Quote Originally Posted by lph View Post
. Or, make sure you ride with someone, because at 2 am you're gonna be lonely and freaked out. Or - anything else you can think of that you wish someone had told you!
Oh - and that too. The ride I just did started at midnight, but we all stuck in groups until dawn. By the time I DNF'ed, I knew I would be riding alone that night too, and I really wasn't looking forward to that, especially on a holiday night. (rural roads, drunk drivers, solo cyclist don't mix well.)

Make sure your lighting is more than adequate. Again, in a group, it's not bad - you can use the light from the rider in front of you, and also have them to point out obstacles in the road. On your own, you want to see everything you can. I also like having a good helmet light to see whether that rustling on the side of the road is a squirrel or a monster.

Stop to wash your face. You'll feel like a new woman.