Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Winter Cycling
Reload this Page >

winter means shorter days, so more nite rides?

Notices
Winter Cycling Don't let snow and ice discourage you this winter. The key element to year-round cycling is proper attire! Check out this winter cycling forum to chat with other ice bike fanatics.

winter means shorter days, so more nite rides?

Old 11-27-22, 03:44 PM
  #1  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
winter means shorter days, so more nite rides?

or do you compress your riding into the fewer daylight hours?
rumrunn6 is offline  
Likes For rumrunn6:
Old 11-27-22, 03:48 PM
  #2  
sjanzeir
BF's Resident Dumbass
 
sjanzeir's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 1,566

Bikes: 1990 Raleigh Flyer (size 21"); 2014 Trek 7.6 FX (size 15"); 2014 Trek 7.6 FX (size 17.5"); 2019 Dahon Mu D9; 2020 Dahon Hemingway D9

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 792 Post(s)
Liked 1,493 Times in 496 Posts
Given where I live, to me it means more daytime rides as the weather gets milder and the sky clearer of haze fur the day, which means more exposure to the sunshine for some vitamin D and less air conditioning-induced allergies.
sjanzeir is offline  
Likes For sjanzeir:
Old 11-27-22, 03:49 PM
  #3  
mdarnton
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 309

Bikes: nothing to brag about

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 130 Post(s)
Liked 206 Times in 116 Posts
Lights, lights, more lights. Also less wind and a bit less traffic. It's good, though hard to get used to at first.
mdarnton is offline  
Likes For mdarnton:
Old 11-27-22, 04:37 PM
  #4  
wolfchild
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario canada
Posts: 8,721

Bikes: I have 3 singlespeed/fixed gear bikes

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4227 Post(s)
Liked 2,488 Times in 1,286 Posts
I`ve been using my lights a lot more. I continue to start my weekend rides at around 5 :30 AM, it doesn`t start getting light until almost 7:00 AM.
wolfchild is offline  
Likes For wolfchild:
Old 11-27-22, 05:05 PM
  #5  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 679 Post(s)
Liked 945 Times in 552 Posts
More riding in the dark now after work. summer is nice I get home from work on my bike commute hop o the tandem and go for another ride dome home eat and go to bed. Now we have this.


fooferdoggie is offline  
Likes For fooferdoggie:
Old 11-27-22, 05:50 PM
  #6  
mdarnton
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 309

Bikes: nothing to brag about

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 130 Post(s)
Liked 206 Times in 116 Posts
LED strip lights... what a great idea! Just a couple of days ago I became aware that they come in USB powered versions! Campers use them for lighting at night.
mdarnton is offline  
Old 11-28-22, 08:10 AM
  #7  
gecho
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,526

Bikes: 2009 Trek 520

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 155 Post(s)
Liked 167 Times in 130 Posts
I love night riding and winter gives me a lot more opportunities to do it. With snow I find I rarely need to run my lights on anything but low (though low is 800 lumens). Definitely need a helmet light for riding trails in unlit areas.

I started a ride at 1/4 to 8 in the morning yesterday and it was still dark. I rode in the dark most of last week because the days were warm and I was trying to ride while the roads were frozen.
gecho is offline  
Likes For gecho:
Old 11-29-22, 05:24 AM
  #8  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by mdarnton
Lights, lights, more lights. Also less wind and a bit less traffic. It's good, though hard to get used to at first.
batteries, batteries, more batteries ... hahaha


wouldn't it be nice if their charge time was equal to their run time? it seems they take so much longer to charge, than they actually run for
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 11-29-22, 05:37 AM
  #9  
sjanzeir
BF's Resident Dumbass
 
sjanzeir's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 1,566

Bikes: 1990 Raleigh Flyer (size 21"); 2014 Trek 7.6 FX (size 15"); 2014 Trek 7.6 FX (size 17.5"); 2019 Dahon Mu D9; 2020 Dahon Hemingway D9

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 792 Post(s)
Liked 1,493 Times in 496 Posts
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
batteries, batteries, more batteries ... hahaha


wouldn't it be nice if their charge time was equal to their run time? it seems they take so much longer to charge, than they actually run for
That's why I still run AAA-powered lights and buy batteries in bulk.
sjanzeir is offline  
Likes For sjanzeir:
Old 11-29-22, 08:15 AM
  #10  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by sjanzeir
That's why I still run AAA-powered lights and buy batteries in bulk.
fwiw - when I was running AA lights (when I was commuting) I used rechargeables like these Panasonic eneloop


they held up well & I kept a charger at work & at home so I was never w/o a charge
rumrunn6 is offline  
Likes For rumrunn6:
Old 11-29-22, 08:30 AM
  #11  
sjanzeir
BF's Resident Dumbass
 
sjanzeir's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 1,566

Bikes: 1990 Raleigh Flyer (size 21"); 2014 Trek 7.6 FX (size 15"); 2014 Trek 7.6 FX (size 17.5"); 2019 Dahon Mu D9; 2020 Dahon Hemingway D9

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 792 Post(s)
Liked 1,493 Times in 496 Posts
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
fwiw - when I was running AA lights (when I was commuting) I used rechargeables like these Panasonic eneloop


they held up well & I kept a charger at work & at home so I was never w/o a charge
I'm aware of their existence and I can easily grab a set from the neighborhood store or off of Amazon.sa. The issue is that I'm just too forgetful (not to mention too lazy ) to keep track of my device/battery charging duties. That, and the fact that our 14 cats (now 15, with our two-week house guest) seem to have an appetite for charger cables. Sometimes life's just easier the old-fashioned way. I ordered a box of 40 AAAs off of Amazon.sa for SAR40 (about $12) in June and I still haven't gone through even half of it yet.
sjanzeir is offline  
Likes For sjanzeir:
Old 11-29-22, 10:02 AM
  #12  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by sjanzeir
I'm aware of their existence and I can easily grab a set from the neighborhood store or off of Amazon.sa. The issue is that I'm just too forgetful (not to mention too lazy ) to keep track of my device/battery charging duties. That, and the fact that our 14 cats (now 15, with our two-week house guest) seem to have an appetite for charger cables. Sometimes life's just easier the old-fashioned way. I ordered a box of 40 AAAs off of Amazon.sa for SAR40 (about $12) in June and I still haven't gone through even half of it yet.
to thine own self be true
rumrunn6 is offline  
Likes For rumrunn6:
Old 11-29-22, 01:33 PM
  #13  
MNBikeCommuter
Senior Member
 
MNBikeCommuter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 852

Bikes: Cannondale '92 T600 '95 H600 '01 RT1000

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times in 80 Posts
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
fwiw - when I was running AA lights (when I was commuting) I used rechargeables like these
Ahhh, ancient technology I can relate to! My first LED light was back in 2004. It was "smart" and monitored battery voltage and would shut the light off when the NiMH batteries had had it.

I had a 1.5 hour commute to work, and it wasn't long into the fall that the batteries couldn't even make that trip. The light would shut down with 10 miles to go.

I finally figured it out: The light was monitoring battery voltage, and NiMH battery voltage drops as the temperature drops. So for leaving home at 32F, the voltage was just above the threshold to shut off, but depleted below the threshold on the way to work. That also explained why when I charged them at work, it didn't take long, as they had plenty of juice left!
MNBikeCommuter is offline  
Likes For MNBikeCommuter:
Old 11-29-22, 01:45 PM
  #14  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by MNBikeCommuter
Ahhh, ancient technology I can relate to! My first LED light was back in 2004. It was "smart" and monitored battery voltage and would shut the light off when the NiMH batteries had had it.
I had a 1.5 hour commute to work, and it wasn't long into the fall that the batteries couldn't even make that trip. The light would shut down with 10 miles to go.
I finally figured it out: The light was monitoring battery voltage, and NiMH battery voltage drops as the temperature drops. So for leaving home at 32F, the voltage was just above the threshold to shut off, but depleted below the threshold on the way to work. That also explained why when I charged them at work, it didn't take long, as they had plenty of juice left!
what is your solution? (to batteries in the cold) I'm, still thinking about what happened w/ 1 battery last night

I eventually switched to an external battery. I then wrapped it in bubble wrap & stuffed it in an empty water bottle, covered it w/ 2 plastic sandwich bags & a rubber band. I probably could have done better, but I didn't have an issue with the battery dying on my rides, in cold weather. don't see the rubber band in this old photo but I recall it was quite water proof

Last edited by rumrunn6; 11-29-22 at 01:48 PM.
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 11-29-22, 02:57 PM
  #15  
ironwood
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Boston area
Posts: 2,039

Bikes: 1984 Bridgestone 400 1985Univega nouevo sport 650b conversion 1993b'stone RBT 1985 Schwinn Tempo

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 542 Post(s)
Liked 151 Times in 100 Posts
My Kasai dynamo hub works great. It is always there and it doesn't need recharging. If it needs replacing however, I'll probably get a SON.. A side dynamo like the Velogical, which runs on the rim, not the sidewall, looks like an interesting alternative to a hub dynamo, but I have no experience with it. For years I used a sidewall generator on my utility bike, but they are considerd obsolete, but I think B& M still makes one.


Another thing I do in the winter is to put reflective velcro strips from Soms Fab on various places on the bike frame. I also wear a diagonal reflective strap and ankle bands


I also think that one of the most dangerous times to ride in the winter is a bright morning or late afternoon when the sun can blind a driver or another cyclist.. Cloudy days are much safer.


"There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing."
ironwood is offline  
Likes For ironwood:
Old 11-30-22, 08:07 AM
  #16  
MNBikeCommuter
Senior Member
 
MNBikeCommuter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 852

Bikes: Cannondale '92 T600 '95 H600 '01 RT1000

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times in 80 Posts
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
what is your solution? (to batteries in the cold) I'm, still thinking about what happened w/ 1 battery last night
I don't even remember what I did regarding that NiMH problem other than to live with it and continue to charge the batteries at work. Going home, I didn't need the light until the last few miles so they'd do all right. The light itself didn't like the cold (down to 0F) and didn't last all that long. It started buzzing, which wasn't a good sign. I switched to a Dinotte headlight with external Li battery, and did the same for the taillight (400R). The Li handles the cold better than the NiMH.

My first lights 30 years ago was a Vistalight 2-headlight system (10W halogens) and a 3lb 6V lead battery. It was under-powered for both lights at the same time so I had to use just one. And run time with a new battery was 1.5 hours and steadily declined, and worse in cold. LEDs with Li batteries are miraculous in comparison...
MNBikeCommuter is offline  
Likes For MNBikeCommuter:
Old 11-30-22, 08:11 AM
  #17  
sjanzeir
BF's Resident Dumbass
 
sjanzeir's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 1,566

Bikes: 1990 Raleigh Flyer (size 21"); 2014 Trek 7.6 FX (size 15"); 2014 Trek 7.6 FX (size 17.5"); 2019 Dahon Mu D9; 2020 Dahon Hemingway D9

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 792 Post(s)
Liked 1,493 Times in 496 Posts
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
to thine own self be true
Besides, if either of the two headlights or the taillight runs out of juice midride (which doesn't happen often) i can pick up AAAs for pennies at the nearest store and they'll last for weeks!
sjanzeir is offline  
Likes For sjanzeir:
Old 12-04-22, 08:44 PM
  #18  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 679 Post(s)
Liked 945 Times in 552 Posts
it was 36 and snowing. rode but it was a pain the snow on my glasses making it harder to see. the snow on my chest was making me a bit cold plus that we were going slower and not working as hard.

fooferdoggie is offline  
Likes For fooferdoggie:
Old 12-04-22, 09:46 PM
  #19  
Miele Man
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,655

Bikes: iele Latina, Miele Suprema, Miele Uno LS, Miele Miele Beta, MMTB, Bianchi Model Unknown, Fiori Venezia, Fiori Napoli, VeloSport Adamas AX

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1324 Post(s)
Liked 927 Times in 640 Posts
Where I live it's dark early in the morning and it's dark again around 1700hrs (5PM) so I use a battery powered light with an external battery and a cable long enough that I can keep the battery inside my jacket where the battery stays nice and warm and thus keeps a charge to run the light, longer.

Batteries not running a light for nearly as long in the cold is why I stay away from internal battery lights. Besides I can switch out an external battery a lot easier.

Cheers
Miele Man is offline  
Likes For Miele Man:
Old 12-05-22, 05:17 AM
  #20  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by fooferdoggie
it was 36 and snowing. rode but it was a pain the snow on my glasses making it harder to see. the snow on my chest was making me a bit cold plus that we were going slower and not working as hard.
so fun!
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 12-05-22, 07:51 AM
  #21  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
in anticipation for tonight's nite-ride, last night, I got the bike out of the basement & put it on the car. this morning was bit frosty! glad I finally got around to lubing the drivetrain




rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 12-05-22, 01:29 PM
  #22  
MNBikeCommuter
Senior Member
 
MNBikeCommuter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 852

Bikes: Cannondale '92 T600 '95 H600 '01 RT1000

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times in 80 Posts
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
in anticipation for tonight's nite-ride, last night, I got the bike out of the basement & put it on the car. this morning was bit frosty!
I have not had a frosty bike like that in the garage or outside at work, but I HAVE had a bike sweat coming from an overly air-conditioned office into a hot and humid afternoon.
MNBikeCommuter is offline  
Likes For MNBikeCommuter:
Old 12-05-22, 01:34 PM
  #23  
Eric F 
Habitual User
 
Eric F's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Altadena, CA
Posts: 7,785

Bikes: 2023 Niner RLT 9 RDO, 2018 Trek Procaliber 9.9 RSL, 2018 Storck Fascenario.3 Platinum, 2003 Time VX Special Pro, 2001 Colnago VIP, 1999 Trek 9900 singlespeed, 1977 Nishiki ONP

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4828 Post(s)
Liked 7,819 Times in 3,704 Posts
Shorter days and colder weather means more garage laps for me.
__________________
"Swedish fish. They're protein shaped." - livedarklions
Eric F is offline  
Likes For Eric F:
Old 12-05-22, 05:00 PM
  #24  
Miele Man
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,655

Bikes: iele Latina, Miele Suprema, Miele Uno LS, Miele Miele Beta, MMTB, Bianchi Model Unknown, Fiori Venezia, Fiori Napoli, VeloSport Adamas AX

Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1324 Post(s)
Liked 927 Times in 640 Posts
Sometimes going from a warm indoor environment to a cold outdoor environment can cause condensation inside things like brake or gear cables that can freeze them solid. Sometimes that will happen with a freewheel or freehub too.

Cheers
Miele Man is offline  
Old 12-08-22, 04:37 AM
  #25  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
tonight is the earliest sunset! from now on sunset, will get progressively later!

weatherman says the days are still getting shorter, until 12/21
rumrunn6 is offline  
Likes For rumrunn6:

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.