When it comes to cycling, only a few people find themselves out in the dark unless they are commuting or live somewhere where daylight hours are few. A time you will find yourself needing to cycle at night quite often is if you are bikepacking or cycle touring.

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of information out there when it comes to riding bikes at night. We at the Bikepackist thought we would give you all the information you need to ensure you’re safe, seen, and confident when it comes to cycling in the dark.  

As a bikepacker who has spent much time riding at night worldwide, I have learned to enjoy it, but when I first started, I absolutely hated it. In this article, we are going to be discussing:

• Why Is It Important To Learn How To Cycle At Night?
• What Clothing Should You Wear For Night Cycling?
• What Lighting Should You Have For Night Cycling?
• What Roads To Ride And How To Ride Them At Night
• The Mental Challenges Of Riding At Night
• How To Adapt To Night Riding

Why Is It Important To Learn How To Cycle At Night?

If you plan on commuting, bikepacking, or touring, it’s good to take some time to learn how to cycle at night. Not only is it going to give you much more confidence, but it will also help keep you safer and set a great example for other cyclists. 

I have ridden a lot at night, and when I first started, I wasn’t doing it right. I had an awful light setup, never wore clothing that would get me seen, and I can honestly say I got very lucky on some of the terrible roads I took myself on. 

If you don’t learn how to cycle at night properly, you will be putting yourself at risk on the roads and trails, scaring other road users, and it will be an awful experience and not one you will want to do often. 

What Clothing Should You Wear For Night Cycling?

Let’s start with clothing. This is a vital part of cycling at night, and it’s the best way to keep yourself as seen as possible road riding or mountain biking. I highly recommend going for good brands, with your safety being the main concern alongside quality. 

I like brands such as Pearl Izumi and Gore Wear. Finding clothing not just in a high-vis color but also reflective clothing is going to be good to keep you seen on a dark road. Here’s what I recommend.

High Vis Jacket

The first piece of equipment I recommend having is a high-vis jacket. This is great because it can work not just at night but in the day too. It keeps you well-seen, and if you get a jacket with reflective elements, it offers even more. 

High Vis Vest

Some nights are very warm when riding, and a jacket just won’t do. Instead, a vest is a great way to go. These small vests keep you cool but also ensure you stay seen. They can also be put on top of jackets if they are a little dark.

High Vis Gloves 

Another great recommendation is high-vis gloves. These are very useful for being seen at the front and side and when you are signaling to turn. If you are wearing dark gloves, it can’t always be seen. 

High Vis Shoe Covers

If you want to really make yourself seen, high-vis shoe covers are an excellent addition to your outfit. They not only add lots of visibility to the side, but also, because the feet are moving so much, they attract much more attention. 

What Lighting Should You Have For Night Cycling?

Next, we have lighting, which really needs to be done correctly when it comes to those all-night rides. When buying lights, it’s important to go for good lights, and it’s worth spending extra for brands such as Cateye or Exposure bike tech as they last longer and work much better and offer a strong white light. 

Front Bike Light

You will want a front light with a minimum of 800 watts max. Obviously, you won’t be using it at this setting as it will drain it too quickly, but the mid will be around 400 watts, and the low will be a good 150 watts. A wide beam is always much better than a closed beam pattern and aim for a 12-hour battery life or more on front lights.

Rear Bike Lights

When it comes to a rear light, I recommend having two. One you are going to have on flashing and one on constant. I aim for at least 30 lumens and a battery life of at least 15 hours. In my opinion, cheap rear lights don’t last, and they are so important, spend more here if you can.

Spare Lights

Then we have spare lights. On the rear, you already have two, and that should be plenty, but what if you had a front main light fail? I like to personally carry a small backup light, either in the form of a head torch or a small keychain light, in case of emergencies. A bike shop or local hardware store isn’t open late and night unfortunately.

Helmet Light (Optional)

Another great kind of light many people choose to use is a helmet light. These often come double-sided, so you have a front and a rear light. I don’t use them, but I know many people who do, and they are hard to miss at night. 

What Roads To Ride And How To Ride Them At Night

When it comes to riding at night, I recommend strongly thinking about the roads you plan to ride on. You often get two choices if you are riding near towns and cities. You get busier roads, which are well-lit with more traffic, or quieter roads, which need to be better-lit. They both have pros and cons, here’s what you need to know.

Busier, Well Lit Roads

Although many people feel safer in brighter places, that doesn’t always keep you safer. You can be harder to see for drivers, and most towns wouldn’t bother lighting up a street unless it was very busy.

This means you can end up blending in with more of the street lighting, and you will also be around a lot more cars and possibly people. I personally have found myself in more testing situations here than anywhere else at night even when not in rush hour.

Quieter, Darker Roads

Then we have quieter, darker roads. Although it might not be your first choice at night, small quieter roads can be much safer. You are much easier to see with all your lights on, and there are fewer cars around for drivers to focus on. 

This does mean you are further away from things at night and on unlit country lanes, but it does offer a much higher level of security for riders who are making a big effort to make themselves seen when road riding or even mixed terrain riding.

How To Ride On Roads At Night

When it comes to riding on roads at night, you have to be more careful than in the day. Here are my top tips.

Descend Slowly 

Getting down hills fast and building up as much speed as possible is very tempting. I recommend descending slower than you would in the day. You would be surprised at how quickly potholes come up, and animals love to run across the road when it’s quiet. 

Avoid The Edges

When I ride at night, if I am around cars, I hold a normal position around 30cm to 60cm from the pavement. If there are no cars around, I take myself nearer to the center of the road. You are away from less road debris and typically in a smoother tire groove with less obstruction. Avoid being too far out in oncoming traffic. 

Be Alert

It’s easy in the day when cycling to switch off and let your mind wander or spend a few seconds looking at your Garmin. You can’t do this at night, eyes need to always be looking at the road, whether in front of you or behind you. When you stop, I always recommend checking your lights to ensure they still have a battery.

The Mental Challenges When You Cycle At Night

Very few riders speak about the mental challenges of riding at night. I have always found riding at night harder than riding in the day for a few reasons. Here’s why:

It Can Be Scary

Riding at night can be scary. I’m happy to admit that I hated it when I first started cycling at night. Every noise would scare me, and I hated looking into the forests at the side in case something came running out. 

You soon realize that the scariest thing out there is probably you. Very little has happened in all the hours I have spent riding at night. I have now realized there’s no point worrying about it until something happens. 

Time Can Pass Much Slower

Maybe it’s just me, but for some reason, I find cycling at night goes much slower than riding in the day. The fact that there’s much less going on and the roads are generally much quieter seems to change the way it passes mentally. 

When in ultra cycling and bikepacking races, I have often decided to ride through the night, and they have felt so long. There have been times I have checked my watch thinking an hour had passed and it had been 10 minutes. 

It’s Tiring

Unless you are very used to riding at night, then you are going to find it very tiring. The body is accustomed to wanting to sleep at night and when it’s dark. When exercising instead, the body wants to switch off and relax. 

If I am ever finding it very challenging, I will have a coffee or something with caffeine in it. It’s not a permanent solution, but it does help for an hour or so to keep you motivated and powering into those pedals. 

How To Adapt To Cycle At Night

Getting used to night time riding can be difficult, and gaining confidence on the roads and trails in the darkness takes time. When I first started, I went straight out for a night ride for a few hours and didn’t enjoy it. 

In a perfect world, the best way to do it is to either get up early, go out when it is dark, then ride into the sunrise, or go out towards the end of the night when it is light and settle into the darkness before getting home. 

It’s important to understand that getting really good at night riding takes practice and persistence. After time, when you get more confident, it will get much easier. You might find in time you really enjoy it, and it could be a preferred training time. In warm countries, many athletes cycle at night to avoid the heat. 

A Final Thought

Riding at night is not uncommon when it comes to commuting, bikepacking, or cycle touring. It’s something that a lot of riders struggle to get used to. It does take practice, and we highly recommend getting used to it before going on a big adventure. Thanks for reading the article, remember to ride safely and enjoy the full moon.

If you enjoyed this article you might like The Ultimate Guide To Bikepacking Bags, How To Deal With Dogs When Bikepacking, and What Are The Best Bikepacking Pedals?

Author

Authored by Robbie Ferri, a distinguished Ultra Cyclist hailing from the United Kingdom. With profound expertise not only in cycling but also in the art of bike construction and collaboration with prominent industry-leading brands.

www.ridingwithrobbie.com
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