It's that time of year, again! I don't usually get to go out at night when the kids are around but we've started evening swim lessons for the boys so by the time we head home, it's dark. It's hard to get back into the habit of remembering all our lights and nighttime gear but we're working on it. 

All our reflectives really show up at night: DOT stickers, Carsick panniers, Ikea safety vests, Schwalbe sidewalls, and more! I just ordered a set of Busch and Meuller lights from Germany (and five mounts so they can be swapped onto every bike in the fleet) so that we have another set of rechargeable, reliable lights. I use Superflash rear lights from Bike Planet which have lasted for quite awhile and hold up really well. I've only had to change the battery on them a few times in the past 2-3 years. Oddly enough, the newest one I got loses its charge quicker than the old one I have. I need to add our Monkey Light to the HaulaDay since we removed it from the Bullitt before we shipped it south. 

Night is my favorite time to ride. It's so quiet and peaceful, and usually easier to see cars around. I like the slower pace. I think it's the best way to end a day. 

Anything else you add for riding in the dark? I have to admit that I do hate the strobe-y headlamps many riders use (especially when they're on the trail and aimed at my eyeballs!) but I'm a huge fan of cheerful holiday lights and bobbles. 

I haven't been posting lately. I've been swamped and cheating at my car-free life. My parents have a Prius that I borrow on occasion, however, lately, it's been pretty frequent and for this next week, I'm using it almost daily. Driving sucks. I can actually feel it draining the life out of me. I can easily justify my car-use with excuses like "I'm working too far away to get there easily" or "we have so much on our schedule right now" and even pull out the "I'm a single mom and need to get my kids around" card. The truth is that sometimes we *need a car. I'm exhausted and we have a lot going on right now. Having occasional access to a vehicle is sometimes awesome, no matter how much I hate it. I am grateful for the use right now and hope that it is very temporary. There's no way I could afford a car, nor do I want one of my own, especially since I only seem to need one for about two months over the course of a year. It makes no sense to pay $10,000+ per year for something that would be mainly stored in front of our house and make me feel terrible every time I used it. I can't wait to get back to my biking badassery, life is way more fun by bicycle. 

One observation is that I'm never late to things except when I drive. Somehow, having a car makes me assume I have way more time to get places than I usually do. When I bike, I move slowly, plan for extra time, and arrive relaxed and endorphined. On the other hand, when I drive, I'm running out the door at the last minute, delayed by traffic, totally on edge, and frazzled by the time I get to my destination. Definitely not a sustainable lifestyle for my health and sanity! 

*"need" is always subjective. Sometimes I just can't figure out how to get my kids to school and to work in time without using three different people's help and leaving the house at 5am. I'm sure there's a way however, that extra hour of sleep often sounds way better.