I love my commute from Bethesda to DC now, but what happens in the fall/winter?

[cvcalhoun]

@drevil 163273 wrote:

I didn’t make fun of your reflectors. But in general, I think reflectors are a good idea for any bikes that are ridden on the road. They’re there for cars.

On dirt and singletrack, completely devoid of cars, I think that rear reflectors and blinkers are actually hazardous at night because they can blind or distract the people behind you.

I can see that for lights (blinky or otherwise). But for reflectors? They merely reflect back the light shined on them. If your headlight is so bright that the light from it reflected back to you is blinding you, then that headlight will be even more blinding to an oncoming cyclist. Don’t blame the reflector — that headlight is just way too bright for a trail.

[Sunyata]

@cvcalhoun 163361 wrote:

I can see that for lights (blinky or otherwise). But for reflectors? They merely reflect back the light shined on them. If your headlight is so bright that the light from it reflected back to you is blinding you, then that headlight will be even more blinding to an oncoming cyclist. Don’t blame the reflector — that headlight is just way too bright for a trail.

You have obviously never gone mountain biking at night…

Bright lights are pretty much mandatory for riding single track at night as you need to be able to see the obstacles in the trail well before you get to them in order to navigate safely and efficiently. IF (which is rare) there is another cyclist coming towards you, one of you (the person going downhill) will stop to allow the other rider to pass and shield your light or point it away from the other rider. Mountain biking is a completely different culture and experience than commuting or road riding.

[drevil]

@Sunyata 163374 wrote:

You have obviously never gone mountain biking at night…

Bright lights are pretty much mandatory for riding single track at night as you need to be able to see the obstacles in the trail well before you get to them in order to navigate safely and efficiently. IF (which is rare) there is another cyclist coming towards you, one of you (the person going downhill) will stop to allow the other rider to pass and shield your light or point it away from the other rider. Mountain biking is a completely different culture and experience than commuting or road riding.

+1.

In mountain biking, everyone brings their brightest lights, and it’s usually helmet mounted because it’s easier to follow the trail than if it was on your handlebar. There are so many twists, turns, bumps, jumps, and occasionally animals, that the brighter the light, the better. The thing is when you approach another group, you turn your light away from them or cover it up so you don’t blind the oncoming group. Also, since we’re usually on tight singletrack, you slow way down (or even pull over if going downhill) when approaching the oncoming group.

[Tania]

@Judd 163269 wrote:

Didn’t you guys make fun of me cause my mountain bike has reflectors?

Yes.

[WadeSheppard]

My favorite time of year to ride on the CCT is winter – the pedestrians thin out and (except when it ices over) you can glide silently through a winter landscape.

[Crickey7]

When do we get an update from the OP?

[Author]

Posts