I might be the only other person here who commutes through urban areas on a bike at night.
Fer me I gotta have something old and drab to avoid attracting attention. No lights on or reflectors at all so that I can travel in stealth mode. I do not need to be "seen by traffic", I can avoid cars fine.
A seven speed freewheel on a twenty-five year old bike works fine. Not much steep terrain around here. 26" wheels OK too, if only because there ain't any 29" mountain bikes old and beat up enough yet.
Likewise a bicycle helmet around here at night spells "V I C T I M". Bicycles are far more likely to wreck than motorcycles IME but a helmet be would just too much of a liability. I just don't ride real fast where I cant see well is all and hope not to go down too hard.
Gotta be a mountain bike, just too many places a skinny front tire can hang up, especially in the dark. Likewise a good sprung front fork is indispensable, on a rigid I've had the bars jolted clean out of my hands by a curb when I weren't paying attention. It weren't pretty, if I'd of had a front suspension and I'd not have gone down.
'Course the fork does upgrade the visuals on the bike a it, nothing to be done about that.
Any good street-oriented mountain bike tire will be fine, long as it has some aggressive tread alongside the center band one normally rolls on. I still use those Kevlar strips 'tween tube and tire, rarely get flats. Usually run on 60 psi.
Regular walking shoes, no clip ons, I have cages on the large size on the pedals, no straps.
Like you I expect, firearms are prohibited at work. An old loose shirt worn over my regular clothes and an old camo cap along with my beard and in the dark I can pass for an old homeless-type guy, or close too it. Pants legs tucked into my socks (so they don't hang up).
I've packed bear spray on occasion, never had to use it. Thought about contact/edged weaponry like blades and clubs and such. All of that and I still love that commute, a bright part of my day both ways
If you've a mind to I'd be interested in hearing what works for you.
Birdwatcher
