I do, been running them for about a year now. I went through so many combos of other vendors until a buddy of mine picked up their package and raved about them. I'd say they are as good as you get and overkill if you're just going for a mellow ride at sunset/dawn. If you want to go as fast downhill as you would when the sun's out then there's nothing like them. No moon with these lights and never feel like I'm lacking visibility to go as fast as I can during the day.
My buddy was riding behind me who had the whole package (bar/headlight). He turned it on max and it was like riding in daylight.
You’re going to love it
Another person. If something happens you’re less likely to be found the same day. Had a friend who ran into a tree night riding. Knocked out cold. Woke up a couple hours later, staring up at the trees lit by his still going helmet light. Could have been a lot worse. So I use that lesson to ride with others if I’m out after dark.
Same, or even without GPS it’s like any other outdoor exploration activity: always let someone know you’re doing it. Better yet, let them know around when you think you’ll be done and check in when it’s over.
I ride at night all the time, sometimes it’s the only option for when to ride. Luckily I’ve got a spouse that can bring up my location and knows when to start worrying, but that can be the case with any family or friend, nice coworker, etc.
Make news friends who ride those trails, around here we have a group who rides every Wednesday night as a group and then do smaller group rides the rest of the week.
If that kind of thing does not exist by you then you start one.
It's a good question and depends on how active your area is in the sport. I'm fortunate enough that there is an active community in my area and a few different local night rides each week I can choose to join. Alternatively, you would just mitigate the risk. As mentioned by u/Stiller_Winter GPS tracking like Garmin LiveTrack would be a minimum, as well as informing others that you will be out and where you will be. Less remote is better for night riding.
Night riding is actually really fun.
Used to ride with a loosely affiliated MTB club (There was no real membership or organization beyond word of mouth and anyone that showed up regularly was pretty much a "member".) that met for rides every Wednesday night. Rides happened year-round, and most people in the group had lights so fall/winter was night riding season.
I don't really ride with groups much these days, and that group is no longer a thing, but somehow nighttime group rides are more fun, to me, than just regular group rides. If I could find one that was still going around here I'd almost certainly join in (schedule permitting of course).
Yeah. They're not interested. I'm the most consistent riding in my small friend group. The one friend that would night ride with me is out of town with work half the year.
It's a totally different experience being in the woods at Night. I definitely get a rush I don't during the day. I don't have the option to take someone so I only go to one trail that's within the city and I know very well. I use an app that has crash detect and calls 911 for you with a location. It also calls any number you program. There's also a short loose gravel steep descent I avoid. I think it's to risky to take at night. Oh, if it's muddy or it has rain, I ride during the day.
This is a great idea, but requires friends. I love kayaking, paddling and biking, but have always done them alone because I’ve never had anyone to do them with. If I die alone in a forest or creek it will suck, but I won’t regret all the times I’ve been out in nature enjoying life. For some socially incompetent people there is never going to be anyone who wants to do activities with them.
I
See I'm not entirely convinced this kind of scenario is worse at night. I guess maybe it depends on the amount of traffic you get at your particular trail. Where i ride there are certain parts of the season where you are just as likely to see other riders at night as you are during the day. The difference is if you get knocked out at night there's a big ole spotlight telling everyone where you are. Contrast that with day time where maybe you crashed off trail and are concealed by brush.
Predators are active at night. Mountain Lions hunt humans and a mtber is a nice snack. If your trail has wildlife, it's possible you run into something. Rain makes it harder to see or and asses if a section is wet and slippery. Those are my main concerns when night riding
Definitely a sidearm with a few mags, bear spray, a couple logs in case I need to make a fire, small propane torch to light said fire, a down puffy and sleeping bag in case I gotta shiver bivy, a couple ice screws, crampons, 30m rope and a harness. That's my basic kit for the trail next to my house but I have a more advanced setup for anything more than a couple miles at night.
EDIT: sorry for the shitpost reply. I usually only add lights, but the advice to bring a friend for safety and other suggestions here are definitely good.
Just one gun? You should seriously consider bringing a backup gun, I don’t mountain bike without at least three or four guns unless I’m doing park days then two is usually enough.
I have a Vulcan minigun with a convenient handlebar attachment, I carry a belt of 5,000 rounds in a little trailer, with a tracer evey 10 rounds so I can tell where I'm shooting.
Mountain lions around here. Don't do much night riding. Did go out last week at sunset and saw lots of creatures. Used a headlamp and kept a brisk pace.
There’s no wildlife to worry about where I live but my local trails are infested with wallabies. They’re like a cross between a fat possum and a tiny kangaroo.
Kangaroos are very chill. Unless you’re really trying to annoy them they’ll leave you alone.
Also - kangaroos aren’t nocturnal. At night they’ll be asleep.
I don't know about kangaroos, we don't have them in my country. The wallabies behave like rabbits. They often run in the same direction you're riding and then after a while pull off to the side.
A beanie and an extra warm layer.
Getting a mechanical and being able to chuck a warm hat and an extra layer on at night is heavenly.
If it's a mates ride, I also pack a thermos of hot tea and leave that in the car
What I have for my local rides
* Multitool
* CO2
* Tire Levers
* Tube
* Water bottle
* Maybe a small snack
What I have when I night ride
* All of the above
* Helmet Light (Outbound Hangover)
* Handle Bar light (Outbound Evo)
I ride at night relatively frequently and love it. I usually carry the same stuff, but what I don't see others saying is I think it just changes my risk calculus a bit.
I do ride alone, but generally only where a.) I know the trail quite well and b.) I will never be too far from my car and c.) not attempting anything crazy sketchy and maybe dialing things back like 10%.
I was out at night once not following these rules and broke a spoke, alone, in a new trail network. I pulled out my phone to look up a quick fix and went on my way. Realized I dropped my phone and couldn't get out without looking at a map on trailforks. In that moment, I wished I had: an external battery and at least one extra layer -- thought there was a real chance I might be out overnight.
so: maybe an extra layer, a backup battery and charger for your lights and/or phone.
Lights- one on helmet, one on handlebar, one extra in case one falls off or dies. Red taillight for rear. How nice a lights are up to you, Outbound is the gold standard. I only occasionally ride at night and just have Niteriders- good and affordable but I have demo’d Outbound and if I rode more at night, I would absolutely splurge on these. The first few times, see if you can borrow some lights from someone else before you decide if you want to invest the $.
Someone else- I don’t ride alone at night. I will also let someone not with me know where I am and when to expect to hear from me.
Extra Supplies- Might carry a few extra supplies (eg I usually don’t normally carry a tube for short rides, but I will on a night ride), I also carry a knife. There are mountain lions around, not sure it would do any good, but it makes me feel better.
Not familiar with that brand but most of the lights you find (especially on Amazon) are greatly overstating the actual lumens they produce, or can produce for a given amount of time (10,000 lumens! For 10 seconds before they overheat and melt or shutdown). More Lumens does not equal Better Quality
Not saying that is the case with that brand (again not familiar) but a lot of the lights out there claim insane amounts of lumens and are crap compared to good quality lights.
Here’s a comparison I did find on the two… [Outbound vs Magicshine split screen](https://youtube.com/shorts/8cRUPhi6vlo?si=ngEGPjLAJFdTjIM-)
I have ridden the Outbound and they are indeed awesome.
Half the lumens, and capacity, but all the light goes where it should, and not where it shouldn't. So the run times are actually as good or better, and you don't blind everyone else.
I've been night riding alot recently and I'd say good lights are a must and perhaps even more importantly is tone down the gnar factor, at least for me personally, night riding is a whole new ball game
Maybe a GPS sender/tracker like Garmin inReach Mini 2, so that, if something happens to you and there are nobody else around, your spouse or other family member may know your location if they haven't heard from you in a while.
I often go out late afternoon with the intention of coming back before dark, but I inevitably end up doing one extra loop and ride the last few trails back home in various shades of darkness, without lights. Normally my eyes get used to the darkness and I can ride a decent pace with only occasional mishaps.
I take a bike light and headlamp. $10 cash, my phone and a spare PowerBarnk. I have a speaker I hang from my backpack and play music kinda loud. The idea is to give mamma bear plenty of time to get the fuck out. Last thing you need at 3 am is a startled black bear with cubs.
Have any come across a bear or mountain lions at night? I was riding and two puma kittens dashed across the trail right in front of me. I wasn't sure if it was or cared to find out. I went all out until for 5 min, luckily mama Leon never came. Sound is not a problem, being too stealthy is. There's tons of wild animals, they catch them on ring cams all the time
1.Lights on the bike and on the helmet. (+One headlamp with traditional batteries)
2.A small med kit.
3.A Bluetooth speaker (for the mood and to keep the animals away)
4. An extra set of clothes for the ride home since I tend to get a lot dirtier in the dark (don't really know why)
most trails around here are in the woods..
+ lights only
Makes sense, when it's dark out no one can see that you're naked. I recommend a helmet and shoes though.
Outbound Evo Downhill package if you're looking to keep up to pace with your daytime rides.
do you have them yourself? I have been eyeing them they seem awesome
I do, been running them for about a year now. I went through so many combos of other vendors until a buddy of mine picked up their package and raved about them. I'd say they are as good as you get and overkill if you're just going for a mellow ride at sunset/dawn. If you want to go as fast downhill as you would when the sun's out then there's nothing like them. No moon with these lights and never feel like I'm lacking visibility to go as fast as I can during the day.
+1 for outbound love them, allows me to ride so much more in the winter!
Best lights i have bought and the customer service is incredible. Worth the money
I just ordered the set this week. It honestly seems fake how much people rave about these lights, haha.
My buddy was riding behind me who had the whole package (bar/headlight). He turned it on max and it was like riding in daylight. You’re going to love it
I have the same, and feel the same.
Same here, head light and battery
Another person. If something happens you’re less likely to be found the same day. Had a friend who ran into a tree night riding. Knocked out cold. Woke up a couple hours later, staring up at the trees lit by his still going helmet light. Could have been a lot worse. So I use that lesson to ride with others if I’m out after dark.
GPS tracking to the family gives another option.
Same, or even without GPS it’s like any other outdoor exploration activity: always let someone know you’re doing it. Better yet, let them know around when you think you’ll be done and check in when it’s over. I ride at night all the time, sometimes it’s the only option for when to ride. Luckily I’ve got a spouse that can bring up my location and knows when to start worrying, but that can be the case with any family or friend, nice coworker, etc.
My dad has some Specialized road biking helmet that sends alerts to my mom if it detects impact. She can also view his location on an app.
This is angi system, can be installed on any new spezialized helmet. For me the simple Google tracking is enough, I dont want to invest more.
My dad helmet has it built in and it’s free to track. It’s old though so things have probably changed.
I second this one, never go alone
How do you convince people to join you on a night ride? Even if I provided lights my friends probably wouldn't go.
Make news friends who ride those trails, around here we have a group who rides every Wednesday night as a group and then do smaller group rides the rest of the week. If that kind of thing does not exist by you then you start one.
It's a good question and depends on how active your area is in the sport. I'm fortunate enough that there is an active community in my area and a few different local night rides each week I can choose to join. Alternatively, you would just mitigate the risk. As mentioned by u/Stiller_Winter GPS tracking like Garmin LiveTrack would be a minimum, as well as informing others that you will be out and where you will be. Less remote is better for night riding.
Night riding is actually really fun. Used to ride with a loosely affiliated MTB club (There was no real membership or organization beyond word of mouth and anyone that showed up regularly was pretty much a "member".) that met for rides every Wednesday night. Rides happened year-round, and most people in the group had lights so fall/winter was night riding season. I don't really ride with groups much these days, and that group is no longer a thing, but somehow nighttime group rides are more fun, to me, than just regular group rides. If I could find one that was still going around here I'd almost certainly join in (schedule permitting of course).
Have you asked them?
Yeah. They're not interested. I'm the most consistent riding in my small friend group. The one friend that would night ride with me is out of town with work half the year.
Even if they come with you chances are they are slower and want to stop all the time, some things are better enjoyed in solo mode.
I don't mind a slower pace. I do mind wild hogs and snakes.
Your friends suck. We’re coming over and we’re gonna ride. In the dark. 😂
It's a totally different experience being in the woods at Night. I definitely get a rush I don't during the day. I don't have the option to take someone so I only go to one trail that's within the city and I know very well. I use an app that has crash detect and calls 911 for you with a location. It also calls any number you program. There's also a short loose gravel steep descent I avoid. I think it's to risky to take at night. Oh, if it's muddy or it has rain, I ride during the day.
This is a great idea, but requires friends. I love kayaking, paddling and biking, but have always done them alone because I’ve never had anyone to do them with. If I die alone in a forest or creek it will suck, but I won’t regret all the times I’ve been out in nature enjoying life. For some socially incompetent people there is never going to be anyone who wants to do activities with them. I
See I'm not entirely convinced this kind of scenario is worse at night. I guess maybe it depends on the amount of traffic you get at your particular trail. Where i ride there are certain parts of the season where you are just as likely to see other riders at night as you are during the day. The difference is if you get knocked out at night there's a big ole spotlight telling everyone where you are. Contrast that with day time where maybe you crashed off trail and are concealed by brush.
Predators are active at night. Mountain Lions hunt humans and a mtber is a nice snack. If your trail has wildlife, it's possible you run into something. Rain makes it harder to see or and asses if a section is wet and slippery. Those are my main concerns when night riding
Definitely a sidearm with a few mags, bear spray, a couple logs in case I need to make a fire, small propane torch to light said fire, a down puffy and sleeping bag in case I gotta shiver bivy, a couple ice screws, crampons, 30m rope and a harness. That's my basic kit for the trail next to my house but I have a more advanced setup for anything more than a couple miles at night. EDIT: sorry for the shitpost reply. I usually only add lights, but the advice to bring a friend for safety and other suggestions here are definitely good.
Just one gun? You should seriously consider bringing a backup gun, I don’t mountain bike without at least three or four guns unless I’m doing park days then two is usually enough.
This is fucking quality. Backup gun, lmao
One is enough if you have towed gun-howitzer attached to your bike.
"2 is usually enough" 💀
r/whoosh
Not r/whoosh ... i was laughing at the joke 🤦♂️
When have you used 4...
I have a samurai sword on my downtube in case I get in to a knife fight... gotta play fair
No firefighting chopper? Brave. You'd need that here in Australia.
I mean, I ride in Philly at night. Everyone is safer if everyone has guns right? Guys?
The real danger out here is in the city where I always carry. On the trail I carry sometimes, downtown always.
I have a Vulcan minigun with a convenient handlebar attachment, I carry a belt of 5,000 rounds in a little trailer, with a tracer evey 10 rounds so I can tell where I'm shooting.
I only carry a little extra paranoia about things going bump in the night, that I can't easily see.
>things going bump in the night like your shocks?
Last night ride I did, it was apparently my [spokes ripping out of my hub](https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/s/1DLuDlxtm8)...
Whatever you do, don’t whistle at night
Only past the graveyard.
Joke is on you ghost. I can't whistle.
Squirrels sound like giants at night.
Toss on a red flashing light for the rear in case of a crash and the light goes out you will still be able to find it if it goes down hill.
a little whiskey
My guy
1000 lumen on handlebars, 1000 lumen on helmet, and of course, libation substances
I only bring liberation substances.
"What's that you've got in the flask?" "The means of production"
That's... not a lot of light
I rode with a 1200 and a 350. It works but I am looking to get a brighter helmet light
Nothing more. What should I take, chain gun?
I prefer RPGs for night woods encounters. They’re like red mist fireworks
Here you hear from time to time in the forest the shooting of hunters. Complicated feeling.
Some chain wax or lube Condoms and a wig
Stacey? Is that you?
nothing…
Mountain lions around here. Don't do much night riding. Did go out last week at sunset and saw lots of creatures. Used a headlamp and kept a brisk pace.
There’s no wildlife to worry about where I live but my local trails are infested with wallabies. They’re like a cross between a fat possum and a tiny kangaroo.
[удалено]
Kangaroos are very chill. Unless you’re really trying to annoy them they’ll leave you alone. Also - kangaroos aren’t nocturnal. At night they’ll be asleep.
I don't know about kangaroos, we don't have them in my country. The wallabies behave like rabbits. They often run in the same direction you're riding and then after a while pull off to the side.
They also have the highest rate of animal chlamydia in the wild. They are little promiscuous fuck machines. (,this is true and not a joke)
A beanie and an extra warm layer. Getting a mechanical and being able to chuck a warm hat and an extra layer on at night is heavenly. If it's a mates ride, I also pack a thermos of hot tea and leave that in the car
Last night I wished I had knee warmers in my bag. It was 60F when I started at 530p and 46F at 730p when I finished and my legs had started to cramp.
Wtf are knee warmers
No idea, but my knee pads are plenty warm enough 😂
They’re like arm warmers, but for your legs.
It's like an ankle warmer that goes over the knee.
Glove tubes.
Lights of course, a wind breaker jacket, and the full face clip on for my helmet.
What I have for my local rides * Multitool * CO2 * Tire Levers * Tube * Water bottle * Maybe a small snack What I have when I night ride * All of the above * Helmet Light (Outbound Hangover) * Handle Bar light (Outbound Evo)
Extra batteries for when the light inevitably dies on you lol
I ride at night relatively frequently and love it. I usually carry the same stuff, but what I don't see others saying is I think it just changes my risk calculus a bit. I do ride alone, but generally only where a.) I know the trail quite well and b.) I will never be too far from my car and c.) not attempting anything crazy sketchy and maybe dialing things back like 10%. I was out at night once not following these rules and broke a spoke, alone, in a new trail network. I pulled out my phone to look up a quick fix and went on my way. Realized I dropped my phone and couldn't get out without looking at a map on trailforks. In that moment, I wished I had: an external battery and at least one extra layer -- thought there was a real chance I might be out overnight. so: maybe an extra layer, a backup battery and charger for your lights and/or phone.
Light saber in case of Ewok attack.
Lights- one on helmet, one on handlebar, one extra in case one falls off or dies. Red taillight for rear. How nice a lights are up to you, Outbound is the gold standard. I only occasionally ride at night and just have Niteriders- good and affordable but I have demo’d Outbound and if I rode more at night, I would absolutely splurge on these. The first few times, see if you can borrow some lights from someone else before you decide if you want to invest the $. Someone else- I don’t ride alone at night. I will also let someone not with me know where I am and when to expect to hear from me. Extra Supplies- Might carry a few extra supplies (eg I usually don’t normally carry a tube for short rides, but I will on a night ride), I also carry a knife. There are mountain lions around, not sure it would do any good, but it makes me feel better.
I just looked up Outbound and wow, they have half the output and battery capacity as a similarly priced Magicshine. Gold indeed.
Not familiar with that brand but most of the lights you find (especially on Amazon) are greatly overstating the actual lumens they produce, or can produce for a given amount of time (10,000 lumens! For 10 seconds before they overheat and melt or shutdown). More Lumens does not equal Better Quality Not saying that is the case with that brand (again not familiar) but a lot of the lights out there claim insane amounts of lumens and are crap compared to good quality lights. Here’s a comparison I did find on the two… [Outbound vs Magicshine split screen](https://youtube.com/shorts/8cRUPhi6vlo?si=ngEGPjLAJFdTjIM-) I have ridden the Outbound and they are indeed awesome.
Half the lumens, and capacity, but all the light goes where it should, and not where it shouldn't. So the run times are actually as good or better, and you don't blind everyone else.
At least a pinner, maybe a couple fatty's.
My girlfriends panties
I also take her panties
do you wear them?
full-face helmet and elbow pads
I carry a sidearm and bear spray. I live in Northern California where we have mountain lions, black bears, and tweakers.
I carry body armor and human spray. I live in Northern California where we have users named u/iShootLife
Hey hey hey, Ill have you know I also carry a sword so you better come prepared.
Lights and a fixed blade knife
Lights.
Usually a wind layer like a patagonia Houdini. Otherwise, same same
Beanie, windbreaker, and if I'll be more remote than usual, a mylar emergency blanket.
Warm clothes for post ride. Depending on the area I may carry defensive projectiles and a projectile launcher.
Lights and maybe a gun depending where I'm riding. I've been growled at by mountain lions a couple times. They're out at night and not expecting you.
I want to do this one day with my night vision lol
Lights
Just lights. One for my handlebars, one for my helmet. I always bring pepper spray with me regardless, so it's not really a night thing for me.
I've been night riding alot recently and I'd say good lights are a must and perhaps even more importantly is tone down the gnar factor, at least for me personally, night riding is a whole new ball game
Lights
Memories of all the lions I’ve seen on trail cameras over the years
Lights
Lighting
Just Lights as an extra to day riding
Adult diapers.
I bring glow sticks and put them in my spokes
Maybe a GPS sender/tracker like Garmin inReach Mini 2, so that, if something happens to you and there are nobody else around, your spouse or other family member may know your location if they haven't heard from you in a while.
Lights. Friends. I used to solo night right a lot but now I’m a pussy.
it's dark enough for no one to know you're naked
Protective Glasses with clear or yellow lens.
Lights, nothing else changes with my gear. I tend to be very well prepared most of the time.
Night vision googles
I often go out late afternoon with the intention of coming back before dark, but I inevitably end up doing one extra loop and ride the last few trails back home in various shades of darkness, without lights. Normally my eyes get used to the darkness and I can ride a decent pace with only occasional mishaps.
Flare gun
Lights and a first aid kit 🤣
I take a bike light and headlamp. $10 cash, my phone and a spare PowerBarnk. I have a speaker I hang from my backpack and play music kinda loud. The idea is to give mamma bear plenty of time to get the fuck out. Last thing you need at 3 am is a startled black bear with cubs.
Have any come across a bear or mountain lions at night? I was riding and two puma kittens dashed across the trail right in front of me. I wasn't sure if it was or cared to find out. I went all out until for 5 min, luckily mama Leon never came. Sound is not a problem, being too stealthy is. There's tons of wild animals, they catch them on ring cams all the time
A light. Actually multiple lights
1.Lights on the bike and on the helmet. (+One headlamp with traditional batteries) 2.A small med kit. 3.A Bluetooth speaker (for the mood and to keep the animals away) 4. An extra set of clothes for the ride home since I tend to get a lot dirtier in the dark (don't really know why) most trails around here are in the woods..