Read Part 1 here.
In October 2010, I went on my first night ride ever – I didn’t even ride at night when I was a kid, so it was a very exciting adventure for me! Until I almost got hit by a car. I was riding down a main street in town, and there was no traffic in either direction (thank goodness). I was only wearing a flashing LED light around my neck and am armband reflector. I admit, I did not have the legally-required headlight on my bike, though I don’t think this would have made a difference. A car came barreling out of a church parking lot, the driver not even looking in either direction, and I swerved into the other lane, and barely righted myself as he drove off. I suspect he was looking for the glow of headlights in his peripheral vision and when he didn’t see it, he just rode on out.
Reflective arm band and LED necklace - not enough to make yourself visible! Copyright: Five Seed
After that, I became extremely scared of riding at night, though I realized that it was largely – perhaps entirely – my fault. It is every cyclist’s obligation to make themselves as visible as possible at night. So…I bought myself a reflective vest with LED lights embedded along the front and back, an LED headlight for my bike and LED spoke lights for side visibility.
LED reflective vest. Copyright: Five Seed
LED headlight - surprisingly bright! Copyright: Five Seed
Multicolor LED spoke lights (which are totally awesome-looking when the wheels are in motion!). Copyright: Five Seed
I ventured out at night again (around 9PM) in mid-November. The temperature was in the 30’s, but I felt invigorated and was so excited with my little “light show.” I felt confident the drivers could see me, and thankfully, there weren’t that many to begin with at that hour of the night. Unfortunately, I realized that my lights would draw all kinds of attention, and sure enough, that night, on a deserted side street, I passed a young man who kept yelling at me to get off my bike and come talk to him, that he thought my lights were so cool and wondered if I had a cigarette. Nothing happened, but the encounter scared me a bit. And that’s the last time I ever rode at night. Though I hope to try it again someday soon.
As winter came along, I continued to bicycle orders to the post office fairly often through Christmas. (The only times I really didn’t bicycle were when we had snow on the ground – our neighborhood’s streets do not get plowed during the winter, so it is impossible to ride the first mile to the post office.) After that, I slacked off a lot (though not entirely) for the next three months.
Once “spring” came around (I use that term loosely since we technically don’t have a spring in this area), I felt inspired to recommit myself to defaulting to the bike rather than the car. I also had a new tool at my disposal: a handlebar basket! I had received it for Christmas, but it sat in the garage for months, as I didn’t know how to attach it. I finally asked a friend, and was disappointed to find out that my handlebars are too thick to accommodate the mount for the basket. My disappointment was short-lived, however, as my friend is a very talented amateur machinist and within a week, he had created a sturdy metal mount for the basket that I must say, is superior to the one that came with the basket!
This basket has been a lifesaver for me. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy having it. It’s a little tricky to have on – it weighs down the handlebars and pulls them to the side when I park, causing the bike to fall over if I’m not careful (and even more so when it is full of stuff). And the heavier it is, the more careful I have to be when steering in order to keep the balance (though I’ve noticed that the more I ride with it, the easier it gets). But I LOVE this basket so much. It’s so cute, and it made me so excited to go out and run errands. It has made things a lot easier for me, in terms of storage capacity.
July 2011: Picking up veggies from my CSA in my awesome basket. Copyright: Five Seed
Stay tuned for the story of my bicycle trailer and my new bicycle adventures…
I love cycling at night! I starting night riding several years ago during a heat wave (uncommon for the Chicago area). After a lot of trial and error, I was able to settle upon several pieces of good reflective equipment and some great headlights — now I can see and be seen! If you get a chance, visit my blog where I have written reviews for several of these items (www.allseasonscyclist.com)
@AllSeasonsCyclist: Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting! I’d love to hear more about your night riding adventures! Guest post…?
I’ll send you an email. Thanks!
yep, i’d be scared to bicycle at night by myself here in the city. but then- Halifax is kinda full of violence for the size of the city…
good for you for all your commitment!! seriously- you inspire me
@EcoYogini: I think it’s really a big issue for women. I feel relatively safe in my town, but still…I’m very cautious and don’t know how my future night riding will unfold…if at all! LOL.
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