Short Journey Workshop – Night Riding

Outcomes

• Build confidence for riding after sunset.

• A better understanding of what is required by law for lights and reflectors.

• A better understanding of the differences between riding during the day and at night.

Introduction

Welcome & Introductions with participants

• An introduction of why you are there and who is going to be leading the activities.

• A bit of feedback from participants on what they are expecting.

• Familiarisation with the facilities – toilets, refreshments, health and safety etc.

Activity 1

Accessories

Bring different types/styles of lights and reflectors both front and rear.

Excerpt from the Highway Code – Rule 60

Discuss the different types of lights and their respective pros and cons e.g. positioning, rechargeable etc.

Cycling UK – lighting regulations

Accessories for night riding

Bring a few items of clothing that would be used for night rides e.g. reflective clothing.

What Extra to Carry

It’s worth having a back-up light in case you run flat or the ride takes longer than expected. Add some reflective kit, simple bands on moving parts of the body like ankles can help, also help other users to recognise you as a cyclist rather than a motorbike which would be expected to be traveling faster.

Spare clothes. It’s often colder at night, if you have to stop its good to have something warm to put on, lots of thin layers over one chunky coat. You probably have some sports kit that would do the job.

Activity 2

Route Planning

Use a flipchart or similar.

Ask the following:

What would you do differently when riding at night?

Route choice: on vs off road/traffic free: Traffic free is great if there is good infrastructure, however some of these routes can be isolated and remote after dark, worth thinking about how routes change.

There are lots of great back routes in town, worth scouting in daylight and thinking how it would be later on, sometimes bolder main routes are a better bet.

Exercise

Either using printed or hand-drawn maps, get participants to mark out a daytime route. Ask participants to consider what they would do differently with route choice at night. This activity can be done with the entire group with one map or individually. Get the group to list their challenges about riding solo at night.

This is a good opportunity for more experienced riders to share their advice.

In Case of Emergency (ICE)

Regardless of any bike journey it’s worth setting up ICE so if something does happen, someone has your back. This could be as simple as having your trusted ICE contact on your phone homepage, or being in the habit of telling a friend when to expect you back and where you are heading. The main thing is that there is a reliable action set up to make sure you are okay and they know what to do if you don’t show up.

Materials needed

• Selection of lights, reflectors and reflective clothing

• Maps or materials to draw maps

• Flipchart and markers

• Some means to view an online video (access to mobile reception or wifi)

Inspiration

Individuals can try some of the map routes at night to explore the differences between daytime and night time riding. Some may want to explore those routes with another person. The journey can be very short, its aim is to provide an after dark experience for them.

Helpful links

Cycling UK – safety regulations

Bike Radar – cycling at night

Cycling UK – night riding blog