[ChrisRobin]

Just curious. Night riding is fun as hell and if you're by yourself, can be dangerous...especially now that it's cold out.

I had something spooky happen to me tonight that made me reconsider going out on my own.

Anyone ride on their own at night?

 

[jstuhlman]

yes. occasionally. definitely spooky sometimes. prefer to be with others for sure. during the day i’m happy to ride anywhere solo.

 

[HardtailHack]

Spooky Ghost?

We get Orb Spiders across the trails and if you are riding alone it can be quite annoying as you don't know if you have got it off you, I don't think they are poisonous but they are annoying. Probably less annoying than having some A hole bike rider knocking down your trap every night I guess........

 

[DaveW]

Yeah.... But the environment down here is very very different to yours.

 

[StiHacka]

I do. Rode solo last night. Didn't run into a naked jogger this time.

 

[ChrisRobin]

Well as I was riding, I heard a crashing sound up ahead (like a big branch breaking or something). I heard it over the sound of my Hope hub so it was loud. I stopped for a second to listen but all was quiet, so I kept going. A few minutes later I got to a section of trail that was familiar and I saw big piece of dead tree was in the middle of the trail; it was intentionally put there the way it was placed. This was at about 6pm. The weather has been super nice lately so there's NO way it was like that during the afternoon since lots of people go riding on the North Shore during the week.

 

[canadmos]

All the time. Its definitely creepy the first few rides every season and sometimes your mind will just start hearing things or thinking odd things.

Finding a dead tree on the ground isn't really out of the ordinary. During one ride earlier this summer, we passed one of our normal rest points by about 20 feet for whatever reason. As soon as we started to roll again a MASSIVE tree fell right where we usually stopped. The tree stayed there for a while.

And I mean generally a lot of people are lazy. They'll just hike around or over trees and same with bikers. Perhaps it was a deer or something?

There was a pack of coyotes in the forest with me a few weeks ago. That was creepy.

 

[Nick]

No.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Yes.

 

[StiHacka]

It is even moar fun when park rangers are chasing you.

 

[Jm_]

I wouldn't ride much if I didn't ride at night. Sun goes down about 4pm. Generally, the trails are less crowded, but there's still usually a good amount of people out there, especially when there's actually snow, like in this picture.

 

[canadmos]

It is even moar fun when park rangers are the boogie man is chasing you.

ftfy

 

[rideit]

We have all of the big predators here, it gets super spooky. Don’t do it much anymore.

 

[boostindoubles]

Night riding is fun.

 

[jonKranked]

my night riding experience is limited (for various reasons) but has all been done solo. definitely spooky and would prefer to ride with others.

 

[KenW449]

Occasionally, but not often. I really haven't done any night rides recently. definitely can be spooky, but that adds to the fun. I went out one night after i didnt feel like dealing with my roommate and friends and a lightning storm was going on behind the mountains and a nice breeze. That was a fun ride. I really need to start riding with the Tuesday night light group again.

 

[eric strt6]

I road ride at night solo all the time and when I go off on the dirt at night it's always been solo. All my cohorts either moved away, died, or became couch potatoes so by default i ride alone 99% of the time

 

[OGRipper]

Rarely, but occasionally everyone else in our night riding group will bail after I've already taken steps to get out there, so I'll go alone. It's not super smart but I'm never too far out, and always within a cell coverage area. When I do it, I always tell someone else my planned route and check in when I'm done. I've resisted a tracking app that can be shared but it's probably only a matter of time.

 

[Jm_]

Damn, you all live in some scary places.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Damn, you all live in some scary places.

Scary space is in the mind.

 

[rideit]

I am pretty much more afraid of an injury while out alone at night than the wildlife. I have a feeling that most critters don’t want to have anything to do with 1500 lumen lights moving around. Most bad wildlife encounters here are from surprising the animal. But it still can be spooky out there.

 

[Jm_]

I am pretty much more afraid of an injury while out alone at night than the wildlife. I have a feeling that most critters don’t want to have anything to do with 1500 lumen lights moving around. Most bad wildlife encounters here are from surprising the animal. But it still can be spooky out there.

Well, think of the bright side, by the time they get to you, it'll be daylight.

 

[ChrisRobin]

That log that was in the trail was definitely placed there by someone! I wish I took a pic of it to show how out of place it was.
I'm not overly worried about animals, although I should do some research on what's usually roams around on Mt Seymour here (bears, cougars...angry hippies).
I'm sure I'll start venturing out there again on my own, I'm already looking at a new handlebar light to replace the one that was flimsy.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Well, think of the bright side, by the time they get to you, it'll be daylight.

A decade or so ago a local rider was riding solo in the evening on the mountain which must not be named and went off a cliff, fell a long ways, bike wound up hanging in a tree, rider had fractured pelvis and other injuries. By luck a local heard the rider yelling, crews didn't get them off the mountain until the early morning hours. I don't think the person has ridden again.

 

[Da Peach]

Yup. Not sure how smart it is... I just let the Mrs. know what trails I'm going to ride, and have my phone with me.

 

[mykel]

What wattage are you guys running?
Both bars and head?

Was thinking a flood on the bars and more of a spot on teh head.

 

[DaveW]

1500lu on my head

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I run 1,500 lumens nominal, a cheap headlamp. I don't like bar lights except as backup.

 

[Da Peach]

1000 lumens on the noggin (serfas)
700 on the bars (lezyne)

Both are ok.

I find the lamp on the serfas a bit heavy on the head.

Battery life on the lezyne is pretty crappy.

 

[StiHacka]

I have these both on helmet and handlebar. I run the helmet light at full 1800 lumens and the handlebar one at half intensity. When I ride just easy XC stuff, I skip the handlebar light altogether.

https://www.mtbr.com/product/accessories/lights/trailled/xxx.html

 

[eric strt6]

2400 lumens on the bar (has both flood and spot, with 5 power settings and I can run either or or both) 1200 lumen spot on my head( 3 power settings plus strobe)

 

[ChrisRobin]

Currently have 2100 on the helmet (run the wire over the top of my helmet and down inside my jacket to the battery pack in my waist pack), and 850 on the bars. I'm gonna switch to a 1500 for the bars. Unless I'm riding down steeper trails, I run at about half intensity.

 

[Jm_]

What wattage are you guys running?
Both bars and head?

Was thinking a flood on the bars and more of a spot on teh head.

That generally works good. I run a 3000 lumen light on the bars and 1000 on the head, but I usually have them turned down.

A recent development is remotes, I prefer wire for the cold, but the ability to adjust the brightness at the tough of a button next to my brake lever is sweet, just like a dropper post. This way I can set it as low as it'll go on the climb and then turn it to bright when a downhill comes along, or especially a smaller tech section/DH. The more you see, the faster you can go and the better you can control the light, the longer you can stay out or the bigger safety margin you have.

If you can only have one good light, put it on your head, otherwise, a bar flood and helmet-mount are the best combo. With just a bar mount you lose depth perception and the ability to see obstacles/variations, so it really slows you down when it starts getting more aggressive.

The problem with the head is you generally want something self-contained. There are a bunch of good lights now for this, but the burn time isn't huge, so you either turn it off more when climbing or deal with it, have a heavier setup or run a long extension wire to your battery. Nightrider, Light N Motion, and others make self-contained lights that can be put on your helmet or bars at around 1000 lumens for less than $100, I've seen them down to $69.

 

[Jm_]

Also, you asked about watts, I assume in reference to batteries?

https://magicshine.us/product-category/bike-light-accessories/batteries/

My primary bar-setup is a 7.4V, so any of these batteries work and they are pretty high quality. With the different amp/hour ratings, you can get an idea of capacity and buy accordingly. With self-contained setups, you are stuck with what is inside. With more proprietary setups, like my Cygolite, their stuff will only work with their own stuff, so you only have a few battery choices. The magicshine stuff is pretty high quality, avoid random stuff off of ebay and amazon.

 

[mykel]

Santa is bringing me a a new flashlight for my backwoods canoe-camping trips. Another Zebralight as the older low power (200lm) headlamp style ones I have are great, ( Single AA fully digital regulation etc. Compared to the Petzel stuff I had at the time they were a revelation. ) ...but I want something with some real throw to add to the mix.

Zebralight SC600w Mk IV Plus

@ 2300lm /4500k / 1.8hr / 18650

This thing just maybe able to be repurposed as a bike light for rides of an hour or so, which most of my previous night rides were.
(back in the day with expensive low wattage incandescent bar mounts that just made you feel ill, you couldn't see anything thru that yellow haze anyway, so I gave up waiting for a more mature cost effective technology)

Depending upon how it works, maybe I will look into getting one of the other models with a floody beam. One possible downside besides a limited runtime would be the inability to easily change brightness settings.... Sometimes too much light is too much as it ends up washing things out...

 

[gonefirefightin]

Night is usually the only time I can ride for myself anymore and it is on the fatbike. have to pack a pistol since I am out in the middle of nowhere and constantly running into lions and bears along the roads. Spent mint on lights and still am limited on the ride by the batteries

 

[OGRipper]

I run two Lupine Piko lamps, a newer one at about 1600 lumens on my head, and one that's a few years old and with less lumens on the bars. Using two of the same means I've always got a backup for my helmet if needed. (And if I can have only one, I definitely want it on my helmet.) The Lupine stuff is not cheap but super high quality and I've had good luck with warranty support.

Also, I definitely agree that a remote switch is worth the extra coin. Being able to switch between power levels without taking a hand off the bars is super helpful. I could live without it but am glad I don't have to.

 

[Da Peach]

I run two Lupine Piko lamps, a newer one at about 1600 lumens on my head, and one that's a few years old and with less lumens on the bars. Using two of the same means I've always got a backup for my helmet if needed. (And if I can have only one, I definitely want it on my helmet.) The Lupine stuff is not cheap but super high quality and I've had good luck with warranty support.

Also, I definitely agree that a remote switch is worth the extra coin. Being able to switch between power levels without taking a hand off the bars is super helpful. I could live without it but am glad I don't have to.

Remotes? Neat.

 

[Jm_]

Also, I definitely agree that a remote switch is worth the extra coin. Being able to switch between power levels without taking a hand off the bars is super helpful. I could live without it but am glad I don't have to.

Mine might be a little unique, but it's inside my pogies with my other controls, so not having to take out of pogies is the big advantage there.

I have to wonder how the "wireless" ones would hold up in the cold though.

 

[englertracing]

I do it once in a while, gets spooky.
Really only worry about mountain lions.

Ive got a thrunite tn36 flashlight, battery can unscrews, I machined up an adapter for remote 5000mah 17.4v battery. Helmet mounted 7300 lumens, my friends call it the deathstar.
Its borderline too heavy for a half shell, but you can see....