canklecat

Nah, I'm not a morning person. I skip most group and event rides because they start while I'm barely on my first cup of coffee.

Usually I enjoy the hot summer midday rides, but occasionally I'll ride between midnight and 5 am. Usually those are my longer, moderate effort rides. Visibility isn't good enough for hard, fast rides -- too risky with critter crossings in my rural area rides.

Also, traffic quickly goes from non-existent to insane and murderous near dawn. It's worst near where I live. There might be only one driver on the road, but he'll be a redneck in a busted up SUV or pickup with rage and blood in his eyes en route to a job he hates and he's looking for someone to blame it on. I try to minimize bike rides anywhere near morning and evening rush hours. But I can ride the same routes after midnight and rarely see a car.

horatio 

Well, I screwed my courage to the sticking place and rode 01:04:36 tonight in 95-degree temps. Left at 7:10 p.m. and got home just before sunset. It was actually a nice ride, even with the steady 10 mph headwind outbound! This won't be likely repeated when the humidity soars in July and August, with heat indices in the 105 range most days. But I'll have my early morning strategy worked out by then!

Screen shot of my Garmin near the end of the ride. Did a couple of intervals for fun and hit 25 mph on the second interval... but only for 10-15 seconds. Hey, there's hope... maybe.

rhm

After a lot of rain yesterday, I woke up today to a clear sky, the thinnest crescent of the moon just over the eastern horizon. It was there for everyone to see, but somehow I felt privileged to see it. Now that the sun is up, I can't see the moon anymore.

FlMTNdude

I prefer ‘winter’ riding, but I am in N Florida. Commuting at 6 am, I do after work rides for an hour and a half twice a week plus weekends. If it is above 70, I just suffer along, no use trying to make it what it isn’t

kohl57

Dawn ride done, my 1973 Pogliaghi at 6.36 am this morning along the banks of the Potomac, Georgetown.

The best part of the workday already over!


Peter Kohler
Washington, DC USA

seypat

I see a lot of riders in my area (RVA) on the roads before 7am. I am a runner also. I do most of my runs at night from dusk on. You don't get the extreme temps that way. By 7pm it is cooling off. Once the sun is down it is pleasant. During the winter, it is also not as cold as the morning. I have sidewalks and MUPs in my neighborhood, so safe as well. I gear up like Dynamo in Total Recall with a reflective vest and plenty of blinky lights. For a walking/running headlamp/light, I would recommend the Black Diamond Sprinter.

Somewhat related, my brother is a Firefighter/EMT. He said if you are going to wear a Road ID, wear it as a bracelet or necklace. He said that your stuff in other locations gets separated from your person during a wreck. The neck and wrist are also the places the people assisting you will be looking for a pulse/checking your vitals.

sdn40

Boss: Good morning Iab. How do you feel ?

Iab: Awesome. Better than a bag of wet sand

Boss: How much do you like your job ?

Iab: Doh !

seypat

Well disguised sandbagging is a good skill to have when dealing with ultra-competitive type A bosses. You could say it is an art form.

mkeller234

This is my new problem. I’ve been looking for evening opportunities, but it is very tough with 2 kids and a family. I’ve pushed my wife to go along, but that hasn’t gone far. I’m really thinking hard about this pre-dawn idea.... I just love sleeping in. This thread has been really I interesting to read through.

The Golden Boy 

Out of curiosity Randy- out of all the years of seeing you post pix of bikes, I'm reminded of your Cyclops and your chrome Torpado- but I think for the past few years, you've posted more pix of this Bianchi more than anything. To me, that says something is special about this bike- and it's special to you. Is it? Is this one of your "all time" favorites- or is it just that it's the Jamaica bike?

randyjawa 

The Jamaica Bianchi special? Not really but it is a nice bike to ride. It is durable. It stops very well. It fits me perfectly. It is user friendly with its indexed Suntour barcons, It is ugly in the cosmetic sense. And...







...more important than all of the above, it is my only ride for close to six months each year, broken spoke and all...



...I ride it a lot. Six days a week starting early in the morning. And riding is very important when evaluating a bicycle.

Why is that important? Because a relationship develops, if relationship is the right word. I ride that dirty ugly but well maintained Bianchi a great deal. I take more pictures of it because I like to share what I do, as an old fella who enjoys a nomadic retirement lifestyle. Six months in Canada and five and a half in Jamaica.

What have I learned? Most of my bikes are wall art and you can't develop a relationship with wall art, the all chrome Torpado being a member of that group,,.



The one I do ride, on a regular basis, when in Canada is my Cyclops. Not the blue one but one I like even more...


All that said, I am not really much of a rider. I ride for fun, never competition. And, my lack of competitive experiences, with bicycles, makes me a poor person to judge most bicycles. And you know what I have learned, after riding quite a few. Most bikes are hard to tell apart, when ride quality is the concern. And...

Having too many cuts into your desire to ride. But with only one in the tropics, it gets ridden a lot. Now that I think of it, perhaps it is special.

Kovkov

Sure, during winter it‘s usually still dark when i have to go to work.

tashi

Not for the heat (Victoria doesn't get "hot" really), but as someone with a small child, early rides are the most reliable way to get the bike time in. We even have a little crew going (The Spandads) with jerseys, special caps for our annual big ride, bib shorts, charity work and parties. The standard ride is every Wednesday at 6AM, even started at 5:30 this week to make sure a doctor with an early shift got his ride in and very social - we're basically a rolling sewing circle nattering our way along the waterfront.

In the winter it's dark as heck. The Unicorn and Fireball Penalties helps keep us showing up when it's pitch black, raining and 2°C.

iab

He crushed my soul.

Well, actually, he is just faster. Reminded my of the guys I rode with 10 years ago. Roadies. It doesn't get easier, you get faster. Now the guys I ride with just want to go for a ride. There will always be people faster than me, I'd rather just enjoy the ride.

horatio 

I’m with you on just enjoying the ride.

grayEZrider

Well I was going to do a long post on this about missing seeing a bear at the drive -thru of the local (rural) cafe by twenty minutes at dawn yesterday, but I'm going to grab a quick hour at sunset right now.

horatio 

Well, some types of wildlife are worth avoiding.

dedhed

39º F this morning when I left for the work commute.

stardognine

Well, that's not very bear-friendly. 🙄 I bet he only wanted a banana nut muffin. Or maybe a dozen. 😁😉

wle

except for the sun, it doesn;t really matter
early morning means more humidity
(unless some new drier air blows in to change it)

wle

linnefaulk

I used to ride early morning back in the day when I had a regular job. I enjoy the quiet of less traffic. My only problem were the joggers who felt they owned the road at that time. One actually elbowed me and I rode past him.
These past few years, I had a job that started later and a son who got the school bus at 6:30. With both of those over, I would like to get up early and ride. I did it on Sunday and loved that I had the rest of my day without guilt or dread about riding in the Florida humidity.

friedduck

Another Atlantan and though I started early morning rides just to beat the heat and get a ride in, it ends up opening a lot of routes I wouldn’t attempt during rush hour.

I crank up the headlight a notch. Some of our potholes will eat a wheel and it adds a degree of menace to the ride. E-scooters strewn across the path are another hazard.

yukiinu

Headlight, flashing white lights front pointing at traffic eye level, flashing handheld light to point directly at left turn drivers turning in front of you, and drivers on cross street on your right. Make sure these drivers see you. Flashing red lights on the rear of Your bike and on your back. Bright reflective. Safety vests. Clothes in colors that stand out and don't blend in to your surroundings. Don't ride into the rising sun, drivers behind you may not see you.

Kobe 

When the kids were little I started going out about a half hour before sunrise to get my ride in and still keep the peace. There would be enough light by then to be seen.

I still do it now 20 years later because I truly like how beautiful it is to ride then. Less cars, less people, the light changing as the sun comes up. It's the best time to ride for me.

vintagerando

I see bear, moose, bobcat and deer on my rides.