Cycling at night

Just as everyone was going to bed last night, my friend Wallie and I were unloading our bikes, ready for a ride through the night around the Salisbury Plain area.  Most people think I'm mad for doing this kind of thing but actually it's kind of fun and something a little different.  For eagle eyed readers, we did something like this about a year ago and because we enjoyed that so much, we decided to do it again this year. Click here for 2010 link.

The original plan was to ride through the night and then marvel at the sun rising.  Instead we had the issue of continuous rain with no improvement being forecast.  We were tempted to postpone it but decided to have a shorter ride instead. We'll have another go on a clear night while we're still in the mid summer period, all being well.

What's different about riding at night?
The quick answer is loads of things.  I find the way I sense things will become different at night time.  Have you ever noticed those pockets of cold, damp air when you're riding through the countryside at night?  Sometimes you'll hit them in a dip, or perhaps in a wooded area.  All very atmospheric, perhaps spooky.  That also applies to the mist you'll sometimes encounter and then there's the scents you can smell - wow!  Both of us last night were struck by the beautiful smell of pine as we rode through a wooded area.  Sounds are different, as are glimpses of wildlife.

You can't see the gradient in front of you so easily, so suddenly you find yourself speeding up or slowing down but the road looks flat.  Of course it isn't but you just can't see it, but you can feel it.

Other times when we've had more visibility, the landscape takes on a different quality that can be very beautiful.

Riding with a friend also brings a certain camaraderie and pleasure in sharing the experience.  Sometimes we'd go a mile or two without chatting, just riding alongside each other savouring the ride.  We are fortunate with our natural pace being virtually the same, so we're very comfortable riding with each other - this really helps.

Isn't it dangerous?
No not at all, providing you take a few precautions and take care.  By that I mean having some decent lights, which is obvious really.  That's lights to see the road ahead and to be seen by other traffic you might come across.  Don't forget riding on dry tarmac will bounce far more light back than compared to wet roads.  LED lights these days are pretty bright and they have the advantage of not having a bulb to blow in the normal way.  Batteries last a lot longer as well.  Wallie, as I have come to know over the years, has a keen eye on being thrifty at times but sometimes this doesn't pay off.  He's lost 2 el-cheapo rear LED lights because of flimsy brackets.  So it's really important to get good lights which fit the bike well.  We both had head torches, though mine only came out later when I had a bike problem (see further below).  Again these are available with traditional bulbs or LEDs.

Worth considering whether you prefer to blend in or stand out with your clothing - both have their advantages.....

We found there were only a handful of cars around and those were easy to see coming because of their headlight beams shining from a mile away.  That gives a feeling of security in knowing there's no nasty surprises and allows you time to go single file (and for me, to get on the correct side of the road).

Hazards include wild animals.  Last year we had the odd startled badger run out in front of us.  Country lanes will inevitably have pot holes and these can be difficult to see in time, especially if you're blasting down a hill.  Another country lane hazard is gravel on downhill stretches (this is my worst) which can so easily cause a skid - a front wheel skid is almost impossible to control.  When you're going fast downhill, allow some distance and don't be blinded or dazzled by the rear light in front of you.

Other times it helps to just have some kind of understanding or communication about who goes first or hangs back when you're not riding alongside each other.  For us, this just seems to happen with the minimum of words.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if we had a puncture on a night like this?"
Yes, Wallie, it would.  It's just as well I'm not superstitious because no sooner had Wallie said that, a few yards on I felt my back wheel go over a bump differently.  And then another and then there's a continuous vibration.  I had a puncture.

Bloody Panaracer Tourguard tyres!  Shysters!  Is this bad luck or the norm?  This means I get one puncture every 350 miles nowadays.  This is not good.

Getting it changed was fairly straightforward but interesting to note that out of the handful of cars that went passed, no body stopped to ask if we were okay. The nearest we got to that was a Police car slowing down for a look and then carrying on, presumably we didn't look too dodgy.  Times like this are a reminder of why it is vital to carry one or two spare inner tubes, plastic tyre levers, a pump and maybe one or two other tools.  It was also a time for my LED headlight to prove invaluable and for me, a pair of glasses.

Know where you're going
Last year we had Wallie's green lane diversion (anything to avoid an A road!) which was "fun".  This year's diversion was planned and involved pushing our bikes over a foot bridge to avoid a ford about 15 feet wide and goodness knows how deep.  This was okay this year, Wallie knew where we were going!

Just imagine being in a strange area and having to put your reading glasses on every few minutes to check a route.  Then it rains.  Paper maps and water do not mix very well.  Besides, it's easy to get cold with frequent map-check stops; better to keep pressing on if you can.

Fuel for cycling
Night riding is all very well and you might be enjoying yourself but your body is used to being asleep at this time, not huffing and puffing up hills for several hours.  Important to start off with a "full tank" and of course carbohydrates is the fuel of choice; a slow burn source of energy.  To keep us going we had some bananas and Blackfriars' flapjacks (cut in half size doses).  One of those every 60-90 mins with a drink of Lucozade or plain water is about right.

Stopping for a snack on a convenient bench - white spots are raindrops caught by the flash

It really is important to keep eating and keep moving to avoid getting cold.  Feeling cold also slows your reactions which you can't afford to allow.  Besides, just stopping, turning off your lights and then just listening to the countryside, is sometimes a wonderful thing to do!

I could "wax lyrical" about this forever but I'll just step back here.  If you're tempted to try a rural bike ride, I can recommend it!  Pick a nice dry, still and calm night for the best experience.  Be open minded, allow your senses to wallow in all the new things you'll experience.

Just to conclude:

Your kit

• Bike checked in daylight before.
• Take at least 2 spare inner tubes (plus a pump and tools). Be sure you can fix a puncture at night time
• Good bright lights with new batteries (as primary light source or back-up for a dynamo).  Consider 2 front and 2 rear.
• Map, glasses, headlight
• Mobile phone for emergencies
• Identification

Your clothing

• Yellow reflective jacket is best. Ideally waterproof and breathable
• Gloves (maybe mitts) even in the summer it can get really cold at night
• Decide on shorts or trousers

Other

• Tell someone where you're going if your alone
• Spare car key, if applicable
• Ride quietly - do not get people worried as you pass their houses at night
• Food - be prepared to hit the "wall" in the small hours.  Take it easy, have something to eat and drink.
• A camera.  In spite of these really uninspiring shots, there are some great opportunities - especially at dawn 
• Check out local cycling clubs or CTC groups for an organised ride
• Remember you'll need to catch up on the missed sleep, so plan for that and avoid driving if possible
• Allow your senses to wallow in a whole new experience!

A midsummer's night ride

Wallie and myself.   Belas Knapp, Gloucestershire June 2010 - about 3.00am and just before dawn

Wallie and I had promised ourselves a bike ride in May 2010 and had a date arranged for quite some time.  With various things at work taking place it meant I had to call it off.  Try as we might, we just couldn't find another date that suited us and it was then we hit on the idea of a night ride, when it wouldn't matter what was going on at work, providing we decided on a particular Friday in June.

ON the day it went to plan; we met 10.15pm ish in the usual car park at Burford, had a cup of tea and then set off into the night with the last of a few raindrops falling.  Wallie had a route planned, around 50 miles mostly through backroads.  Quite a magical experience seeing the last glow from the sun fade almost to nothing on the horizon - interestingly it was always there, very faint but nonetheless it was there as a dull glow different from the occasional glimpse of sodium flavoured light pollution from a distant town.

We pedalled along, sometimes chatting, sometimes just listening to the whir of our wheels and the countryside at night.  Occasionally we'd see a cat, or perhaps a badger come out onto the road, clock us coming and then run for it.  From time to time a car may pass but before too long there were no car s around and any bedroom lights were gradually being turned off one by one.  We felt like burglars, gliding almost silently around at night, albeit with hi-viz clothing and bright LED lights.  It must have been at around 2.00am when I suddenly felt tired; I'd been fine before.  Suddenly it was really hard to concentrate on what I was seeing and having to make a conscious decision to go a little slower on some of the downhill sweeps.  I think Wallie was just the same, though he didn't say.  After a little more, we seemed to have a second wind, another burst of energy and we got to Belas Knapp, an ancient burial mound.  Wallie had been there before, commentating that "...we'll need to push our bikes a little when we got off the road but only for a couple of minutes".  Well, that was an understatment as we plodded through a few fields, woods etc.

When we got to the mound it was suddenly like being on top of the world.  We walked around and over it to get our bearings.  Then, standing there on the top at 3.10am I said to Wallie "look it's getting lighter".  That faint glow on the horizon, just a shade brighter.  A second later, a bird woke up with the start of the dawn chorus, or maybe a false start prompted by us stirring the night.

Soon we were on our way through the same - but drastically different - landscape.  Roads that we'd cycled on an hour before were taking on a misty quality and it was wonderful seeing the surrounding hills, hedges, trees all appear in a misty faint light.  Looking down into the valleys I remember wondering whether I was witnessing a new fairly tale lake but there we were up above the mist in the gloomy valleys.

I remember feeling incredibly cold at around 4.00am and time to stop for a snack and to put on an extra layer.  Neither of us were talking too much, a combination of feeling utterly tired and also through being in awe of those beautiful surroundings.  Wallie broke the silence by reminding me how he will avoid a main road like the plague.  No matter how remote or quiet, main roads and Wallie do not mix well.

Wallie and his Claud Butler cycle and my Dawes Galaxy cycle

"There's a green lane we can take, look here it is on the map, you can see in runs parallel to the A40 and straight back to Burford".  OK, deal done.  At first it was ok, we could both manage it alright although after a little while it was more hybrid bike territory rather than a skinny wheel tourer.  A little further on it was then more MTB land followed by 4WD and a tractor.  It was hilarious!  We got soaked and became even colder through pushing along through the tall wet grass and Wallie continuously apologising, which of course I milked it for all I could.  A few miles later Wallie hit the "wall" and suddenly started to really struggle saying how it was really the first ride he'd done since last year.  No problem, it's ok in trying to offer a bit of commoradary.  What kept us both going so well in those last few miles was the prospect of a fry-up breakfast.

In my car I'd packed the camping stove with the usual sausages, bacon, eggs etc (all healthy, h'emmmm) but I could smell those mushrooms even before I started cooking!  Absolutely fantastic!  Breakfast and two gallons of tea later, we each set off in our opposite directions.  I drove in a kind-of sleepy autopilot way back home, revelling in what we'd just done.  Marvellous.

A scary bike ride

With all the snow of late, its been hard trying to spot the right opportunity for a bike ride. That combined with family life has made it almost impossible.

So last Saturday, we needed a few things from Sainsbury's so I decided to cycle there, but to go there via a running route. Just as I was out in the countryside I was suprised to find that there was still a little snow lying in a ditch; it must have been there since before Christmas. This ride is about 7 miles, not too far by any means.

There were quite a few scary bits. My front light - normally very bright - was just not bright enough when bombing down some slopes. I just couldn't see clearly enough in front of me to avoid all those usual hazards - potholes, gravel etc. It seemed quite weird losing all sense of whether I was going on a flat road, up or downhill until the speed changed significantly. Suddenly finding yourself gathering speed on gravel was really scary. And then through the woods. Remember, completely dark, no other cars around. Normally when I run this stretch I can hear anything around me and just know what's going on. I'd forgotten you just don't get this the same way on a bike. Anyone could spot me a mile off and I wouldn't know.

So the best bit was back on a main road and speeding down the road that comes from the Downs back into town. That's a nice smooth fast road and some lights around at the bottom. I was down on the dropped handlebars, tears streaming from my eyes and enjoying the feeling of the freezing cold blast on my face. I was almost in the middle of the road, just on myside of the white line (I figured that was the safest) and I couldn't resist that "Wa Heeeeeeeeee" when I was at top speed!