Once I'm heading out for an afternoon/evening ride, a light is on the bike, period. It weighs not much and at the least it'll help keep me safe coming back during dusk or at worst to see what I'm doing if I have a serious mechanical I need to fix. I try to pass this along to anyone I ride or bring into riding, but it always truly amazes me how many don't want the extra "weight" - these tools also don't normally have a spare tube or if they do, no pump.
As to the rest of the stuff you talk about, where you live, makes perfect sense to me, but again, too many who don't want the extra "weight" or to use a proper pack, etc, etc. It could apply down here to me I guess, but honestly now, I don't have that "need" to ride so bad that I'll go out when there's weather expected, I just don't enjoy the having to clean down the bike or being wet and cold as I did when I was younger and newer to the sport.
As to night riding, hell yeah, completely opens up a whole new world, makes trails that were getting "old" and boring new again and with where lights are these days and the cost for a decent light being . I was the first guy to bring in a HID light, when I was on the roads heading home on a night _(common back then when I HAD to ride as often as possible)_ the people would freak out and think it was some silent motorbike coming because it was so bright and would then freak again when it was just a bike.
Oct. 3, 2022, 5:03 a.m. - Lynx .
Once I'm heading out for an afternoon/evening ride, a light is on the bike, period. It weighs not much and at the least it'll help keep me safe coming back during dusk or at worst to see what I'm doing if I have a serious mechanical I need to fix. I try to pass this along to anyone I ride or bring into riding, but it always truly amazes me how many don't want the extra "weight" - these tools also don't normally have a spare tube or if they do, no pump. As to the rest of the stuff you talk about, where you live, makes perfect sense to me, but again, too many who don't want the extra "weight" or to use a proper pack, etc, etc. It could apply down here to me I guess, but honestly now, I don't have that "need" to ride so bad that I'll go out when there's weather expected, I just don't enjoy the having to clean down the bike or being wet and cold as I did when I was younger and newer to the sport. As to night riding, hell yeah, completely opens up a whole new world, makes trails that were getting "old" and boring new again and with where lights are these days and the cost for a decent light being . I was the first guy to bring in a HID light, when I was on the roads heading home on a night _(common back then when I HAD to ride as often as possible)_ the people would freak out and think it was some silent motorbike coming because it was so bright and would then freak again when it was just a bike.