Night riding tips

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:31:24 +0000

The Fine Art of Night Riding

Do’s and Don’ts from some Night Bike veterans!

Please send us your comments from your experience during the last Night Bike in Knysna: info@magneticsouth.net

Whether you’re a first timer to the Night Races or did the last Scott Night Bike and are looking to gain an edge on your competitors, you’ll find the following compilation of “words-to-the-wise” most instructive and entertaining. The debate rages on as to whether helmet mounted or handlebar mounted lights are the best choice if you’re only going to have one light. However, there’s strong consensus that having both helmet and handlebar mounted light is optimal.

Special thanks to our main sponsor, PETZL . They produce the best headlamps ever, which we can highly recommend. Actually without one of those Petzl Headlamps you’ll find the night very dark!

Night Riding Tips {Editor’s note: The following tips have been submitted by experienced racers as well as persons of questionable repute. Goofy suggestions are not to be taken as serious advice. However, serious advice may be taken as a goofy suggestion. Magnetic South makes no warranties as to the validity or interpretations of said comments and cannot be held responsible for any misdeed that may lead to your falling on your tukus (or any other part of your body for that matter).}

Tip 1

Candles are not a reliable backup system.
Solar panels don’t work at night.
It takes 1231 sparklers to finish the race.
The Indiglo function on your watch was never intended to be a secondary light source.
All batteries are designed to go flat ten minutes before you complete the course. {Editor’s note: Except the Eveready batteries, of course – see above.}

Tip 2

Buy a good light system, preferably 10 watt minimum, but I like 15 watts personally. Whether you use a handlebar mount or helmet mount is a matter of preference. I have found that riding with both is nice because you can use the helmet light to see where you want to go, not where the bike is pointing. It’s also real handy when you flat or break down at night and need to see to work on stuff.
Ride trails you are already familiar with at first. Exploring new terrain at night will either get you hurt, or most often lost. Been there – trust me.
Don’t ride beyond the duration of your light battery or you will be in the dark. This is okay if you’re out of battery power and coming home on sidewalks, but real stupid if you’re riding along with night traffic. If possible, use a rear red flashing light on your way home if you’re within auto traffic. Better to be seen than run over every time.
Stay light on your bike and don’t panic. I have found that if you trust your instincts, you will get through anything. Most folks do it in the day so what’s the difference. Keep in mind that dew is more present on rocks and grass so be prepared. Just don’t make sudden turns or braking or you’ll wipe out.
Carry an extra shirt or light jacket. It’s cooler at night and you will be happy to have some warm dry clothes if needed. This is especially true when climbing at night. You get to the top and you’re warm and sweaty. Then you freeze up and really freeze on the downhill. Cold sucks and wet just adds to the misery.
Ride at night as often as you can. It will train your eyes and build your overall riding confidence. There is a certain quiet peace about riding at night.
Somewhere during the night you will hear a voice say, “Why am I doing this? I am never doing this again!” Look forward to this voice. Welcome it. Laugh at it. Embrace it. Look forward to hearing it again next year. Just know that it will come and that you will ride past it and be stronger when it fades into the shadows.
Chris Tirpak

Tip 3

One of the most important-but often forgotten (until it’s too late)-tips that I have is to always wear some sort of clear glasses at night. Those little branches hit you before you ever have a chance and then it’s over! I just snap a pair of clear lenses into my regular riding sunglasses.
Rob Niber

Tip 4

Avoid the trees. {Editor’s note: Well said, Chris.}
Chris Sigmund

Tip 5

Pre-riding is more important for the dark than for light. A 4-inch log may appear to be a 4-foot drop because of the shadow your light casts. Get to know how to read the shadows and you’ll keep from employing a technique that may do more harm than good.
Get a light for your helmet. As you ride into a drop, your light will only be casting a spot on the distant trees and shadows-but not where you are going to land. It’s a lot like a free fall with your eyes closed-but it can be more confusing. When following someone, be careful. Imagine driving a car at night and concentrating solely on the tail lights in front of you. If your “lead car” drives off the road into a ditch, you probably will too. On the bike, follow close if you like, but look past the biker and his beam-and stay out of those ditches.
Charlie & Jennifer Turner

Tip 6

Now I’m no pro, but that just means I can relate to a novice. I have found that handlebar mounted lamps and helmet mounted lamps are more different than one might think. In my experience, handlebar lamps cast shadows that provide a great 3D view of the terrain. In contrast, headlamps, because the light is so close to your eyes, eliminate the shadows and make reading the terrain much more difficult. Headlamps are excellent for seeing around sharp corners and down drops, etc. But if I had to choose one or the other, I would ride a handlebar mount every time. I commuted every day on trails this winter, and I got to where I hated using the headlamp alone. Again, this is just opinion, but my ideal setup is a strong handlebar lamp (at least 10 watts, hopefully with a high beam that runs 15 or more) with a low watt head lamp (6 watts is ideal, no more than 10) so that the head lamp doesn’t overpower the shadows from the bar lamp. This gives you great straight-on terrain reading and just enough mobile light to see the tricky stuff. Of course, the best teacher is experience, so TRY IT BEFORE YOU SHOW UP AT THE RACE!!!
John Salmon

Tip 7

If you can’t see the bottom, better hit the brakes.
Blake Robertson

Tip 8

If you are going to crap in the woods at night, be sure to get far enough away from the trail that I cannot see your bright ass shining like the moon!
Lights are on your bike for a reason. Therefore one should use them and not sneak up behind other riders and scare the hell out of them.
Kris Kirk

Tip 9

Two lights are better than one. One on the helmet (for viewing where you want to go) and the other on the handlebar (for viewing where you’re going).
When dew settles, around 10 p.m. to midnight , roots are slippery. Ride the roots carefully during that time.
Henry Staples

Tip 10

Day or night, keep the rubber side down.
The Editor