Avoiding cycling roads at night through fear of death?

keef66

I work in Cambridge, so lots of cyclists. Driving home each evening I see all sorts. Some lit up like Harrods at Christmas (I usually stalk them for a while trying to work out what lights they've got) all the way to lunatics in dark / camouflage colours with no lights or reflectors at all. If I flatten one of them, will I be guilty of assisting a suicide?

cougie

Its pretty good though that these ninja cyclists still exist.

If cycling at night was as dangerous as some people think - then the ninjas would be wiped out each night.

So if we head out with lights ablazing and reflective kit on - we should stand a fair chance of coming back in one piece.

Fantasia

Hi

A cyclist was killed on the road at night in my area a couple of years ago - he was a contractor and had been living at a local hotel about 15 - 20 minutes away from the site he was working on. Coming back from work at night on an unlit road going to the hotel he was hit by a vehicle and didn't survive .

There was a pavement on one side of the road that he could have been on as its never used by pedestrians and is much safer than the road.

feel

In the day i never use cycle paths but i do at night and certainly would consider using footpaths at night if they are deserted.

cougie

footpaths are worse than roads for debris - its usually safer riding on the road than on the pavement.

BMCCbry

I ride home from work - about 16 miles, of which 10 are unlit country lanes.

My front light is so bright that oncoming cars always dip their lights and slow down. It's a Hope Vision 4, which is meant for MTB I think, but I have found that using a very bright front light has made the experience SO much more enjoyable and safer - I can see where I'm going properly and I don't get dazzled by oncoming traffic.

So night riding seems fine to me. But I don't do it if there's a risk of ice. Ice when you can see it is bad enough, let alone in the dark!

hammerite

I want to commute to/from work at least once or twice a week during winter (I do in spring/summer). But it's a 40 mile round trip with most of it on unlit roads that are used as rat runs to avoid the traffic & M1.

I do sometimes pass a few people on bikes on these roads when I'm driving, but I suspect they aren't cycling as far as me for their commute.

Anonymous

Some weeks I go home for the weekend, and from Selby I have a 3 mile trip, 2 of these miles are in unlit pitch blackness, the only light I have is the garmin and a rear and front light and whilst they are good you have to shine them about 2 meter in front but it's still bad, cant see the road and have to go on the breaks doing about 15mph, cars see me ok though.

It would be much easier if cars never went off full beam lol, I want some decent lights so I can travel on unlit roads properly and do my 37 mile training circle at night. [/code][/u][/i]

cougie

So you thought that it was better to spend your money on a garmin than get decent lights ?

You need to get another rear light asap - you need two in case of failure - and you wont know until its too late if its gone out.

For the front lights - just use the search function on here - P7, Fenix - lots of them out there that will let you fly down hills at whatever speed you want. And the total cost is a fraction of a garmin.

These lights keep you safe at night - why economise ?

cougie

Oh and either wear a peak on your helmet - or ride with an old style cap underneath your helmet so you can block car headlights and keep your night vision.

morite

I have a Race Maxx front light (best £200 I spent on winter stuff) 3 blackburn rear lights (1 mars 3.0 & 2 mars 4.0). I then have one of those Hump rucksack covers, I got the one with the inbuilt light strip and I also use a respro hi viz helmet reflector.

I have another light which I am converting into a helmet light as well, just waiting for the bracket to turn up.

"Done up like a Christmas tree" is the expression I use and I still have people not seeing me at least twice a week.

God knows how some of these people survive

Anonymous

With my 2 lights I've had 0 problems in Manchester as it's all lit up, I do this route at about 11pm some nights too. Did it at rush hour yesterday.

STEFANOS4784

proto wrote:

pgakister wrote:

Don't want to disagree but I find that I get far more space and leeway at night. Ok, I'm a big fat bloke and go out dressed like a Christmas tree on steroids but cars give me a mile in comparison to daylight rides along the same roads.

I agree with this. I find that on unlit country roads motorists are more patient and give me much more room. I deffo feel safer at night.

You need good lights though. I've got two on the back, one set to flashing, and one constant.On the front I've got a fantastic Busch&Muller Ixon. It's er ......brilliant.

There is a route i can take up country roads but i have friends who drive them and they drive like fookin madmen posessed, i used to say what if yopu go round the bend and theres a lorry or something you'd have no chance but they don't listen, that is why i avoid country lanes, am i being paranoid?