Riding in the Dark in the Rain

The other day I rode home in the dark, in the rain, with a broken headlight. It was both exhilarating and unnerving, because my route home includes several stretches of road with no street lights whatsoever. I still had my reflective vest (which I've discussed previously) and my taillight on, so I was visible to cars coming from behind at least, but it made it hard to see the road in front of me. I'm not going to lie, it's a tad scary riding in that kind of darkness, but it's pretty exciting, too.

The lack of visibility means you have to pay extra attention to everything around you and be fully prepared for any unexpected bumps or potholes, since you won't be able to see them coming. You also have to be hyper-alert at any intersection or driveway, because cars will not be able to see you coming without a headlight. It's also challenging because your eyes don't get a chance to fully adjust to the dark. They start to, but then a car drives by, headlights illuminating the road ahead, and destroys your night vision, leaving things even darker than they were before. It's certainly not an approach to riding that I would recommend - I did it out of necessity, because my mountain bike's headlight broke. That said, being able to deal with situations like that is an important factor to bike commuting.

Part of the fun (and challenge) of bike commuting is the fact that it exposes you to unique situations, both good and bad. Being able to deal with the unexpected can make all the difference in the world in terms of both enjoyment and safety. In this case, it was simply a matter of being extra cautious, and maintaining awareness of my surroundings. Prior experience riding at night certainly helped, too. Like I said, biking in the dark can actually be pretty fun - I would recommend giving it a try sometime (on an empty street or bike path, mind you) both for the experience and to practice, should you ever find yourself unexpectedly in the dark.

That said, I'll definitely be buying a new headlight soon. I'm not sure which one yet, but I'll post a review once I find one to let you know whether it's any good. It's an important piece of gear for any bike commuter, and there are lots of options to choose from.

Keep riding,
-K

P.S. I mentioned in my last post that I was out of the saddle for about three weeks, and going absolutely stir-crazy as a result. I'm happy to report that I've been back riding since last Monday and am very glad to be doing so. My knee is almost completely healed, though I'm still taking it easy. I can't tell you how good it felt to be riding again. More on that in a later post.