I typically start my routine ride at 4:30-5:30 pm and it is about 2.5 hours. For about 4 months out of the year almost all of it is in the dark. The key for me is it is a routine route with sections I've done at least 200 times. I know every bump, quirk and twist. Other than random debris it's simple. It is a mix of road, shoulder, MUP, and trail. The only gotcha I get is animals in quiet really dark sections that scury off at the last minute as you pass. I never see them or just a glimpse but hear them and it is startling. There are some areas that as I approach I'll yell or ring my bell head of time as a warning.