Night Riding

[pinkbikes]

wow! those actually look really neat. do you know what exactly i'd need if i didn't buy the kit? would it be cheaper this way? I need to minimize costs as much as possible so i'd like to be able to just buy what I want/need. I'd just like a light to mount on my handlebars, i think that will be sufficient for me right now.

Like CrazyCanuck I am also a huge fan of the Ay-ups and have done a couple of dusk2dawns and a couple of 24hour races with them. I have looked at other lights that people have recommended here and thought - oh yeah, they look great - but when it comes down to the lightest, brightest bang for your buck, the Ay-ups win that for me.

I think that some of the others have some neater features in terms of flexibility (like flashing capability and lower light setting for longer battery life etc) but if you don't mind simple and you want something light, bright and reliable (and in pretty colours too) then the Ay-ups are really great.

In terms of what you'd need..

- A light set (this is the twin light with a socket on the back for the lead from the battery) in colour and beam width of your choice
- Mounting bracket with rubber strap (for helmet or bars or both)
- Battery (3hour or 6hour, switched or unswitched)
- Battery pouch or gecko mount depending where you want to put it
- Charger with local power plug lead

Then if you want to run two lights you need to double up on the first four but don't need another charger. All the other stuff in the kits are "nice to haves" like the little neoprene bags to protect your lights when they are not on the bike and extra extension leads if you want to wear your battery in your backpack instead of on your helmet, or extra batteries to be able to do longer races without charging, car charger plug etc.

I note you are only considering riding with a light on your handlebars. If you are only planning to ride on the road or paved bikeways then that would be fine and I often do that with one set of my lights (although usually the helmet ones for convenience - I have a "night helmet" that has the lights mounted on it all the time).

But if you are planning to ride MTB trails in the dark I would suggest that it may be a mistake? From one who has done quite a bit of riding trails in the dark now (and truly loves it even though the idea had me a bit scared at first) I would not like to do it without lights on both bars and helmet.

Both lights perform a different function. I use a wider angle shorter throw light on the bars to see where the bike is currently going - more a peripheral vision thing. The helmet light is a narrower and more penetrating beam for looking ahead to where you will be going - where you really need to be looking. This is most evident when you go through switchbacks and you are looking around/across the curve to the exit. Without your helmet light you are unable to do this because your handlebars are still pointing somewhere halfway around the curve! I learnt this firsthand when I forgot to charge my helmet battery once and it went out on some singletrack, leaving me looking at a bunch of dark across the curve!

I don't think it matters what set of lights you end up getting, I think you will enjoy the experience of riding MTB in the dark and come to grips with it much quicker with two set of lights. And if you really had to limit yourself to one set, I would make them the ones on your helmet, as they are the more critical IMHO.

In terms of tips - I actually find that I do one of two things when I take people for their first rides in the dark. Either I go riding with them in late afternoon and we turn our lights on and keep riding as it gets darker and darker until they find themselves riding in the dark (in familiar territory). Or I meet them after dark at my place and take them to the forest from there. It is a nice ride along a concrete bikeway for about 2km, getting progressively less well lit. Then we go into the forest and up a long fire trail which is a bit steep but not technically difficult, and finally we do one of the easier single tracks. By the time we get to the singetrack they are pretty comfortable in the dark and are usually having a great time and I have to drag them back the same way!

Remember your helmet is the height of the light taller than usual and you have to duck a little more!

Don't forget to charge your helmet light battery!

Relax, go slow and enjoy it. It really is beautiful. And sometimes when you don't see all the big scary things it is easier to do them in the dark! You might be surprised.