Night Riding is Fun!

It really is. Nothing makes mountain biking more fun than sensory deprivation. Take away natural light, and the ante is upped. Tonight, we took on the Town Loops in Stowe. It is a very fun and flowy series of loops that I often use to test or break in new product, or, if I haven't been on a bike in a while.

We started in the pre-dusk grey, and rode out to where the loops start before turning the lights on. To me, this is the best time to be in the woods. It's almost like the changing of the guards for the forest creatures. Day creatures are settling in, night creatures are just getting started. You are there for the shift change as grey turns to black. And it is dark in the woods.

For me, this is the first ride in the dark this year, so it is always good to go where you are familiar with the trails. Lots of things can sneak up on you without the full light of the sun. The shadows play tricks on you. You can find yourself 4 feet in the air unexpectedly because you were too far tot he right, or you can be sliding on two wheels because you didn't pick out how the roots were angled away from you.

It always pays to ride as safely as you can, but sometimes, you can just outrun your lights. This is why I always use head and bar mounted lights. You can see around corners when your bars are pointed straight up on the backside of a bog whoopdeedoo.

The headlamp is also perfect for spotting bears. While I haven't seen any this year, we came across a momma and baby last year that scared the crap out of us. I'll try and get a picture this year. While the bears in VT aren't like the bears out west, they are still afraid of people, it is always a good idea not to piss them off.

It is said, that when one of your senses is impaired, the others kick in. Without light, everything is different. The smells are different, more intense, your hearing, more acute. The trail becomes elusive, something you must hunt for to stay alive.
You hear things in the liquid black, just beyond your sight.

It's surreal, and anyone reading this that rides at night knows,
it is one of the best ways to ride.