Bestwood Night Ride
Thursday night and a few light owners (thanks to Chris for lending me his) headed up to Bestwood for my first and definitely not last night ride.
Meeting at Jacksons, we collared Andy on route giving him the opportunity to exhibit his clearly well practiced taping skills. Phil G had also made great use of sellotape to secure, or at least part secure, lights to his helmet giving him a definite Mickey Mouse-like appearance. Looking highly proffesional, we set out
On leaving Andy's the weather took a turn, 'just a shower' I hollered, not so. The rain continued to fall making for shocking V-brake performance (as demonstrated by Phil G's 20 foot overshoot) and distinctly sketchy riding. This, combined with 20 mph navigation using a small bulb meant that the familiarity of the Bestwood trails was to be a saving grace. The current burst in growth from the foliage, and nettles in particular, left the short wearers wishing they'd gone for longs.
Despite the conditions, some great riding was had by all. The seemingly increased speed at night was nothing short of exhilarating. A couple of stops were needed for repairs to my now binned chain (sram next time), and Andy's bodged battery holder using Phil G's 'emergency' sellotape he pulled from his bottomless Camelbak. A couple of curtain-twitching locals seemed very interested in our antics near the edge of the park. Their attempt to go unnoticed by turning the light off was futile!
Returning from a bike ride at 12:30 was slightly strange but what a great way to spend an evening. In short, night riding is brilliant. I will be investing in some lights as soon as possible. Roll on Red Bull.
By Phil Rogers