I went on my first nighttime mountain bike ride last night. Yep, we rode bikes, at night, in the woods. Cool, huh?
There are some pretty good trails near my house so my friend Charlie and I rode them last night. He had the headlights for the bikes so I just had to bring my bike and my gear. I'll admit I was a bit nervous. I hadn't been on my bike much and have never ridden at night...in the woods...at night It was a blast!!
The weather was a bit chilly but once we got into the woods, I forgot all about it. The headlight let me see about 8 or 10 feet in front of my and about 2 to 3 feet on either side. Other than that, it was pitch black. You sometimes had to guess where the trail was going, but we both played it smart and didn't fly through the woods. The coolest part was how quiet it was. The only thing I could hear was me wheezing and gasping for air and the crunch of leaves under the bike tires.
I think we rode for about an hour or so. I really wanted to do a second loop, but was also pretty tired and we had to ride back to Charlie's house. Uphill. A mile. In the snow. :)
I will definitely be doing more of these rides. It was great training for my bike handling skills and also an excellent cardio workout since you're constantly pedaling. Plus, it's a bit more interesting than road riding because it's a challenge with the trees and rocks and narrow trails.
So, Santa, if you're listening. I want a headlight for my bike and one for my helmet, a new blinky, an underlayer t-shirt, and a winter riding jacket (in case Charlie needs his back). If it's not too much trouble.