Cycling in the pitch black night

Being a city dweller I was not aware how dark the countryside can get on a
moonless night.
Despite cycling along the combination footpath/cycle path of a main road,
A35 in Hampshire. Between Lyndhurst and Ashurst of the New Forest a
depression between 2 slight ridges there is no extraneous light whatever for
a few ten minute periods without any car headlights. Stopped to admire the
heavens.

But how to cycle safely in that situation? especially the chance of stray
bramble branches at eye height, motor cycle goggles ? Another lamp on the
handlebars pointing up to "illuminate"
space 10 foot ahead of you and at eye-height?
I thought the side spill of bicycle front lamps was for car drivers joining
a road from the side have more of a chance of spotting you. But also this
side spill illuminates the white line along the road edge and so you can
keep that distance/angle constant as well as the path ahead illuminated.
Croupier eye-shade type thing to reduce the glare of full-beam car
headlights coming towards you? and of course flourescent and
reflective-striped clothing as drivers will not dip
their beams if they do not notice you (only about half dipped even then)

On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:26:08 -0000
"N_Cook" wrote:

Being a city dweller I was not aware how dark the countryside can get
on a moonless night.
Despite cycling along the combination footpath/cycle path of a main
road, A35 in Hampshire. Between Lyndhurst and Ashurst of the New
Forest a depression between 2 slight ridges there is no extraneous
light whatever for a few ten minute periods without any car
headlights. Stopped to admire the heavens.

But how to cycle safely in that situation? especially the chance of
stray bramble branches at eye height, motor cycle goggles ? Another
lamp on the handlebars pointing up to "illuminate"
space 10 foot ahead of you and at eye-height?

Ride on the road.

I thought the side spill of bicycle front lamps was for car drivers
joining a road from the side have more of a chance of spotting you.
But also this side spill illuminates the white line along the road
edge and so you can keep that distance/angle constant as well as the
path ahead illuminated. Croupier eye-shade type thing to reduce the
glare of full-beam car headlights coming towards you?

A peaked cap.

and of course
flourescent and reflective-striped clothing as drivers will not dip
their beams if they do not notice you (only about half dipped even
then)

Fit a front reflector or two. Ride on the road. I sometimes ride
towards them in the middle of their lane if they fail to dip - they tend
to notice that.

Rob Morley wrote in message
news:20121116110611.7e7707f6@hyperion...
On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:26:08 -0000
"N_Cook" wrote:

Being a city dweller I was not aware how dark the countryside can get
on a moonless night.
Despite cycling along the combination footpath/cycle path of a main
road, A35 in Hampshire. Between Lyndhurst and Ashurst of the New
Forest a depression between 2 slight ridges there is no extraneous
light whatever for a few ten minute periods without any car
headlights. Stopped to admire the heavens.

But how to cycle safely in that situation? especially the chance of
stray bramble branches at eye height, motor cycle goggles ? Another
lamp on the handlebars pointing up to "illuminate"
space 10 foot ahead of you and at eye-height?

Ride on the road.

I thought the side spill of bicycle front lamps was for car drivers
joining a road from the side have more of a chance of spotting you.
But also this side spill illuminates the white line along the road
edge and so you can keep that distance/angle constant as well as the
path ahead illuminated. Croupier eye-shade type thing to reduce the
glare of full-beam car headlights coming towards you?

A peaked cap.

and of course
flourescent and reflective-striped clothing as drivers will not dip
their beams if they do not notice you (only about half dipped even
then)

Fit a front reflector or two. Ride on the road. I sometimes ride
towards them in the middle of their lane if they fail to dip - they tend
to notice that.



I knew Mark Brummel, killed in the New Forest this year

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9731...ter_car_crash/

and his death was in daylight, I keep off main roads (in any part of the
lane) if there is an alternative

"Rob Morley" wrote in message news:20121116110611.7e7707f6@hyperion...

On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:26:08 -0000
"N_Cook" wrote:

Being a city dweller I was not aware how dark the countryside can get
on a moonless night.
Despite cycling along the combination footpath/cycle path of a main
road, A35 in Hampshire. Between Lyndhurst and Ashurst of the New
Forest a depression between 2 slight ridges there is no extraneous
light whatever for a few ten minute periods without any car
headlights. Stopped to admire the heavens.

But how to cycle safely in that situation? especially the chance of
stray bramble branches at eye height, motor cycle goggles ? Another
lamp on the handlebars pointing up to "illuminate"
space 10 foot ahead of you and at eye-height?

Ride on the road.

I thought the side spill of bicycle front lamps was for car drivers
joining a road from the side have more of a chance of spotting you.
But also this side spill illuminates the white line along the road
edge and so you can keep that distance/angle constant as well as the
path ahead illuminated. Croupier eye-shade type thing to reduce the
glare of full-beam car headlights coming towards you?

A peaked cap.

and of course
flourescent and reflective-striped clothing as drivers will not dip
their beams if they do not notice you (only about half dipped even
then)

Fit a front reflector or two. Ride on the road. I sometimes ride
towards them in the middle of their lane if they fail to dip - they tend
to notice that.

Very sensible advice I must say. When they *don't* notice that and hit you
and kill you, it will appear that it's just another mad cyclist riding on
the wrong side of the road, getting exactly what he was looking for.

On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:48:14 -0000
"N_Cook" wrote:

I knew Mark Brummel, killed in the New Forest this year

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9731...ter_car_crash/

and his death was in daylight, I keep off main roads (in any part of
the lane) if there is an alternative

Statistically you're unlikely to be killed when cycling. The more cyclists
there are on the roads, the more likely that motorists will expect them
to be there.

"Rob Morley" wrote in message
news:20121116122151.170a85bd@hyperion...
On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:48:14 -0000
"N_Cook" wrote:

I knew Mark Brummel, killed in the New Forest this year

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9731...ter_car_crash/

and his death was in daylight, I keep off main roads (in any part of
the lane) if there is an alternative

Statistically you're unlikely to be killed when cycling.

Hmmm..

The more cyclists
there are on the roads, the more likely that motorists will expect them
to be there.

That's a fanciful theory rather than a fact.

Rob Morley wrote:
On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:48:14 -0000
"N_Cook" wrote:

I knew Mark Brummel, killed in the New Forest this year

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9731...ter_car_crash/

and his death was in daylight, I keep off main roads (in any part of
the lane) if there is an alternative

Statistically you're unlikely to be killed when cycling. The more
cyclists there are on the roads, the more likely that motorists will
expect them
to be there.

cycling goes up a percent or two and KSI leaped by 15 percent. How does
safety in numbers work?

On Friday, November 16, 2012 2:09:02 PM UTC, Mrcheerful wrote:


cycling goes up a percent or two and KSI leaped by 15 percent. How does
safety in numbers work?

Usually when somebody just posts a KSI figure here, it means that the Killed data doesn't show the trend they are claiming too. How about a reference for that data, Cheerless, so that we can check for ourselves.

On Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:21:51 +0000, Rob Morley wrote:

snip


Statistically you're unlikely to be killed when cycling.


Wicked.

One of the best ever.

On Friday, November 16, 2012 2:56:08 PM UTC, Judith wrote:

Statistically you're unlikely to be killed when cycling.

Wicked.


One of the best ever.

But still true. It is so unlikely, regular cyclists, on average, live longer than non-cyclists. Another reason to join us, Dave.