Night riding

[steveindenmark]

To my mind Night riding is very different to riding in the dark.

Riding in the dark is the early morning commute, fixed light and a flasher front and back, a “to be seen light” on the helmet and constant vigilance for cars and pedestrians.

Riding at night is as others have said, the calm, the smells the sounds and on a clear night with a full moon windingbthe lumens down to a minimum and enjoying the “otherness” of the world you are in.

Did you write "Larkrise to Candleford" by any chance.

 

[Ice2911]

Many thanks for all the useful advice, I enjoyed tonight's ride even more than last week. My OH is insisting I wear some more hi viz stuff and so has bought me a proviz gilet. But at least it looks as though I will be riding through the winter, snow and ice permitting

 

[jongooligan]

Night time is for burglars and coppers. Your primary sense is sight so use the night for sleeping and get out in the daytime when you can see the wonderful views.

 

[mjr]

My OH is insisting I wear some more hi viz stuff and so has bought me a proviz gilet.

Can you tell her it basically doesn't work or will it scare her to a point you're unwilling to ignore? At least that gilet seems like a nice bit of kit (apart from the sickly colour if it's a yellow one instead of the black, white or even orange )

 

[pjd57]

I go through Glasgow at night occasionally. I keep to the main roads, the ones I avoid in daytime ( unless I am in a hurry).
Not as much traffic about, reasonably well lit , so it's not a problem.

I've tried the canal path in the dark once or twice but it's not a comfortable ride.

 

[Ice2911]

Night time is for burglars and coppers. Your primary sense is sight so use the night for sleeping and get out in the daytime when you can see the wonderful views.

I can't argue with that but unfortunately that nasty 4 letter word gets in the way ( w***) and I'd rather ride than not, so needsmust.

 

[Ice2911]

Can you tell her it basically doesn't work or will it scare her to a point you're unwilling to ignore? At least that gilet seems like a nice bit of kit (apart from the sickly colour if it's a yellow one instead of the black, white or even orange )

Me in the daytime trying it out. Grey when no lights are shining on it. Haven't ridden in it yet and wondering how boil in the bag it might be. At least the back is perforated so it might help.

 

[lazybloke]

Night time is for burglars and coppers. Your primary sense is sight so use the night for sleeping and get out in the daytime when you can see the wonderful views.

If you only use the night for sleeping, you miss so many things.

 

[Blue Hills]

Even Ramsgate looked good in the dark last night!

Was your night lightened by this wonder?

https://deserter.co.uk/2017/09/the-biggest-spoons-in-the-world/

 

[Blue Hills]

You'd see the doggers at it too, all half naked and sweaty in the forest car park. I politely turned down the occasional invite to join in on the basis that the parking is terrible at the STD clinic.

The well prepared cyclist always carries tubes.

Delightful story about the owl by the way.

I love night riding - as long as i'm not riding at night/pushing it/knackered because yet again i have managed to bugger up timings on a touring day. In darkest suffolk a couple of weeks ago someone may have discovered me on their drive desperately gorging on wine gums to lift me from the bonk which hit me only a mile or so from my camp.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Was your night lightened by this wonder?

https://deserter.co.uk/2017/09/the-biggest-spoons-in-the-world/

It was. At night it looks fab! Me and @Hill Wimp had brekkie there the other morning :-)

Here's a picture of me looking dodgy....

 

[Blue Hills]

You obviously have different GPS to me. My Edge Touring will struggle to get 10 hours even without any use of the backlight. I dread to think what the backlight would do to it. My other ones use AAs, so it's not a disaster if they go flat just an annoyance calling for a battery replacement stop/faff.

I don't find it a great problem. Etrex 20. Rechargeable AAs. No light on at all for the majority of a night ride. It comes on as i approach a turn. If i need reassurance inbetween i flip the joystick to bring the light on and it is set to then turn off again after 30 seconds. I would find having the light on all the time distracting and it would destroy the very joy of night riding.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Night time is for burglars and coppers. Your primary sense is sight so use the night for sleeping and get out in the daytime when you can see the wonderful views.

I was stopped by the police on top of Dartmoor at dawn while riding the Dartmoor Ghost this year. £21k worth of bikes had been nicked from the LBS. Must have all been tucked away in my saddlebag or summat. Or I have that particularly unsavoury shine to my appearance.

 

[Blue Hills]

It was. At night it looks fab! Me and @Hill Wimp had brekkie there the other morning :-)

I'll be camping near it soon. Part of me tempted to camp IN it.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'll be camping near it soon. Part of me tempted to camp IN it.

Give us a shout!