Light Up

The last few evenings this week I have passed a couple out for their evening bike ride. They appear to be about mid to late 40ish, and ride in full uniform (lycra, helmets, gloves, goggles). It's usually about 8:15ish when I encounter them, so the sun is almost set and it's getting dark. The first time I passed them (they going down the hill I was huffing my way up), I almost didn't see them. Not because I was looking at the road, or focused on trying to make it up the hill, or enjoying the scenery, in fact I was sitting quite upright and leisurely pedaling along looking ahead and occasionally checking my rearview mirror. I didn't see them because they had NO lights on their bikes. None at all. It was almost dark, that bit of road is particularly dark due to thick overhanging tree branches. I don't even think that I noticed a reflector. I was maybe 15 feet from the first of the two before I saw him. This is also the time of day when not all motorists have turned their headlights on, so if I couldn't spot the cyclist, god help the motorists that come upon these two. I also noticed that they don't have any mirrors on their bikes. None on the handlebars or helmet mirrors. Helmets! They've got those! Like that will save them when the speeding kid in the little import with the booming stereo come roaring down that dark tunnel of a hill and creams them.