Riding in the Dark

The early mornings are getting colder and darker faster than anyone can really handle.  Normally this is when I decide to hibernate in my bed and not go out to ride until about 2 in the afternoon when everything is finally thawed and the sun is shining bright in the sky...  early mornings were always saved for sleep or the occasional long run, but NEVER a ride.

Since I've returned to the desert (yep, back home to good old AZ...but more on that later) I realized that people here are not afraid to ride at 5:15am in the cold and in THE DARK! This is a totally new concept to me...riding in the dark? That's dangerous though?  Maybe so, but something I never thought about is the fact that riding in the dark forces you to trust your bike, and yourself.  You may not see every little piece of random hazard in the road, and you may not see every little bump or crack, but believe it or not, this is a great thing!  In the last two weeks I have gained more cycling skills in the dark than I ever could have imagined. 

What I'm NOT SAYING is to go out at 5am or 10pm for that matter by yourself with no lights and fumble around in the dark until you're comfortable on your bike...please don't do that, you'll probably eat it and then blame it on me =P  What I AM SAYING is that there are major benefits to going out in a group, with BIKE LIGHTS and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.  In fact, I felt that this was important enough to blog about ;)

This light is like a spot light that goes on your helmet, super bright and intense...someone had it on the ride I was on this morning...I was pretty impressed with the visibility (Blackburn, front click)
 
This is the kind of light I use, and if you're bike mount challenged like me...you'll really like the little strap it has to attach the light...super easy to use and surprisingly effective for its size (and its rechargeable...always a plus) !



Back red flashers are also a good thing to add to your morning attire!!

Back in the Grand Canyon State so soon?  Yes, after a few months in lovely California, Lucas and I decided to turn around for home.  It's a long story as to why we left, but I definitely want to say-- home is where the heart is.  Since we've been back we've both seen our families more than we have in years and the living couldn't be better :)  I guess you have to leave something to realize what you actually left!

^Sunrise driving into AZ...after 12 hours of packing and 15 hours of driving Lucas and I were happy to be home :)

 Also, I'm working at a new job!!  I'm working with Ver Duco, LLC to launch a new product...stay tuned for more info...but in the mean time check out our logo, and maybe follow us on Twitter (@verducoproducts)...website and everything else should be up and running soon :)

I can't skip out on the music recommendations for this post :)

It's only fitting for moving home:
Welcome Home by Radical Face

An old favorite...and definitely a good way to pep up your morning...at say...5 am!
Jerk It Out by Caesars

That's all for now...happy exploring [in the dark]!

@nicoletruxes