Don’t be afraid of the dark: 3 tips to keep you riding into the night

by Kurt Sjoberg, GH Team Member & Cal Poly Student

I think I can safely say I am not alone in enjoying the extra hour of sleep we get when daylight savings ends. But I think I am also not alone in saying the sun setting at 5pm is kind of a drag. Having to commute home from work or school in the dark can be frustrating, and getting motivated to work out once home can be almost impossible. But just because the sun is setting early doesn’t mean your training plans need to be put to bed with it. Staying on the bike, staying safe, and keeping motivated are all possible through the short days of winter with some well-planned night biking.

Here are the 3 tips I follow to keep riding into the night.

1. Don’t [bike] dimly into that good night.
Having lights on your bike past dusk is the law, but the lights on your bike should be about more than just avoiding a ticket. It’s important for you to see far enough in front of you to have the confidence to still descend a hill at speed. Outriding your lights can be terrifying, dangerous, and is easily solved with brighter lights. A good recommendation is having at least 400 lumens for the front bar light, and if you’re planning on riding a very curvy country road, or foregoing the road entirely, having a helmet light to see around corners can be a huge confidence and safety boost.

Know the road rules in your area!
2. Leave your fashion sense at home.
High-vis green might not be making any appearances on a fashion runway, but when riding at night being seen by cars and other cyclists sharing the road should be the biggest priority. Wearing LED vests or adding reflective bands to your clothing, bike, and helmet can be a huge help in getting seen, keeping from getting hit, and ensuring that your non-cycling friends are completely estranged by your choice of outfits.

3. Get a refreshing change of pace with refreshing night air.
Winter is coming. Staying motivated to keep training through it is hard. Letting your riding disappear with the good weather, much easier. Riding at night can help add some variety to your routine. A ride that you’ve done a thousand times during the day can feel completely fresh when done at night. And, if a little more motivation is needed, taking a friend along has the dual benefit of breaking the monotony of long winter rides as well as doubling the chances of being seen by nearby motorists.