[Closed] Solo night riding

Yep love it good for the soul

Cyotes make me nervous.
Even gotta keep your eyes out for cougar eyes off the back of the pack on group rides.

I love solo night rides and runs, Its amazing how many other lights you see in the distance.

Yeah. Night running is very special. Spooky animal eyes notwithstanding.

One of the best. Group riding at night is fantastic, but solo is simply SPECIAL 😀

Cheers!
I.

Yep, love it.

Good. Remember YOU are the weirdo the woods.

Yes but wearing headphones.

Yep, anything that takes you out of the everyday is a good thing.

Yep. Love it.

Luckily my commute is partly over the South Downs which is a great way to ride at night.

Quite often switch off my lights and marvel at both the heavens and the swathe of headlights below.

Also like doing forest runs like Friston solo at night.  Loads of wildlife around.

Love it. Used to do 15 miles on the Ridgeway most nights. Owls badger and once just stopped looking at half a dozen deer looking back at me for a couple of minutes. Magical.

Good to hear others are into it! I find it magical, it intensifies all the experiences.

Back when a 10w halogen was considered a good light it was properly freaky.

Now with 1500+ lumens it feels like cheating. Still enjoy it though.

Yep, it's been most of my riding over winter, and hope to get out Saturday night for a couple of hours. I spend a lot of time outdoors, including at night, shooting and stuff, proper country boy, I generally never give anything other than the riding a thought, unless there's a weird rustle in the bushes. I love it, I like the solitude, nature, having wherever I go to myself, hard to beat. It's quite a smug feeling of satisfaction I get riding back past all the houses full of people sat watching crap TV whilst I've been blasting through the woods.

Last week I did ride over a dead bow and and up with a stick through my back wheel, I managed to stop, clear it and get going very quickly!

To my shame, after I'd got home from my own ride, I went out in the car and nearly pulled out of a junction in front of a cycle commuter. Combination of a pretty crap light on the bike, fog, and lots of bright lights around, cars, petrol station, security lights etc. I don't normally have my own bike lights on flashing mode on the road, but I will next time out!

Really didn't like it the first few times, but now I relish it. With a good moon will often ride without lights when it's (mostly) safe to do so. There's nothing out there to get you.

(and I'll keep maintaining that until the Rutland Panther mauls me to shreds)

Embrace the darkness...

I just take the hound along - in case there's werewolves

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She likes a good feed...

(Why is the pic sideways?)

She's taking that overhang well

@Bearback
Is there much of a night-riding scene in Squamish?

I've done quite a bit on Fromme and Seymour, usually with a riding buddy and/or trail dog but occasionally solo.
Ive often wondered what riding some of the big slabs like In & Out Burger would be like in the dark!

Not right now but when we're snow free and it's clear you'll often come across a couple of groups when out.
Those slabs run wet, you'd have to pick your nights to avoid a skating rink.

Back when a 10w halogen was considered a good light it was properly freaky.

You could have your 2.5w flood on too especially if you had a spare lead acid battery in your camel back!!

I gave up after one ride where something started following me.

As I picked up speed, it picked up speed I couldn’t see it, it was close, I could still hear it, I was properly going for it, and properly freaking out, I made a sharp turn and it was still on me!

It was my back wheel following me.

That was my last solo night ride, I’m too jumpy to be on my own in the dark woods 😀

See also pooping my self when rabbits startle, general feeling go weirdness when crows start cawing.

Also not forgetting the savage and flashing teeth that came hurtling out of the night once when my main light (10w cat eye lead acid jobs) had died. Shhhhhhhhhhh.... that’s a Yorkshire terrier 🤨

😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

About 20 years ago, myself and a mate got an attempted bollocking from the leader of a group of riders. Apparently we shouldn't have only been in a pair as it was unsafe in the wilds of Swinley forest.

As I usually only ever get to go out on week nights after work, riding in darkness is very normal for a chunk of the year.

I love going round routes that I know like the back of my hand in the light: it makes them into a weird combination of familiar yet very different! I guess because you can't see all the peripheral stuff and the general wider views, you only see the bit if the world that's in your pool of light.

I've had a couple of spooks going along tree-lined paths bordering fields and hearing something stalking me behind the trees. It's always turned out to be an inquisitive horse in the field, but when you can't see stuff your mind can play tricks on you!

I quite like the spookiness, in a perverse kind if way!

Really didn’t like it the first few times, but now I relish it. With a good moon will often ride without lights when it’s (mostly) safe to do so. There’s nothing out there to get you.

(and I’ll keep maintaining that until the Rutland Panther mauls me to shreds)

Embrace the darkness…

I've been told he's hanging around Ketton at the moment.. the panther that is.

I quite like night riding, there's some decent if a bit sloppy bridleways and cheeky trails around here that lend well to it, and being near loads of woods and rivers, you do see a fair bit of wildlife.

I did get chased out of Jackdaw Woods in Stamford by a badger last year though.

Love it, though there's a couple of notorious dogging locations on one of my regular routes, so summer evenings are often enlivened by bottoms (and other things) in bushes (ahem. Oo-er missus...)

Yes, never give a thought to any risk really.

It's always weird in winter when you finish riding and come out of the pitch black woods to find it's still rush hour with everyone hurrying home.

Do it all the time, even in the summer. If I've got a run of night shifts with a 'day' off in the middle I'll usually go out about 11ish and return back about 6am. I've even been known to drive from here in Cardiff up to North Wales, do a night ride then drive back in time to see everyone else going to work! Coed Y Brenin is a favourite for that as the timings work perfectly: 6pm leave home, arrive there at 9-9.30, riding by 10pm. Do a loop of the Beast, finish about 2am. Back on the road by 3, home by 6am. Did a night ascent of Snowdon once too but that was a bit stupid as there was no view and no-one knew I was up there. The run back down Rangers was fantastic though. Other adventures have been both trails at Cwmcarn then drive to Afan and do W2 too, just to avoid going home too early! FOD is good for just wandering around, plenty of wildlife to scare you and a suprising amount of locals out doing all sorts of stuff. There used to be a group of guys that worked at the Suntory factory and went out for a lap of the Freeminer's after a shift but haven't crossed paths with them for a while now.

Bloody love night rides.

Pretty much always see others around whenever I go out. Other riders, dog walkers, other weirdos! It's like another separate world sometimes. It's one of the things I've learned since doing the occasional night shifts, most people are completely unaware about how much goes on at night. Farmers tending to animals, street sweepers out and about, deliveries running around between hubs, it really is eye-opening!

cogwomble
I’ve been told he’s hanging around Ketton at the moment.. the panther that is.

If he's in Ketton, that's getting a bit close for comfort... he could easily amble from there to my village in an hour or so.

Sounds like our tyre tracks must have crossed once in a while (probably in Fineshade or Wakerley).

If he’s in Ketton, that’s getting a bit close for comfort… he could easily amble from there to my village in an hour or so.

Sounds like our tyre tracks must have crossed once in a while (probably in Fineshade or Wakerley).

That's more than likely.

I've got a workshop in Kingscliffe and I live in Stamford so my riding tends to be close to those spots.

Not been out in a while though as I've mullered my shoulder.

Ah, I live in 'Cliffe.

Hope your shoulder is sorted soon.

Very late at night.
Full moon.
Lights off.
Nothing but Bandicoots & Poteroos for company.
Just the best.

Terrifying.

Love it, riding and running. Makes the trails near me that are not even slightly remote feel like the middle of nowhere, until you pop out the woods and see the lights of 'Ull arrayed in front of you.

Don't get to do it as often as I'd like though (see the THAT ride thread) due to the local mud, and not really having the time to drive anywhere more weatherproof.

Love it too - it's often the only way to fit a ride in around family life in the winter. Sharpens the senses though and gives a different perspective to otherwise familiar rides. My favourites are rides that start before dawn and include sunrise from a nice vantage point. There are a few options around me (Durham) to get into the Pennines for sunrise.

I've been running and cycling alone in the dark for long enough for it not to bother me now. Last night did feel slightly adventurous as I headed into Kielder Forest on the cross border route from Kershope back to the van knowing that phone signal would disappear too...

I do like a good night ride these days. Was up Glencoe last week coming down the devil's staircase for the first time in the dark. Snow in the hills. Peace and quiet, it was magic. More bad timing than a planned night ride this one though. Always take my spot gen 3 tracker with me though just for a bit of peace of mind for the wife. Her best mates dad went walking up the Cairngorms a few years back. Didn't tell anyone where he was going. Fell down a steep ditch/small gulley. Broke his leg and wasnt found for 3 days. By that time he had passed away. Destroyed the family. Stay safe out there folks. Always take extra layers, food, whistle and a GPS tracker and tell someone exactly where you are going and give them a map as well.

There is few things better in the world than climbing a forest fire road alone under a full moon with all your lights off

I love solo night riding. Such comfort in the isolation.

Is addition to the warning by @haggis1978, I’d urge some caution however. A number of years ago on a solo night ride, I managed to hit a gate which had been closed since I passed it on the outward loop of the ride. Travelling at about 20 on a nice fast downhill, I just glimpsed it in the front light with enough time to look over the top when I hit it.

I snapped the head tube of my bike and hit my chest and forearms on the gate as I flipped over the top. I came round about 20 later and was alone in the pitch black, with no lights and no prospect of help/rescue. 1hr later of dragging the remains of my bike towards civilisation with a broken arm, ribs and skull fracture I was lucky enough to meet another cyclist.

I now ride with a tracker and one of those specialized helmets which senses a crash and informs an emergency contact.

Be prepared, even if you’re only a few miles from home.

this is my problem with it too. as i work away from home, which conveniently isnt far from Surrey Hills, i am free to ride as much as i want after work every night - but solo night riding freaks me out because if i do spanner myself, not only will i be completely lost but nobody is gonna know im missing! even if i dont turn up for work the next day it would probably be 2 or 3 days before somebody started asking why!

I love to turn the lights off on a night with a bit of moonlight on Cannock Chase. The paths are pebblier, so they're a bit lighter and you can ride ok. After 10 minutes or so proper night vision kicks in (I think it's the rods taking over from the cones) and your peripheral vision becomes brighter so you think you can see lights all around you (there aren't any).

The only way to improve it is just after/ while snowing. That first covering thats pedalable everything seems clean and that little bit quieter.

I now ride with a tracker and one of those specialized helmets which senses a crash and informs an emergency contact.

Sensible advice, even if somebody knows where you are. My wife might know that I'm riding in such and such a place, but that doesn't mean that she'd be able to find me if I didn't return home, and even my MTBing friends who know all the tracks might struggle.

However, my gut feeling is also..... you were riding alone at night. Slow down and don't assume that the track is clear ahead of you, you maniac! 😀 I hope you recovered fully, especially the broken skull bit.

@IdleJon - yes, now i'm a good bit older, i'm a little bit more cautious too. Still, riding alone at night is a great thing to do, risk be damned.

Ride once a week in the dark, although more dirt road/fire trail now than single track as don't want to come a cropper on my own in the dark well away from rescue. I use a phone app called ROAD ID which is a tracker and sends a messsage out if you stop for more than 5 minutes.

sends a messsage out if you stop for more than 5 minutes.

That rules out a pint...or a puncture repair 🧐

Round my way, always end up covered in dog shit

idlejon
...Slow down and don’t assume that the track is clear ahead of you, you maniac! ...

Excellent advice. We found this across the track one night near the bottom of a fast descent:

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Excellent advice. We found this across the track one night near the bottom of a fast descent:

Yeah, absolutely. We have a crash test rider who we send down first. He values speed more than safety. We value ourselves more than him. 😁

Also helps that we have a forum to post blockages, fallen trees, etc, and have good connections with the council so can clear trails quickly.

Amazing for the sole and to re-invent your regular route!
Keep it up - and your phone with you just incase