J_GLAZER

I live in Houston, TX, where the heat and humidity are almost unbearable May through the end of October. Example: right now at 10am it's only 82 F, but with the humidity the "real feel" is 100. And today is about 10 degrees cooler than it normally is at this time, so you get the idea.

I usually average about 80-100 miles a week on the bike, usually in 20-25 mile rides. Recently I had a friend suggest that I should do my riding at night, so I tried it out for the first time last night.

What I found:
Pros:
-Even though it still felt like 99 outside (according to weather.com), the lack of sun made the ride feek so much cooler.
-Less sweating meant I could get away with carrying less water which saves weight (took 32 oz instead of my normal 64)
-I felt much less fatigued at the end of the ride
-The normally quite popular bike paths were much less crowded

Cons:
-I had to go slower than normal. Even though my front light did a great job illuminating my path, it's still impossible to see everyone / thing in front of you which made me much more cautious. Especially around the dumb "night bikers" who for some reason don't have any lighting on themselves or their bike. There were also pedestrians on the path who are never paying attention (pokemon go, etc.)
-Safety. I feel like the bike paths I ride on are very safe / mostly in the "good" parts of town. However at night there can be quite a congregation of homeless / undesirables that gather under certain bridges / other parts of the path. I would feel much more comfortable riding with a buddy.

How many people prefer to ride at night due to heat or other circumstances? What are some precautions you take to make sure you're being safe / getting the most out of your ride? Do you ride alone or in a group?

WalksOn2Wheels

Get a better light and find better routes. I live in North Texas and do most of my miles in the early morning with some night rides as well. The only time I see the sun is usually at sunrise towards the end of a morning ride (6:30-ish AM) or a Saturday ride where I start a little later and put in 30-50 miles.

For lights, look into the really bright ones with external battery packs. The best one I've used with an internal battery is my Serfas True 750, which has a 480 lumen "high" mode (750 lumens is "overdrive") that lasts 2 hours and 40 minutes. That's usually sufficient as long as you leave with a fully charged light. The battery is easily swapped and you can order it with a spare. But yeah, there are enough threads about lights... Don't forget a good rear light or two.

I'm not sure where you are in Houston, but [MENTION=183557]rpenmanparker[/MENTION] might have some input on routes. Country roads are the best if you are close enough. It's usually cooler when you get into the vegetated areas and out of the concrete oven of the city.

I highly recommend it for Texas summer survival. It's just ridiculous during the day. I'm signing up for a 61 mile gravel ride in August and I have no idea how that is going to go.

pacalolo

Personally, I don't ride at night despite the heat. I do ride before sunrise during certain portions of the year (winter). I would not ride on a bike path at night, ever. Like you said -- too many foreign objects. I'd prefer to ride on the road if it came down to needing to ride after dark. At least all the cars carry appropriate illumination.

RPK79

I do some riding at night in the winter when the only time I see sun is from my office window.

J_GLAZER

Thanks for the suggestions on the lights. The routes aren't the issue at all, as I have about 40-50 miles of dedicated bike paths which run right by my house. Country roads aren't really an option unless I'm looking to drive 25 miles before riding. I live pretty much downtown.

rpenmanparker 

I don't ride in the dark. Ever. Houston's streets and traffic do not support it. No blinker, no lights, no phosphorescent clothing can change that. IMO.

rumrunn6

I remember experimenting with nite riding and hitting some obstacles in the road and thinking to myself, wow, what was that? glad it didn't cause a flat or me to fall. I try not to ride at night anymore. however I'm trying commuting again on a limited basis at it was darn dark to start today. I have to remember to point my headlight lower. I hope you have a bright one. I wouldn't ride paved bike trails that are isolated due to the human hazards

J_GLAZER

I wouldn't feel safe riding on the road for any extensive amount of time. People here scare the crap out of my when I'm in the car, no way I'm going around them while on a bike. If it came down to that I'll just stick to my day riding.

J_GLAZER

I agree 100% about the drivers here. But what about riding the bike routes with ample lighting? I live right off of the Heights Hike and Bike trail and usually ride the White Oak Bike Trail as well.

rpenmanparker 

Hey, me too. Museum District just south of 59. We should get together...when I get back from Lake Tahoe.

J_GLAZER

Yes my light is bright, but you can never have too much light right? Last night when I was riding, I went off the bike trail onto the road, as I thought that would be better for not hitting pedestrians, but I immediately realized the bike trail was so much smoother and nicer than the road, so I went back onto the trail.

Pokemon Go has ruined it for all bikers though. No one is ever paying attention, they're all looking at their phones. Makes it even worse at night.

rpenmanparker 

MUP is different although you do have to watch out for muggers.

J_GLAZER

For sure. Always looking for people to cycle with.

RichSPK

Commuting to a night shift job, I ride at night all the time, though on streets, not bike paths. For safety, I rely on visibility: bright colors, retroreflective patches, and lights. I don't have much to add, but the difference in feel of the same temperature during the day versus at night is remarkable! Going down a long hill on a 70 degree night can feel chilly; it would never feel chilly during a day at that temperature.

Oh, you mentioned riding more slowly after dark. I don't slow down at night, but I'm not a fast rider at any time.

Spartacus713

I am from Houston too. I ride out at George Bush Park and sometimes Terry Hershey in West Houston. As you observed, here in Houston, the sun is the killer, not the heat. I can take a good amount of heat, but a ride in the direct sun in the middle of a cloudless summer day here is literally debilitating for me.

Early in the morning or early in the evening, the closer to sundown the better. Those are the best times for summertime riding in Houston.

As far as night riding, I have never tried it. On the city streets it would obviously be a death wish. In the parks, it would be very dark, as I do not believe most public park bike paths are lighted. In fact, most Houston parks advise people to stay out of these areas at nights for safety reasons, and no small number have hours posted with these park areas being formally closed to the public during the night time hours.

J_GLAZER

I have amazing dreams about being able to ride in 70 degrees haha.

J_GLAZER

I only did 15 miles last night but there were only a few places where I felt like I would've not been able to see had I not had a light. Most of the bike paths are decently well lit near me, and adding my bike light makes me see just fine. If I were to have a buddy that I could ride with at night I think I would be perfectly fine, as the main thing I'm worried about at night are pedestrians / dog walkers in dark clothes, other bikers that don't have lights, and those looking to cause others harm, which I've never experienced in the slightest on my routes, but it is Houston, so I know they're out there.

RichSPK

On the flip side, I work in a kitchen where the temperature is usually in the 100 - 120 degree range. No sun, though...

J_GLAZER

Looks like our realities are flipped at the moment.

StephenH

For a 20-25 mile ride, just ride in the daytime and be done with it.
One of the big advantages of night riding is low traffic. And if you've still got a bunch of traffic out after dark, go find a better place to ride. Early morning might be better than late night for that.
My experience on bike trails at night, they're not necessarily more dangerous, but definitely creepier, so other things being equal, I'd avoid them.

memebag

I'm not fond of night riding. I ride the MUPs in Houston, too. I have a very bright front light with good coverage, but I can't see well enough at night to avoid dangerous debris and broken pavement.

Instead, I embrace the heat. It keeps the MUPs clear of less hardy souls.

Marcus_Ti

I love night riding. One morning, a 6AM extra-miles-in-the-country-commute in winter I got to ride during a lunar eclipse out on deserted country roads. That is one of those rides that still stands out in memory.

Be well lit, know your roads. Ride smart. And it is fun. Technical MUTs/paths are not a smart idea, especially as the closer to dusk you are the more likely you'll find traffic on said paths.

Gasser5.2

I ride and run a lot in the very early morning (4:30) before there's even a hint of dawn, and have been doing so for years. I love it! Since I started doing this about 15 years ago, it's probably accounted for perhaps 40% of my total cycling miles, and probably 75% of my running miles. It's a wonderful time to be out, and it energizes me for the day. And it doesn't make me get up and pee a bunch during the night like riding or running before bed did.

That said, I live in a safe neighborhood with mostly decently lit streets. About the only hazard I have to worry about is newspaper deliverers driving all over the road, and I have had several close calls. However, if my options were limited to bike paths in an urban jungle like the OP, I probably wouldn't do it.

Marcus_Ti

I actually worry more about "decently lit" streets than poorly lit ones. You need much higher-powered lighting to be seen and see on lit streets than unlit ones. Fortunately lighting tech has gotten to the point where lumens are not lacking.

tarwheel 

I've been bike commuting year-round for nearly 10 years and my round-trip route is 32 miles, so riding in the dark is inevitable for much of the year. With a good light system, riding in the dark can be safer in some respects than riding in daylight. LED lights are so powerful that you make yourself almost impossible not to see for reasonable cost. With time, you get used to riding in the dark and it becomes second nature, but it's almost a inevitable that you will go slower.

I use two headlights, an 800-lumen handlebar mount and 150-lumen helmet mount. Another bike has a dynamo powered light that is equivalent to the 800-lumen model. I generally use three taillights, one on my helmet, and the others on my rack and stays. In addition, I generally wear brightly colored jackets, jerseys or vests. A helmet light is an excellent safety feature because you can focus on drivers who might pull out or turn in front of you, and it generally stops them in their tracks when you look at them.