How comfortable are you riding in the dark?

Training
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I’m very comfortable with it, but I do live near a well maintained multi-use path that’ll take me 40 miles in either direction. I really only have to worry about the occasional vagrant that might be walking through.

I find night riding very relaxing and rewarding.

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Ohhh does this mean TR will slowly add running training plans or something similar? I recently found this app onerunning.io that is extremely similar but for running.

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Thanks all…so much good info!!

Since visibility is key, I came across this and wanted to share. Not affiliated of course but I’ve had good luck with their stuff since I typically need tall sizes.

Hopefully I’ll be much easier to see!!

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Proviz also make really visible kit, however be warned their sizing is “different” so make sure you can return from wherever you purchase from.

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45

The woods are a special case, but IMHO the most dangerous times are not night, but dusk and dawn.

But I do understand your reaction: I have come across bears three times in the last few years, twice during the day and once at night. By far the scariest was at night even though I was the farthest from the animal. And my last encounter a few weeks ago was quite close — I passed the bear as its butt disappeared into the bushes. Also I did a power PR of what felt like a million watts. :grin:

Technically, I don’t think riding on a fire road in the forest is all that different from riding on a road that cuts through a forest. I’d be cautious during descents and always put on a bear bell or make noise.

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46

Sadly cos I’d love to see them but also luckily as knowing my current run of luck I’d be the 1% that gets eaten, no wolves or bears to worry about here!

Just my imagination and maybe a grumpy badger.

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47

I’m glad that here in Scotland there are only imaginary monsters in the woods, not actual bears. stay safe. I’m sure I read that even on a bike a human can’t outpace wolves, bears or anything else that might want to take a bite of you.

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48

My most freaky night time experience happened too fast to be scary. I was freewheeling down the 11% StandingStane Road a bit north of Edinburgh Airport. Its far enough north of the airport and from civilisation that there’s no light pollution. I can’t recall what speed I was freewheeling at when two eyes to my left caught my lights. They suddenly jumped out a feral cat or something (about as wild as it got in the Scotland at that time). Somehow what ever it was managed to fit under my bottom bracket and I only caught its tail with my rear wheel (judging by the bump and squeal).

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49

AFAIK the native species of black bear manages up to 40 km/h, so you could outrun it on the flats or when the road points downwards. Uphill, you better be faster than the other guy :wink:

I remember a video of two cyclists who were touring Hokkaido. They came across a black bear and one of them thought it was a good idea to whip out his camera (or phone, don’t remember) and take some pictures. The bear didn’t like that and pursued. It looked as if the guy didn’t even have time to shit his pants. His friend was quicker. For the record, the poor guy was pulling a trailer with tent and all, so he was at a disadvantage.

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I was riding next to my neighbor heading out of the neighborhood. He had a light everywhere you can put a light. “Johnny, I won’t let THE DARKNESS get me” :grin: Ever since, we always refer to it as THE DARKNESS

I’m a big fan of

  1. Night Time Gravel - rides up the local river trail on aggregate are safe and awesome. I’m working on version of Stevie Wonder’s Part Time Lover song, but to Night… Time… Gravel…
    Did catch two dudes in pink shirts and bum-less pants doing things one might do in the woods in a pink shirt and bum-less pants at 930pm on Saturday night. I couldnt’ turn the light away from them because the light steers with the handlebars. That was pretty scary for all of us.
  2. Summer dusk rides to the city and back - seeing everyone heading out and chilling in their neighborhood is awesome. Much lower chance of seeing people do the hippity-dippity

In my experience, the biggest concerned about riding in THE DARKNESS are:

  1. Dawn/dusk visibility.
  2. Resources to save you from a mechanical.
  3. Drunk/drowsy drivers.
  4. Drivers seeing lights, but not equating them to a bicycle.
  5. Bight lights and not being able to see beyond them ( we refer to some brake lights on bikes are the Eye of soran, where you can’t see past them).

Three things:

  1. Don’t get the brightest light ever. The throw, breath, and even-ess is WAY more important than the power. You can get by on 200lums with a good lens on the road, a bit more power and spread for offroad. If you’ve got a bright single spot, you blind yourself to things outside of that one bright spot. A full moon night, which is easy to see everything you need to see, is .35lux-ish per sq/m, while a car headlight is about 530 and you can’t see anything off-light.
  2. Spare light - always carry a spare light with the same mount as your main. I use those Bontrager cubes.
  3. A lighter light won’t bounce around as much.
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