Definitely focuses the mind, and helps you pedal like **** when in the woods!

That’s cos there are psychos hiding behind every tree with 26″ wheels ready to switcheroo your trail enlightenment gnarwheels. As long as your heart rate doesn’t fall below frenzied panic you’ll evade the wheel snatchers.

Don’t cycle past the cemetery. You wouldn’t believe how many little reflective things there are in there which look like eyes

Yep. First one I did was in 1994. You young whipper-snappers.

Just don’t look behind you…

I always turn my lights off for a bit, I like how dark it gets in the woods…

Had a couple of lights off moments whilst cycling thro the settings to get to low power (battery testing) for the climbs. It really was pitch black tonight. No moon and way up in the woods. Really enjoyed it tho.

Night ride? It’s only 7:45?

I beat Molgrips to it by about 3 years. 🙂
Had to wait until full moons, as the Ever Ready lights were crap.

Whatever you do dont decide to hit that jump you always do in daylight. Waking up freezing with pine needles in your mouth and realising your shoulder is no longer in the same place is not something i would recommend

As above.

No self respecting axe man leaves the house before 9pm.

I always turn my lights off for a bit, I like how dark it gets in the woods…

I do that as well, if you stay quiet long enough you can hear the woods come alive 😆

I never quite get this scared of the dark thing. When you ride the route during the day, do you ever see anything scary, or likely to eat you? If the answer is no, then I can assure you nothing will all of a sudden start inhabiting the side of the trail just ‘cos it got dark. Years of nightshifts and lamping has taught me that the nights are more peaceful, the vast majority of dickheads are at home, or if they aren’t haven’t go the first clue how to move about at night without giving themselves away, so you can go about your business or hobby in tranquil seclusion. Rural darkness is even better, with all sorts of stuff to see that you won’t see in the day. None of it wants to eat you either!

Off out in 10 mins and taking an extra battery after reading this!

I never quite get this scared of the dark thing

Me neither, it’s no big deal.

I followed several bats t’other evening – fascinating to watch how they weave about when flying in numbers.

I used to ride up in the mountains solo at night, but eventually reached a point where I stopped as the wisdom of age made me realize how easy it would be to get really hurt in areas with no cell phone service for miles. Mrs busydog, of course, considered it sheer lunacy.

Regularly saw lots of wildlife—deer, coyotes, raccoons, foxes, skunks, badgers, etc–and a couple of times a bear and the occasional bobcat—-but in my mind’s eye, I was sure they were all just off the trail, waiting for dinner.

It definitely can get spooky and your imagination tends to work overtime.

It’s not scared of the dark, it’s just an odd feeling out there solo.

I wish I could capture the feelings I get whilst out on a solo night ride and share it with the rest of the world somehow.

Scapegoat and Gary M will be the first to get it, then the black bloke, then the less attractive of the two cheerleaders.

Guaranteed.

makes you feel alive (unless you are killed by werewolves)

I don’t venture too far away from civilisation whilst riding solo at night and I only go where I know like the back of my hand during the day.

The mind does tend to go overtime with vampires and stuff around every turn but, in reality, it’s more likely to be druggies and Alchos around where I live.

My mate and I had a ” experience ” up Rivi whilst climbing upto George’s Lane from the High School and we heard Kids voices as if they were playing in a school yard.

It was 11.30 at night. I said nothing initially and my mate did the same. Eventually he told me to ****ing stop making daft noises and I told him to **** off and for him too stop it.

I know him well enough to know when he’s messing around and he was genuinely scared. We both took off like Cav and hit 45 mph down Chorley Old Road towards McDs 😯

I used to do six miles+ every night to get home from hanging out with my mates.. Often navigating the trail from memory in pitch black as lights were pointlessly crap..

In 1984 when I was 10 (beating Molgrips by ten years at least) getting shot by folks out lamping for bunnies was my only concern until I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street..

I’m not too keen on remote technical trails on my own, and the ancient feel of Dartmoor gives me the creeps a bit, I find night riding in general much easier if I start the ride in daylight..
Had a proper sphincter clenching full moon ride around Longleat Forest last week, I don’t know how the locals keep their heads..

had a brown trouser moment on the new blue near afan bike park on sunday. big beast bounded across the trail just in front of me. huge sandy coloured tail was all I really saw as it bounded of into the woods. captain fear kept whispering in my ear, what the hell has a two foot long sandy coloured tail (apart from a lion etc) It was certainly the fastest I’ve got down ‘zigzags’ in the dark! On reflection, the ‘beast of afan’ must be the reason I have never met another rider in five night rides at afan. At cwmcarn there are lights everywhere.

I’d love to solo night ride but I just don’t think I’d be quick enough to ‘get out of danger’ if need be. Someone could just push me off my bike & they would have it no problem! That’s what worries me, not vampires or gribbley things!….!!!…

I’d love to solo night ride but I just don’t think I’d be quick enough to ‘get out of danger’ if need be

He’s called solarpowered, geddit, eh, geddit, eh, No? oh.

thestabiliser – Member
Scapegoat and Gary M will be the first to get it, then the black bloke, then the less attractive of the two cheerleaders.

Guaranteed.
……then the couple who sneak round the back of the cabin to make out in the big Ford sedan, but not before we’ve had a flash of her bra…….

The night is beautiful, esp. By full moonlight. But I have had my flight reflex tripped once by am unexpected noise and it was surprising how far and fast I went before I was able to override it!

The old pet cemetery in the middle of the woods always gives me the willies.

One night I could hear something behind me, every time I stopped it went quiet. This went on for a few(very fast) miles.

When I was back at the car I realised it was my camelbak rustling! Doh!

I enjoy solo night rides. I like to cut the domestic umbilical. I like to stop and kill the lights just to see how dark it is and what’s about muhuwaha

Except I wasn’t going to and from places, I was going out for proper MTB rides at night like we do now. Twin Cateye lights 6 and 10W with a lead acid battery. Lasted about 50 mins on full IIRC.

My lad and I got our timing wrong last time we went to Gisburn. We rode Hully Gully just as it was getting dark, it was quite atmospheric, but as we got to the next red bit through the trees it was proper dark, and we had no lights. We pressed on but after falling off a couple of times each on unseen obstacles we had to admit defeat and push whenever we were under trees. You’ll be pleased to hear that the kitty litter surface can be seen under moonlight. By the time we reached the back of the hub we had no idea where the car park was, let alone the car. There are quite a few owls at Gisburn, all very vocal!

Twin Cateye lights 6 and 10W with a lead acid battery

Twin Cateyes! You were lucky! We used to dream of twin Cateyes

Love my night riding. Try to stay as local as possible and don’t try anything stupid. Gonna go out for a pootle tonight I think 🙂

the lead acid battery was useful ballast though. My most serious cropper came when I stayed out too late and lights died on return home, full tilt into a 5 bar gate. Cateyes here too 🙂

I solo night ride on Holmbury quite often, see lots of groups but not many solo riders, funnily enough, my imagination tends to work overtime more on local xc stuff, whereas on more difficult stuff I find I’m focused on my riding more, so don’t worry about what’s in the bushes! Don’t ride stuff anywhere near as quick as in the daylight though!