Well this week I finally did it: I went riding after the sun went down. I must admit, peering into the woods under a full moon was scary at first; I actually thought about turning back once or twice. My fearless friend, Luke, pushed me forward (literally, he made me go first) and away we went.
Let me tell you, now I know what I was missing. It’s a whole different world after dark, and long familiar trails suddenly held new appeal. With limited peripheral vision, I had to focus on what was right ahead of me… and due to my heightened sense of awarness and a rush of adrenaline, I didn’t tire out like I thought I would.
I borrowed my buddy’s Cateye Opticube HL-EL300 to mount on my bars, and used a compact Opticube for my helmet. The former boasts about 400 candlepower while the latter, a much smaller light, puts out about 90.

I would reccommend either of these lights for beginners; they’re cheap, durable, relatively bright and work very well. I’ll post a full review on both of them when I get a few more late rides in….