BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

What time do you go to work? It starts getting light at about 5:30 AM these days.

I ride the trail at about 6am every weekday from Hot Metal or 18th depending on how i feel, well not the jailtrail but the Heritage Trail.I see usually the same people out, most friendly wavers! Get some bright lights and keep your eyes peeled if you can't find a riding buddy.

I'm leaving for work tomorrow at 3am, I get to the trail at about 3:20.

"Obviously, I'd want to talk to you a bit on here before going into a dark and empty trail at night."

That shoud go both ways! Plus I am not sure I could explain well enough to my partner that I am going out in the middle of the night to meet someone I don't know for a bike ride.

My only experience on the trail in the dark is a rare winter early morning commute and most winter evenings, but between 5 and 9pm. I never felt unsafe, and rarely saw anyone other than commuters or exercisers, both on foot or 2 wheels. I think people looking for someone to hassle would be much better off where there would be more people around rather than an empty bikepath. I would be more concerned riding through southside or west end circle those hours.

RF, you are not paranoid.

All the good people have gone to bed by then. When I had to be at work at 4, it was about 50/50 "Last night/This morning," and it ws easy to tell which was which.

Good luck finding a commute boddy.

I would be more concerned riding through southside or west end circle those hours.

See thread titled "E Carson Street"

For whatever it is worth, I've never seen anybody on the trail late at nightearly AMs that looked suspicious. Been on the trail alone quite a few times. Saw a cop car on the trail once. Maybe because it is close to a prison shady people don't like to hang around it?

"That shoud go both ways! Plus I am not sure I could explain well enough to my partner that I am going out in the middle of the night to meet someone I don't know for a bike ride"

I'm not asking anyone to go out of their way, but I know that there are other people who ride around that time, and I'm trying to see if they'd maybe want to swing by for some company.

I don't want to make you more worried or suggest that just because something happened once it will happen again in the same spot, but it's important to note that Spak's girlfriend came close to being assaulted near the entrance to the jail-trail (Hollow Side).

link to thread: http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/attack-on-jail-trail#post-25562

I haven't heard of any other assaults on the jail trail.

I completely understand being concerned about riding this trail alone at night. I hope you find a buddy.

Yeah that happened to my gf, BUT, there are some lessons to learn from it. She said that she knew that the guy was wasted and trouble just by his posture and weaving and that she thought she could get past him (which she did).

In retrospect she figured out that she should have just turned around and called someone for a ride or escort.

Beyond that isolated incident though, I ride the jail trail and junction hollow just about every night between midnight and 4 am and I have never even come close to a problem.

The majority of the time when I do see another human it's another cyclists or Pitt students out for a late walk. Mostly I worry about deer and dogs that late.

Be safe, and get a headlamp so you can see off to the sides and further ahead than just a front light.

The head lamp will do two things, help you see, and maybe scare people into leaving you alone. For what it's worth, I am always a little nervous riding those trails at night. Never had an issue though.

Not quite the cycling companion you're looking for, but I have a female friend in another city who is carless, bikes everywhere, and carries something like this-

http://www.safetygirl.com/sabre-red-cyclist-pepper-spray.html

I actually feel a little safer where there are no lights... Bad People are still just humans and don't have cat-like night vision either. My dad managed to live in one small town most of his adult life, and is fond of the story of The First Street Lamps, which quickly followed The First Mugging. Now that the Bad People could see (from the shadows in between), crime noticeably increased. There were probably other factors involved, but still.

That time of night, you're probably the most alert, most fit, most aware, most clear headed, fastest person you'll encounter. You are not low hanging fruit. There's lots of drunken/sleepy/passed out low hanging fruit nearby that would be much easier/more fun to harass.

I usually turn my front lights off when I enter E. Liberty at night... don't want to offer a beacon for harassment. But on the SS Trail I'd be more concerned about animals of all types darting out from the sides, and a light would be good for illuminating the critters' highly-reflective eyes... and yes there are slower and less-coordinated targets on E. Carson and side streets for criminals to bother.

At 2 AM, what's 2d Ave like? I might just ride there. I used to ride 2d Ave all the time before the trail was built, no real trouble, but never at 2AM. I'd guess the only trouble spot might be just under the B'ham bride and up to town where the road is nebulously one or two lanes.

I don't think that anyone is prowling the trails specifically looking for "people to harrass". I just think that most people who are out on foot on that trail at 2 AM have poor impulse control and may see a solitary slow cyclist as a target of opportunity.

Could go lightless and get some Night Vision Goggles

+1 ejwme

I was of the more-light-is-more-safe school until I got into astronomy. Attend one of the star parties by the 3AP, and read up about light pollution. You will quickly find out just how well your eyes function when you don't have an external light source.

No goggles necessary, though I'm sure they help.