Night Riding is Good for the Soul

Have you ever been ripping down your favorite trail, just to yield to everyone (and their dog) who wanted to ride the same trail you did? Is it too hot or not enough hours in your day? Chances are, one (if not all) of these have stood between you and the best possible time on your bike.

Night riding is one of the most underrated and enjoyable ways to get out. It might sound a little intimidating at first, but with the right equipment, can turn the trail you've ridden 100 times into something new and a whole new experience! My first time riding at night was with a cheap light and flashlight MacGyver'd to my helmet on an unfamiliar trail. While it was a frightening experience, it was enough for me to realize the potential to riding under the stars. The key to having the proper lighting would not just having the brightest light possible, but a good balance of brightness, and focus. Having a too broad light will take away depth perception and too narrow will give you 'tunnel vision' and close off the trail. I've found NiteRider uses a beam perfectly designed for the demanding needs of a cyclist.

With how many different systems are out there, you might ask: "What light(s) would work best for me?". Every rider is different and are a lot of variable such as trail conditions, rider speed, and time spent on the trails. For racers doing long events like 25 hours of Frog Hollow, you might need the NiteRider Pro 1500 DIY with a customization with light output and custom settings for your exact needs up to 1500 lumens. For your avid trail rider having something like the NiteRider Pro 1800 offers an 8 cell battery that gives you enough battery paired with its 1800 lumen light to keep you riding throughout the night. Both these lights can be used either on your handlebar, or helmet. If you compliment your set up with both a handlebar AND helmet you can add depth perception while eliminating shadows. Having both lights lets you see the rocks and bumps and allows you to look though a turn properly. Lights such as the NiteRider MiNewt series, or more budget friendly Lumina series such as the Lumina 750 offers an amazing value at 750 Lumens at under $100 dollars.

Hyland Cyclery and NiteRider the industry's leading manufacturer of lighting systems have teamed up for a light demo event being hosted Wednesday, October 7th at 7:30pm. For more information follow the Facebook event or shoot us an email. Come out and experience a fun ride with Hyland Cyclery crew!