Night Riding in Anacortes

If you want to ride during the winter in the NW, you had better have a light that can direct you through the trails. With nights starting at 4:00 now it is rare to get anything more than an hour of riding in. Such is the story here in Anacortes, so I have resorted to riding two nights a week with Jim Thompson and anyone else that will join us.
Riding at night is just like any other discipline, you must practice it to get better and for me it had been almost a year since the last time I had gone, so the learning curve was quite evident when I looked at myself in the mirror after the first night. Mud, blood, scratches all where present as I may have spent more time on the ground than actually pedaling. Fortunately, I have been doing much better as of late. I've even felt confident enough to take a few action shots.

Case Files: Night Riding Tips

1. Carry a map- Navigation through any trail system can be difficult in the day light and when your light is gone the difficulty triples in discerning trails. Always stay found!!
2. Be timely- Plan your trip according to the burn time of your lamp and follow that (from personal experience: I know it isn't much fun to ride blind)
3. Ride with someone- Riding is almost always more enjoyable when you are with someone else. Plus it gives you a bit more light and in the chance that your light burns out, you are able to use their light to guide you out (again personal experience).
4. Look ahead- Keep your eyes fixed on the trail. Where your eyes go, so does your bike. In addition, roots and rocks are more difficult to see due to shadows caused from your light.