Benighted on the road

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NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just got home from 25 joyous bike miles, but it's the end of civil twilight. I make this mistake once every year; the nights are getting longer, eventually one of them catches me out without a light. Then it clicks, and I start carrying one on every ride until spring.

So, this is a reminder to me, perhaps it'll be useful to someone else, too.

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  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    Gosh, I was thinking I would have to start calling you 'Sir NorthCascades'.

    I get caught out like that walking home from the gym in the evening. It is across a couple of sports fields and can get really dark, fast.

    It usually takes me a week to catch on- maybe your reminder will have me packing my flashlight.

    Cheers, h.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Stay safe, both of you!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    I ride, day and night, with lights. When the days get shorter the only thing I have to remember is to keep the batteries well charged. My logic is that motorcycles have had daytime running lights forever, cars (in Canada & Europe) since 1989.....they just make sense.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    I ride, day and night, with lights. When the days get shorter the only thing I have to remember is to keep the batteries well charged. My logic is that motorcycles have had daytime running lights forever, cars (in Canada & Europe) since 1989.....they just make sense.

    Ditto - I ride with flashing marker lights front & rear all year round. When it gets darker I just change the front light from one to help me to be seen to one I can also see where I'm going.

    Good reminder though OP, I'm going to be taking mine off for a closed roads event this weekend. That 50g weight saving might elevate me from very slow to merely slow. ;)
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    Been there... done that.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    [quote="sijomial;c-42637477"

    Good reminder though OP, I'm going to be taking mine off for a closed roads event this weekend. That 50g weight saving might elevate me from very slow to merely slow. ;)
    [/quote]

    LOL, I take mine off for races too, I'd imagine it saves me at least .05 watts! :D
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    @BrianSharpe Probably more than 1/20th watt. I saw something recently, zipping your jersey to the bottom of your neck vs all the way up costs ~10 watts at 25 mph.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    @BrianSharpe Probably more than 1/20th watt. I saw something recently, zipping your jersey to the bottom of your neck vs all the way up costs ~10 watts at 25 mph.

    Interesting! I need to start zipping my jersey all the way up at races.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    I zip mine all the way up for segments, leave it down the rest of the time.

    If you have a power meter and a speed sensor (not GPS) and you can do a ride consisting of laps without using the brakes, you basically have your own wind tunnel. Golden Cheetah has an "aerolab" feature that assumes your tire pressure and size hasn't changed during the ride, and models energy balance to work out aerodynamic resistance. With good data, you can tell which pair of sunglasses is fastest.
  • blobby10
    blobby10 Posts: 357 Member
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    Please wear hi vis clothing too when cycling and definitely in twilight or dark. Lights sometimes get 'lost' if not positioned in exactly the right way and seeing a flash of hi vis in their headlights may make drivers look twice and then see the light!

    Even when cycling in the daylight, a cyclist in dark top and leggings can easily become one with the hedge when viewed through a windscreen. Wearing hi vis removes another excuse for the motorist to say they can't see you

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I zip mine all the way up for segments, leave it down the rest of the time.

    If you have a power meter and a speed sensor (not GPS) and you can do a ride consisting of laps without using the brakes, you basically have your own wind tunnel. Golden Cheetah has an "aerolab" feature that assumes your tire pressure and size hasn't changed during the ride, and models energy balance to work out aerodynamic resistance. With good data, you can tell which pair of sunglasses is fastest.

    I've got a power meter and speed sensor (usually reserved for use on the trainer) .....I'll have to check it out, my wife tells me I'm a nerd. I'm not sure if I'm worried about sunglasses though, I already spend enough $$ on toys! :D

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