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just got some lights and going to tackle my first night ride tonight, is there anything I need to know or any kit I need to take just in case??
A backup headtorch
Garlic and a crucifix.
Only extras I take are some lights. Rest of kit is same as any day ride
watch the Blair witch project before you go out .
Ride your regular trail.
Don't go somewhere you've been once or twice before, you will get lost.
Back up torch.
Garlic.
Crucifix.
silver bullets
Eyes in the back of your head.
Seriously it's great fun, I have seen deer, badgers , rucks of foxes and (ahem) other nocturnal goings on.
Like above stick to the trails you know and enjoy
sattelite phone, flares, dynamite and a sub machine gun
oh and remember not to look back and see the thing that is chasing you and only feet away!
Beer money / whisky
Blindfold, gaffer tape, rope, goose fat.
Just in case, like.
a sense of humour
a spare light
Garlick
Crucifix
prepare to have a massive adreneline rush 🙂
Oh yeah & don't go in the mad axemans woods ........
Jeez, where's everyone's sense of adventure??
Spend the preceding 6 hours in total darkness to build up your visual purple
Take a Tescos Cree torch without spare batteries
Wear unsuitable clothing
Leave your mobile phone at home
Go off the beaten track down a deer trail
Don't have a rear light - it only helps those that chase you..!
And most of all, DO NOT tell anyone where you're riding... This just ruins the adventure.!
Edit: oh yeah, garlic, crucifix & a sharpened stick (or stake to the anoraks amongst us).
cheers guys I think i will have to dig out the silver bullets etc..LOL
Wear something skimpy and plenty of lippy
Don't go alone.
I went 2 weeks ago and did not take my headtorch as back up,stoppped for a rest and look around,turned off the light and thought Damn its dark,then turned light back on 30 seconds later the light went off again and didnt come back on shit ?I was glad i was on a trail i ride every week ,but i still had a bit of poo in my lycra.TAKE A BACK UP LIGHT, and ride a trail you know well,
OH and remember your bigger than most animals in the forrest(but there are more of them )
Decent rear light, in case you have to hit the roads to get back.
Tesco do a little red LED that easily attaches to a helmet with a zip tie. Being high up they are quite effective.
Nothing better than a night ride when its a full moon & clear night. Switch off your ights & its amazing how your eyes adapt.
Don't let them worry you with all that, just remember that there's nothing out there at night that's not there in the day.
Just at night it's awake and hungry
When in the deep woods stop and turn off all lights and listen as the forest comes alive, seriously exhilarating. Then you notice you pedal away faster than you thought possible, night rides rock!
Be tempted to switch the lights off on moon lit nights.
Take a friend and a head torch something to eat and drink..hoope its not misty and gloomy like it was at 0630 this morning when i came to work..certainly gets you moving quicker i can tell ya 😈
all of the above +100 and be prepared for the addictive rush that comes about from your first close encounter with wild animals in the woods in the dark(scary at first then strangley good fun once you relise that they mean you no harm)
Awesome I cant wait now role on the darkness!!!
As many have said above, you will definitely ride faster than you ever thought possible!
As many have said above, you will definitely ride faster than you ever thought possible!
Especially when you stop for a p!ss and your 'mates' just continue riding, leaving you alone in the forest.. in the DARK!!
Taking a friend is useful! And a wooden stake!
Stay off the Moor!
If you need a map to get round the route, don't do it in the dark.
Make sure lights really are fully charged.
Ride somewhere with a road bailout option.
Take Buffy or Willow along for company.
Select route to avoid / pass through local nocturnal mating areas according to personal preferences.
Enjoy.
"Take Buffy or Willow along for company"
mmmm Willow 😆
LOL some good stuff hear guys 😀
Are the powerful led lights effected by the mist/fog in the same way lamping torches are?
Use to do a fair bit of lamping and on foggy nights the light just bounced back at you so you could see........not a lot. 😯
Maybe the led's are not quiet powerful to cause that effect we used to use anything between 400,000 and 1,000,000 candle power 8)
Be intresting to know?
Especially when you stop for a p!ss and your 'mates' just continue riding, leaving you alone in the forest.. in the DARK!!
Or they leave you alone, in the dark, in [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=523752&Y=152925&A=Y&Z=120 ]MOGADOR![/url]
Swat up on your rules of dogging etiquette.
I ride in the dark all the time in a group. Did it solo and was crapping myself!!! Just remember - they ARE out to get you !!!
Don't stick your helmet light on top of the helmet, One you look like a dork, Two you'll lose it to low branches, wear it front and side universal soldier style, or like me have one on either side, main and back up, helmet light is the most important light.
Other than that enjoy, I've had some of my most fun rides, nightmare scenarios (careering downhill, rounding a bend and running into a sea of 'eyes' then getting trampled by sheep.
Having to pull the dog out of a snow covered lake just as my batteries failed, then realising I'm alone, no phone (always travel with iphone now) no lights and not entirely sure which was the quickest way out and to the pub, but saved by my back up light.
Nightriding is a total blast, took the new dog out for it's first night ride last night, it got stuck in some mud, never a dull moment, nothing like a night ride to turn a drama into a mini crisis, I love it.
As many have said above, you will definitely ride faster than you ever thought possible!
actually it will [b]seem[/b] like you are going faster all the time , even tame trails in daylight seem much faster in the dark
its shit, cold wet and dark! scary as hell if on your own
stay off the moors
stick to the path
I am looking for LED lights. Can you provide that.
You also need a bucket full of reason/explanations to explain to your OH why you're riding in the dead of night, on your won, miles away from civilisation......
DrP
Just remember there is nothing there at night, that wasn't there during the day.
Only now, it's awake. And hungry.
Its also deer rutting season. So that will explain the distant (or near) bellows and screams.
Probably 😯
We cycle in a section of woods where in the last 3 months, someone has hung themselves, a dog with fatal shotgun wounds to the head has been found and a reported flasher has been sighted, still won't give up the weekly night ride though although there are usually two or three of us that go out together.
We have been doing it for nearly 2 years now, actually prefer it to riding in the day, much more exhilarating. I will also vouch for not wearing a head torch mounted on the top of the skid lid, I hit a branch at speed, nearly ripped my head off. 😕
ps various encounters too with foxes, badgers, rabbits (very dumb animals)although haven't encountered any large cats yet.........
I'm just about to start venturing back out after sorting out my lights
I do most of my night riding alone. In the local woods I can generally keep "the fear" at bay. If i go further a field like out to a properly big forest I really do shit myself.
There is just something totally primal about being alone in the dark outside. Humans aren't nocturnal and your body and mind seem to want to fight against it.
The logical bit of your mind knows the forest is empty because you are the only person within 5 square mile stupid enough to be farting about on a mountain bike in the dark. The rest of your mind thinks there's an axe mudering wereeolf vampire behind every tree.
It is however an absolute buzz and if you can keep your head on riding your bike, really good fun. There has been a few times where I've just thought "**** the second lap I'm going back to the car" though!
I read somewhere that if you're concerned about mad axemen, take an axe with you.
What are the chances of there being two people with axes on the trail at the same time 😉
Oh and you don't really need [i]that[/i] much light, especially if you are out yourself. When I first got into it I used a 10W Vistalite Halogen.
A light on your helmet and one on your bars is all good but you don't need to be as bright as the sun
When in the deep woods stop and turn off all lights and listen as the forest comes alive, seriously exhilarating. Then you notice you pedal away faster than you thought possible
+1 for this 🙂
This thread was started 3 days ago, and no report back from the OP....
Oh no, he's been eaten 😯
If I am out alone I do want to be as bright as the sun to scare the bogyman away.
Its great fun , the wierd thing at first is that because the lights are so strong even the smallest drop looks like it might be huge due to the shadow caused. As said before ride trails you know. You do get odd stuff. like if its foggy your shadow will projected onto the fog by someone behind you ... kinda spooky
Posted 2 hours ago # Report-PostDrP - Member
......why you're riding in the dead of night, on your won, [b]miles away from civilisation[/b]......
Also known as 500m from Morrisons...
You have to watch 'Sinister' before you go out! The increase in breathing brought about by the paranoia will increase your fitness ten-fold!
Enjoy - I love nightriding.
I'm doing my first night ride tomorrow and I'm taking the local vicar along hope he enjoys it
Wednesday night ride tonight. Half-way through helicopter seems to hover above us, flying circles, back with us for at least 10 minutes. We start joking about us wood vandals now being chased by the troops.
Towards the end of the ride on a narrow lane police car approaching, flashing lights.
"'Evening."
"Good evening officer."
"Where does you lot come from at this time of day?"
"Uhm... the woods. Over there. Anything wrong with..."
"Did you see 2 young guys, black and olive clothes, eastern-european accent."
"No..."
"Alright then."
"Wait a minute, is that why the helicopter...?"
"Yep."
"OK..."
All of the above...
+ beware the moon, keep off the moor...
If you meet a load of panic stricken squadies your screwed...
Or see trees flattened by something huge coming towards you...
Pedal like crazy!
Ideal technique From tuesday nights ride, stay away from the ground...
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/8072169218/ ]night flying[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr