Night rider
I had a 5.30pm meeting in Bright for the local charitable foundation, of which I’m a trustee. I rode the bike because I didn’t get much time for a cycle during lunch.
So of course it was dark by the time I set back for home at 7pm. I have lights on the bike, front and back, and this was their first real test.
The front light shines dimly about 15 feet in front of the bike over an area about 10 square feet. I say “dimly” because any other light, from cars or signs, blunts it completely.
That was a problem. The other was that it doesn’t shine far enough ahead if you’re travelling at 30kmh, as I tend to do when I build up some speed.
I was anxious about encountering pedestrians or animals.
The bigger concern was around the holiday units and golf course, where the track bends in a few places. There were car headlights glaring directly at me, and none of them lowered their high beam.
This sounds a grizzle, but I actually enjoyed the ride and will do it again. I wouldn’t recommend riding home after a few drinks though.
I'm a 41-year-old father of four working as a newspaper editor at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
