Night Riding - Trails ????

Cps

I've tried it but I just dont get it!
It may be just me - but unless you know the route you just cant go as fast and you cant see jack s**t to the sides, so catching stuff jutting out is just too easy.

So apart from the fun of finding and spending sheds loads on some mega high powered lights, as we all love buying stuff, what is the appeal of 'off roading' in the dark.

I still do 12+ mile rides but on the road to keep up fitness and hit the trails at the weekend so am i really missing anything?

zero303

Simple answer, you probably are missing something...

- Trails are empty
- Added danger/excitement, can actually feel faster
- it's kinda spooky
- Every night ride is a bonus ride, you get to ride at times you'd normally never even consider.

I love it so much that I even do it in the summer!

rd350lc

I agree ....... only been the once but I love it felt so much faster,we were laughing all night it was a right hoot ..Cant wait to do it again !!!

Rich

DickBarton

Cps wrote:

am i really missing anything?

YES!!!

It is darker so the trails take on a new shape and form, you need to use your reactions to skills to get you down/along/up the trail in anything remotely close to the pseed you can do it in the daylight...it helps you develop quicker reactions and skills as the light output is more defined so you can't see everything to the sides - nor the depth of drops/steepness so you tend to ride things that you wouldn't necessarily ride during the day. It is much quieter, you can see some interesting sights whilst out - I don't mean dogging, nature seems to come alive at night and you will see a lot of things you miss during the day.

And above anything and everything else - it is a hoot as it transforms your normal trails into new trails to be ridden and explored...

hucking_fell

Last week I finished work at 0400 and headed to the local woods with the bike on the car. I had a new helmet light to try out. Enjoyed the 20 min ride. Almost poo'd myself when I saw what must have been a foxes eyes shining back at me, all yellow/green and spooky like. Didn't feel safe putting the bike back on the car at about 0430 though. Who knows what nutters are out there at that time? Apart from mountain bikers obviously. I was glad to be in the car with the doors locked and heading home.

Mytchett Mike

We ride every Tuesday night on our local trails and it is a great laugh. Some of the downhills are more interesting and it adds to the technical sections.

Also. we've had up to 28 riders out and it's quite a sight watching all those lights winding through the trees / downhill

Not so keen doing it solo cos' there's werewolves out there you know :oops:

Mike

hucking_fell

Yeah, I've decided not to go on any more solo night rides. Mostly 'cos it's scary but also 'cos if I fall off and get hurt I could lie there for hours before a dog walker trips over me. Even then he may not help. Just laugh as his dog pi$$es on me.

Joking. Not meaning to offend any dog owners / walkers

Paul Sh

I'm in the process of picking some lights so i can do the trails in pitch black, i'm really looking forward to it, i'm a night person anyway so it should suit me down to the ground, having said that, i don't live in the most desirable area and it has crossed my mind wether or not i end up MURDERED

maximus69

rd350lc wrote:

I agree ....... only been the once but I love it felt so much faster,we were laughing all night it was a right hoot ..Cant wait to do it again !!!

yeah was funny mate, especially when we realised you didnt clamp your front wheel up!!

cougie

I'm loving it and riding off road (nothing too tecchy) twice a week now. Great for fitness and it feels so much better than being on the roads. I do enough long road rides at the weekend. Its badgers I have a problem with at the moment - they're definitely out to get me.

rd350lc

maximus69 wrote:

rd350lc wrote:

I agree ....... only been the once but I love it felt so much faster,we were laughing all night it was a right hoot ..Cant wait to do it again !!!

yeah was funny mate, especially when we realised you didnt clamp your front wheel up!!

Yeah that was interesting wasnt it ....well it was dark :?

Tailend Charlie

@ OP

yes definitely. There is something really satisfying about riding out in the woods or over the fells in the dark. Its a great laugh, it ups the technical challenge of any trail, even trails you are very familiar with are very different at night. But it really is a group game IMO. Riding solo you have a much greater chance of getting into difficulties, the likelihood of a prang is greater, and if you are hurt the likelihood of being found is much less.

and it makes riding in the daylight with all the line choices seem almost luxurious...

Stormy

Pros and cons doing a night time, I live next door to the New Forest and come this time of year all the tourists have more or less buggered off, and you can seriously get yourself out in the middle of not much at all.

I always remember stopping for a breather (alone) in the middle of large open section of heath land and suddenly becoming aware of rather too many pairs of eyes shining back at me, probably on the extreme range of my lights but getting nearer…………………………….

@ outta of here response, quickly followed by the lets fall off right now comedy routine which isn’t funny at the time (usually)

The dark plays tricks with ya, and it’s hard staying rational with most night time creature’s hell bent on taking the pi$$ lol

JumperSimon14

i was out last night on some trails in the local woodlands and i nearly had a great off i went wide on a corner and then trying to get back on the path i went wide to the other side hit a lump and it sent me into the air and as i wasnt expecting it i didnt pull m front wheel up, so then what happened is i front wheelied for about 5m going about 18mph and was nearly going over the bars! :shock: it was scary but i was just full of adrenaline from it

Giggsmaster

Off to Dalby Forest on Friday night, cant wait. Will be my first night ride, starting to get excited about what i might find out there, or what finds me...... Just the two of us going, so I can imagine it will be spooky. :twisted: