First night ride

CHRISNOIR

I've started heading back to my old south Manchester routes on the weekends. I can set off at 7am and head through the (deserted and well lit) city centre reaching the quieter lanes by sunrise. Can't imagine some of those Cheshire lanes in total darkness! :shock:

chopchopchop

CHRISNOIR wrote:

I've started heading back to my old south Manchester routes on the weekends. I can set off at 7am and head through the (deserted and well lit) city centre reaching the quieter lanes by sunrise. Can't imagine some of those Cheshire lanes in total darkness! :shock:

When the mind starts to wonder it gets a bit scary out in the sticks. Saving the rides in to the deep back lanes until someone comes with me.

I fancy zipping through the city centre when it's deserted. Salford Quays is pretty good in a morning.

keef66

Slowbike wrote:

Decent overshoes as well as good socks ....

+1 to this; Woolie Boolie merino socks, shoes large enough to accommodate them without squashing your feet, and neoprene overshoes. I've had the cheapo (£10?) Planet X ones for a couple of years and they are still in pretty good nick. This combination keeps my toes warm well below zero, and lets me concentrate on remaining upright.

It may help that my SPD cycling shoes are a touring model with no ventilation in the sole; the ventilation on the uppers is covered by the overshoes.
My son's road shoes have vents all over the place; he tends not to ride very much in the winter, but if he does he complains about cold feet.

markhewitt1978

keef66 wrote:

It may help that my SPD cycling shoes are a touring model with no ventilation in the sole; the ventilation on the uppers is covered by the overshoes.
My son's road shoes have vents all over the place; he tends not to ride very much in the winter, but if he does he complains about cold feet.

I've noticed that. I lot of people in my cycling club complain about cold feet, but I've never had an issue. Perhaps it's because I use SPD MTB shoes.

chopchopchop

I have SPD mountain bike shoes as it's a walk from the bike cage to the office and friends with the other type get wrecked.

They have vents across the top of the shoe so overshoes should sort it. I know I have some Aldi specials I bought a few years ago somewhere that will do the job along with decent socks. I only normally wear thin trainer socks which probably explains the cold feet.

DavidJB

SmoggySteve wrote:

DavidJB wrote:

I do a 4 hour base ride most Thursdays from 6-10pm...around 7 when the traffic dies it's great. As for SmoggySteve's comment I disagree. Yes you can't got barreling down hills as you would in the day but nothing wrong with riding at night with a good set of lights.

you disagree that there leaves can be hiding slip hazards or debris? Are you also disagreeing that at night when the temp drops the chance of ice increases or that no matter how good you lights are you will never have as good view as in daylight? Bear in mind that even car headlights do not give you as good visibility on dark country roads. The shadows created by a beam of light from your perspective creates shadows that can make dangers remain hidden. You also without knowing it get tunnel vision since that what is not in the direct beam is hidden from view.

To reply to your point I disagree it's 'too dodgy' to ride.

Re-ice...that's what forecasts are for...this Aut/Winter it's maybe dropped below freezing once...(in my area)

Re-view...I didn't say it was as good as daylight, in fact I explicitly said you can't ride like you do in the light...I do base miles in the dark and I ride the brakes down steep decent's and I don't do intervals. An example on a route with 3200ft climb / 60 miles my average night pace is about 18.3-18.5mph...in the day it's about 19.2-5mph (base ride) so I do adjust for night riding.

Re-cars...cycling cap to block out the full beam knobs or Audi's and the rest of the time it doesn't cause me issues.

If you're not confident enough to ride in the dark that's your call but just adjust your riding to suit the conditions.

I did however take my race bike out in the dark once as my training bike was broken and I found it too fast to ride in the dark as I was doing 22/3mph instead of 19mph on the flat which in the dark makes a big difference.

whitestar1

Bobbinogs wrote:

You haven't experienced the best of night riding until you get to change a tube in the pitch black with your torch stuffed in your mouth and the risk that anything you put on the floor will be instantly lost

Tha's one way to look at it Yet I find the idea appealing. Done it once and loved it. Would like to go on a group ride next. Saw a big group ride on the telly this year - The Cycle Show, ITV. It looked really fun! Anyone here was on that ride?

DavidJB

whitestar1 wrote:

Bobbinogs wrote:

You haven't experienced the best of night riding until you get to change a tube in the pitch black with your torch stuffed in your mouth and the risk that anything you put on the floor will be instantly lost

Tha's one way to look at it Yet I find the idea appealing. Done it once and loved it. Would like to go on a group ride next. Saw a big group ride on the telly this year - The Cycle Show, ITV. It looked really fun! Anyone here was on that ride?

That's why I strapped Durano plus + on my training bike...can't be dealing with that!

Bordersroadie

DavidJB wrote:

whitestar1 wrote:

Bobbinogs wrote:

You haven't experienced the best of night riding until you get to change a tube in the pitch black with your torch stuffed in your mouth and the risk that anything you put on the floor will be instantly lost

Tha's one way to look at it Yet I find the idea appealing. Done it once and loved it. Would like to go on a group ride next. Saw a big group ride on the telly this year - The Cycle Show, ITV. It looked really fun! Anyone here was on that ride?

That's why I strapped Durano plus + on my training bike...can't be dealing with that!

That's what I did but found they were almost impossible to fit/remove from my rims (Excellights) so I returned them for Gator Hardshells which remove and refit from these particular rims easily.

I think it's a vital element of winter night riding, that you (a) minimise the chance of a p***** and (b) you can easily do a freezing cold roadside tube change.

Truth is Durano Plus are possibly superior for (a) but that's no use if you don't get (b) too.

Kerguelen

I just did, tonight. Half my commute is built-up areas and half is country roads.

Prefer the quiet roads.

gubber12345

chopchopchop wrote:

Sharing my strava activity on Facebook has got a mate excited and out with me on Saturday. spreading the word.

@gubber I need to peddle harder I know but I did intentionally hit 3 of the steeper hills near me.

only pulling your leg mate...glad your enjoying the night riding cos i am as well

ForumNewbie

wishitwasallflat wrote:

ForumNewbie wrote:

I finished a long ride yesterday just after 5pm and near the end I was on a quiet country with no cars and no street lights, so it was pitch dark. I have a good front light but even then it was a bit scary as I couldn't see turns in the road just ahead of me but beyond my beam of the front light.

That contradiction would appear to be your problem

I don't see how it's a contradiction. It is a good front light - a Moon 300 - and the beam is more than enough most of the time. As that was probably the darkest conditions I'd ridden in, I could have done with an even brighter light on that road.

wishitwasallflat

ForumNewbie wrote:

wishitwasallflat wrote:

ForumNewbie wrote:

I finished a long ride yesterday just after 5pm and near the end I was on a quiet country with no cars and no street lights, so it was pitch dark. I have a good front light but even then it was a bit scary as I couldn't see turns in the road just ahead of me but beyond my beam of the front light.

That contradiction would appear to be your problem

I don't see how it's a contradiction. It is a good front light - a Moon 300 - and the beam is more than enough most of the time. As that was probably the darkest conditions I'd ridden in, I could have done with an even brighter light on that road.

That was the point I was trying to make, I would define a good light as one where you can ride in pitch black conditions on unlit roads at usual speeds safely. Personally I use two £5 odd Cree LED torches so that's my expectation/definition of good.

If your happy with your Moon then good on you I wasn't meaning to offend so apols if I did.