Night rides solo – do you lose the fear with time?

My twice weekly commute on the bike takes me through some pitch black woods for ten minutes or so. This morning my lights picked out two sets of glowing green eyes (just a pair of foxes)and my poor heart did quicken somewhat for a little while. I spent the nextfew minutes scanning the woods for rabid dogs, madmen and zombies.

I want to do some night rides in my local woods, but my friend keeps letting me down. Are solo night rides ok? Do you get used to being out in the woods alone.. in the dark.. I think I have an over active imagination when it comes to things going bump in the night.. in the woods.

Do I need to just get out and stop being a wuss? Will the fear go away?

🙄

Just remember, the lunatic axeman won't be able to get you if you don't drop below 20mph. His mate 'Big Buggering Barry' might be able to knock you off though. Remember, wear many layers – this will delay the inevitable penetration.

Can I be the first?

MTFU!

No. THEY will get you at some point. You have been warned.

MTFU!

I've only ever ridden at night solo, it's brilliant.

It's so irrational. Who the heck is going to be about at night in the cold and rain waiting for you.
It's just like daytime only not as bright.
Nothing wrong with solo nightrides, and chances are you'll see other bikers anyway.

When I take the dog up the woods it used to be quite eerie, now I have fun with the black lab scaring the mountain bikers i quite enjoy the nightime walks.

Last week two of us were on a ride in the middle of the woods when I took a corner to be met by 2 huge 'F Off' Dobermans. Fair near cacked myself! Luckily the owner was there and the dogs & owner were all really nice. Have no idea how he was finding his way round though – pitch black without the lights in there and he didn't even have a torch

Just remember, there's nothing out in the woods at night that's not there in the daytime.

(Although at night it's awake… and it's hungry.)

😉

In the woods you are the deadliest predator, on the road its a valium addled housewive in a Rav 4.

I've seen more riders on my off road commute home since the clocks went back than before. Dark is the new light.

If thers more than one of you out at night…thats considered to be dogging, not riding. Solo is the only way (especially if you have no friends!

Nope, just when you think you're comfortable with it something happens to scare you witless.

My most recent example was seeing 2 red lights in the distance which appeared to illuminate a fellow biker. Carrying on down the trail the lights seemed to stay the same distance away from me regardless, very odd, so I decided on a different route.

Only when driving home did I realise it would have been the radio tower in Swinley…..oops.

PS almost forgot, all part of the fun though 🙂

You get over it

Some people are frightened of the dark and others aren't.

In the daytime riding in the woods, you can't see about 510000000 KM^2 of the earth's surface. At night time, you can't see about 510000000.001 KM^2. That's um, about 2e-12 change in what you can't see. -Does that help?

Climbing up onto the moors in the middle of nowhere, at night, in fog.
Reach a gate, open it and go through, carry on riding for a couple of hundred metres.

Hear the gate open again…..

I have never been so scared in all my life. I reckon I broke a few world records caning it back to civilization.

put on some tunes

lol @ Samuri

man up mate. its the uk. the scariest thing you'll meet is doggers.

Stay on the path. Whatever you do.

I night ride at least once a week and almost exclusively alone. And, "Yes", I do very-very-very occassionaly get that irrational feeling that makes you pedal extra fast to get away from the spellhound that is not, and never was, there.

In truth you will almost certainly be the most dangerous creature out in the woods at that time of night.

……………….the only real danger is our own stupidity, so take it a little easier and you should be ok.

Badger interfaces are quite common, because they are not the most perceptive or fearful of creatures so they don't bother doing anything to evade you until the last minute. But as long as you are leaving yourself that extra per cent safety margin you should be alright.

It is also makes good sense to restrict night riding to trails you know.

There are some odd things out there at odd times though………..

Pretty much the responses I expected. That's it then, I'm going to MTFU just to spite you. I may well take my mastiff with me for moral support.

New thread – what is the best head torch mount for a Neo mastiff x American bulldog?

I wouldn't be afraid of rabid dogs and madmen, but I will pass on this story of my mate's solo night ride up Cwmcarn a couple of days ago…
Took his single speed up for the first time, and had trouble with the chain coming off on the steeper bits, so after hitting his balls on the stem for the 3rd time, he took to the road. Back on the track (after the concrete slope) his chain gets caught up and completely wedged between the front sprocket and the frame, and wont budge. So, he abandons ride, gets back to the road and free wheels down. Going pretty fast, decides his light should be on full, instead of low, so cycles the switch though flashing, then off, then… shit it won't come back on again! Pitch black, going about 25mph, panics, slams on the front brake with one hand in the bars, and goes straight over the front wheel. Returns to the car battered and bruised. Moral of the story, apart from don't be a tit and slam your front break on with one hand, is solo night riding can be hazardous if things go wrong!

I suggest you watch this …

Best Head mount for Neo masiff x American Bulldog 😯 A Bolt Gun tro the head, sounds like an utterly dangourous and unpredictable dog to be out running around the woods at night.

I also find I start imagining things if I go night riding on my own and I get a very strange feeling as I enter the woods and darkness encloses me.

However thats why I like it ! Bit like combining the best bits of going to a scary movie + riding !

The only advice I can give you is go to a man made forest like Swinley. Theres something about the regularity of the trees and the straight lines of the fireroads that means I dont feel scared there.

Its only in really natural spooky forests I get the feeling also maybe do a few night rides in the summer at some point. Again if its very hot you tend to feel more brave.

510000000 KM^2

[pedantic]
whats a Kelvin Mega Squared?
[/pedantic]

put on some tunes

Yea, just make sure you'r ipod doesn't contain any silver bullet before you put it on shuffle!

I was once chased by a large pack of angry wolves on a foggy night ride. I was doing about 300rpm on my singlespeed to get away.

-When I came to a dead-end and was forced to turn around I discovered that they were actually 3 Jack Russells.

The route I'm planning is quite familiar, but it is tight twisty singletrack where the correct way isn't always clear.

On a serious note how good are dogs eye sight at night? I don't want my poor pooch walking into anything.

The scariest thing I have heard is a load of rutting stags in the middle of the forest in Sweden.

neo x ab? pics

your dog will have no problems seeing in the dark (or protecting you from the squirrels)

i turned up at glentress once and did the usual red/blue route on my tod as was let down by some mates….very scary in bits! it was also windy which didnt help the strange noises..

got a right scare the other week when a young deer jumped out on my commute home(country lanes) he ran in front of me for about 100 meters not sure where to go..probaably scared of the wolves…

I was lucky enough to meet a man lying down in the dark in camouflage gear beside his staffie one night in the woods. Took careful note of his reg for future reference – there was only one car in the car park…
It's good fun. And the more powerful your lights, the less powerful the heebie-jeebies.

I've always fancied opting out of a group night ride one week and going to the woods where my mates will be riding. I reckon a few well positioned nooses, strange stick arrangements, lights and me in a wolf mask would be brilliant.

🙂

NOT being alone on a night ride would take all the fun away imo. Charge your phone, charge your light, bring all the spares and tools you'll need and above all MTFU 😀

Nothing compares to making it home from a good night ride, makes you feel so alive!

btw – Snowy night rides don't count – too much light

What fear?

That's exactly what I was going to say Goan. I find it very hard to believe there are grown adults scared of the dark. Wet lettuces.

Kev