Tick, tock: the minute hand creeps slowly around the clock face… 5 pm is almost here. Important tasks on the computer screen have long since blurred into insignificance and your focus has shifted to plotting the fastest way home. How will I avoid the traffic, and where did I leave my helmet? Bike, helmet, gloves, winter shoes, lights – above all don’t forget the lights! Who said it’s only the weekend when we can have fun? We are the 9 to 5 daydreamers and it’s time to shred with some friends!
For many riders, winters can be the death of ambition. We all know the story. “Are you riding tonight?”… “Nah, I’ve got Netflix on, I’m in for the night.
If the seasons were alcoholic drinks, after sipping the fruity tang of spring’s Rosé and savouring summer’s hoppy Weissbier, autumn’s red ale brings us to the sucker punch of winter. The heavy black of Guinness – total darkness topped with just the slimmest head of light. Winter in the Northern Hemisphere does not discriminate. Raising a toast, it cheers, “I am here, now kiss goodbye to your dreams.”
Inventing new hours in the day
When the daylight hours thin, we need to be more creative with our time. As much as we might dream about it, we’re not kids anymore – our time is in high demand. Heading out on ‘Goonies’-esque adventures now needs to be balanced with family time, shopping or tidying the house. Hell, even the dog needs a share of those precious daylight hours. Free time is no longer free: it has to be earnt, bargained for or just plain stolen. For many, riding in daylight during the winter is a long-forgotten dream. But night riding offers up a thick slice of salvation, a way to get a bike fix without the risk of getting fired or inciting domestic discord.
For a few hours, powerful lights allow us to reclaim our kingdom, trading lumens for fun while sticking up a cheeky finger in Old Man Winter’s direction.
There’s always a wild side to an innocent ride
It not just about salvaging some trail time either, as night riding can be serious fun. Familiar trails become new and exciting, like an old flame after too many beers. At the same time, the scariest trails become easier – exposure is no longer an issue when you cannot see the void. Charging forwards in your personal bubble of light, you’re freed from the worry about the hazards you can mo longer. On the descents, camaraderie becomes competition. There’s always a wild side to an innocent ride, and after just a few turns the toil of a 9 to 5 is long forgotten. This is our drug, our stolen time.
We are the 9 to 5 daydreamers. We are the nightriders
From a distance our procession must look like a cultish pilgrimage: a string of lights inching slowly to the top of the peak before carving smooth lines down the hillside. Like cheap bonfire sparklers, we leave a phosphorescent trace of burnt lumens in the air, drawing our achievements through the cold night sky. In the darkness, we are the kings, rulers of the trails, with no hikers to ruin our flow. Jokes and stories flow faceless from the dark and it’s the late-night conversations between friends that are usually the ones that mean the most.
“Ah, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. We were born in it.
If you have never joined the nightrider Illuminati, nor experienced the thrill of careening down a trail in the dark, you are missing out. Here are our three laws of enlightenment to make the darkness your ally.
Use the force… wisely!
With great power comes great responsibility. Using the battery life of your torch is a tactical game, so be like a Grandmaster and turn the power down when climbing to save juice. Only unload full power when the trails turn downwards and never fire thousands of lumens directly in your companions’ faces. A courteous nightrider understands the gentle art of conversation while looking downwards.
Buy the Best Light You Can Afford
While it may be hilarious when your mate’s light turns off unexpectedly at slow speed, it’s probably less funny if it happens to you on a full-gas section, or it sets fire to your garage while it’s charging. Not all lights are created equal. There are many super-cheap lights available, but like any safety equipment, in the long run, specialist brands will be a good investment. That’s even more the case now that riding lights have evolved and developed so far, pushing out extraordinary light output from very compact designs. The more powerful your light, the further you can see, the faster you can ride and the more fun you can have.
For night-time trail riding, We would highly recommend a powerful bar-mounted light, combined with a helmet light. However, if you can only afford one light, mount it on your helmet. Not only will it give you an uninterrupted view of the trail but when you drop into a 90° switchback, you will not be temporarily looking into a black void. When the going gets tough, it’s better to let your head lead the way.
Lupine SL X
Designed for your eMTB, the Lupine SL X boasts 1,800 lumens of StVZO approved light. The € 350 Lupine SL X is connected directly to your eMTB motor and draws power from the main battery giving a very long burn time. Compatible with all the most common motor brands, the Lupine SL X features automatic daytime running lights and low beam, with a switchable high beam via a bar-mounted remote control.
At EUROBIKE this year we head over to Lupine to check out the new SL X for you.
Supernova MINI PRO-B54
If you prefer the power of a fixed bar light but would like to remove it during daytime riding, the € 539 Supernova MINI PRO-B54 uses its own external 21,700 cell battery. Like their permanently fitted lamps, it has a 450-lumen low beam and remote-controlled high beam with an output of 1,600 lumens. The lamp is StVZO approved and comes with a wired remote control. The sleek battery pack powers the MINI PRO-B54 for anything from 2.5 to 50 hours and can be recharged in 2.5 hours. An integrated battery heater ensures that it always charges at the optimum temperature. If the battery does run out, the MINI PRO-B54 has a 2-hour reserve light, so you won’t be left in the dark.
For more Information about the Supernova MINI PRO check our EUROBIKE article as well.
Lupine Piko
Looking at the tiny 55g Lupine Piko R4 SC, it’s easy to underestimate its formidable brightness, which is capable of pumping out over 1,900 lumens of bright, white light. With a runtime at maximum power of 1h 45mins, it’s the perfect helmet-mounted light for a quick after-work blast. A new switchable diffused LED for close-range lighting of maps and phones adds to its versatility. The €350 light has a Bluetooth receiver, so it can be operated from a remote control on the bars or with the Light Control smartphone app, which allows you to turn it on and off remotely, adjust the brightness, and monitor the temperature, voltage, and estimated battery life.
Misery loves company
Looking out into the cold and dark, even those with iron forged resolve can buckle. To help you escape the siren call of the sofa and a Game of Thrones box set, plan a regular night to ride and get the crew together. Nothing will encourage you more to get out the door in the cold of winter than having a prearranged ride day with a good bunch of friends. We hope to see you out there.
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