Night riding

[ninerfan]

So I am a newbie myself, have had my road bike for about 2 mos, and recently switched to clipless pedals (2 days ago in fact! :D ). As it begins to get darker earlier, I know I will find myself returning home in nearly complete darkness. Therefore, riding time becomes a bit more sketchy.

How do most of you find riding at night to be? How feasible is it and what kinds of adjustments will have to made, equipment and so forth?

[sundial]

Ninerfan, I don't know what kind of roads you will be traveling, but when I rode home on the streets at dusk, I found the headlights hit at the right angle and I was temporarily blinded. :eek: Now I get home before the sun sets low to avoid any problems.

[enzed]

I enjoy night riding. In Sydney, the weather is starting to warm up, and the night air can be refreshing.

Bright clothing is essential, a bright safety vest might be dorky but it works.

Decent bike lights are also needed. I'd go with 2 rear lights & a decent front light (or 2).

Some reflective tape on the bike & helmet is also a good idea

And last of all, some common sense. Keep to well-lit streets, be aware of your surroundings, carry a moblle phone & spare tube, and stay away from off-road bike paths.

Have fun out there

[Wexy]

anything reflective is really important, but make sure you're also wearing light clothing, so a driver can easily identify the glowing object...

I ride with yellow lenses at dusk and at night. The yellow reduces the glare from street lamps and oncoming cars.

Make sure you're paying close attention to the road, as cracks and bumps are far less visible... I didn't realize how much I use my periphery when riding until it was so dark that I had to really focus in order to avoid cracks (and a possible crash).

[Delta7]

I sometimes ride in Danville on the Iron Horse trail at night. The Dinotte light is great in the dark and I feel safer. It's a little pricy for some, but I can see the path and be seen when I'm on the road with cars. The customer service is great, btw.


http://www.dinottelighting.com/Products.htm

Nashbar is selling at decent (high) price

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=60005282&sku=15430&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Brand%3A%20DiNotte

Cheers!

[Dianyla]

Due to my extended work+school hours, for me bike commuting almost always means night riding, even around summer solstice.

I have all of the following mounted on my bike:
Super bright Red blinky light (Cateye TLD-1000) on the end of the rear rack
4 spoke lights mounted on the front wheel, for side visibility (Hokey Spokes)
Super bright White front headlight (Exposure, rechargeable bright LED)
Second white front headlight (Cateye Opticube) that I keep on strobe mode (it is also a reasonable better-than-nothing backup light in case I've forgotten to charge my LED light)

And then I wear:
Plain ol' red blinky light on the back of my helmet
Bright yellow vest or jacket or rainjacket

So far I've been able to see and be seen quite well with this setup. Many cars give me a wide berth, and are generally polite because they don't get scared when I appear "out of nowhere!".

[onimity]

All things considered I prefer to ride during the day, but since it is going to be completely dark before I leave work in a couple of weeks, I don't have much choice. I ride home on some country roads that are not lit, so lighting is really key to me.

I have a reasonably bright CatEye Opticube on the front of my bike, it isn't good enough to really see anything in total darkness, but it works fine on lit paths and helps get the attention of cars. I usually use it in blink mode.

I have a super-bright headlamp that I wear on my helmet. It is blindingly bright and does a great job of illuminating the road/signs/etc. I much prefer it to an on-the-bike lamp because it lights up what I am looking at.

I attach as many blinky lights to the back of me & my bike as I can (I have a collection of them) and I have a timbuk2 bag with a reflective panel (like this one (http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=23084)...though TE doesn't carry the one I got anymore). I went in search of the bag after I saw a guy riding with one at night, the reflective panel is huge and really bright. I get so many comments from both cyclists and motorists, day and night, about the bag.

I wear reflective leg bands too, the movement of legs draws attention too.

Anne

[malaholic]

I am a newbie who just recently started riding at night also....the lack of peripheral vision is a little odd, but I'm finding that I really enjoy it. You'll want to wear shades with clear or yellow lenses so that you'll still have eye protection - especially because bugs will be attracted to your bike lights. :) Bright and/or reflective clothing is definitely helpful, especially on your legs where the motion will call attention to the reflectors, but realize the cars are going to be fairly close to you already by the time they see your reflective clothing or bike reflectors. Bike lights are the most important factor both for seeing and being seen.

Regarding front lights, there are a lot of choices out there for a lot of different price points; your choice will be dependent on how much you want to spend, and what you need for where & how long you'll be riding. For me, 10 miles of my commute are on a moderate-traffic road with no shoulder whatsoever, so I ended up getting an HID light (Planet Bike Alias HID) and I don't regret it even though it was pricey, because I know my beam can be seen on the road from a long way out from all directions (I'll possibly be mistaken for a motorcycle or a car with one headlight out - but I'll be seen nonetheless :D) I have a Planet Bike Superflash blinky as my rear light.

I also carry with me a small, inexpensive LED headlamp (Petzl Tikka) as a backup. It will serve as an emergency light in the event that either my battery or bulb fails, and it will give me hands-free lighting in the event that I need to change a flat.

Good luck with the night riding, let us know how it goes!

[elk]

(malaholic....sweet photos of your mals!)

I love riding at night, but I like it because there is less traffic on the side streets...so I guess that's useless...:rolleyes:

But! You guys who ride home after dusk should have flags!!! the kind that stick out horizontally with reflective triangles on them...They give you a wider zone.

[equus123]

At least for me, my last VERY close run-in with a deer has steered me away from riding at night. I don't know about where you guys live or ride but we have a decent amount of deer here. Other stupid little animals like rabbits, squirrels, and gophers are always something to watch out for.

I've gone out with a friend several times and the end of our ride was in the dark. I do have to admit that it was neat and fun to ride in the dark. You feel a lot more freedom for some reason and it's fun in the sense that you can do anything you want! It's pitch black and nobody can see you! (Our rodes didn't have many street lights...if not none at all).

So my only advice is to be wary of wildlife. They're certainly out there and now you're in their domain once the lights go out and people are in their homes.

[mimitabby]

Equus, you live in NJ? yes, you guys Do have a lot of deer, don't you.
Here in the PacNW, there aren't too many deer in the BIG CITY... poor things wouldn' t know what to do.
I ride in the wee hours before dawn to get to work. I have a light on my helmet and two lights on my bike which are powered by the schmidt hub on my front wheel. I wear dayglow yellow and have two tail lights as well.
I am still terrified but it's better to ride with someone else.

[Blueberry]

Mimi-

Which lights do you have off your Schmidt?? I'm trying to make a decision about replacement lights for my bikes:)

We ride after dark all of the time - when after dark, I usually ride with DH. We're certainly well lit, and we do ride different routes. Sadly, where we live, once cannot ride but so far at night without being on either very rural roads (nice) or in terrible neighborhoods (not nice).

CA

[CR400]

Night riding is so much fun. It is important to find a good light that will illuminate the road or trail for you and of course let you be seen. It seems that the best bet if you have the money is to buy a light of at least $150 or more. Light N Motion seems to have good stuff that is what my buddies and I use. They have a light that looks like a blasted freight train coming down the trail and lights a few hundred yards ahead of you in a blue light (about $300 I think). Although this can cause problems with blinding oncoming traffic. Also you need lights on the back of your bike to be seen by others from behind, like traffic and other cyclists. Also remember to go slower then you would during the day at night as you cannot see as well with most lighting systems as in daylight. Also it is best to get a lighting system that is rechargable and not battery powered may be a little heavier and expensive but it will save you on batteries in the long run. It seems that most lights have a run time between 2 and 5 hours depending on brand and light settings.

Once you start riding like this you'll likely be hooked, it is a lot of fun.

[Geonz]

I don't go for fast riding at night but I do it a lot on my commute. (I still get a workout depending on which bicycle I"m riding.) I got a nice dynamo hub that lights my way, but I found the Cateye lights work well, too. WIth the dynamo I just don't have to worry about batteries. (I do kinda worry about "what about when the light bulb goes out" so I tend to have my light that goes around my head somewhere in my gear just in case. I would want that if I needed to get off the bike and see stuff anyway.)
I have put a Trek Flare 10 light on my helmet with its universal mount and cars give me a ton of room. http://bontrager.com/images/products/medium/402903.jpg I also got some strings of multicolored LED lights
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/led.html that are wrapped around my camelbak and another one around theback of my bike.
I have hokey-spokes too but have to find the thingies to attach them or improvise something (soudns like an excuse to kibbitz at the LBS ;) ) - they get lots of good reaction.
Just the helmet light works well - getting two strings flashing too gets me comments like "NObody's going to miss you!" I'll fire up the Christmas Tree and get it on the bike before too long...
(I'm in a college town on the prairie so I can get *some* traffic... if I go out a few miles I have to watch for wildlife but generally I'm not going fast enough to collide with them.)

[singletrackmind]

When I commuted I had blinkys on the back and front and a helmet light because it's less jumpy and looks where I do. Bright clothes and an orange safety vest with reflectives and lights on it that goes far enough down drivers can see it even when I'm bent over the bars. And a string of battery powered bright christmas lights wrapped around the frame.

And ride as if I was absolutely invisible to cars, pretty much like daytime riding.

[crazycanuck]

Since I can't see with the small lights I use Cat Eye Double shots during the winter & some other Cat eye one in spring/summer. I don't like handlebar mounted lights as i can't see so, I usually use a helmet light.

I hate blinky lights as man they hurt me eyes!! Ow! I leave my back light on normal mode just to save someone a headache.

C

[pinkychique]

Have any of you had experience with the knog lights? The little single led ones seem too small, but they have bigger ones, and they seem really easy to switch from one bike to another. I seem to need to do that between my good bike (for riding to my actual house) and my beater bike (for riding between my BF's house and school).

I love the Hokey Spokes!!!

[li10up]

How do you attach blinky lights to your helmet? I don't like the look of the light on my bike seatpost all the time...but how do you attach the light to the back of your helmet? Or do they make lights specifically for that?

[PscyclePath]

So I am a newbie myself, have had my road bike for about 2 mos, and recently switched to clipless pedals (2 days ago in fact! :D ). As it begins to get darker earlier, I know I will find myself returning home in nearly complete darkness. Therefore, riding time becomes a bit more sketchy.

How do most of you find riding at night to be? How feasible is it and what kinds of adjustments will have to made, equipment and so forth?

I ride a good bit at night this time of year, since my start time and usual route mean I'm coming back at least half way in the dark.

1) Lights and reflective gear are key. Lights have two purposes on the bike... first, to let motorists and other riders see you coming, and second to let you see where you're going. In both cases, you need active lighting systems, e.g., something with light bulbs that emit lots of light. Don't rely on reflectors alone. Reflectors are passive; they only reflect light that's aimed at them, and by the time your reflectors show up in a motorist's headlights, you probably have a big ol' "deer-in-the-headlights" look yourself.

2) Get a good set of headlights that hrow enough light for you to clearly see the road or trail in front of you. Typically, the rechargeable battery kind are best. You'll spend a good bit of money, as the more resonable sets will come in around $120 or so, but lights are one of those things that you usually good a good bit of illumination for the extra money spent. Also, a good bright blinky light for the rear of the bike. To be street-legal in most states, your bike must have a white LIGHT on the front that's visible for at least 500 fett, and a red LIGHT on the back that's visible for at least 600 feet. Some states will allow you to substitute a red reflector on the back for a red light, but it still must be visible for at least 600 feet. New bikes come with white and red reflectors, but that's a wholoe 'nother rant... The law requires active lights.

3) One of the basic principles for riding on the road is Be Visible. In addition to its usual application to your position on the road, you should wear light or bright-colored clothing. Blue, black, gray, brown, and green are not good jersey colors for low-light rides. White, yellow, orange, that odd chartreuse that many vendors call "hi-vis" are excellent choices.

4) Supplement your lights with reflectors... both on your bike, as well as your riding clothing. Reflective strips on your jacket, a reflective vest, etc. are all good. I bought an MTB helmet for night rides, and duded it up with some Scotchlite (TM) reflective tape for better visibility. I'm a big fan of "Tire Flies," (http//www.tireflies.com) which are little lights that thread onto the valve stems and light up as the wheels go 'round. These fo a great deal toward making you more visible in the dark. Those little reflectors on the back of your platform pedals are some of the most efective means of attracting attention in the dark, because of the motion.

5) Be alert, and ride defensively. Motorists aren't going to expect to see a cyclist out at night, and often aren't as alert as they would otherwise be in the daytime. Night time also brings you a higher probablity of encountering an "impaired" motorist who's had a little too much "refreshment," or who are simply tired, and/or have poor night vision. So be very careful. Stick to the back streets as much as you can on Friday and weekend nights, as this is when the drunks are most likely to be out.

6) Be extra careful at intersections and when making turns... again, motorists are less likely to be looking out for you. Don't let yourself get caught out in the intersection when traffic lights turn yellow (or, especially, red). Be more cautious, and stop on the yellow.

7) Slow down, so that you don't outrun the reach of your headlights... e.g., so that you can safely stop once you see a hazard in your lights. Never assume a motorist has seen you, since your lights are easy to get overwhelmed and missed against the brightness of automobile lights.

8) If you're blinded by someone else's oncoming headlights or overbright street lights/athletic field lights, don't look directly into the beam. Look off to one side and use your peripheral vision. One advantage of the MTB helmet is that it has a visor, and I can use that to help block a blinding light, sort of like a sun-shade in the car.

9) Turn signals can be difficult when you're riding on the streets... having a reflective band on your wrists can help your visibility here, but what I've found to be super-useful are "Glo-Gloves," reflective gloves intended for traffic cops and others, available for around $15 at http://www.night-gear.com.

Hope this helps a bit...

TOm

[Dianyla]

How do you attach blinky lights to your helmet? I don't like the look of the light on my bike seatpost all the time...but how do you attach the light to the back of your helmet? Or do they make lights specifically for that?
On my regular helmets, I use the the Cateye LD100 (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=9979&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Show%20All%20Products) which has a little built-in lanyard that I thread through the helmet vents. It's not the brightest light, but it's something and it blinks.

For commuting I recently bought the Bell Metro (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=13025&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Show%20All%20Products) which actually has a flat/smooth back with a built in strap that pretty much any blinky with a belt-clip can attach onto. It's pretty slick.

[Fredwina]

1. las psyclepath said, lights and reflective gear are the key. As a slow Randonuesse, I know these things:o
2. Front lights: wish I had the money for a dynohub, but I've got two Cateye El-500's: they were about $30/each, and I can get a month out of the batterys(Almost all of my weekday riding is in the dark:( ) so , you can get buy without spending a ton.
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o254/Fredwina_photo/DSCI0005.jpg
I know i',m going to get some post about what "junky" lights they are, but they seem to work fine for me. I've actually gotten sincere comment about the amount of light I have:)
I also have a Princeton Tec headling on helmet. Handy for reading cue sheet and 'puters on those 300 and 400K rides ;)
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o254/Fredwina_photo/DSCI0004.jpg
I've got some cateye blinkes on the back:
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o254/Fredwina_photo/Cayucos-bike.jpg.

[onimity]

nice stuffed Duke, Fredwina! :)

[Fredwina]

nice stuffed Duke, Fredwina! :)

hey, I'm a JUG leader! I have to have a stuffed Duke:
confused? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_mascot

[onimity]

Very nice! I only have a free nerf-y one that I got at JavaOne last year. Nothing as cool as yours. :)

Several years ago I saw a guy in a Duke costume at a conference, ran up and kissed his big red nose. I think I terrified whoever was in that costume, but somewhere there are good pictures. :eek:

Do you go to JavaOne? If so we should meet up this year. Loved that they had a bike valet this year & was sad to not have my bike!

Oh, and your headlamp setup looks like mine, works really well for me too. I imagine it will be very nice if I ever get a flat after dark.

Anne

[Fredwina]

Very nice! I only have a free nerf-y one that I got at JavaOne last year. Nothing as cool as yours. :)

Several years ago I saw a guy in a Duke costume at a conference, ran up and kissed his big red nose. I think I terrified whoever was in that costume, but somewhere there are good pictures. :eek:

Do you go to JavaOne? If so we should meet up this year. Loved that they had a bike valet this year & was sad to not have my bike!

Oh, and your headlamp setup looks like mine, works really well for me too. I imagine it will be very nice if I ever get a flat after dark.

Anne
i have a nerfy -one on my desk at work. i got the home one from sun (http://www.sunwarestore.com/javawear/do/product/gifts/JSC-190)
I didn't do Java one. Maybe next year. Hopefully , by then I won't be working with the Rodney Dangerfield of programming languages
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COBOL)
ps my Jug's two pages:
https://sgvjug.dev.java.net/
and
http://www.sgvjug.org/

[steinspinne]

Well, I live in the middle of the city so I prefer to ride at night. Less traffic to worry about. Some of you may disagree with this, but I have a headlight and a taillight only. My commute is only 3 miles and the entire route has plenty of streetlamps to light the way, so the lights on the bike itself are just so others can see me coming.

Up front I have a Blackburn Quadrant and in the back I have a Blackburn Mars 2.0. Sleek styling, if I do say so myself. Check them out.

[caribou]

I read this thread this morning because I've just started bike commuting a couple days a week this summer, and want to keep it up now that the days are getting shorter. Just went back to fulltime work after years of 3/4 time, and miss my weekday daylight bike rides with hardly any traffic on the best routes, boo-hoo!:( Love the new job, but it sure is more challenging to get regular outdoor exercise in. Indoor gym or trainer work is the LAST resort.

Have any of you tried riding at night with rose lenses? I have Rudy Project frames, and the Racing Red is what I use for cross-country skiing in flat light conditions, to give more depth. I'm wondering if they work for night riding to reduce glare without being too dark. Got clear lenses too, but the idea of less glare from oncoming lights sound really good. I don't want to shell out more for yet another set of lenses--amber--if what I have will work well.

Also: from the motorist's point of view, I'm putting in a plug for those blinking red rear lights. As a motorist I've noticed many times how visible the blinking red rear lights are, and really appreciated the heads-up that a bike's on the road. So that and a medium-priced LED light are what I ordered, will see how they do on my short street-lighted commute (with bike lanes and no deer.)

[alicestrong]

Stock up on 99 cent store LED blinkies. The technology is surprising.