I've decided I need to man up and do more solo night riding. Any tips for keeping the from mind playing tricks and protecting me from the bogeyman?
Bike Forum
Solo Night Riding
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Posted 4 months ago #
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Don't think about the Blair Witch!
APF
Posted 4 months ago # -
Ride fast, don't look back!
Or get a head torch that is brighter than the sun...
Oh, and MTFU!
Posted 4 months ago # -
Decent bright lights (flood and helmet spot), listen to music, often I forget it's pitch black until I get home....
Posted 4 months ago # -
Just focus on the trail ahead and riding it smoothly. If the bogey man does come out of the dark for you you will ride noticeably quicker IME
I have had deer, cows and all sorts spook me on night rides. It is all part of the fun.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Just hope you don't get a puncture. That's when the woods come alive!
Posted 4 months ago # -
helmet lamp helps - you can look at where the noise is coming from without falling off trying to point the bars at it.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Just always remember theres nothing there at night, that isn't there during the day.
Only now, its awake.
And hungry.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Don't rest by a tree when a tawny owl about 4 feet from your head decides to yell to his mates 5miles away.
Scared the crap out of me!
Other than that, embrace the fear!!
Posted 4 months ago # -
lol, great responses.
I once came across a strange creature on a night ride sitting on a fallen tree. It looked like a man only, with a woman growing out of his lap.
Best experience was meeting an owl sitting on a rock at the top of a climb. He just sat and looked at me as if it say 'evenin'.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Letting people know where you are going and when you'll be back just in case you break yourself up a mountain and die of exposure before morning.
Posted 4 months ago # -
A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood....
Posted 4 months ago # -
. If the bogey man does come out of the dark for you you will ride noticeably quicker IME
The bogey man is the voice in your head saying "go out on solo night rides...do all the stuff you do in the day when your riding mates are around...oh dear you've mangled yourself...no bogey man out here coming to "rescue" you, just me the voice in your head."
Or something like that.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Bah, Townie.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Have been riding solo on the Chase two or three times a week since 1996. There are no werewolves, panthers, mad axemen, aliens, UFOs or any of that shit.
The shadows of the ferns can look like claws racing along the trail towards you, there are sometimes walkers dressed in black walking black dogs and the stags can get a bit prickly during October but otherwise there is nothing to worry about.
I often stop and kill the lights and just soak up the darkness. Enjoy
Posted 4 months ago # -
I have pooped myself a couple of times on solo night rides.
One time at Hamsterley something big came crashing through the forest towards me and then suddenly stopped a few metres away. I couldn't see what it was as the undergrowth and low branches were too thick.You see so much more wildlife on solo night rides. I followed an owl on a local trail recently for about 50m before the owl swept through a gap in the trees. It was only a few metres in front and flying low directly in my lights. Simply amazing.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Rocketman, that's good to know.
Thanks. Might go for a ride in the deep dark wood tonight. I'll let you know how I get on.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Its good to be scared every now and then though... gets the heart pumping and the adrenalin racing.
Headphones do help if you are scared, however I prefer listening to the sounds of the night anyway.
Its all good.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Best experience I had was when an owl swooped down and flew beside me for 100yds or so. That was soooo cool!
Oh, and that noise behind you. It's probably the sound of your rear wheel crunching through the frost, stones, twigs, etc. But it could be that big angry nostril flaring, fang bearing monster just behind you. Just don't think it's the latter and ride so fast you crash. 'cos then you'll have your limbs torn from your body and your gentlemen vegetables eaten by whatever it is. This is a fact!
Posted 4 months ago # -
Argh headphones!! Erm..nope.
You need to take it all in man, the dark, the coolness, the sounds and the tingle of not quite knowing where you are.
It is a most excellent way of tuning the senses.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Just a note, Owls fly without making a sound, and when you turn your head and spot one just off your shoulder you tend to scream, very loudly, and fall off....
Posted 4 months ago # -
I crapped it on my way to work this morning, about 6:30 along the Speyside way and a Heron took flight just in front of me, the headlamp lit it up superbly
They look prehistoric at the best of times but that really freaked me, a proper OMGWTF!?! moment
Posted 4 months ago # -
Might go for a ride in the deep dark wood tonight. I'll let you know how I get on
The worst thing that could happen is that you meet a big group of mincers riding up your favourite descent Posted 4 months ago # -
Posted 4 months ago # -
I started to build up to solo off road night riding last winter, and this winter am ok(ish!) with it.
My method was to de-sensitise myself to the dark by riding on unlit rural roads first, then I chose a route that goes through open fields - riding through wooded areas in the dark freaks me out. It's one of my standard routes anyway, but since last Winter I have ridden it all times of day, dusk to dark rides in Sept/Oct really helped - being able to see what kind of wildlife there is around in the evenings and what sound they make as they move! Depending on how I'm feeling I can cut the off road sections short and just go back onto the unlit roads. It's all about enjoyment for me and some weeks I feel braver than others!
Posted 4 months ago # -
I tend to just think about the fact that frankly I'm the scariest thing out there.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Posted 4 months ago # -
Once you are in the middle of the forrest stop and turn off all ya lights.
Then listen (you may hear your own heart beat too). Posted 4 months ago # -
Saw a black panther on the eastern edge of Clumber park (Near Sherwood forest) once whilst out on the bikes.. no one believes us though
That puts me off being in the forest alone.
Posted 4 months ago # -
If you want to hear some strange noises then take the next step & bivy out in the woods. Last time I couldn't quite make out if the mystery animals I could hear were shagging or fighting.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Aw Mark ,you could at least have photoshopped a bike over the mouse
You need to take it all in man, the dark, the coolness, the sounds and the tingle of not quite knowing where you are.
It is a most excellent way of tuning the senses
Night riding is one of the few times that I never consider wearing headphones ,soak it up
Posted 4 months ago # -
I once came across a strange creature on a night ride sitting on a fallen tree. It looked like a man only, with a woman growing out of his lap.
WTF?
hadnt been eating mushrooms off the forest floor had you?
Posted 4 months ago # -
Similar experience with running in the woods at night. Preparing for Lakeland 100 ultra a few years ago and needed to stop being a scaredy pants about solo night running in the woods. Eventually plucked up courage and set off for first night run. After 1/2 mile spooked a deer a few metres away from me - scared me *******. Good training though because in first night of the event, I entered dark woods on my own (nr Seathwaite) trying to catch a pair who had left the CP a few minutes earlier. Did the same thing with a deer - same result - but with extra incentive to sprint to catch the others up.
I am not sure the added fear really goes a way but this quickly becomes part of the 'experience' - but headphones, nah, what's the point? Experience the sounds of the night.
Posted 4 months ago # -
If you have a partner at home, I've found it handy to setup Endomondo on my phone and live tracking on my Mrs Ipad, so she can just check where I am (Pub spying).
Helped when she went into labor.. she decided to let me finish my ride as she could see I wasnt far from home, bless her.Posted 4 months ago # -
organic, he means a couple doing the do (I guess!)
Solo night ride - did it a couple of times, didn't really like it much. I like to natter too much
Posted 4 months ago #
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