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| Copley Square by Night, Boston, Mass; Boston Public Library |
Last week I was out with co-workers until 10 or 11. Although the summer sun stays out later, it was well to bed by the time I left the bar. But I was looking forward to the ride home, tired as I was.
Night biking is a different beast than rush hour biking. When you're on the road right after work, everyone else is too. Lots of commuter car and bike buddies on the road with you and pedestrians crossing on their escape from the office. The road clears after about 6:30 or 7, and if you're biking at eight you'll find much fewer people there with you.
At ten, the majority of people are at home and only the unlucky (or lucky) are out there with you. The roads are dark and nearly abandoned. It's a nice time to be out.
Wearing proper protective gear and equipped with adequate lighting, of course, your bike will be a solitary traveller on the road home. Your ride will be surrounded by the night and your own thoughts, punctuated only by the occasional car or construction site.
It can be dangerous riding at night-- potholes are less visible, for one thing. An extra layer of caution is always wise. But it will be a quieter ride; one free of the frenetic road rage that characterizes rush hour.
Savor it.
