[Closed] Solo night rides

It's ok until you try a wheelie, go over the back of the bike deep in the woods & as you lie on the ground you realise
A) you've told no one your route
B)it's unlikely anyone will walk through for at least 12 hours

Thankfully I was just winded

...and branches are suddenly low. Almost pulled my helmet/me off the back of the bike 😀

Breathe hangs above/around you like steam from a steam train in your headtorch light 8)

After a mate ended up lying unconscious and unfound for several hours following a crash on a warm summers evening my appetite for solo night rides on dark cold nights has waned somewhat.

I do love them though. It's a dilemma.

After a mate ended up lying unconscious and unfound for several hours following a crash on a warm summers evening my appetite for solo night rides on dark cold nights has waned somewhat.

I made it clear where I was going. Trying to install a decent app too for locator (most of the rides localish/within 40mins drive have a signal)

I do love them though. It's a dilemma.

I'm a convert- it beats waiting for the weekend and watching weather reports. You pick one nice evening and get out!

So.... I should have worried who is over my shoulder/feel spooked etc but I didn't.

You are the weirdo in the woods...

Did a solo night ride on the road the other night, was great, so much more room given by the few cars I did meet.

[i]I made it clear where I was going.[/i]

He lives alone and no one else knew he was out. I can rationalise that it would be different for me, it's just made me a bit less "Oh, I'll only be 3 miles from Brighton the whole time, there's nothing to worry about'.

I use Tracker as it's passive (only switches on gps when my wife sends it a text asking where I am) and doesn't have any real affect on battery life.

Bugga 😯

[i]it was raining so didn't hang around to get better shots- [/i]

Well known fact*: 'The Monsters' prefer the woods when it's raining, they enjoy it because They don't have to creep about as They know you can't hear Them. When it's not raining, you have to pedal v fast all the time, no stopping. Ever.

*not a fact

Went out for a solo night ride on Wednesday night (SO was away on a girlies night out 😀 ), random patches of sheet ice made it "interesting". You just have to ride with some leeway, keep your speed down and try and resist popping a jump or two 🙄

Wasn't in the woods though ...

I (perhaps naively) assume that with my iPhone on me I can easily be found on my local night rides that never venture too far from civilisation. I should perhaps rethink my strategy for my more remote solo rides 😕

Wednesday night's was a belter. Only a short one, but the halfway pub had an open fire, some lovely ale and a fiddle and squeezebox player providing the live music. Happy days.

@wwaswas, tempted by that tracker app. Use RoadID at the mo but it does drain the battery a tad. Does it have a different name? Just had a gander in app store but could see it.

Had a razz round Afan Blue on tuesday night, ace! Note to self though, if doing bermy stuff: use a helmet light!

sandwicheater - sorry it's called "Droid Beacon" (no idea where I got 'Tracker' from!)

You just have to ride with some leeway, keep your speed down and try and resist popping a jump or two

If solo just ride well within your limits and dont be afraid to change route and get off and walk "just in case".

The thought of lying injured or unconscious for several hours (or indeed days) in subzero conditions is one of the reasons I got a Spot Tracker.

+1

I was heading down a farm lane on Weds night and just as it was about to join the road I thought something wasn't quite right ahead. Sheet ice for about 3 metres, all on an off-camber slope 😯 Got off and walked/slid past it.

Being on flats rather than SPDs in icy conditions helps as well, you can put a foot down and get a tripod effect - you might not stop but you are less likely to fall over.

I was also out last night, but did bump into a couple of old blokes going in the other direction.

I use Endomondo so the Mrs can see where I am (and send messages). You can also set goals, interval training etc. with it which is nice. I usually have it and Strava on. It doesn't really kill the battery any quicker than just having one of them on.

[i]I made it clear where I was going. Trying to install a decent app too for locator (most of the rides localish/within 40mins drive have a signal)[/i]

If you've and iPhone try findmyiphone, but remember to switch on the 'last known place'.

A mate has started using a tracker function on his View Ranger app.

Seemed a good idea till his wife texted him within 5 minutes of us arriving in the pub to let him know she knew where we were 🙄

😆

I'm on Android (Nexus) if it helps?

If I forget and leave it on, she'll know how much time I spend in TKMaxx, Carribean takeaways and the Sauna 😯

Hora, how late would you be happy starting out?

MoreCashThanDash - Member
A mate has started using a tracker function on his View Ranger app.
Seemed a good idea till his wife texted him within 5 minutes of us arriving in the pub to let him know she knew where we were

I do solo night rides on weekends very often. Sometimes it's not possible to fit a ride during the day, so when it's dry outside, daughter and wife go to bed, I have a cup or two of espresso or Hot Lava Java ("damn good cup of joe!") and off I go! It's normally about 22.30 when I leave home.

I love local woods at night - knowing there is no dog walkers rises up the confidence. I don't do anything stupid on the bike, I let the wife know what route I'm going to do and planning to be home just after midnight.

There are just two negatives: it's much colder at night and I have to sleep on the sofa after (waking up the wife in the middle of the night = dancing with death...).

A tracker would be a help if you were injured and unable to seek help.

It will not help if you knock yourself out and end up in a position where you cannot maintain your airway for more than 2-3 minutes!

What are they like in the woods - my Edge loses satellites sometimes in thick woods.

Adsh you can ride in the peaks early morning and see one other person all the ride. So those 2-3mins?

We did a ride early last summer in the Lakes (the round of Coniston). We'd been going [b]four hours [/b] before meeting someone - this was on a sunny Saturday. Of course there may have been walkers or bikers following us that might have caught us up if we'd stopped for any length of time.

If you are night riding in a fairly popular place for bikers I doubt you'd be laying there too long.....except for the ^lad who started at 10.30pm last night

i might come and join you hora. You'd still have a solo ride, you'd just see my twinkly light up at the top of the hill ahead of you 😉

Scotroutes - if you have to ask, you are a lucky man....

After a mate ended up lying unconscious and unfound for several hours following a crash on a warm summers evening my appetite for solo night rides on dark cold nights has waned somewhat

My mate crashed his car, doesn't put me off driving. If I thought 'what if' for everything I do, I wouldn't do much! 😀

Yep i was out at 10:30 last night, i dont let it worry me, i just don't push my luck.

i might come and join you hora. You'd still have a solo ride, you'd just see my twinkly light up at the top of the hill ahead of you

Another persons extra head torch will come in handy when we are bent over your bike trying to fix it again

😀

what's the latest you'd set out?

I have been around Rivington past midnight a fair few times.

Hora, how late would you be happy starting out?

If its the Peaks- I'd set off just after the last load of commuters going through Glossop (whatever time that is?)

Last night it took me an hour to get to Rivi from Manchester through the rush hour. Hated that.

I'd be happy with a 7.30 start I guess?

I do it a lot (as the name suggests) it's great if you stick to your regular trails (until some kids decide they want to build a gap jump in the middle of one and start with a hole) so after that nasty incident that had me stunned stupid and woken by the dog licking me, I have a regular routine, ride with the iPhone, tell the breadknife if I'm not back within a certain time frame then punch the find my iPhone button on the mac see where I am, if it's in a pub don't worry if it's on some trail not moving, then worry, but ring me first in case it's a flat.

All fine as long as you have signal which most of the local trail have.

I was clearing fallen trees mid ride at 1130 PM with a florabest hand saw! I often don't set off till after 10PM, the latest ever would have been around 1115PM during Puffer training for a 3 hr ride. I'm self employed and end up either still busy or too tired at "normal" riding times. Then something good might come on the TV which pushes my departure back 🙂
I've had one smash when I thought what I was doing might have been a bit daft and one bad mechanical where I had to carry a mukluk 2 miles to the nearest road. Luckily, the first and only car on that road stopped and gave me a lift, bike and all. Saved me a 7 mile carry, or more likely walk and then retrieve later.

That dog licking you was checking its food was cold and OK to eat?..

Adsh you can ride in the peaks early morning and see one other person all the ride. So those 2-3mins?

That's my point - a tracker is not going to help in that sort of situation. This issue applies to any solo ride in remoter areas not just nights.

You could ride down Spooky Woods on a busy summer Saturday and not see a rider for 3-4 minutes. I'm not sure what your point is.

Life is too short to worry like this all the time, just go out and dont do anything too extreme.

I'd probably be able to get to Hayfield or somewhere, save you comign all the way over. Maybe even macc forest.

Right- lets do both/pencil in for when theres less risk of hitting ice and saying 'what the foooooo..' as you fall.

I say if this temp keeps up Thurs or Friday next week? Cant ride Sat/Sun next week so it'd be good.