Out of Darkness

Original photograph by Latryx

The dark makes everything worse; something primal awakens in us when the sun has gone and we are wrapped in the black cloak of night. Laying in bed, my worst thoughts and fears come knocking like some used-car salesperson who won’t leave me alone. There is no shutting down of this process, our imaginations are given free reign to do their worst.

Darkness makes the cold feel colder, and the rain more wet; it wraps us and removes all the visual cues that might otherwise distract us from their lightless work. This is a difficult time of year, when the days are at their shortest; we leave for work in the dark and return home in it too. It never leaves us.

Leaving for a ride at night takes the same sort of resolve that riding in bad weather does; you need not think about whether you want to do it; you simply set about kitting up, and then placing one foot before the other until you’re standing outside with your bicycle at your side. Then you pedal.

Riding at night puts me in an cocoon of isolation, there is life inside the cone that spills from my headlight; beyond its borders I do not know what creatures and thoughts dwell – I don’t need to know. There is only the small triangular section of road within the cone. Like a carrot spurring on a donkey, perhaps if I push a little harder on the pedals, I can overtake the far edge of the light and explore what lies beyond.

Winter Solstice is behind us now, and for the next half year, our days will get longer. Though the days will remain dark for some time yet; each coming day will be a little bit longer until finally, the headlights will be put away. Until then, I will ride inside my cone when I need to, and cherish daylight rides when I can.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

frank says:

Dec 28 2013 at 10:51 am

@Optimiste

Which one do you use on your helmet?

I run a Super Drive on my helmet, and a Mega Drive on the bars.
frank says:

Dec 28 2013 at 10:54 am

@Mike_P

Well said as always @frank. I'm not keen on night riding, particularly as the roads around me resemble a war zone with all the pot holes these days, as @teocalli can testify. However, my family commitments need to balance with training, so very early starts are a must that I do my utmost to embrace. I love the growing sense of expectation as those mornings do start to lighten.

When we did the East Maui Loop Cogal last winter, Gianni and I started with lights and then rode into daylight. It really sucked starting that early, but it was great watching the sun rise and finally being able to take the light off the bars partway through.
Lee RF says:

Dec 28 2013 at 2:43 pm

I had the most exhilarating ride of my life recently when my friend took me over the South Downs on an evening ride. We set off at sunset and by the time we were warmed up it was pitch black. He had a decent front light and I had the decent back light so I just tagged behind him for 2 hrs. God knows where we went, it was just a maze of narrow tree tunnel lanes, virtually zero traffic and navigating by the air traffic lights on the hills. At one point I fell behind my friend and got separated off. I just rode in the dark, feeling every bump in the road as I hit it, discerning the route ahead by the camber on the road or just staying on the white lines in the middle which made a slightly different noise on the tyres. When I finally caught up with my friend I remarked on how it felt like I was drugs, all my senses were completely buzzing.

At one point we forded a river or something, all we knew was the road suddenly dipped and we were in 12 inches of water not knowing if it was going to get deeper.

I know this seems crazy but if I had had a 300 gazillion lumin searchlight I wouldn't have got half of the buzz that I did that night and because it was so dark I don't really have much of memory of it. it was two days after a big storm so there was a lot of crap on the roads, at one point I was just crucnhing through a logs and twigs that I would never have gone over if it was daytime. It felt like pure riding and I can't wait until I visit my friend and we do it again
Chris Myhill says:

Jan 3 2014 at 11:45 am

You Sir are a poet.