im just wondering how many people out there enjoy riding in the dark. I like riding my 29er when it is dark out, there arent a lot of people and its just nice out. Does anybody else do this?
Love It
Night MUni is awesome, you just need a 10w or 15w light for your helmet.
“Night Rider” makes a great setup.
Adam
I do a lot of my riding during the night, cause during the day im with my girlfriend or it is too hot, so I wait till sunset (around 8pm) to go ride, then its just getting dark, and isnt hot, perfect riding weather, then once it gets dark it just makes everything fun, specailly on some of my trial lines.
wow night MUni and night trials that sounds pretty cool. I would imagine Muni would become even more difficult, at least where i MUni cause it is really rocky. i cant hop with the headlamp i have cause it moves when i hop. I just stick to road cruising.
Trials becomes a lot harder, specially where i ride at, there’s no lights form houses, or street lights or cars at all, so when im gaping sets or riding from one skinny jumping to another, you can really see where your landing all that well, its awesome.
haha that is pretty sweet
Sure do
As an older person (51 years older than you, so help me) I do like an occasional street light. However it’s great fun if you like your own company and are not just there to show off.
The town streets are pretty clear of pedestrians and traffic so you are free to do as you please. I recommend it, and particulary for anyone lacking the initial confidence to “go public”.
well i do use a head lamp. I wouldnt trust cars to see me without any light source. My favorite ride was at night and it was snowing and there was like 1 1/2 inches of snow on the street, it was great.
Riding with the bare minimum of light is quite a spiritual experience.
It’s a while since I’ve had the time, weather and energy to do it, but I used to ride with a small LED head torch to see with, a Mini Maglite as a back up, and simple LEDs on the uni to be seen with. You have to ride a bit more slowly, read the shadows well, adn rely on the feedback from the pedals and seat. It makes you a better rider, and you get to see owls and stuff.
reccomend a “under $50” helmet mountable light?
I don’t ride enough in the dark to justify a $130 light. Anything out there that works well, is helmet mountable, and costs less than $50?
If not, I may build one myself with parts from here :
Here is a nice homebuilt one :
Since I already have battery packs I can use, I can probably get the parts for $30 or so.
–Tom
A few weeks ago I was staying at my parents house and had to ride back from the train station in the dark. Although I had enough rear lights for traffic coming up behind me, I didn’t have any lights ahead. One of the alleys I had to take was completely unlit, thin, bumpy and with overgroath from above. Thanks to the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ I could see if there was anyone coming the other way, so I could hit it with a fair amount of speed.
I can honestly say that this is one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve had on a unicycle!
STM - normally a day rider, but quite happy in the dark too
I just came in from my first real trials-in-the-dark ride. I came in cause I only completed the line once in 25 minutes. BTW, it was pitch black at 6:00 when I came in.
night riding
I ride in the very early morning and do it with a headlamp on my helmet. It is not my favorite but I have to do it or I won’t be able to ride at all. I always wear my wrist guards though because I feel my chances for UPD are much higher in the dark. The headlamp is almost enough light but not quite.
Carey
night trials with no light makes some funny video footage it adds memorization to form and strength. id post it but my av chord for my computer is awol
During the summer I really like night riding downtown. I don’t like it much around my area, but downtown there is still enough life that I don’t feel like the only person out, but its not busy anywhere, no one minds that I’m riding, and its much cooler out at night that during the day. I’m also never afraid of getting in peoples way, I hate going to jump a set then someone crosses a corner and I’m forced to bail, or something similar. Also downtown tends to be really well lit at all times of the day so it almost doesn’t feel like night time.
I always go out into my driveway and set up a little course when it’s dark out. It’s nice and cool out, no one’s staring at you from the street and once you crash hard you can go straight back to bed.
I love muni in the dark. I think it stems from my chronic love of riding my mtb in the dark. I use a Nightrider HID headlamp. It turns night into day (almost).
I’m thinking of entering a mtb enduro on the uni sometime when I get some k’s up again. One of those 12 or 24 hr mtb events. Woohoo!
I ride at night so I don’t attract too much attention. The weather is getting cold though, so I may actually have to show my face in public when I ride.
The Craftsman 3 AAA LED light works well. It’s one of the brighter 1 watt LED lights and the price is reasonable. I’ve seen $50 1W LED lights that were no better. You’ll have to figure out a way to mount it (helmet or elsewhere). Two work better than one. For the price it is easy to get two.
I used two of the Craftsman LED lights during our annual Coker ride through the Snoqualmie tunnel. It’s a 2.5 mile long tunnel and it is dark (very dark) inside the tunnel. The two LED lights were enough. One was hand held the other was on my helmet. Bright enough for Coker use on a gravel road inside a dark tunnel.
The Craftsman LED light also makes a great backup for a traditional bike light. A backup just in case the bike light goes dead on you before you’re done with the ride.
I am very new to uni but I am completely hooked. We have small kids so my only time to ride is after they are in bed and it is well dark. We have great bike paths up into the foothills so i can easily avoid traffic. I love the solitude and the quiet of riding at night. This week I’ve encountered a herd of elk, lots of coyotes and several owls of my night jaunts. I took my very first Coker ride on my very new coker last night in the moonlight. It felt spiritual and I went to bed feeling confident and excited about this new sport. Tonight I bashed my calf bloody, black, blue and swollen trying to clear a set of stairs on my muni. My reaction was less than spiritual. I think I’ve ruined my weekend. Bummer!