The Idea:
For many riders, including myself, the best time of year to mountain bike on the local trails in Bend, OR, is after the first few rains of early Fall. Cooler weather combined with the added moisture keep the trails firm and tacky, making for the ideal rubber-to-ground contact.  Technical climbs become a little easier, confidence brews on fast corners, and riding with friends is simply more fun on dust-free singletrack.  The problem is that as the days grow shorter, there is less and less time to ride after the work day.  This used  to push mountain biking to a weekend activity come Fall-- not anymore.
While night mountain biking might seem like a masochistic, peripheral sporting endeavor, the fact is that with the advent of new generation, affordable, and bright LED bike lights, even beginning-intermediate mountain bikers can enjoy trail riding after dark.  The longer days of summer used to be a mountain biker’s best friend—get caught on a trail after dark, and the chances for a hard fall or having to walk your bike back to the trailhead start to rise.  Alas, the new, lightweight and fast charge LED mountain bike lights extend the mountain biking season into October and November, and if you’re an avid mountain biker, help alleviate the doldrums of the nine-to-five.  I now begin rides in mid-October at 5:30pm during the last hour of daylight and segue seamlessly into an after-hours adventure-- the lights are bright and the fun doesn’t stop until I get back to the trailhead. 

The Light: