Do you ever get afraid? (night riding)

[Tri Girl]

Warning: this is long.
Ok ladies, I've packed my bike up many times the night before work only to wake up and chicken out on my commute. My reason? The darkness frightens me. My commute from home is 25 miles. It will take me 2 hours with all the traffic lights and such. I'd have to leave at 5:30 am to be at work by 7:30. Daylight doesn't break until almost 7, so it would be an hour and a half in the dark. I'm just afraid (I hope that doesn't sound weak). There is one sketchy part of town that I have to ride through (no real other way around except to add 10 miles and another 30+ minutes to my already long commute). It's not for very long of a stretch: about 3-4 miles on a fairly heavily traveled road.
Here's what it boils down to. I'm afraid of not being seen by cars (even tho I look like a police car with all my lights on). I have one long, bright blinking light attached to my rear stays, one bright blinking light on my rear pannier, and one small solid light on the back of my helmet. I have a helmet mounted headlight and a bar mounted one. I also have a reflective vest with a blinking light and ankle bands that are bright orange with a reflective stripe. My DH watched me ride up and down the street the other night and said I might be a distraction to cars because I'm so bright and blinky. I want to be seen, tho.
I guess I'm also a little afraid of that "rough" part of town. I'm pretty sure all the "thugs" are sleeping at 6:30 (when I'd arrive there). I carry mace in my Bento Box and keep it handy to grab in an instant.

I don't know- I think I'm just afraid of being vulnerable at night. I'm pretty sure you addressed this before (I remember some advice: think of the worst possible scenario and then think how you'd handle it). I feel confident that I could defend myself if I had to, but I don't want to, you know? I think most of it is fear of the unknown. I should probably bike it during the day on the weekend a few times to get used to the terrain.

I guess I'm asking if any of you had these same fears/worries and how you overcame them.

Thanks for you help!!! I really want to commute the whole way (I've commuted part way before, but it's far more of a hassle to pack up the car and my things, then unload and unpack everything to head off). I'd rather just leave from home.

[KnottedYet]

I don't want to ride in the dark through the part of my commute that's on a fairly woodsy bike path. There are homeless folks along there, but not many.

I just don't do it.

I commuted the same path every day for years 15-20 years ago, in the daylight. But I just don't feel right about doing it in the dark.

[missymaya]

Have you traveled the route via car at a similar time you would normally be riding it? The traffic might be very light at that time of the day and it would be good to be familiar with the terrain and the intersections and how to handle them. My route to work is 20 miles one way and the main road I ride on is VERY busy, especially when I leave work. I drove the route a lot. I refuse to ride to work during the week because it gets dark and this road is very dangerous, but on the weekends where I get off work early when there's still light, I'll ride. As for the dangerous part of town that I have to ride through, I've never had a problem so far and since it's also heavily traveled, I feel safe with others around me.
I rode home with a coworker who's route was through one of the worst parts of Orlando, which was just named one of the worst parts in the country. We had a guy yell at his pitbull (that was without a leash and there was no fence) to "chase" and then 5 feet later some kids just darted out at us yelling at the top of their lungs. We ran 2 red lights without thinking of it (which I never do). I never ever ever will ride that route again.

[maillotpois]

I don't commute, but I had a scary episode during my last double that's made me think twice about night riding. I was on Hwy 128 between Napa Valley and Cardiac - very isolated, rural road and all the traffic on it was big trucks pulling boats coming back from a day on the lake, driving very fast. It was probably 8 pm and quite dark - seemingly moonless as it would through a big valley with very little sky visible, no streetlights, etc.. There were no cyclists around me for a period of about 5 miles, and even though I had ridden this same stretch of road in the dark before, the last time I had done it I had been with someone (Veronica), which makes a huge difference.

I didn't have a single "close call" with those trucks, but I just got all in my head about what if's, and kicking myself for taking such risks, etc. Finally in about 5 miles I found another cyclist (female) to ride with the whole rest of the way - which was a HUGE relief. (Especially when my front primary light burned out while climbing Cardiac! )

Would your return trip also be in the dark? I find I much prefer riding in morning darkness to evening darkness.

[mimitabby]

I have the same fears, although I am not worried about thugs. My biggest fear is of things I cannot see. There are cracks and holes in the road. There are curbs that even though i've done the route a hundred times before, I might forget. Then there's road debris.

This is what i do:
if it's dark, it can't be too cold or too wet.
so I will ride in dark but not cold and dark
or cold and WET and dark.
If it's raining and dark, i will not ride. If it's just a tiny sprinkle, i might.

It helps a lot that my husband has literally LEAD me to work "see, this isn't so bad" but even though, I haven't ridden to work in almost a month now.
come February, when the days are getting a tiny bit longer, I will start wanting to ride to work again.

of course, I am worried about cars too, but that's true no matter when I ride, and I too am lit up like a christmas tree.

[GLC1968]

I know what you mean. For my commute, it's dark both ways. The morning is a little less creepy to me, mostly because I see enough joggers and dog walkers out that it's not that bad. It's somewhat light by the time I get to the more sketchy, industrial, truck-stop part of my commute near work, too.

The problem for me is the ride home. It's already dark when I start, so I'm going through the above mentioned areas in full darkness. It's also fairly light on traffic in those areas, so I start doing a lot of the 'what if' thinking as well. I imagine there are 'bad guys' around every corner just waiting for the girl on the bike. (I'm sure they aren't really out there...but whatever). Once I get onto a main road where there is tons of traffic, I actually feel much safer. Tons of traffic means that the cars are moving a little slower...and since I'm so lit up, it's hard to miss me. I can't really explain it except to say that when it's dark and cold, I think of those huge metal beasts beside me as friends. Weird, I know. I just get spooked when it's dark and I'm all alone.

And no, I haven't really found a way around it. I try to suck it up, but in reality, my winter commute is way less frequent than it is during the fall and spring where I at least get daylight for one direction or the other.

[twin]

I used to commute while it was dark in the morning although it was only 13 miles I would arrive at school while it was still dark. I went through an area that everyone thought would be a bad idea however very few people were up at that time of the morning. Some days I would be a little paranoid. Overall it was a nice commute. I took many early morning pictures when I went through downtown and enjoyed the sites.

[Grog]

My commute is an amazing 2 km right now so my experience of the matter is limited. I just thought I'd throw something in:

Make sure you have what it takes to change a flat in the dark. Obviously, it would be more pleasant and faster to have a spare tube instead of patching, and to have CO2 (AND a pump as a backup) and to know how to use it, and to use it fast. And a headlamp to do the work.

That's somewhat obvious. But one of the reason why I don't ride much in the winter time is that I hate changing a flat on a wet, cold wheel with wet, cold hands.

[Geonz]

I don't commute, but I had a scary episode during my last double that's made me think twice about night riding. I was on Hwy 128 between Napa Valley and Cardiac - very isolated, rural road and all the traffic on it was big trucks pulling boats coming back from a day on the lake, driving very fast. It was probably 8 pm and quite dark - seemingly moonless as it would through a big valley with very little sky visible, no streetlights, etc.. There were no cyclists around me for a period of about 5 miles, and even though I had ridden this same stretch of road in the dark before, the last time I had done it I had been with someone (Veronica), which makes a huge difference.

I didn't have a single "close call" with those trucks, but I just got all in my head about what if's, and kicking myself for taking such risks, etc. Finally in about 5 miles I found another cyclist (female) to ride with the whole rest of the way - which was a HUGE relief. (Especially when my front primary light burned out while climbing Cardiac! )

Would your return trip also be in the dark? I find I much prefer riding in morning darkness to evening darkness.

So it was scary ... not because of anything outside, but because of the stuff inside your head (which is still totally valid - it just matters where it's coming from).

Analytically speaking, is the risk in fact greater? What other things should we not do because of that level of risk? Do you ride fast downhills sometimes? (That's where *my* head interferes with my riding).

Just some thoughts... I ride in the dark fairly frequently, but generally it doesn't bother me. I know horrible things can and do happen - and I think of all the people I know who *have* to be in much riskier situations, and I think of sailors of old and new and coal miners and hope we all get through the night. (This area is reasonably safe, too.)
Around here, lots more people have been clocked in broad daylight

[maillotpois]

Sue - it probably was objectively scary as well (speeding, probably inebriated, boat truck drivers whizzing past on completely dark roads). But was it scarier than other night riding I have done - including riding through the night on a rural road with some twisty descents, etc.? I don't know. It was just the first time I'd let myself get freaked out about it.

On downhills, sometimes my head interferes and sometimes I can completely turn it off. Which is weird. I totally get that that's where your head gets to you.

Amazing the power of your mind, huh?

[Starfish]

I don't commute on the bike, and hardly ever ride in the dark...so grain of salt, here.

But, the thing that popped into my mind, regarding "sketchy" neighborhoods, is that I keep hearing from law enforcement types that it is good to vary the routine or route...not to be predictable in any one place at any one time every day.

[bikerHen]

I have really been enjoying my evening commute. I've had to cut it down to a six mile ride instead of ten because of questionable roads. Having to do more with speeding traffic/narrow shoulder than scary areas.

I still have a couple mile stretch of being mostly alone though. I was having scary thoughts just the other night and got to thinking that if this was July, I wouldn't think twice about riding through this area at this time of day. It's a straight road, through light industry and open fields with good shoulders and light traffic. It was just the dark and rain that was making it scary. I have plenty of lights, can see the roadway just fine and a driver would have to be blind not to see me. I even scared a coyote the other night with all my flashing lights.

I do spend a lot of ride time on the what ifs . . . and I watch every car that drives by. It doesn't hurt to be ready. Once I turn off my worry gene I just love being out on my bike in the dark. For some reason I feel very impowered. The best advice I can give is to just give it try, maybe it will work for you and maybe it won't but you won't know until you try. And try to keep that worry bug under control. bikerHen

[Tri Girl]

Thanks for all of your very helpful advice, anecdotes, and stories of experiences you've had. It makes me feel like I'm not alone, and that it's OK to feel a little afraid. I guess a little fear is healthy- keeps you on your toes. That's the kind I have- not the paralyzing kind that won't let me ride my bike at all (if I had that kind- I'd never cycle another mile in my lifetime ). I will just light myself up, be aware, and get out there. I've driven the route in the daylight hours, and around about the times that I'd be commuting. It's surely just fear of the unknown. Like Bikerhen said: it may be for me, may not- I just have to try. And GLC- I understand what you mean about the cars keeping you company. I feel much more scared when I'm all alone than when I know someone else is around (even if there's a chance that the someone could mow me down ).
My commute will be 1.5 hours in dark, .5 hour in light in the morning. Just the opposite on the way home. When traffic is heavier at night, I'm glad just a short time will be in the dark. I will vow to do it this week (well, depending on the temps). I will NOT cycle when it's below 38F in the morning- that's my strange cut-off temp.

Thank you again. I REALLY appreciate having this forum to ask questions. Not many I know would be able to give helpful advice (and most of them are guys and I think their worries/concerns are much different than ours).


Twin- where do you live? I live in central OK.

[twin]

I live in Norman now and where I used to commute was in Tulsa. Now I have a short safe route because I teach much closer to where I live. Where in OKC do you commute? I know you have many possible scary routes. Did you commute today? If you are familar with tulsa my commute took me to north tulsa where I taught at old Mcclain and Central HS. What type oflghting are you using? Good luck and be safe!

[Tri Girl]

Twin-I live in far NW OKC and teach in Moore. The easiest/safest way (traffic wise anyway) is to head to downtown, then turn south toward Moore. The "iffy" part is just south of downtown on Shields. It's very dark, and when I've ridden there during the day I've encountered people who like to yell a lot. That was only twice, tho- so I know I shouldn't judge it based on those couple experiences. South side folks actually seem more considerate to bikers because more of them use a bicycle for transportation. It's the Nichols Hill's monster SUVs and Hummers that I worry about running me off the road.

I'm *sorta* familiar with Tulsa, and I think I know where you are talking about. That might be a little hairy, but sounds like you never had a problem. Realistically, I've read that many crimes are committed by people who know each other, and the others are opportunistic crimes. I try to believe that nobody will jump out and abduct/rob/kill a sweaty biker in the morning or evening- especially with a backpack and rear rack stuffed. If I tried to make myself look a little crazier, they might just avoid me altogether... hmmmm...