Since the time change, I've been riding a lot more at night. I don't have a fancy light, just my two knogs; One for the front, one for the back. They're not all that bright...but they blink, and they allow others to see me and save a few lumens for the trail. I understand why some super-commuters or riders would want/need more than a knog to navigate some of the dark trails at night. I've even thought about buying something with a little more power to see a little farther down the road/trail. Nothing too big, just something bright enough to point out any bumps or potholes in the road. I can see a need for every commuter/rider who rides at night to have a light like that...

What they DON'T need is a million candle watt spotlight strapped to they're handlebars. When I find myself on the trail...alone...at night, it's not long before some bike rider, whose found a way to harness the power of the sun, bottle it, put it in a little can with a little lens on the front of his...or her bike, aim it directly into the eyes of a poor, unfortunate soul who even thinks about sharing the same skinny bike trail and causes them to temporarily lose sight/consciousness, just before careening off the ledge of the now, highly lit bike trail...I just don't get it. It's not like I stumbled on to some 24 hour mtb race in the middle of the Mt. Vernon Trail...It's not like these lights don't have a high and low beams...And, it's not like the light can't be pointed down, shining on the trail instead of up, and in the eyes of everyone passing by.

So, if you read this and happen to be the owner of a big, bright, unnecessary, end of the tunnel beacon of blindness, are riding on the trail, after dark, and you see...from a hundred yards away, an out of control biker, swerving in your direction, with one hand on the handlebars and the other covering his eyes...don't be alarmed, it's just me.