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A Beacon in the NightOctober, 2006by David Meek, CBC President 2006The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, I just want to keep on riding, just a little longer. (The above twisted plagiarism is courtesy of the Amazing Rhythm Aces of 1970s fame, well kind of). Daylight savings time will be ending soon and with it comes the downward spiral of most club riders cycling season. Just as we have reached our top form from a summer full of evening riding added to our weekend main events. We passively accept the climate change and resort to weekend riding. Well I do not except this rational behavior, as I have said previously our climate is mild enough for year around riding. We just need the proper equipment and a can do attitude. What the average road rider needs is a little mountain biker mentality. No you do not need to buy baggy shorts and add dude other hip slang to your vocabulary. What you do need is to toughen up a little, break that mold you have made and ad a new element to your recreation, it is called night riding. Mountain bikers have long known the thrill and rush of such risky behavior. Actually night riding is not risky when you have lights that will illuminate the road or trail far enough ahead of you to safely see what you are rolling over. Lets discuss road riding at night sense mountain biking at night is healthy and thriving. You will need lights, you probably have had good intentions in the past to buy some lights for your bike but never followed through. This is the perfect time to do it with five months of darkness ahead of us. Most bike shops are running specials at this time as well. Road riding at night does not require a major light system investment. Fast or technical trail riding does require some serious candlepower. This is not so on the road, although you can never have too much light, a 3 to 5 watt light or lights will light the road well enough for safe riding. You will also need a tail light. Everyone who rides on the road should already have one on his or her bike, shame on you if you do not. Reflective clothing and/or reflectors on your bike is a good idea also. You want to see but because most roads are smooth and partially lit by streetlights or moonlight, the most important aspect of road riding at night is being seen. When riding on the road at night I suggest setting your tail light to flash. Flash is a real attention getter, better yet is to have a clear flashing light at the front in addition to your headlamp. Because car drivers are use to the blinding light of sealed beams, these front flashers do a great job of alerting oncoming traffic to your presence. These front flashers are small like tail lights are a good idea to keep on your bike year around. We all have miss judged our finishing times in the past and ridden into the twilight, still having enough light to see the road but endangering ourselves to oncoming traffic. If you spend a minimum of about seventy dollars, you can get a rechargeable headlamp that will last for years to come. Alternatively, you could opt for a cheaper lamp that uses AA batteries. If you go this route, I recommend that it not have the popular LED lights. The LED lights while having great battery life simply do not have the power to light the road far enough ahead of a moving bicycle. Also, if you choose a replaceable battery type lamp then consider purchasing a battery charger and use rechargeable batteries. Let’s decide on lamp location. You have two choices, on the handlebars or on your helmet. Both locations will work fine for road riding. Handlebar mounting is easy trouble free. Helmet mounting requires more work because you will frequently be adding or removing the light when not in use. One advantage of a helmet light is that it lights whatever you point it at which is a plus if you have limited candlepower. Helmet lights are also good for shining directly at oncoming traffic and wiggling the light a little helps the get their attention. Helmet lights with a separate battery pack must be warn on your body, never mount a light to your head with a cord going down to a battery pack on your bicycle. Ok you are all lit up like a Christmas tree now and ready to go for a ride. You must be prepared to go alone or in a small group. When riding solo you control the route, speed, and you will not be intimidated by close formation riding. Club riding on the road switches off like a light switch when daylight savings time ends. Their simply are not enough riders adventurous enough to sustain a routine revolving ride. So choose route that you know like the back of your hand. Back roads, away from traffic are always a good choice. Some of my favorite night routes are to ride through familiar suburban neighborhoods and avoid the main roads. We have over the summer have been able to adjust our schedules to include a ride or two during the weekdays. Let’s not let these precious outings slip away. The club’s new online forum will be a great tool to post short notice or spontaneous rides. All you need to do is post what your plans are and there is a good chance that someone else out will be up for the challenge. Get on your bike and ride.
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