Dose anyone do this? I would love to use my MB for traveling to and from work but I have a 15 mile ride each way down WHY 88 in Amador county and dont get off work untill 11pm and it kind of worries me when I read our local papor and see how many drink are pulled off this HWY every week. Any thoughts? Best left not done? Thanks in advance
Highway riding at night
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i used to ride my mountain bike every night on the road. it was ALOT of fun. i had a helmet mounted light and the best was when i scared the living **** out of some road crew. as i got close they were waiting with shovels and hammers to pound me. one of them said they were drunk and thought i was an alien. then one of them offered me a beer as compensation lol...
i would do it. there's almost no traffic, no competiton and the air is cooler in the summer. very nice and quiet. i did encounter the occasional drunk, but when you have the road to yourself you can get out of the way and give them lots of space
i would do it. there's almost no traffic, no competiton and the air is cooler in the summer. very nice and quiet. i did encounter the occasional drunk, but when you have the road to yourself you can get out of the way and give them lots of space
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I work nights so I'm heading in around that time. I have a 15 mile haul too, a good stretch of it down a 4-lane hwy. I wear a yellow traffic vest with silver reflective stripes. I have the big cateye tail light and also bar- and helmet-mounted head light. helmet-mounted mirror too.
There are very wide shoulders which is nice, but it's not lighted and there is lots of debri there. I only have LED lights so I don't see everything but I've ran over plenty without so much as a flat.
Even in the shoulder most cars get in the left lane to pass me. The ones that don't I keep their headlights focused in my mirror and always watch the light pattern on the ground as they approach and pass. I think lining up their lights in my mirror and reflecting it back at them lets them know I'm watching. And if they want to play games I'm always ready to veer down the ditch and back up the other side.
I have to cross two bridges which I like to take without other traffic because I feel squeezed.
Think of an escape route everytime a car approaches from behind. If they act erratically while approaching or passing, get off the road immediately. Better lose time and be safe than sorry. Same if cars slow way down and creep. I am afraid of being fired upon as I'm being passed. And especially this time of year with kids out of school and fireworks readily available.
There are very wide shoulders which is nice, but it's not lighted and there is lots of debri there. I only have LED lights so I don't see everything but I've ran over plenty without so much as a flat.
Even in the shoulder most cars get in the left lane to pass me. The ones that don't I keep their headlights focused in my mirror and always watch the light pattern on the ground as they approach and pass. I think lining up their lights in my mirror and reflecting it back at them lets them know I'm watching. And if they want to play games I'm always ready to veer down the ditch and back up the other side.
I have to cross two bridges which I like to take without other traffic because I feel squeezed.
Think of an escape route everytime a car approaches from behind. If they act erratically while approaching or passing, get off the road immediately. Better lose time and be safe than sorry. Same if cars slow way down and creep. I am afraid of being fired upon as I'm being passed. And especially this time of year with kids out of school and fireworks readily available.
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don't do it............drive home ride around your neighborhood instaed
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.jasonw said:
Hell no.
I commute 70 miles roundtrip several times a month. I have to leave and return from home in the dark. I use two lights in front, on the helmet and bike. Two blinkys on the rear, helmet and bike. And I wear reflective clothing. I've never had a close call in the dark.
Let me repeat, stay away from Hwy 88 on a bicycle, day or night. I know that road and the people that travel it.
.
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It's hard to ride when you're dead. Not worth it.
I used to have an 11 mile commute that would have been great to ride, but with the people driving 70 and being the typical distracted drivers they are, I didn't want to risk it.
Get a cheap motorcycle :thumbsup:
I used to have an 11 mile commute that would have been great to ride, but with the people driving 70 and being the typical distracted drivers they are, I didn't want to risk it.
Get a cheap motorcycle :thumbsup:
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putting your trust in hay truck drivers on a 10 hr shift
I would be extra cautious and wear the reflective gear plus really good lights. The problem with 88 at night on the east-Alpine county side is that people are driving faster at night with the reduced traffic. No one expects to see cyclists at night. Im not too familiar with the Ione-Jackson strech but west of Jackson is tight shoulders with blind turns. Yikes!
Some roads just aren't meant for bikes and this is probably one.
I would be extra cautious and wear the reflective gear plus really good lights. The problem with 88 at night on the east-Alpine county side is that people are driving faster at night with the reduced traffic. No one expects to see cyclists at night. Im not too familiar with the Ione-Jackson strech but west of Jackson is tight shoulders with blind turns. Yikes!
Some roads just aren't meant for bikes and this is probably one.
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I guess it depends on where on 88 you're travelling (been years since I was out there). If it's a Jackson to Ione commute, I'd definitely pass and take the backroads. Not too familiar with the areas in the NE areas of Amador; huge stretches of 88 is 2 lanes, right?jasonw said:
Anyways, If you do decide to venture out, definitely get some good long burning lights, front and rear, a couple tubes, and an emergency light. I remeber the fog towards Ione/BV (from Jackson) can get real thick at times.
Go Mustangs! (wondering if Argonaut is still a high school?)
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I ride to work in the early AM (around 4:30am) And I feel more safe then, than I do riding home in the afternoon. With less cars, a bright flashing "inky blinky" in back, and a CateEye Stadium 3 in front, they usually more all the way over to the other lane to go around. not so in the afternoon, folks seem to have much more important things on there mind then.....and don't seem to give a crap how close they come to you. But, riding late PM, you might find that the drivers out on the road then have a different state of mind, than the early AM commuters...
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