Dark vs light? Which is better for riding?

I ride in the dark is on a regular basis. During the work week, it\’s the best way for me to be sure I get to ride. In hot weather, when the afternoon heat index is over 100 degrees, I don\’t want to try to ride at 5:00 pm.

There are advantages to riding so early in the day. During the Summer, it\’s cooler early in the morning. I\’ve seen many a beautiful moonset; and I don\’t need sunblock. 

The drawbacks: come Winter, it\’s colder before the sun comes up. I also have to be much more attentive to where I\’m going than I do in the daytime; especially if it\’s foggy or raining. I must always be  sure my lights are properly charged.

Riding in the daytime is a very different thing. I don\’t have to be nearly as concerned about other path users. They\’re far easier to see. Of course I can see much farther ahead than I can in the dark. It could be argued that I don\’t need to use lights in the daytime; but I do. Cars with no headlights are hard to spot in broad daylight; so how much harder it must be to spot a bicycle with no lights!

The downsides: I need sunblock; and it needs to be reapplied every 80 minutes. Especially in Summer, I need to start early so that I can be home before the worst of the heat. That means no sleeping in; even on Sunday! Even if I start a 50-mile ride before 7:00 am, it\’s blasting hot before I finish.

Dark vs light is analogous to the \”heat vs cold\” debate (see Archives, 05/07/18). Cycling is a balancing act in more ways than one.