Cycling in dark vs going to the gym

alexanderomahon

Went out his evening for an hour and enjoyed the first thirty minutes or so of my ride and did a testing (for me) small climb. Anyway, then the dark came in and I found I had to drop my pace in order to keep an eye out for potholes etc.

Also, I have never enjoyed descending but have improved over the past year. However, I really did not like descending in the dark and felt myself back where I was 12 months ago in terms of my speed and feelings of FEAR!!

All in all I felt that the dark made my ride tonight more of a gentle spin than anything else. So I seem to be left with a choice for the winter evenings that are approaching. Do I go to the gym for an hour and do a sweatfest on a bike there, or go out for a gentle spin?

What do other people do?

PS Can't get turbo as her indoors would have a fit

Keep_Her_Lit

Do you commute by bike? While commuting may not readily facilitate a highly structured training spin, it's a great way to ensure that you have a guaranteed base mileage all year round.

As for descending in the dark, do you mean without street lighting? In that case, you're right to back off, unless you've got serious lighting power up front.

alexanderomahon

Keep_Her_Lit wrote: »

Do you commute by bike? While commuting may not readily facilitate a highly structured training spin, it's a great way to ensure that you have a guaranteed base mileage all year round.

As for descending in the dark, do you mean without street lighting? In that case, you're right to back off, unless you've got serious lighting power up front.

Due to kids etc i can only do 15k one way trip on the commute (then bike on back of car). Still light at moment so can push myself and get a bit of a sweat up.

The descending is on roads with very limited street lights (north county)

Keep_Her_Lit

alexanderomahon wrote: »

Due to kids etc i can only do 15k one way trip on the commute (then bike on back of car). Still light at moment so can push myself and get a bit of a sweat up.

If you could find the time to extend that one way trip by 10km or more, you'd have a decent training spin. Maybe you could find a well lit suburban loop without too many lights/junctions which you could optionally add on to your journey when time permits.

Even 15km is a damned sight better than nothing and will keep everything ticking over.

ford2600

Get a decent light for under €100 and no worries about speed. Out twice in dark this week, two good tough fast sessions of about 1.5hrs, one on mtb and one on road bike.
Lot of different lights recommended on bike light thread, depending on your enviroment. My mtb batteries V2 light is ideal for forest tracks but bit too wide for suburban areas I'd imagine

alexanderomahon wrote: »

Went out his evening for an hour and enjoyed the first thirty minutes or so of my ride and did a testing (for me) small climb. Anyway, then the dark came in and I found I had to drop my pace in order to keep an eye out for potholes etc.

Also, I have never enjoyed descending but have improved over the past year. However, I really did not like descending in the dark and felt myself back where I was 12 months ago in terms of my speed and feelings of FEAR!!

All in all I felt that the dark made my ride tonight more of a gentle spin than anything else. So I seem to be left with a choice for the winter evenings that are approaching. Do I go to the gym for an hour and do a sweatfest on a bike there, or go out for a gentle spin?

What do other people do?

PS Can't get turbo as her indoors would have a fit

FISMA

alexanderomahon wrote: »

Went out his evening for an hour and enjoyed the first thirty minutes or so of my ride...
PS Can't get turbo as her indoors would have a fit

I hate turbo trainers, I just cannot stick to them.

I also hate it when day light savings time comes and I become a moving target for cars, just too dangerous.

Here's what I do:
1) go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week to work on strength
2) go mountain biking on days I am not in the gym
3) find a place in a city/metro area with a lot of hills and just do them or find an isolated country road and cycle them

It's just too dangerous when it's dark.

Beasty

No problem in the dark - a few of us will be starting our winter training spins in and around Skerries in a few weeks. We need (and have) decent lights. I tend to find other alternatives when they do the hill repeats - Ardgillan is one I'm not prepared to head down when it's dark and wet, but that is a steep and winding hill.

The only time I stop cycling in the dark is when I think there may be ice about (I've learned that particularly painful lesson!)

jimmycrackcorm

I cycle my commute and go to the gym in the evenings. Obviously cycling is not much use for exercising muscles other than legs.

Beasty

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I cycle my commute and go to the gym in the evenings. Obviously cycling is not much use for exercising muscles other than legs.

... and heart and lungs;)

M cebee

i stopped cycling in the dark after a couple of accidents

audman

I've been running in the dark for 2 or 3 years now, accident free I might add that 3/4 of the run is on the back roads. A light I carry with me does the trick and knowing the route so well helps too I suppose?! Don't forget your reflective jacket Oh and while I'm at it, GLOVES, A HAT and whatever else you can find, starting to get very cold! It was so cold last night I had a headache for the first five minutes and the usual case of being able to see your breath in the cold came back last night.

harringtonp

Asked the same question myself a few weeks ago. Have good lights and previously have done the outdoor stuff.

This year decided to work with a gym bike, just started so don't have a feel for how it is going yet. But it does encourage short/sharp sessions, time efficiency, focus and consistency (you're not moving your days around based on forecasts).

And I like having access to wattage in addition to hrm data.

harringtonp

harringtonp wrote: »

Asked the same question myself a few weeks ago. Have good lights and previously have done the outdoor stuff.

This year decided to work with a gym bike, just started so don't have a feel for how it is going yet. But it does encourage short/sharp sessions, time efficiency, focus and consistency (you're not moving your days around based on forecasts).

And I like having access to wattage in addition to hrm data.

And being able to listen to loud music too

Trojan

I often cycle late at night, love it. Take the usual precautions - tell someone your route, stick to it, bring a phone, and dress bright (and warm, these nights!).

You need a good front light, preferably one that's helmet mounted - I use a Light & Motion Arc and can do 45km/h downhill with no problems. With LED tech these days you can get something decent for a lot cheaper than that. For the rear, get something like the Planet Bike Super Flash.

I also have black reflective tape on my frame and back of my helmet.

Darkglasses

I still do my commute 4/5 days a week, and next week i intend to take the plunge on a set of rollers, I think that kind of exercise will suit me. I have already picked out some Youtube videos to watch on the rollers :pac: