Nocturnal End2End

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Car vs motorcycle.
Bigger tank for car less stops.
Bike you don't ever feel tired or sleepy, buffeting by the wind keeps you alert.
I do wonder at Mick's claims of average............simply put to average all the way you would have to be doing a faster moving speed whilst cruising to make up for slowing through towns etc.
Then theres the feeling sleepy..................................
All the way when you get to scotland in the dark and raining.......cornwall even on duals.......no way you can average motorway speeds.
Micks route may well have been mainly motorway?.....theres much dual there too?..............that means he was probably travelling loopy speeds on the motorways!

If I was to do it again I would only stop for fuel but many of those roads that were 60 are now 30.
There are records but mainly set with a nod from the plods that they will not stop you!...............car that is.
Motorcycle......fat chance

I find most long distance drives in car 50 is about right door to door, unless you live next to a dual / motorway and your destination is too.

My mate used to boast how far he could get in what time.............until he was done.............so he no longer travels on motorways..........but still got done

[thirdcrank]

Do we really need a thread for bragging about speeding?

[Mick F]

No we don't TC, as well you know.

My question still stands.
Can a nocturnal End2End be done with some practically?
I wonder if B+Bs could be arranged to organise it. Prior notice - and well-prior - would be necessary of course.
They might be happy to promote themselves via sponsorship?

Six or seven hours in the saddle, stopping for "lunch"?
Leave at 9pm instead of 9am, and get to destination 5am instead of 5pm.

Has it been done before, and can it be done?

[CliveyT]

If you're willing to have a leisurely 'tea' and get up early for 'breakfast' then accommodation isn't a problem
https://www.dayuse.co.uk/

[Nessie23]

Not for me. I enjoy going out on a bike to see the countryside. I don’t see any attraction to cycling in the dark (other than less traffic) and many safety pitfalls such as relying on bike lamp to illuminate unfamiliar roads.

[CliveyT]

Not for me. I enjoy going out on a bike to see the countryside. I don’t see any attraction to cycling in the dark (other than less traffic) and many safety pitfalls such as relying on bike lamp to illuminate unfamiliar roads.

I can certainly see the appeal. You might miss the countryside but there's a lot of nocturnal wildlife you'd see on the way (or hear- having done an audax with a bat detector on top of my barbag). There's deer, badgers (live ones rather than roadkill), owls, otters (esp. in Scotland).
If you time it right and the weathers good there's the chance to turn your lights off and ride under a full moon.

I'm starting to think it actually sounds quite appealing

[Mike Sales]

I can certainly see the appeal. You might miss the countryside but there's a lot of nocturnal wildlife you'd see on the way (or hear- having done an audax with a bat detector on top of my barbag). There's deer, badgers (live ones rather than roadkill), owls, otters (esp. in Scotland).
If you time it right and the weathers good there's the chance to turn your lights off and ride under a full moon.

I'm starting to think it actually sounds quite appealing

I have a lovely memory of riding lightless through the Gwent Levels by moonlight.

[Nessie23]

I can certainly see the appeal. You might miss the countryside but there's a lot of nocturnal wildlife you'd see on the way (or hear- having done an audax with a bat detector on top of my barbag). There's deer, badgers (live ones rather than roadkill), owls, otters (esp. in Scotland).
If you time it right and the weathers good there's the chance to turn your lights off and ride under a full moon.

I'm starting to think it actually sounds quite appealing

You have certainly made me think again as I had not considered the moonlight. I might actually try it sometime but probably for only 50 miles as opposed to 1000!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I used to run my New motorcycles in in the dark mostly.
Did the bulk of my marathon training in the dark.......not recommended, too many things to run into......trip or sprain ankle....ran into a metal barrier.....sprained ankle bad on rocks deposited by a storm...........
Recently am doing all my cycle training since the start of covid in the dark....again not recommended ...
Its slower.
Its harder to ride relaxed.
Even when I know the route like the back of my hand its confusing...........you think you are some where but you are not...and corners have proved hazardous..mounting the verge a few times but managing to stay on.
Glanced off a staggered gate and hit a wall............about 1:5 rides I will have a incident.
Just recently on weekdays I have been walking in a wood doing laps of fields as an alternative to the tread mill when my back was a bit sore....I am speeding up...............but have now started to make mistakes.....last walk I approached a kissing gate and did not recognize it...thought I had gone wrong way as I reverse the laps so not to stress one foot on slopes............turned around went ten paces then turned around again and then realised that I was to go through gate............... hit my head on a low branch..............kicked a few part buried stones..........
I accept night riding as part of touring till I need to camp but its nice when the sun comes up.

Its colder too.....and obvious that you will miss much.

[Jamesh]

Why not just do lejog zwift!!

No trains either end no stress to find b+bs

No rain or wind or hail!

No bad drivers..

But why would you.....

Cheers James

[landsurfer]

I love cycling in the dark, always have ...
Did a large section of the west coast with 2 friends, Inverness, Ullapool, Durness, Tongue ... riding at night and sleeping during the late morning afternoon.
The joy of dawn and the look out for somewhere to pitch the tent was great ...
We saved our lights by only the one in front having any on and calling out potholes, dead deer etc

[RickH]

This 4 day LEJOG done at the end of December didn’t see a lot of daylight.
https://www.cyclesprog.co.uk/blog/when- ... e-to-stay/

Well for Jenny Graham it was a training ride for setting her round the world record of 18,000+ miles in 125 days. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... s-48581026)

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Out last night on my normal training run bike.
I have to go down a track which is pot holed Can be muddy and there is much loose surface.
Struggle of late to get up in one gear so I'm using a lower gear which isn't helping any as it's getting more and more difficult due to the surface.
It's been so dry that when we've had rain all the silt been washed out and exposed gravel Which has now pooled, hard to see this in daylight impossible to determine if the gravel is deep or not in the dark.
So last night later going up home had to get off and walk 10 yards because the gravel is now so deep the front wheel drops in and your speed reduces then very difficult to maintain a steady line without falling into the hedge.
So I'm going down my normal sort of rate, Only useing the back brake, Take along left-hand bend, no longer a good line as you can't see what is now rutted or filled with gravel, Front wheel digs in and handlebars are now going 45° right not left!
I managed to stay on just.
I get to the bottom and I meet a tarmac lane, there have been travellers here for the last couple of months and common to see cars a few maybe sometimes none but the occasional dog walker, no street lights pitch black and as per usual people never wear anything to show that they're there so very difficult to spot them until you're right on them.
Unusually there are lights on in the stables which is a bit unusual as I've never seen them on at all.
There is also a bright light shining out which I am finding hard to determine what it actually is.
Then I see it moving and I think it must be dog walker or something, Light goes out.
It was coming towards me but now all I see is a bit of an outline of something moving on wheels coming straight towards me, it now undertakes me on the inside that's my left, it's a motor scooter of sorts it has a reasonable bulk so it's not One of those stand on things.
Not one not two but three young people on board.
If only they left the lights on, not the first time I've had vehicles cars motorbikes as well even cyclist Overtaking taking on the inside, But in the dark no lights.