Where Ever I Am, there's my bike: Nightriders (like the ELO song)

It's been a long time since I've chatted with Chuck (well, let Chuck chat at me, anyway). He's recently moved, and I'm not sure where to, so I had to go and see him at work.
Chuck is the "night auditor" at the Travelodge (don't they know that should have two "l"s in the middle?) where I used to be a maid in the morning and dishwasher at night. I'd finish up the dishes, do all the other crap jobs left for the dishwasher, mop the floor, close up the kitchen, which would usually take me to 1-2 am. I'd grab my helmet and hoodie, and go to the front desk to sign out, where I would be intercepted by Chuck.
I've met some bike nuts, but Chuck really does top the list. Chuck doesn't want all the blingy bike bits though (he was amazed to hear that they made such things as double-wall rims). Chuck talks in three- and ten-speeds. He trawls the second hand shops for "classic" Schwinns and the likes. He owns 50 bikes in two storage lockers. He keeps scrap books of pictures of bikes. I take him CD's (he doesn't have a computer at home, but looks at them at work) of picture of interesting bikes I come across online. He's not really that into cycling though. He bikes to work (about a mile). Then again, he is in his late 50's.
Chuck doesn't start work until 11 pm, so I was dressed ready to ride at 9, but got intercepted by Ed and his apple and blackberry pie. He was excited for me to try his crust, so I went round to for half an hour.
I rode clockwise around the lake, then I went for a cruise around town before stopping in to see Chuck. Recently, while riding at night I've been shifting into the middle chainring at the beginning of the ride and staying there. Two reasons: 1 - Jake never has shifted properly. No matter how perfect I adjust the shifting, after an hour it will be off. If Dale at the bike shop does it (and I don't touch it), it will still be wrong after a ride or two. 2 - I don't pay enough attention to remember which chainring I'm in, and because I can't see the gear indicators or the chain itself, I never know where I am. Sometimes I'd grunt to the top of the hill thinking how out of shape I'm in, then try to shift up, only to realize I'm in the big ring. They should make the indicators on my brifters glow-in-the-dark. Although 9 gears (yes, Jake was cheap) is hardly the same as one, it kind of gives me an idea of what singlespeeding is all about. If I decide I'm staying in the middle chainring, I don't put any thought into shifting. There's no "do I need the granny for this hill, or will I be okay in the middle". I just kinda (I can't decide if I prefer "kinda" or "kind of" yet) get on with it. Hmm. Any comments, Brian?
Cruising around town at night is completely different to doing so in the daytime. I can't really explain how - you just have to try it. I wish Coffee on the Moon was open later though.
There are more nightriders around than we think though. Jack stopped in at the Travelodge while I was visiting. Jack washes dishes at Arbutus Ridge (I think), and then spends all night riding around visiting the night staff at various businesses. I often see (or don't see until long after I should have, due to their lack of visibility) other people on bikes. I once passed Adam on his BMX/jumper at 1 am on Sherman road. It's so quiet at night. If you're a cyclist and haven't ridden at night you really should give it a try.