Getting dark earlier & riding

[Minotaur]

I've commuted by bike through winter and often just go for a night ride on the road for the hell of it. You'd be surprised how pleasant riding at night can be. I have bright headlights and blinkies which make me look like a circus on wheels. I've found that drivers give me a lot more room than they do during the day. I suspect it is part curiousity and disbelief.

They key is visability. You need to see and be seen. How much of each depends on where you are riding and the traffic patterns.

Yeah, it was pretty nice. Almost peaceful. I wish my light was a little brighter, there are few road lights in my area. Why that is, I don't know. But since I had a good experience, I have less trepidation about venturing out after dark.

 

[Wazu]

Don't ride at night in the woods alone....in Winter. Too cold. Too dangerous.Too dumb. Personally, I like to mix it up in the winter. Spin a little. Stair step a little. Ride on frozen lakes. Go ice skating indoors or out. Pick and choose good riding days in the woods. Use the abandoned rail bed trails. I also find that Kittatiny is cool cause the loops come back to the main trail quickly. There's my two cents. Oh....ride your bicycle to a pond then ice skate (Deer Park)

 

[ks9mm]

I ride local easy trails at night no problems...there is some adrenalin flowing, but not much.

I have Lights and Motion ARC on the handlebars and nightrider Headtrip for helmet. I use LED blinker on the back. I get plenty of light from this set up, at least for my current speeds. Also, trails are not very technical.

 

[Nimrod]

Don't ride at night in the woods alone....in Winter. Too cold. Too dangerous.Too dumb.

I ride by myself, at night, all the time, Its great!
The best... is when your riding threw the local woods, on a Friday or Saturday night and come across the local "Teenage Burn Out Crowd".

The "Crowd" is in the woods, doing what they do, and then here you come, packing your HID!! They think your like a Secret, Ninja, Outer Space Man, Terminator coming to get them!!! This is freaking funny stuff.... Burn outs running threw the the woods, desperatly trying to get away from Secret Ninja Outer Space Man......

 

[Wazu]

Holy crap...........I'm laughing my balls off over here. It's like when I go golfing on Mondays with the cart that says "Ranger" when the course is closed. You should see these kids scatter along the perimeter of the course. I can smell the weed too. So cool.

 

[Minotaur]

Don't ride at night in the woods alone....in Winter. Too cold. Too dangerous.Too dumb. Personally, I like to mix it up in the winter. Spin a little. Stair step a little. Ride on frozen lakes. Go ice skating indoors or out. Pick and choose good riding days in the woods. Use the abandoned rail bed trails.

Agreed. I don't trust my skills enough (yet) to take on the woods in the dark. Besides, I wonder what kind of trouble I'd get into if a ranger or police officer caught me riding the parks after dark. I'll probably stick to road riding the mtb in winter.

I ride by myself, at night, all the time, Its great!
The best... is when your riding threw the local woods, on a Friday or Saturday night and come across the local "Teenage Burn Out Crowd".

The "Crowd" is in the woods, doing what they do, and then here you come, packing your HID!! They think your like a Secret, Ninja, Outer Space Man, Terminator coming to get them!!! This is freaking funny stuff.... Burn outs running threw the the woods, desperatly trying to get away from Secret Ninja Outer Space Man......

Heh heh... nothing like scaring the crap out of people! :hysterica

The closest I ever came to anything like that was riding Ocean Ave in Long Branch one night this summer. It was just after dark, and there were a good number of people. I had my light on flash mode. I slowed down and came up behind two women who were walking. I called out "behind you". They turned around and giggled: "we thought you were a cop and pulling us over!" And I thought they were going to the bar!