, and low is reasonable enough for slower out of town riding. All in all a bargain for the price.

Word of warning, mine came from Hong Kong and so does not have a UK charger, but the flat-bar 2 prong type. It seems to work in a shaver plug OK, but I reckon this would be better:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/tourist-to-uk-travel-adaptor-without-edge-guard-262902

 

[barnesy]

And a word of warning, when you plug it in it always seems to be set to "on"

Blinded myself the first time i plugged it in, was seeing a bright white dot on everything i looked at for a while.

Anybody who has bought, let me know what your experience is on it when you get it

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I ride at night every weekday, as my commute is between 5 and 6am, because my preferred start time at work is 6:30am. Even in the middle of Summer it's still mostly dark by the time I get to work. It definitely has the major advantage of b#gger-all traffic, and therefore fewer idiots in big metal boxes putting me in danger.

 

[fossyant]

The magicshine version when plugged in it only lights the button, so the beam isn't on. 1 press it's high, next it's low, then high flash.

Charger has improved in that it is a separate charger unit, comes with a standard two pin mains lead, but you can swap it with a UK mains lead, or indeed change the plug (the lead is the same that fits many appliances - the small two pin type).

 

[Panter]

I got a magic shine the other day so went out during the week for a late ride, less traffic on the road and the light gave me confidence on the unlit towpath i took for a few miles.

I really enjoyed it, the paths seemed a completely different place at night. Im thinking of going out again tonight while the world is either watching x factor or out getting drunk.

The dark, traffic or conditions dont worry me but im unsure of cycling paths at night time at the weekend. I know every area is different but im sure im going to run into some drinkers or people who are just up to no good.

Should i let that put me off and keep my riding to the weeknights or go for it and just see what happens if it happens?

Your light in itself is pretty good defense.
The Magicshines are good at not dazzling, IME, if angled slightly down but if you do encounter a group, or individual, you're unsure of then angling it back up slightly will completely destroy their night vision.
From their point of view, all they will see is a blinding White light aproaching and they won't know if it's an elderly lady out on a ride with her pension money in the front basket or the coming of Armageddon!
Obviously this effect is minimised if you're travelling somewhere well it but they're still blindingly bright lights.

Enjoy your night riding, common sense is the best approach, but never let others stop your enjoyment of something (within reason, obviously.)

 

[Glow worm]

I love riding at night and am lucky to be able to steer well clear of any towns and their associated f**kwittery. My favourite ride is to north Norfolk using mainly farm tracks, bridleways and unclassified roads. I normally switch any lights off and just navigate by moon/ starlight if it's clear. It's amazing how quickly your eyes adjust to the dark. Can't beat it.