Night Poaching - Urban vs Suburban

I was going to call this post Night Riding, but I realize that there is no park that I know of that allows you to even enter at night.

You can't be surprised. In our litigious, overprotective-mommy, society, having fun that hurts no one (except possibly the participant) is verboten.

I actually like riding in the dark. No hikers, no horseback riders, and when do see another rider, there is an instant bond. "That guy must be as crazy as me!"

Recently I went to Water Dog Park in Belmont. One of my favorite after work spots, only about 10 miles of trails but most of it singletrack.

I drive up around 5pm and I take my time getting ready. About 20 minutes later, just as I am about to ride away, a Belmont police cruiser rolls up.

I know what's going to happen next, but I decide to play along.

"Yes, officer, I am leaving. Yes, officer, I know riding at night is illegal. No, officer, I won't do it again. Yes, officer, my bicycle is worth $5000. Yes, officer, I know that is very expensive but I ride a lot. Yes, officer, I am leaving right now. Thank you officer."

The officer told me that one of the local residents who live next to the park actually called it in. I was livid. I didn't park my car in front of their homes or shine my bike lights in their windows. Although I was thinking about doing just that after the cop left.

But I had to expect it. A park at the end of an expensive cul-de-sac, it is a wonder they haven't fenced off the street and built a guard house. Plus I have the rest of my life to inflict my revenge on the residents of Carlmont Drive.

In comparison, last week I went for a night ride at McLaren Park. A hidden treasure of San Francisco, it is not even on most maps of the city. A third of the size of the much more heavily used Golden Gate Park, McLaren has one huge advantage for riders over Golden Gate: steep hills.

Twice as high as Golden Gate, there are many sharp pitches and steep chutes to get your thrills on, especially at night.

But never heard of McLaren Park? Only time you've been there was Jerry Day?

Well, it is in the least visited part of the city, the southern end. And there is one small negative about its location: the worst housing projects in the city, Sunnydale.

Isolated by Highway 101, the Cow Palace, and McLaren Park, it is like many of the slums I have visited, far away from the high life and the bright lights.

While all my bicycles are worth thousands of dollars, I have never considered cycling an elitist sport. For one thing, anyone with a bicycle, from a $100 junker to a twelve pound Alpe D'Huez climbing machine, is a cyclist.

There is no country club, private resort, expensive chalet, or exclusive gym for riders. We use the same roads and trails that everyone else uses.

McLaren is only a mile from my home in Bernal Heights, and while Sunnydale is separated by two neighborhoods, several ridges, an Interstate, and an entire world of culture and economics; we do share the same park.

For some reason, I haven't found McLaren to be especially dangerous, despite my rule that if I ever see anyone while I am riding, I am going to turn right around and go the back the way I came.

But I rarely come across people in the park at night. Maybe it is because any visitors to the park are just as afraid as I am. Or with several high powered lights strapped to my bike, I must look like a cop patrolling the park.

I was riding on a walking path next to Mansell Drive, which splits the park. I was listening to my Ipod and with all my lights, I didn't realize right away a SFPD cruiser had its spotlight on me.

However, unlike their suburban counterparts, the SFPD have real crime problems to solve. After they figured that a rider with a couple of blinkies and Niteriders going wasn't the local drug dealer, they quickly pulled off in search of real criminals. And about a quarter mile down the road, I saw they had pulled over a couple of gangbangers and had them spread eagle on their cruiser.

I thought about assisting the officers' arrest by shining my helmet light in the hoodlums' eyes while they were patted down, but since everyone at the traffic stop, both the cops and criminals, could be carrying guns, I thought it was wise to just keeping riding.

I am going to continue riding at night, despite the dangers. And yes, I won't be parking at Water Dog but I will be shining my lights into windows everything I go there.