Cars are friendly after dark..

Wobbegong

Well-Known Member
After a couple of group night rides over the past few weeks, something has become rather clear to me. Drivers are much more "giving" of the road to a group of cyclists in the dark of night. I remember Ben saying in a thread that drivers are friendly to cyclist in the snow, this seems to be true for darkness as well.

We've had a group of 4, all with bar and helmet lights, and flashing rear lights. Cars have come to a complete stop in a few cases, I've rarely if ever seen this during the day. I can honestly say I do not recall a single group ride during daylight hours where we weren't buzzed by a car, or given the 10 second steady state death horn. After 5 hours of night riding in a group, not a single horn, never buzzed, always given plenty of space.

I'd be a bit hesitant to say this would be true for a solo rider at night. I think there are times when drivers have no idea what is ahead of them when they see all of these really bright lights going in all directions. You wouldn't get this UFO effect with a solo rider. I'm surprised to say that I feel really safe in a group on the road at night.

Look for us on Wednesday nights, lighting up the roads of the Sourland area like a UFO on crack... :)
 

Maurice

New Member
...

I'd be a bit hesitant to say this would be true for a solo rider at night. I think there are times when drivers have no idea what is ahead of them when they see all of these really bright lights going in all directions. You wouldn't get this UFO effect with a solo rider. I'm surprised to say that I feel really safe in a group on the road at night.

...

And you would be right. I ride alone 99% of the time. In general people will do as you say, almost come to a complete stop, give you a wide berth etc. But those that don't, well, seem even more pissed off at us. Lately I've been getting the honking/insults, whilst riding on the shoulder. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy, at night in the rain and cold.

These days, every ride (no kidding...) something like that happens to me. And that's with riding a lot less than last season at the same period.

Seems to me that lately people have become a lot grumpier, and we're the ideal target for taking out their frustrations.

Day or night, be very cautious...
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Look for us on Wednesday nights, lighting up the roads of the Sourland area like a UFO on crack... :)

Where's my invite b!tch?!? ;)

I've done plenty of solo night riding. I have found the experience to be just as you describe. Cars slow down and give more space than during the day.

I suspect that motorists mistake us for emergency vehicles at first glance, then they are just genuinely curious as they go by.

Here are my two biggest concerns when night riding.
Cars pulling out into me at stores, side streets, and driveways. While our front lights are bright enough to be noticed, they are small. A motorist may mistake a bike light for a headlight that is further away than it actually is. While the light is 100 feet way, it may look like a car's headlight that is 100 yards away.

The other is when a line of cars go by. The first car has a clear view and slows down. The following cars may not be able to see the cyclist. They end up tailgating the car ahead. Their attention is then on the car they are behind. Next thing they know, they've got a bunch of blinking bike lights in their face.

To combat these two scenarios, I will often ride with at least two lights on the front and back. I mount one light on the bike and one on my body as I high as I can (helmet). The higher light is less likely to be obscured by other vehicles. I'll have one of the front lights in a flashing mode. This way it won't look like a headlight and attract more attention.

Happy night riding!
 
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J-Dro

Well-Known Member
The ride on Wed night was freakin' cold but fun. The roads that we chose up in the Sourland hills were ideal for night riding because there is practically no ambient light around. So the few cars we passed could see us well in advance and gave us plenty of space. I have to admit that once we got on a main road even for a brief time, I wasn't feeling so comfortable. Ben's point about cars pulling out of side streets and stores is my worst nightmare. But I'll do just about anything to avoid being stuck pedaling indoors.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
The ride on Wed night was freakin' cold but fun.

So you're in on this too. Where's the love? No PM...no nothin??? You know it's OK to announce night road rides? It's legal! :rofl:

I'm just playing. FWIW, Fred and I have gone out a few times in the last month. Dayton to Hopewell is the farthest we've gone.

Where are you guys starting from?
 

Wobbegong

Well-Known Member
So you're in on this too. Where's the love? No PM...no nothin??? You know it's OK to announce night road rides? It's legal! :rofl:

I'm just playing. FWIW, Fred and I have gone out a few times in the last month. Dayton to Hopewell is the farthest we've gone.

Where are you guys starting from?

You know we love you Ben!!! :D

We've been starting at the Shop Rite in Montgomery (Rt. 518 and 206).

I don't need to ride from my house at rush hour.
 

J-Dro

Well-Known Member
So you're in on this too. Where's the love? No PM...no nothin??? You know it's OK to announce night road rides? It's legal! :rofl:

I'm just playing. FWIW, Fred and I have gone out a few times in the last month. Dayton to Hopewell is the farthest we've gone.

Where are you guys starting from?

Hey I just heard about this ride an hour before departure. And once Jason said they were literally going right past my house, I had no choice but to join in.

It would probably be fun to see if its possible for Ben to go slow enough to keep with our group.:D

BTW my wife officially declared me nuts for heading out on a road ride when the temp was 30 and dropping.
 

Wobbegong

Well-Known Member
Hey I just heard about this ride an hour before departure. And once Jason said they were literally going right past my house, I had no choice but to join in..

Going down Grandview at about the 2 hour mark froze my feet solid, and the vapor that condensed in my eyeballs froze the sides of my head. We're a sick bunch... :)
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
BTW my wife officially declared me nuts for heading out on a road ride when the temp was 30 and dropping.

It is only crazy when you, yourself, thinks it is crazy. I remember I wanted to riding high rocks so bad in the snow, that I took my shot one new years day a few years back when the temp was 5 and the wind was a howling and it took me twice as long to do my normal loop. I thought 2 miles in, this is crazy, so I can't imagine what the wife thought. I think she is used to it by now since she doesn't comment anymore except if I ride when it is raining.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
...BTW my wife officially declared me nuts for heading out on a road ride when the temp was 30 and dropping.

Funny, A couple weeks ago, I went to Fred's place for a night road ride. Since Fred is kinda new to this, his family was riding him pretty good about how crazy we were. I thought it was funny cause my family doesn't say anything any more. They just got used to it. :D

These days, I gets looks of disbelief if I say I'm not in the mood to ride. That is just crazy-talk. ;)
 
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