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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Waterproof backpacks are a bit over-rated in my opinion. I was car free for 2 years and went through the ringer of all manner of commuting configurations. I do have a set of Ortlieb panniers which I use for touring and grocery-getting, and they are certainly wonderful.
In terms of waterproof backpacks however, you can really open up your options if you just use waterproof sacks inside whatever bag you want to wear. You can get fancy purpose-built waterproof bags in various sizes from a camping store with a roll top and buckle closure like some Ortlieb packs use, or you can just be cheap and use a garbage bag or plastic grocery bags.
Another thing you can do is get a water repellent spray to apply a DWR coating to any bag. Pretty cheap, and an added layer of insurance.
This is similar to the approach the Army takes with rucksacks. They have a water-resistant coating on the fabric, but everything is packed inside "wet weather bags" inside the ruck when wet weather is a possibility.
I've had some Ortlieb Classic roll top bags for a month or two. They're great! I use them when commuting around town & to the office on my 'round town back, which has a rack. I haven't completely gotten used to the weight and the handling with it, as I only ever use one at a time. But that'll come with time.
I got them used, which is my favorite part! The dude had done some real touring with them, so I like that they have a fine pedigree.
What percentage of Chrome cyclo-bags are used by people who ride or even own bicycles? Maybe the cycling cap Rule should apply to those as well...
@frank
I also went with the ortlieb larger backpack, carrying about the same amount and type of stuff. the system of fastening with the chest strap is pretty good. The backing is pretty rigid which makes for a comfortable interface. I imagine that you are fastidious about balancing the pack load like with every other fucken ocd ritual people like us have. Prolly more so you than me, but I have hope. I got tired of it weighing down on my lower back and went rack w/ single pannier. Prolly gonna get a new set of panniers and do away with the pack altogether. Thing is, carbon road/race bikes arent designed to accomodate racks. so you are sol in that department unless you repurpose a different rig. I am using my repaired steel cx rig. I am astonished at how well it rides after riding nearly exclusively carbon the last 2 years. so yeah- ortlieb, load balance, chest strap management and get a rig that accomodates a rack when your back starts to get truly sore.
WTF? Backpacks?
@pistard
Some of us ride our bike to work
@gaswepass
Or our bikes. Whichever.
@gaswepass
@frank
FWIW, I'm also doing the commute 4 days a week. On the Monday, due to family commitments, I take the train to work with fixings for my lunch for the week as well as four changes of office clothes. I have shoes at work.
This way, I ride to work every day with nothing but my phone and wallet in my pockets (as well as a gilet or rain jacket if required). This enables me to do my evening races completely unencumbered as well.
With a bit of forward planning, I don't have to worry about carrying a pack/courier bag on the ride at all in the morning. It's much more fun (of course) riding without a pack as it means I can treat the commute as an interval session as well.
@mouse
Intervals are more fun with 10kg on ur bike.
@gaswepass
Yeah, probably more effective.
I just hate having something shifting around when I'm putting on an effort.