When I was a regular winter commuter, a good chunk of my journey was on unlit roads. i always dipped for cars and most dipped for me – except bloody 4x4s..!

Anyway, it’s better when the moon’s out and you don’t need lights….

Another button/lever on my bars alongside my fork lockout lever, rear shock travel adjustment/lockout lever, dropper post button, brake levers,gear shifters…..I now need a dim dip button for my lights. Problem is I’ve no space left on my bars for the fekking light!!

i consider night riding to be a necessity rather than a vocational activity.

Can’t say I’ve ever considered it a necessity (other than commuting), but I’m lucky enough to be able to get to the woods in my lunch break if I want/need to though.

Even if night riding is a necessity, why not see it as an opportunity to experience a different kind of ride? For me part of the thrill of night riding is that the trail takes on a completely different persona, if I want to ride faster then I have to hope my reaction time is good enough to overcome obstacles that I would see in broad daylight. Lighting up the trail as if it’s the middle of summer takes that away (IMO).

In the same vein I’d rather not ride in the mud but since I can’t make the trails dry out I see the gloop as a training aid – it helps to build stamina and improve my bike handling so I’m faster in the summer.

There’s no right or wrong, so long as you’re out on your bike it’s all good, but personally I don’t understand the never ending quest for brighter and brighter lights. And I LOVE buying stuff!

indeed. my light is from 2008, and in those days they didnt even state no. of lumens…

eat more carrots

indeed. my light is from 2008, and in those days they didnt even state no. of lumens…

I think that is much of the problem – we’ve very quickly gone from lights being an unhappy compromise between brightness and runtime, to being able to buy lights that are at least as annoying, if not quite as blinding, as undipped car lights that will run for half the night. I think many people simply don’t realise what it’s like to be on the receiving end.

I dug out my old Cateye Double Shot the other day.

Its outshone by a silly little AAA torch I bought for a fiver.

Pretty amazing how quickly light technology has moved on.

I dip my main light riding on the road and tend to turn my helmet light off.

Completely agree, but if someone in a car insists on trying to blind me, then they get it back at them!

It’s all well and good until you approach a car being driven by a moth.

Sometimes when you go night riding, it’s because you want to ride in the dark.
Sometimes when you go night riding, it’s because you want to ride and it’s dark.

Anyone who doesn’t see the distinction will probably not understand why some people like bright lights and some people like dark lights.

some people like dark lights.

awesome phrase

black light’s even better

My ninja edit fu is weak today 🙁