Night riders - mentalists?

booldawg

I've often seen posts in MTB Rides for people out night riding. TBH no amount of lumens could see me entertaining the idea. I'm prone enough to come a cropper in broad daylight.

Am I missing out? Its difficult getting rides in this time of the year but I can't see lights being efficient enough to show up those wet roots and also light up the path ahead. Not the type of lights I have anyway!

nickfrog

I guess you have to adapt your speed accordingly. Maybe the low light makes it feel like you're going much faster than you are so I can see the attraction. I am lucky enough to cycle when I want to but if I had work constraints, I would give it a try.

Northwind

Good lights make a huge difference... But also you tend to approach things differently with the loss of visibility, I love it, it's like having a whole different set of trails to ride because everything feels so different

bluechair84

I think you need quite a different skills set too - you have to react quicker and ride sort of... more on edge. It can be a real adrenaline rush tackling a descent you know and love in the dark.
Why do you go to different locations to ride? To experience new things. Night riding is the same, it's a different experience that you'll love.

Herbie The Dog

I think people who DON'T night ride are mentalists. So yes, you are missing out. Big time!

.blitz

booldawg wrote:

Am I missing out?

Ma-hoosively.

You don't need 1,000,000 lumens, GPS-rescue services radio link, emergency blanket or any of that sh*t just take it easy and enjoy it. Make sure your bike is 100% working and practice basic repairs at home using your lights.

As others have said, night riding is a totally different experience - like learning a new route - but no less enjoyable.

projectsome

I've done it a few times, quite fun as you don't get elderly people walking on the trail or horses

Wallace1492

Ahhhhh night riding. It is the only bonus of heading into the winter deep freeze up here in Jocko Land.

A Couple of Magicshines, and a Cree P7 and off we go. It is superb fun, and have a group run organised for tonight round Mugdock and Carbeth.

Enormously rewarding, zipping through the trees and woods with plenty of light.
Madness not to do it methinks!

cloudynights

All my rides are in a evening so come winter time i have no choice, having said that as long as you have some good lights, take it easy, its great fun, the same route feels so much different in the dark, add that to the wet and cold conditions it sorts the men from the boys out.

warpcow

What bluechair said. It makes familiar trails different (I managed to get lost on a trail I've ridden 100s of times in daylight :oops: , but found a new trail ). Speed doesn't drop for me, but everything feels like it's going much faster. Like he said, it feels much more 'on the edge' despite really only being ordinary vanilla warp-factor mince. Modern lights will show up everything, especially with helmet and bar lights.

bartimaeus

I don't know about you, but I'm only doing between 5 and 10 mph uphill, so my lights are plenty bright enough for that. I do take the downhills pretty steady, though, unless it's one I know very well. But if I know where the corners are going then I'm happy to let go of the brakes and have some fun.

Northwind

I tend to seek out slower more techy trails just because high speed stuff does my head in at night, I'm always afraid there's some immovable object just out of sight...

But, there's nothing I think quite like setting out in daylight, riding right through sunset in the hills then coming home in the dark. Sad to think some people'll never do that IMO, at the risk of sounding like a big hippy it's almost spiritual. Don't think I've ever felt more at peace than in that near-dusk spell riding around in my hills.

Anonymous

Mentalists?
Are you calling this man a mentalist?

Erm, yeah, ok, I'll give you that one.

bartimaeus

The Mentalist on a bike...

wordnumb

.blitz wrote:

booldawg wrote:

...and practice basic repairs at home using your lights.

A sensible suggestion but made I laugh. Next you'll don a blindfold and be timing how long it takes to strip and reassemble your bike under a flag.

singlespeedexplosif

I think people who DON'T night ride are mentalists. So yes, you are missing out. Big time!
+1. Far from it being more dangerous, I'd argue it helps you become a better rider. So many things you might end up riding which you'd think twice about in the light...

You don't even need lights*

*unless you ride on roads or in a group... Some of my favourite rides have been unlit solo rides, just me, the bike and a hipflask.

slowslowslow

i'm hoping to be a mentalist soon. P7 has arrived today and charged up it looks bright enough. The cheap headtorch looks as bright as the exposure joystick i looked at in Evans. assuming they do not fall apart I am kitted out for £65.

I'm expecting to go even slower than normal, relax and enjoy the sounds of the night. Cannot wait.

Anonymous

wordnumb wrote:

Next you'll don a blindfold and be timing how long it takes to strip and reassemble your bike

What's wrong with that?

jmillen

Definitely missing out, night riding is fantastic Do it and you'll wonder why you've never done it before

wordnumb

yeehaamcgee wrote:

wordnumb wrote:

Next you'll don a blindfold and be timing how long it takes to strip and reassemble your bike

What's wrong with that?

Sir, nothing wrong with that. Sir.

[/Full Metal Bottombracket]

Anonymous

wordnumb wrote:

[/Full Metal Bottombracket]

EPIC WIN

altern_8

i have to give a big thumbs up to those who have said night riding is good and that it changes a trail so much,aint done it for a while,but now the dark nights are drawing in,looks like dalby forest could be getting a night visit sometime.....and as for lights,i just use 3 tesco cree(spelling) lights,2 on handle bars and 1 attached to bike helmet....total coast off around £50 when you add the battery charger and batteries.

Northwind

Yeah, I had some of those. Works out really bad value compared to a DX P7 torch though and a pain in the bum for battery changes but it's enough to get out on the trails. Sometimes it's nice to ride with just barely enough light isn't it. Open singletrack by moonlight...

kona_matt

Night riding is fantastic, you're missing out big time. Get yourself some decent lights though (see seperate rather large thread to help you choose).

Petty Vagrant

I love night riding and the couple of DX P7 help me do this fine. A couple of weeks ago when the trails were dry it got a bit scary as it felt stupidly fast at times. Once the mud sets in though things do slow up a bit!

I'd recommend everyone have a go at solo night riding as well -a set of headphone and some banging music in the ears as you don't have to worry about others out there as they can all see you!

dubcat

My third ride on my mountain bike was a night ride though tilgate forest with sussex muddy@rse group I was not fit enough but they never leave anyone behind and belugabob was kind enough to follow me around the trail. It was epic fun and the experience is quite different to riding in the day. Highly recommended.

Herbie The Dog

Petty Vagrant wrote:

I love night riding and the couple of DX P7 help me do this fine. A couple of weeks ago when the trails were dry it got a bit scary as it felt stupidly fast at times. Once the mud sets in though things do slow up a bit!

I'd recommend everyone have a go at solo night riding as well -a set of headphone and some banging music in the ears as you don't have to worry about others out there as they can all see you!

The trouble with riding with headphones at night where I ride is that I won't hear the werewolves coming....

They could be deer but I'm not sure they exist to be honest.

booldawg

OK - you've sold it to me. I'll give it a go :roll:

cee

Do It....

night riding is even more fun than riding in the day.

The trails are empty.
You can't see as much...only where your light points....so its like riding down a tunnel!
It feels really fast.
Did I mention that the trails are empty?

Herbie The Dog

.blitz

cee wrote:

Did I mention that the trails are empty?

Cannock has a thriving sub-culture of night riders (as well as certain other kinds of nightlife ) and there are always tiny clusters of intensely bright lights bobbing along the trails.

Having said that it could always be the other kinds of nightlife...