Last night Vernon, Nathan & I drove over (hangs head in shame...) to Wreningham & had a meal with a load of CTC/Norwich Cycle Campaign cyclists.
At the end, Nathan & I cycled back into Norwich with them - to our collection point - friends' home - and then returned home. Vernon didn't cycle as he's got an injury right now.
It was great fun cycling in a large bunch back along lovely country lanes, in the evening shade - it was dark by the time we reached the city and thoroughly enjoyable to cycle through the city in the dark on almost deserted roads. The really fun bit was this mass of cyclists all lit up & swathed in reflectives cycling along the lanes and oncoming traffic slowing and sometimes stopping to allow us to pass. Natch' being a polite bunch, any such courtesy was given a friendly wave and a "thank you". There was the odd, "Blimey, the Tour de France is a bit off course" comment from peds we went by. It was the first time I'd cycled in a large bunch (must have been about 15 to 20 of us) and it was a very sociable and enjoyable ride. I could get used to it! There was even a couple of darksiders there. One guy on an Optima and there was a tandem trike too. One thing I enjoyed, was that being in a bunch meant there was a lot of illumination, which meant we could cycle quite fast (for me!). I've done Norfolk lanes at night with just Vernon and cycling in that level of darkness is not a pleasant experience and one I wouldn't willingly repeat. Cycling in the big bunch made it way more enjoyable.
Cheers, helen s
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"wafflyDIRTYcatLITTERhcsBOX" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
snip
Quoted message said:
One thing I enjoyed, was that being in a bunch meant there was a lot of illumination, which meant we could cycle quite fast (for me!). I've done Norfolk lanes at night with just Vernon and cycling in that level of
darkness
Quoted message said:
is not a pleasant experience and one I wouldn't willingly repeat. Cycling
in
Quoted message said:
the big bunch made it way more enjoyable.
Get yourself some nice bright lights and try again. Cycling in the dark or in the moon light is magical with the right kit. And the right kit means you can see and be seen -- and can force oncoming cars to dip their lights!!
"wafflyDIRTYcatLITTERhcsBOX" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
snip
Quoted message said:
One thing I enjoyed, was that being in a bunch meant there was a lot of illumination, which meant we could cycle quite fast (for me!). I've done Norfolk lanes at night with just Vernon and cycling in that level of
darkness
Quoted message said:
is not a pleasant experience and one I wouldn't willingly repeat. Cycling
in
Quoted message said:
the big bunch made it way more enjoyable.
Get yourself some nice bright lights and try again. Cycling in the dark or in the moon light is magical with the right kit. And the right kit means you can see and be seen -- and can force oncoming cars to dip their lights!!
T
Any recommendations? I too live in deepest, darkest Norfolk and agree that the lanes are pretty scary places in winter evenings.
Get yourself some nice bright lights and try again. Cycling in the dark or in the moon light is magical with the right kit. And the right kit means you can see and be seen -- and can force oncoming cars to dip their lights!!
Was cycling along the main access track into Glen Afric about 3 or 4 years ago, summer so although about 23:00 not completely dark, but getting murkier as we rode on. Just had some pretty basic lights and they managed to highlight rocks on the path to the extent that you could easily avoid them, but couldn't really see what you'd be changing direction into far enough in advance. Which was invariably more of the same, so after a bit we turned the lights *off* and found it not only easier, but without all the minor direction fiddles for not much effect it was probably safer too! The track is quite pale and the surrounding heather dark, so you got enough visual input to basically see where the track was and wasn't, and we just trusted the big knobblies to take the bumps in their stride. Which they did :-)
Pete. -- Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden] dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗
"Tony W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message = "]news:[email hidden]... |=20 | "wafflyDIRTYcatLITTERhcsBOX" <[email hidden]> wrote in = message | "]news:[email hidden]... |=20 20 | snip |=20 | > One thing I enjoyed, was that being in a bunch meant there was a lot of illumination, | > which meant we could cycle quite fast (for me!). I've = done | > Norfolk lanes at night with just Vernon and cycling in that level of | darkness | > is not a pleasant experience and one I wouldn't willingly repeat. = Cycling | in | > the big bunch made it way more enjoyable. |=20 | Get yourself some nice bright lights and try again. Cycling in the = dark or | in the moon light is magical with the right kit. And the right kit = means | you can see and be seen -- and can force oncoming cars to dip their = lights!! |=20 | T |=20 20
That reminds me about my first set of Nightsun lights.... I was stopped = by two Police Officers who were intrigued by their brightness - they had = though (from a distance) that I was riding a motorbike down cycle lanes!
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"Succorso" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Any recommendations? I too live in deepest, darkest Norfolk and agree that the lanes are pretty scary places in winter evenings.
Smarts are cheap.
Lumicycle are the dogs danglers -- but not cheap.
There are several others.
Mrs. G has the Cateye HL-RC230 Dual Front lights and a couple of LED rear lights. Cycling home from Romsey along unlit lanes was no problem. I've got a SON dynamo with the B+M Lumotec front thingummy with standlight which isn't too shabby either.
I've got a SON dynamo with the B+M Lumotec front thingummy with standlight which isn't too shabby either.
*THAT* was the one I was trying to think of. Someone (Richard Evans?) had one on his Kingcycle on the DD and every time I saw it in my mirror, I kept thinking "car".
I've got a SON dynamo with the B+M Lumotec front thingummy with standlight which isn't too shabby either.
*THAT* was the one I was trying to think of. Someone (Richard Evans?) had one on his Kingcycle on the DD and every time I saw it in my mirror, I kept thinking "car".
:-) The automatic sensor that turns them on for me is pretty nifty, too. I suppose I ought to bung a couple of spare bulbs in the toolkit whilst I remember.
This DD thing. Is this Dunwich in Suffolk? Might have a bash at it next year if it is. Sounds like fun.Plus, It'll give me something to aim for, too. -- DG
That reminds me about my first set of Nightsun lights.... I was stopped by two Police Officers who were intrigued by their brightness - they had though (from a distance) that I was riding a motorbike down cycle lanes!
It seems most drivers think I must be a motorbike when I approach side junctions because they often wait for me to go by even if I'm a long way off obviously assuming I'm going to approach much faster than I do. This is just with 5W (Sigma Sport Mirage X ). They almost invariably dip their lights as soon as they see me as well.
*THAT* was the one I was trying to think of. Someone (Richard Evans?) had one on his Kingcycle on the DD and every time I saw it in my mirror, I kept thinking "car".
It's not *that* good, but it is pretty damn good nevertheless. I was sufficiently impressed with the one that came on the Streetmachine[1] to have Darth Ben set up the Brompton with a SON/B&M combo too at which point the Smarts were consigned to the lending pile. Not cheap, but not money I regret spending.
Pete.
[1] when I got the SMGT I posted here asking what the no-brain options were. Everybody said the lights, I swallowed my historic dislike of dynamos and trusted everyone, everyone was right. -- Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden] dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗
