We are half way through the winter and I noticed that days are finally getting longer. Somehow, the biggest demotivating factor for me when it comes to winter cycling (or bike-commuting to be specific) is not snow (since we didn't have any this year) or low air temperature (proper clothing solves this problem) but the lack of daylight.
My bike is equipped in a decent lighting system, I think. I use a powerful 300 lumen light installed on handlebars and two red taillights: one of them I put in steady mode, while the other one is blinking. Still, this doesn't solve the problem of riding in darkness since this issue is not about the the lack of visibility at night. This is a more mental issue - I just don't find it particularly enjoyable to navigate through darkness of the night on my bicycle. I guess part of the reason why we ride bicycles is the feeling of being outside, closer to nature, and not being enclosed in a tin can (read: a car). Darkness negates this advantage.
It is nice that now when I leave my office at 17:00 it is still a little bit bright outside. Unfortunately, by the time I get home it gets completely dark again but still, more daylight is a sign that days are getting longer and spring will come.
No comments:
Post a Comment