rolliepollie

Seems like everyone thinks night riding is more dangerous than daytime, but is it really? Are there studies or statistics on this? Anyone here ride so late?

I'm beginning to enjoy night riding around 9-midnight when the sky is completely dark-something about my 750-lumen headlight blitzing the dark that's gratifying to me. But I keep thinking I'm taking a significant risk going out that late - whether from drunk/tired drivers, thugs, muggers, boogeymen, etc. There will be times when I imagine I'll ride much past midnight. This is in San Francisco, and for now usually ride from Sunset district into Golden Gate Park, through Presidio into Marina. At times I see some loiterers, and there's always some dude with a flashlight walking around on the road in the Presidio...As I get more fit will also be heading across the bridge into Marin.

I got a red blinkie in the back and about to get a reflective ankle band so visibility shouldn't be an issue. I also bring pepper spray.

Get me out of this suicide run mindset everytime I step into the shadows...unless it's justified?

Shytheed Dumas

I start most of my rides before sunrise and do worry about riding in the dark, but mostly about distracted sleepy drivers heading to work. Blinkies are always on and I wear bright yellow or white, but I am curious on the statistics as well.

STP

I'll let someone else speak to urban night riding as I don't do that. Rural night riding, on the other hand, is fine. No statistics, of course, just first hand experience. I worry less about loiterers and criminals and more about wildlife and poor gravel road conditions. Good luck, because I DO find night riding to be a nice diversion from day riding. Too bad there's no scenery to look at, though. It's just the constant patch of planet earth sliding beneath you illuminated by your light.

kstephens

I did some night riding this summer. I always felt a little more visible at night (head light/flashing light). I don't go as fast in the dark after a few close encounters with deer. Also, dogs seem to be a bit more interested in chasing you at night.

pmt

For most of the year, our daily morning club ride starts in the dark, and it finishes in the dark for several winter months. Nobody has a problem as we're all lit up with good front/rear light kits and wear reflective gear. I've also done brevets that start in the early morning, and a 200k ride that we started at 2000 and rode all night until 0400. No trouble there, though it was quite rural. Night riding can be a lot safer as the cars can see you from much further away, assuming you have proper lighting.

Of course, I'd avoid a route that passes by a bunch of bars at midnight, 0100 or 0200, as those are common closing times.

banerjek

I ride thousands of miles in the dark every year. I personally think it is safer than a lot of daylight riding. If you are properly lit, you are far more visible and recognizable as a cyclist than you are on a sunny day.

You need real lights and good reflective gear to be visible. I think that most blinkies are completely inadequate. The way to know if yours is good is if it's easily visible in broad daylight.

If you ride on paths rather than roads, my comments do not apply as darkness cloaks your threats, and the issue is not being seen but rather not being ambushed.

StephenH

Back when I was hiking, I'd always read the advice, "Never hike alone!" Only they never told you who the heck you were supposed to hike with, and since I didn't know anyone else or any club that went to the same places at the same time and speed, I just hiked by myself all the time.

It's similar with the "Never ride at night!" advice. It may in fact be more dangerous, but it'd be hard to show. Probably 2/3 of the cyclists that are killed at night don't have ANY lights. For people properly lit, the hazard seems to be drunk/sleeping/texting drivers that are just completely oblivious to their surroundings. Anyway, there is lots of night riding done, and I have yet to find a good alternative. It's not like my boss is going to let me work the night shift so I can ride in the daytime all year.

Northwestrider

I'd suggest you find something stronger for the rear light than the blinky you have now. I'm not riding in the city, but feel riding at night is over all safer than during the day. Fewer cars, less pollution, no statistics, it's my impression after a period of a few years.

daven1986

If you have good lights then I say it is often safer than cycling during the day. A directional light on your helmet also works very well.

WhyFi

Stats (though I don't remember where I got them) - only 3% of bicycle riding happens at night, but 50% of cyclists fatalities happen at night, primarily from cyclists without proper lighting.

ErichM

I've been thinking of getting a couple lights so the hours I can ride are expanded a bit. Make a suggestion on front/rear lights?

patentcad

No, it's perfectly safe.

Wear black.

Nachoman

I'm pretty well lit up when I ride at night, so I feel like I'm no more likely to get hit by a car. But for me the real danger is not being to adequately see road debris, pot holes, large ruts and other road hazards.

Hunt-man

And drink a lot of beer first...

Scorer75

From personal experience, I find riding at night slightly safer. Let me first say that I have a number of lights on my bike.

Rear blinkie, helmet blinkie, headlight, and front blinkies. Also have rear facing blinkies in the ends of my drop bars.

My experience is that during the day cars can see you and are unafraid to buzz you, relying on their "awesome" driving skills to come within inches of you without hitting you.

At night, when they cannot clearly see your outline, rather just a bunch of lights, so they give you more room.

Just my opinion.

pallen

Yeah, I think the stats on night riding are skewed by many factors - alcohol (drivers and bikers), improper lighting, etc...

Right now, I would say its much safer since your risk or heat stroke is diminished greatly by riding at night.

Homebrew01

My night bike also has reflective tape on the crankarms, a couple of pieces on the rims, and the fork blades & seat stays. I think the movement of the cranks may alert drivers a bit more than just a blinkie. I sometimes wear a reflective vest over my clothing. I get fairly Freddish when it comes to night riding, unlike my usual daytime roadie outfit.

eippo1

Get this for the rear. It's on sale now and one of the brightest around.
https://www.dinottelighting.com/LED_b...-taillight.htm

10 Wheels

No Longer on Sale

FrenchFit 

Agreed. I am strickly on the road and urban pass-thrus. I think you are genuinely noticed if you are well lighted. My concerns are limited to runners, walkers, and road hazards. I've charged up on people in the dark, wearing dark clothes and no lights while walking or running on the shoulder or in the bike lane. Occasionally I'm surprised by rocks, branches, car parts in your line ...not much time to adjust. So, you have to be observant.

I do avoid late nights, past a certain hour you are on the road with the drunks rolling out of the bars.

I use one of those superflashes for the rear, it seems to get noticed.

eofelis 

I generally like riding at night, but I'm more wary after an incident last summer. My bf, a friend and I were night riding (all lit up, etc) on a rural road. We were jra when a big racoon jumped out of a ditch next to the road right into my bf's back wheel. Knocked the bike right out from underneath him. He went straight down on the white line. Knocked him out. (He had a helmet on, helmet shattered as it should). Ambulance ride to ER, 2 cat scans. Grade 3 concussion, minor brain hemmorage(sp?)

The cars don't worry me as much as the unpredictable critters.

eippo1

Well this one then. Probably a better light (less blinding):
https://store.dinottelighting.com/sha...ount2=45890450

banerjek

Depends on your budget. Because safety is so important, it's not a good place to cheap out. Besides, better lights make night riding way more fun.

For taillights, the Dinotte is fabulous but spendy. NiteRider universal tail is also excellent. Among the cheaper lights, most are junk. The PlanetBike Superflash is a very good value and is one of the few cheaper blinkies I can recommend as is the Radbot 1000.

Headlight needs depend on where and how you ride. I use a 13W HID system, but many of the new LED models are pretty decent. I think something that gives off 200 lumens is an absolute minimum, and more is better.

OPC

A little out of date (2009 publication), but interesting:
"Almost three-fourths (72%) of the pedalcyclist fatalities were killed during the
daytime between the hours of 4 a.m. and 8 p.m., a 6-percent increase from the
previous year. The remaining 27 percent were killed during the nighttime hours, a
13-percent decrease from the previous year. Table 2 shows the pedalcyclist fatalities
by time of day for 2008 and 2009."

Source here: NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts

Doohickie

Riding through the hispanic neighborhood at about 11 pm. I used to think this area was not wise to go through even in daytime. Night or day, it's really a quiet area. I still keep my guard up, mostly for dogs, but I haven't had any issues at all.



As for lighting, 200 lumens is a good level. I've tried brighter lights and frankly I think they can be too much in that, sure, in a narrow cone of light you see everything, but then your night vision and therefore peripheral vision is compromised.