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RE: [RC] [RC] Riding at Night - Terry Banister

If you like riding with glowbars, or you're not sure, the battery-operated ones from sporting- goods
stores (REI, Big 5, WalMart, Target, etc) work great because you can turn them OFF/ ON by just twisting the top. The non-replacable watch battery lasts about 24 hours, and if you are doing short night rides, you can turn them off and re-use them several times.
The green ones are about the same brightness as the traditional glowbars.
Terry
"May the Horse be with you"


From: rides2far@xxxxxxxx
To: ajandcrysta@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
CC: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx,new100milers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC]   Riding at Night
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 14:00:07 -0400

> Plan to actually ride in the DARK.

I found that the dark is preferable to moonlight in the woods. The full
moon throws bright patches which make the shadows even darker. We were
trotting along with our horses jumping hte shadows at 85 miles...singing
"I'm being followed by a moon shadow, moon shadow moon shadow. :-)

> Lights and glowbars - this can be kind of controversial.  Some
> people prefer to have nothing.  I've heard of people who get motion
> sick from the light moving around.>   NO GLOWBARS, LIGHTS, ETC ON THE
BACK OF YOUR HORSE.

My first experience with a glowstick in the tail was at Biltmore last
year. Jody had a red glowstick in her horse's tail and if it hadn't been
for having that to follow I would have been trotting off trail
constantly.  It didn't bother me in the least and I really liked it being
red so I didn't confuse it with the green ones marking the trail.
Honestly, I have empathy for people who get motion sick, etc...but give
us folks who can't see in the dark a little break too. I love my
breastcollar flourescent light, and when I didn't have one I *loved*
following someone who did.


Makes the  people behind you disoriented.  If you are worried about cars
or
> traffic use some kind of reflectors.

Closest I've come to getting hit by a truck was an obvious crew vehicle
hurrying down the road. For goodness sakes crews...remember we're out
there! I was trying to get my flashlight off my neck to shine on my
horse's rump but I was around a blind curve with high banks on a dirt
road and hearing that diesel coming fast was pretty terrifying. I had
always thought shining a light on the rump was the plan but now I want
reflectors.

  > Headlamps - if you are riding by yourself or with someone else who
> has one these may be okay.  I think where people run into problems
> is when they come up on someone who doesn't.  My friends each had a
> red one on our 100 (there were 3 of us together), as long as they
> stayed in front of me and didn't look around too much it was GREAT.
> But if they were behind me their light cast my shadow directly in
> front of me and my horse.

Again, that's why I like the flourescent light. It stays steady, forward
and aimed down making a soft pool of light about 8' out so shouldn't cast
shadows from anyone else's horse.

 > this is why glowbars are more popular because they don't cause much
> shadow.

I couldn't *wait* to put glowbars on my horse for the first time. Made me
really feel like a true 100 miler. Then, as it turned out, for me they
were totally useless except to let the competition keep up with my
location.  By the time they light up something, you've already hit it, or
missed it, so what's the use?

On the flashlight subject,  I hate mag lights because you screw the top
to turn it on. Turn it too far or the wrong way and the whole top falls
off along with the bulb!  No thanks. I have a "push *down*  button"
model.  I carry extra batteries. Only time I needed them was to loan to
another rider whose flashlight had a "slide up or down" button had gotten
turned on while bouncing in her pack all day and had used up her
batteries.

I tend to be pretty slow when riding Kaboot on trail in the dark but I
can make time on an open dirt road. When riding Jody's horse, following
her, we booked through the woods trails, roots & all with no lights.
Makes me seriously consider taking some of Jody's pupil dilating
painkillers if it really helps that much!

Angie



Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of
battle.


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Replies
[RC] Riding at Night, rides2far