It was only a matter of time before I had to make my first night ride, and I suppose the sooner I got it over with the better. I decided to take the bike down to flute quintet practice, so I packed my trusty high vis vest and made sure that my lights, brake lights and high beam were all working. The ride itself wasn't actually too bad, although I think that was partly to do with the fact the roads were much less busy at that time of night. I did a lot of extra over the shoulder checks, particularly at junctions, fully aware (having done so myself on several occasions) how easy it is for motorists to miss bikers, especially at night. On the plus side, it was much easier to see the potholes in the dark with the help of my headlight!
Ironically, the journey down to the practice earlier in the evening was TERRIBLE. I stalled so many times, in particular when starting on a hill (of which there are a LOT in Sheffield). I could feel myself getting more and more angry, so had to mentally calm myself down before I could actually pull away smoothly.
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