Aside from wheels staying in one piece and the frame holding together, the thing we take most for granted when riding a bike is how our bodies instinctively respond to and absorb bumps. The human body is, in fact, an incredible shock-absorber; our arms and legs are capable of flexing and shifting in ways that no mechanical suspension is capable of and reacts at near-instantaneous speed to the intelligence streaming in from the ocular system. Remove the power of sight from the equation and the effect is staggering.
My first encounter with night riding was during a 24-hour mountainbike race in Minnesota. Until that race, I had taken care to always ride during the day, partly because I couldn’t afford a reasonable headlight and partly because I could always arrange my training to take place during daylight. A 24-hour race, however, held distinct implications for nighttime riding.
I never bothered practicing riding at night, and I didn’t bother with buying a proper headlamp. Instead, I recommissioned my semi-reliable headlight which I used for nordic ski training in the dark winter months. The week before had also seen the decommissioning of my first-generation Rock Shox which had always graced the front-end of my beloved Schwinn mountainbike, made of what I assume were sand-filled tubes. I didn’t maintain the shock the way a shock should be maintained, and with its death came the rebirth of the fixed fork that had originally steered the machine.
I don’t need to go into detail on the race, but suffice to say that my headlamp stopped functioning within minutes on the first nighttime lap and that I rode the remainder of the race by the light of the moon and my insufficient instincts. Climbing was unpleasant, flats were uncomfortable, and descents were a blend of suicide and anarchy. Each bump the front wheel found blew through my unprepared arms and cascaded through my body, usually focussed on the saddle which ungracefully found its way to my crotch whether I was sitting on it at the time or not.
With this induction into the dark art of night riding, it has been something I’ve typically done with some reluctance. In other words, I’ve avoided it like the plague. Living in Seattle and having the privilege of a fulltime job does have certain ramifications on riding in daylight hours in Winter; namely that it isn’t possible. With the introduction of a good headlight comes the surreal solidarity of riding cocooned in a cone of light. The shorted line of sight together with the elimination of one’s peripheral vision has an inexplicable calming effect despite the sense that you can’t properly judge the bumps in the road as your headlight briefly illuminates them, and that every puddle looks like a small lake whose depth cannot be judged until you’re on top of it.
I’ve ridden with a Mammut Zoom headlamp and a Lezyne Super Drive, both of which served the purpose of making nighttime riding slightly less terrifying. But with my new 45km commute, I moved to the Lezyne Mega Drive, which is basically a car headlight refactored to fit on a handlebar. I heard that the lights in small villages dim when I turn it to full power and I’ve noticed that deer come running towards it when I ride by with the mistaken belief that it signals the arrival of a deity.
Never one for half-measures, I still mount the Super Drive on the helmet and the Mega Drive on the bars; its like riding with the Eye of Sauron on your bike. Oh, and I have three different red flashers on the back of the bike and another white flasher on the front. You know, just in case.
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@Ron
We used to ride mostly on this trail in Northern Minnesota which had so many deer flies that we wound up adopting this kit - it puffed up like a parachute and the flies would land on you but couldn't bite you. Simple but effective solution.
@wiscot
Sometimes we need to stray before we can find The Way.
In reality, that was shot on one of our unsupported 14-hour MTB rides in the mountains near Sun Valley Idaho that we'd do during our summer training rides. There's a frame pump in there too. The red thing held too bidons and some kit - it was repurposed from XC training. I can't imagine what I was carrying in all those bags, though. Merckx, me. Probably emergency safety kit and loads of food.
I had two pairs of those MTB shoes - the first Shimano clipless MTB shoes. The second pair I used without cleats and wore to school as regular shoes. No wonder I had no friends.
Here's the article recommending flashing lights to get the peripheral attention of drivers http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists/
I bought the Macro Drive pack with a micro drive rear light. The rear red light charges just fine, but the larger front light charges to solid green but never turns on after being unplugged (no charge status after being unplugged either).
I tried a 5W USB charger and a 10W. And a second set of lights as an exchange. What am I doing wrong?
@frank What do you use for karting your kit around with you on your commute, backpack, courier bag or have you gone down thepack and pannier route (somehow, I can't see it)? I'm looking at the logistics of a similar distance commute (only a third of the distance to the office, though, 45km on the bike to a station further down the line then ditch the bike and do the last 50km on the train) and I'm not sure my back would stand up to carrying a bag or that it wouldn't seriously reduce your ability to look over your shoulder.
FWIW I returned the Macro/Micro combo and got the Micro front and back. Worked great on a 60km ride today and I like being able to recharge it on USB without any extra cables.
@Chris
I'm rollin' with the Chrome Ortlof backpack. I'm very mixed on this and would love more input.
I carry my laptop, notebook (the kind with paper pages), pens and pencils (the kind with ink and lead), dress shoes, slacks, shirt, and possibly a sweater along with a basic kit of tools. Its not light.
I keep an ironing board and iron in my office, and I keep a shower kit in the locker room. The ironing board has raised more than a few eyebrows.
I can see fine; remember that with or without a backpack on, the same "looking around" principles apply:
The pack impacts none of these.
The pack also makes climbing...harder. Especially getting out of the saddle; if I wasn't careful enough in balancing the pack and if I'm not gentle enough when moving en danseuse, then my pack flops around like crazy.
My packs have to be waterproof and I'd love to get more input from other who do a long commute with a pack. NO PANIERS for me; not that I think its a bad call, but I'm riding my rain bike and not a touring machine.
I have limited experience with courier bags, but they seem to move around a lot.
@frank
@Chris
Ortlieb is as good as it gets.Somehow ortlieb.nl is easier to navigate and find the right model and you can use it in english version and refer the needed model to your country site.
http://www.ortlieb.nl/
http://www.ortliebusa.com/Subcategory.asp?category=2
Then again I'm not sure what kind of gear you're both after.
@TommyTubolare
Thanks for the tip mate. Also, sorry the links don't work. Until I figure out the bug, we apparently either get line breaks in the posts or links. But not both.
I love computers.
I use a Vaude backpack that sounds similar to what you're currently using without the hipster scumbag credentials. From years of cycle couriering, using an oversize satchel (one broad shoulder strap) is fine if you hike it high enough up your back and are prepared for one shoulder of your jacket/jerseys to wear out faster than the other. Volume wise they can get massive and are simpler to pack than a back pack.
And as usual TT is right Ortlieb is the shiznit. Other couriers used their backpacks and they were bomber (stand up to multiple years of use without losing form, massive volume and waterproof in ways that our bags weren't) although satchels were easier to get stuff in and out of without taking the bag off.
Biggest bonus with the Vaude backback is the frame that keeps the bag away from your back. Wish it was bigger but who doesn't.
@frank
Ok no problem.Maybe that's why I couldn't upload gallery in the rides but had to do photos one by one.Anyway good luck and don't go nuts.