Urban Night Rides
As much as I love my carbon gravel and road bikes, it’s the steel rando bike that gets ridden the most these days. The reason is simple: Here is Seattle, it gets dark early, and the weather is unpredictable. Having a bike that I can just roll out of the basement, maybe after checking the tire pressure if I haven’t ridden in a while, and ride off without further thought and planning, is priceless for me. My schedule has been busy, and the only time I can find for a ride is often at the end of the day—meaning I’m out between 10 p.m. and midnight.
I love night riding. On big adventures, there’s something truly special about riding through remote mountain landscapes at night, especially when a full moon illuminates the landscape. During climbs on smooth roads, I sometimes turn off my lights and riding by moonlight alone…
I also enjoy urban night rides. The saying that ‘cities never sleep’ is a bit of an exaggeration. Whether it’s Seattle, Tokyo or Paris, the cities I’ve lived in turn almost deserted at night. During the day, jostling with traffic can be adrenaline-inducing fun, but it doesn’t have the quiet, contemplative qualities that draw me to cycling in the first place.
Riding at night, I can get lost in the act of riding, like I do on little backroads off the beaten path. Roads that are almost too busy during the day are fun for hill intervals when they are deserted. Riding at night, I hear different sounds and smell different smells. There are so many animals out, too. Not just the ubiquitous rabbits and raccoons, but also coyotes and even the occasional deer.
Not having to worry about traffic allows me to look around and discover interesting buildings that I’ve never noticed during daytime. Take this little machine shop on Lake Union, for example. I have ridden by here hundreds (thousands?) of times, but never noticed the shop until a recent night ride. I love the old, weathered building, and the rail for a crane that comes out over the sidewalk, to load and unload heavy parts and machines.
Night rides put greater demands on my bike. During day rides, I want a frame that gets in sync with my pedal strokes, a front-end geometry with precise and intuitive handling, quick-shifting derailleurs, and powerful brakes with good modulation. At night, I need all those things, but also lights that aren’t just bright, but evenly illuminate the road surface (and don’t blind other traffic).
Seattle is hilly, and fast night-time descents are only safe if I can see far ahead. Even then, potholes and cracks can appear in front of my bike with little warning, I need a bike that reacts quickly to go around these obstacles (and wide tires for that added margin of safety). Good brakes are important if a lonely car comes out of a sidestreet, doesn’t look carefully enough to see the rapid cyclist, and pulls into my path. if it rains, it’s colder at night, and I really need fenders that keep all of me dry, including my feet. (And my drivetrain clean, since I don’t have time to maintain my bike.)
Having a bike that offers the fun and performance of the best ‘daytime bikes’ also during night rides and doesn’t make my life miserable if it starts raining has been liberating for me. And those urban night rides really are fun!
