Why spring is the best time to get up early and ride at sunrise

Sunrise mission or dawn raid, whatever you call it, it's well worth the effort

Rachael Wight

Apr 13 2018

After a deluge of recent rain and a winter that has invariably felt both long and arduous, we were glad to see and smell Spring in the air last week, even if it only lasted a short time! In a small and solitary celebration, Rachael went on a sunrise mission in recognition of the cloudless skies, songbirds chatter and the lead up to summer. She’s come up with five reasons why getting up early in the spring and setting out on a dawn raid is well worth your time.

1. Sunrise isn't so early in the Spring

The time just after the clocks change is the best time to get out for dawn, it means that the sunrise isn’t at too much of an unthinkable hour. If the viewpoint you are aiming for isn’t too far away, about a 5am start should be good enough to rock up as the sun wakes. We’re all up for getting up and being invigorated by an early morning ride but there are limits and we’re not too keen on falling asleep or craving a nap for the rest of the day either!

2. Breakfast always tastes really good

Whether you take your muesli and coffee with you or you get home after a sunrise jaunt to a proper breakfast, it always tastes damn good. Both taking food in your pack or waiting to get back to a good fry up are both valid and worthy options, there’s not much better though than sitting atop a viewpoint, watching the sun come up and the world wake, whilst tucking into a bowl of something nutritious in the fresh air.

3. Photos look great in the #lightbro

The light just after the sun comes up is always a beautiful golden colour, if you have heard photographers talk about the ‘golden hour’ or shouting #lightbro, then this is what they are on about. Same goes for sunset too, that’s also good #lightbro. If you want to get some great shots of your pride and joy, a sunrise and that glorious light is a superb way to do it.

4. It's energy for the soul

Getting out and about whilst everyone is still sleeping is not only pretty novel in this day and age of a 24-hour society, but it’s also pretty peaceful too. Taking some time out to sit and enjoy the show nature puts on is a perfect way to escape the stresses and strains of life. There is something to be said for taking time to reset and recharge away from the humdrum of daily life and busy trails.

5. Birdsong is really quite nice

Along with watching the show, the morning dawn chorus at this time of year is pretty special and makes a great soundtrack for bike riding.

How to go on a sunrise mission

Choose a spot to watch the sunrise from, remember you’ll need to have a good clear view eastwards.
Find out what time sunrise is and plan your ride so you get to your chosen view point about 15-20 minutes beforehand
Check the weather and make sure, for best results, there is no cloud cover at sunrise – we use Windy.com to look at cloud cover.
Pack your bag and lay out your clothes the night before so you can get ready easily in the morning
Make sure your bike lights are charged (front and rear). You will likely be setting out in the dark so you’ll need bright lights.
Get up on the alarm – no snooze allowed!

Author block

Previously Editor here at off-road.cc, Rachael is happiest on two wheels. Partial to a race or two Rachael also likes getting out into the hills with a big bunch of mates. In the past Rachael has written for publications such as, Enduro Mountain Bike Magazine, Mountain Biking UK, Bike Radar, New Zealand Mountain Biker and was also the online editor for Spoke magazine in New Zealand too. For as long as she's been riding, she has been equally happy getting stuck into a kit review as she is creating stories or doing the site admin. When she's not busy with all the above she's roasting coffee or coaching mountain biking in the Forest of Dean.