Have you ever...?

[RJprod]

Have you ever gone riding in the middle of the night? I mean early in the morning like 1 am to 4 am? Lately I've been having the urge to do that, especially when I cnt sleep...

Have you done it before, how does it feel?

[aeroblade]

Plenty... Its absolutely amazing and peaceful, esp since the roads are almost empty... You should try it, provided you do take all the necessary precautions like maybe stock up a couple of energy drinks, proper headlights, reflective clothing etc.

[Daks]

I've wanted to, but between sprinklers and deer, I don't want to start to get tired.

[hirubhaiambani]

Many many times. Usually short rides, maybe 30-45 minutes. I'll go on a short ride now after I get off work.

[voidrider]

I have, and have really enjoyed the relative quiet and isolation.

Riding the the high desert night, the temperature is bearable in the middle of summer. Sometimes the new paving is blacker than black and just soaks up the light...darker than an overcast starless sky. One can almost think one is traveling in space.

I had a housemate that would get really really angry or frustrated with life. He was of Japanese descent and his family was very traditional. He felt like he couldn't vent about things in his life. He would get on his bike at midnight, and "ride like a madman". His philosophy seemed to be to burn out his emotions on these rides, and "if he lived to see the morning, life would be okay" Somehow he managed to survive these events, but we later fell out of touch.

On the longest ride I have ever been on (not even an iron butt contender), I ended up needing to ride nearly 150 miles starting bout 1 am....this was after a full day of riding. There was some rain, some deer. It was too cold. It was pretty miserable and I was tired. At times I screamed in my helmet at deer, at highway signs...at trees...anything to help stay somewhat aware. It wasn't fun, but it remains rather memorable.

But yeah, when I choose to go on a short late night jaunt...its pretty delightful.

[Racer x]

I like when the pavement is like that. And the moon is out but you can't see the road under you. It feels like you are flying.

[Alex]

Yup, many times. It can be quite peaceful. I've entered a good number of long-distance rallies, and being comfortable riding at night (sometimes all night) is often a requirement.

[ninjamunky85]

I work at night, so yeah all the time. It can be fun having the road all to yourself. It can also be really peaceful on a clear summer night.

I tend to stick to the well lit city streets and freeways though. Side streets and country roads can be pretty scary at night. I'm always careful when riding at night as well, and tend to ride at a more relaxed pace than during the day.

P.S. Don't ride at night with a tinted helmet visor. It might look cool, but you can't see sh*t.

[krolinked]

I just rode to work as well 3 am. Fog everywhere, it blocks out the light from lamp posts so the road is very very dark, like a tunnel almost.

[csmith12]

You see some of the coolest stuff at night. Everyone should do it a few times. In Tampa you can weave through the crabs scurrying across the road. Some of those buggers are large though lol!

[RJprod]

The streets are usually empty when I'm coming back from work, and that's how I like it.. I dnt ride crazy because you can easily be seen by cops.. Next week when the weather let up, I will do it... go to Orlando or something just for the hell of it...lol

[NevadaWolf]

I think I've only done one early morning ride like that ... Rode from 2012 to 2013! Hehehe

But riding at that time of night, when the streets are empty, is fantastic. I've gone riding around 11pm and just headed out into the desert. Nothing, I mean NOTHING, beats having a clear night sky with thousands of stars filling up your field of view.

[250rr]

Yeah. It's cool. I learned to be a noob riding at that time of night. Figured it was a little safer.

[dfox]

'round here, I'm not a huge fan of riding at night. That's when the animals come out, and they're difficult to see. Depending on where I'm heading that means anything from racoons to moose. I might be able to squeak under the moose if I tuck.

[Aggrotech]

I do it all the time, i prefer it to riding during the day tbh. Cagers piss me off...every single day.

while listening to somethin like

Link to original page on YouTube.

[tooblekain]

Originally Posted by RJprod

Have you ever gone riding in the middle of the night? I mean early in the morning like 1 am to 4 am? Lately I've been having the urge to do that, especially when I cnt sleep...

Have you done it before, how does it feel?

I've done it a few times because I needed to clear my head and get away from it all...and couldn't sleep and just felt like riding. While there aren't many drivers out, I realized limited visibility, blinding by opposing traffic,sprinklers, wet roads, dear, coyotes, etc make it a tad dangerous. I actually went up the twisties and saw there were cars doing it too...and they were crossing the double yellow. That moment I realized I probably can do something better/safer/cheaper.

So now I would either play video games, watch tv, or go to the gym.

[Ytse Frobozz]

It's nice to feel like you have the road (mostly) to yourself. The only thing I don't like is I feel really self-conscious about making noise in residential areas, even though I know my bike's not all that loud. I guess I need to find a desert to ride in!

[ChrisMKV]

Loving it! One of my best ride experiences was riding through the city by darkness and watching the lights go by... then leave for the hills and teake a break at dawn to watch the sun rise over town.

[greenaero]

Interesting topic. I avoid riding at night mostly because my aging vision limits my ability to see as well as I need to feel safe and in control. In rural areas its when lots of animals come out that can suddenly run in front of you. In urban areas its when drivers are most likely to be intoxicated or packs of ruffians seek out lone victims. I still love camping out away from the city lights and watching the incredible star-filled sky but I usually end my riding after the sun goes down.