Wimped out on commuting in the dark

[lph]

From now on until March or so I'll be commuting mostly in the dark, though once the snow comes it won't really be that dark.

I don't like reflective vests, and have settled for:

on my bike: blinking white (almost blue - the yellow ones are a lot harder to see) 4 LED light in front, blinking red standard 3 LED in back - both quite broad and fairly visible from the side

on my helmet: a tiny steady-beam 1 LED light in front on my helmet, ditto blinking red on the back of my helmet... back-up in case the one on the bike gets obscured by mud or my jacket

Plus a broad reflective band on each ankle, to be visible from the side in crossings, and one on my left wrist to be extra visible when signalling a left turn.

I feel fairly visible, but I don't have much to see the road with, if the road itself is poorly lit.

[nuthatch]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can continue at least until Christmas. I've slowed way down (takes me an extra 15 minutes to get home) and assumed that, even with tons of blinkies, I'm "Sue, the invisible girl" to everyone on the road.

Riding in the winter is a totally different experience, isn't it? When I get home, I feel victorious rather than the usual summer "bonhomie."

[RoadRaven]

Never feel you wimped out when you make a cautious decision based on a well-known risk factor, such as; not enough sleep, haven't eaten breakfast/lunch, its raining/snowing/icey outside, its dark...

Riding in the dark is a risk factor that increases the possibility of a crash - whether with someone else, or just of your own making. If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it.

Yes, it is a "w" word... but not 'wimp' - its 'wise'


~Raven~

[Geonz]

Righto... I soemtimes have to remind myself "and if you crash and break your face, how many days will you miss? So maybe skipping this one isn't so bad..."

[run it, ride it]

I recently had laser eye surgery. When I drive at night there are halos on every light I see which compromises my depth perception. I can't pick out the important lights as quickly as I used to. Still, I always notice flashing bicycle lights.

So you're out driving on the highway in pitch darkness with hi-beams on and another car appears in the other direction. Is it not common courtesy to turn off your brights when they turn theirs off? I kill mine when theirs have made it difficult for me to judge where the road is.

I thought it was bad when driving! Only one in thirty vehicles turns down their brights at all when I'm on my bicycle. I absolutely could not SEE commuting in the dark just because of that (well, and the terrifying transport trucks whose drivers weren't expecting bicycles on a country road in the middle of nowhere).

Even with the brightest lights I could find on my bicycle I have people tell me "I almost ran into you. I could barely see you."

Safety first, kids!

[HipGnosis6]

I'll ride in the dark or in the rain but not in both.

I miss my commuter days... even though I had to ride across the Ballard Bridge which is VERY bike un-friendly in the dark....

[xeney]

I commuted in real dark, as opposed to just dusk, for the first time on Friday. And I liked it! I do wish I'd had a better light with me -- my bike was in the shop all week and I picked it up that morning, but I forgot to bring a light so I had to use the extra one I keep in my desk. It's fine but it doesn't illuminate the road at all, and the streets are still a mess from last week's storm. So it wasn't ideal.

But it was still pretty good. In some ways I feel more visible in the dark than at dusk, because my lights show up better. There was not much traffic. And I felt so much safer leaving my office on a bike at night than I do on foot. They've redone our doorways so I can just take my bike out the front of the building at the main entrance now, which dumps me onto a well-lit sidewalk that then goes straight onto the street I use to ride to home. In the past, that front door was locked at night, and in order to exit that way you had to unlock a very difficult deadbolt, which was hard to do while balancing a bicycle. So I had to exit into a dark alley ... which pretty much meant that I drove the car any time I had to work late.

Mostly I commute on foot, but I am really happy to have another way to get to work in the winter. Because my neighborhood is fine for riding through after dark, but not so much for walking.