Comments on: Commuting 101: Know the dangers of cycling at night http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/ Tips, Hints, Reviews and Safety for Bike Commuters Wed, 22 May 2013 22:02:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Tom Bowden http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-101392 Tom Bowden Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:43:39 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-101392 Just tried something new - Costco is selling rechargeable 1 watt LED flashlights in packs of two. They are called Hybrid Lights. They charge all day from ambient light even indoors) and will run (allegedly) for 10 hours on a charge, after which two CR2032 button batteries kick in for back up for a couple more hours. They are really very bright. Comparable to my 3 watt AA maglite. I strapped one to each side of my helmet and they focused their beams together right about where I needed the spot, but of course, I can point them at cars to make sure they see me. It's GREAT not to have to worry about batteries! You won;t be mistaken for a motorcycle, but you will be seen and you can see the road quite well as long as you don't "outrun" the spots. Just tried something new – Costco is selling rechargeable 1 watt LED flashlights in packs of two. They are called Hybrid Lights. They charge all day from ambient light even indoors) and will run (allegedly) for 10 hours on a charge, after which two CR2032 button batteries kick in for back up for a couple more hours. They are really very bright. Comparable to my 3 watt AA maglite. I strapped one to each side of my helmet and they focused their beams together right about where I needed the spot, but of course, I can point them at cars to make sure they see me. It’s GREAT not to have to worry about batteries! You won;t be mistaken for a motorcycle, but you will be seen and you can see the road quite well as long as you don’t “outrun” the spots.

]]> By: zonerr http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-96186 zonerr Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:41:40 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-96186 My incident may have been a one of a kind accidental situation. I live in a doughnut city that makes it hard to commute downtown safely without going through the roughest parts of the city to get home. A warning should stand though! Riding at night can be as dangerous as walking. The repercussions have been odd. I actually found myself feeling sorry for the two criminals at the preliminary trial. It felt like a prosecution factory and one that didn't really care about the lives involved. Then there is the fear and loathing I feel. The anger at having my life threatened. The perusing of guns at the local gun shop. Thinking about buying a bullet proof vest. Fantasy replays of the incident where I fight back. All in all I guess I'm a little confused inside. If I hadn't been on a bike at 12 o'clock at night it wouldn't have happened. If I didn't live in a car centric city I wouldn't of had to go down only one main street to get home. Maybe I can consider it a learning experience. I just don't know. My incident may have been a one of a kind accidental situation. I live in a doughnut city that makes it hard to commute downtown safely without going through the roughest parts of the city to get home. A warning should stand though! Riding at night can be as dangerous as walking.
The repercussions have been odd. I actually found myself feeling sorry for the two criminals at the preliminary trial. It felt like a prosecution factory and one that didn’t really care about the lives involved.
Then there is the fear and loathing I feel. The anger at having my life threatened. The perusing of guns at the local gun shop. Thinking about buying a bullet proof vest. Fantasy replays of the incident where I fight back.
All in all I guess I’m a little confused inside. If I hadn’t been on a bike at 12 o’clock at night it wouldn’t have happened. If I didn’t live in a car centric city I wouldn’t of had to go down only one main street to get home. Maybe I can consider it a learning experience. I just don’t know.

]]> By: Maureen http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-95341 Maureen Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:10:39 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-95341 I worry about what Warren said in the first comment: running into animals in the dark. I'm more worried about skunks than deer, although both are distinct possibilities where I am. It's so dark when I come in now even with two headlights on the bike I can barely see the road if there's no traffic coming from behind to light it up with headlights. I don't want to give up riding just yet, but I may have to concede defeat with the days so short up here. We're above the 45th parallel, so days are shorter here than in many other places. I worry about what Warren said in the first comment: running into animals in the dark. I’m more worried about skunks than deer, although both are distinct possibilities where I am. It’s so dark when I come in now even with two headlights on the bike I can barely see the road if there’s no traffic coming from behind to light it up with headlights. I don’t want to give up riding just yet, but I may have to concede defeat with the days so short up here. We’re above the 45th parallel, so days are shorter here than in many other places.

]]> By: Fritz http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-94477 Fritz Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:57:54 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-94477 Zonerr, sorry to hear about that. I've been sitting on a story about crime and bicycling for about 18 months now -- I really need to publish it. I interviewed police officers and personal safety experts for their tips on minimizing the chance of becoming a victim. Two weeks ago a cyclist car-jacked a motorist (and murdered the motorist) just one block off of my commute route, so the violence can go either way. FWIW, I've been bike commuting year round since 1987 and have never been victim of violent crime. My dad is a retired detective, and I used to do homeless outreach work in some "interesting" parts of town so I stay pretty aware of my surroundings. Zonerr, sorry to hear about that. I’ve been sitting on a story about crime and bicycling for about 18 months now — I really need to publish it. I interviewed police officers and personal safety experts for their tips on minimizing the chance of becoming a victim.

Two weeks ago a cyclist car-jacked a motorist (and murdered the motorist) just one block off of my commute route, so the violence can go either way.

FWIW, I’ve been bike commuting year round since 1987 and have never been victim of violent crime. My dad is a retired detective, and I used to do homeless outreach work in some “interesting” parts of town so I stay pretty aware of my surroundings.

]]> By: zonerr http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-94328 zonerr Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:19:02 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-94328 Deciding to save money on gas I found a bike at a thrift store. In my usual obsessive way I bought the parts to fix it up. Studied the books at the library and work out my path. Working second shift I bought lights and started started pedaling to work. Then while pedaling home one night I was held up at gunpoint. Forget saving gas money. At that moment all thoughts of biking were worthless. A man on a bike becomes a target for those who prey on people at night. I would not recommend riding at night for anyone really.Be careful if you do decide to ride at night. Still getting over the violence of the moment for my part. Deciding to save money on gas I found a bike at a thrift store. In my usual obsessive way I bought the parts to fix it up. Studied the books at the library and work out my path. Working second shift I bought lights and started started pedaling to work.
Then while pedaling home one night I was held up at gunpoint. Forget saving gas money. At that moment all thoughts of biking were worthless. A man on a bike becomes a target for those who prey on people at night.
I would not recommend riding at night for anyone really.Be careful if you do decide to ride at night. Still getting over the violence of the moment for my part.

]]> By: CaptCanuck http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-68791 CaptCanuck Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:09:21 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-68791 I have found that the danger zone is 8am-9am and 5pm to 6pm. I have the luxury of time shifting and either plan my commute to work from 8am to 4pm or 10am to 6pm. Just safer to skip the danger zone. I have found that the danger zone is 8am-9am and 5pm to 6pm. I have the luxury of time shifting and either plan my commute to work from 8am to 4pm or 10am to 6pm. Just safer to skip the danger zone.

]]> By: Mindy http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-62753 Mindy Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:12:18 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-62753 Hey Fritz, that was fun to watch. Cute kids! My night riding seems to be infinitely easier than yours. I have bike lanes all the way and cars are never parked on my right. I don't feel any more afraid of being hit than I do during the day, but I notice that people are way more likely to act like assholes once the sun goes down. After dark the hollering incidents increase drastically, a teenager chased me on foot one night, demanding my money, and my husband had a water bottle thrown at him one dark night. The car had to stop at the next light and my husband caught up to it and confronted the occupants, who were mortified. Well, I seem to have changed the subject, sorry about that. Mindy in Tucson Hey Fritz, that was fun to watch. Cute kids! My night riding seems to be infinitely easier than yours. I have bike lanes all the way and cars are never parked on my right. I don’t feel any more afraid of being hit than I do during the day, but I notice that people are way more likely to act like assholes once the sun goes down. After dark the hollering incidents increase drastically, a teenager chased me on foot one night, demanding my money, and my husband had a water bottle thrown at him one dark night. The car had to stop at the next light and my husband caught up to it and confronted the occupants, who were mortified.

Well, I seem to have changed the subject, sorry about that.

Mindy in Tucson

]]> By: Tarek http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-62718 Tarek Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:37:28 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-62718 I second gazer's comment - this chart does not lead to the conclusion that "cycling at twighlight is more dangerous" than any other time. The only thing you can draw from this chart (alone) is that more people get into accidents around twilight, but unless we see the corresponding hourly bike-miles or some such metric, we can't draw any other conclusions. For the record, I _do_ think riding at twilight is dangerous, but not because of this chart. I second gazer’s comment – this chart does not lead to the conclusion that “cycling at twighlight is more dangerous” than any other time.

The only thing you can draw from this chart (alone) is that more people get into accidents around twilight, but unless we see the corresponding hourly bike-miles or some such metric, we can’t draw any other conclusions.

For the record, I _do_ think riding at twilight is dangerous, but not because of this chart.

]]> By: Fritz http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-62614 Fritz Wed, 28 Nov 2007 03:36:34 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-62614 A couple of points about this article: 1. Dusk/dawn is indeed the most dangerous time to ride. 2. Most people ride without lights or reflectors. Night riding is quantitatively more dangerous, but riding with lights provably mitigates that risk. 3. Okay, three is more than a couple, but anybody who says riding in congested traffic is dangerous doesn't ride in congested traffic. I'm *much* more comfortable riding in heavy 30 mph traffic than I am on the lightly traveled lanes with 50 mph traffic. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJO7Iw8RRdo" rel="nofollow">Here's video of my nighttime</a> bike commute. Sorry about the crooked video -- the camera was mounted to my helmet and the weight pushed my helmet sideways. A couple of points about this article:

1. Dusk/dawn is indeed the most dangerous time to ride.

2. Most people ride without lights or reflectors. Night riding is quantitatively more dangerous, but riding with lights provably mitigates that risk.

3. Okay, three is more than a couple, but anybody who says riding in congested traffic is dangerous doesn’t ride in congested traffic. I’m *much* more comfortable riding in heavy 30 mph traffic than I am on the lightly traveled lanes with 50 mph traffic. Here’s video of my nighttime bike commute. Sorry about the crooked video — the camera was mounted to my helmet and the weight pushed my helmet sideways.

]]> By: Mike Myers http://www.commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/comment-page-1/#comment-62592 Mike Myers Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:20:32 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2007/11/27/commuting-101-know-the-dangers-of-cycling-at-night/#comment-62592 Quinn--- Yes, it can mount to the seat rails and that's where I have it now. It's a good light. I felt a bit weird spending a hundred bucks on a taillight, but it's worth it. Battery upkeep is a pain with the DiNotte but the aura it projects behind me is unique. DiNotte is now offering a taillight version of the 600L---so that's 600 lumens of taillight--three 5w emitters. Unreal. Quinn—

Yes, it can mount to the seat rails and that’s where I have it now. It’s a good light. I felt a bit weird spending a hundred bucks on a taillight, but it’s worth it. Battery upkeep is a pain with the DiNotte but the aura it projects behind me is unique. DiNotte is now offering a taillight version of the 600L—so that’s 600 lumens of taillight–three 5w emitters. Unreal.

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