Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

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maxcherry
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by maxcherry »

Why does wearing black matter if I have lights on my bike?

Lots of Hi-Viz people still get knocked down by cars.
Honestly chaps, I'm a female!
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mjr
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by mjr »

Spinners wrote:Newsflash: We're a more vulnerable road user.

So? That only matters after the collision.
In my opinion, there's more chance of being noticed by wearing lighter, brighter colours but each to their own.

You're welcome to your opinion and to keep wearing today's socially-acceptable Yellow Badge. I'll keep following the evidence by concentrating on lights and reflectors, instead of fretting about my usual lovely warm dark-coloured clothes that are also good off the bike.
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Psamathe
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Psamathe »

I gave up wearing my hi-vis yellow waistcoat last spring - mainly because with all the fields of hi-vis oil rape seed I thought it just helped me "blend-in"; as well as being an extra layer of plastic to get sweaty. Instead I got some bright orange t-shirts for a couple of £ from Amazon. Cool, bright, contrasting colour and does not scream "cyclist" (except that I also wear the lycra shorts ...).

Ian
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pjclinch
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by pjclinch »

Spinners wrote:In my opinion, there's more chance of being noticed by wearing lighter, brighter colours but each to their own.


In the opinion of Ian Walker, based on considerable research, there's more chance of being seen by increasing the contrast from your background. So if your background is, say, a field of oil-seed rape in full bloom you'll stand out better in black than in yellow. If you're going past a row of white houses again the case that black is probably a good thing for visibility.

What hi-viz certainly does that started me wearing it is standing out at very long distances, but the more I thought about it the more I realised you don't get hit when folk are a long way away. I can't recall any incident (driving or riding) where I've suddenly come across a bike (or car) at short range because it wasn't a conspicuous colour (including plenty of "stealth cyclists"). I can recall those where something turned up out of a blind spot, or where my own observation had been poor. Hi-viz has no demonstrable track record there.

I've had two properly nasty collisions on bikes. On both occasions I was wearing "proper" cycling kit in bright colours with reflectives. I didn't get seen because the drivers didn't look (second case not really their fault, they were spinning out from another collision from a wholly different misjudgement...).

Another cycling acquaintance was rear-ended at a roundabout where he'd been stopped waiting for a gap in the traffic. He was driving a fire-engine at the time, which just goes to show easy it is to miss conspicuous things by not looking. If you do look then remarkably small and in some cases quite well camouflaged things can be seen, so cyclists aren't doomed by a lack of hi-viz.

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Spinners
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Spinners »

mjr wrote:
Spinners wrote:Newsflash: We're a more vulnerable road user.

So? That only matters after the collision.



Prevention is better than cure/collision.
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Spinners
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Spinners »

Psamathe wrote:Instead I got some bright orange t-shirts for a couple of £ from Amazon. Cool, bright, contrasting colour and does not scream "cyclist" (except that I also wear the lycra shorts ...).

Ian


Muddy Fox do a nice jersey (short sleeve and long sleeve) which are a non-flouro orange and quite cheap on eBay.
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mjr
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by mjr »

Spinners wrote:
mjr wrote:
Spinners wrote:Newsflash: We're a more vulnerable road user.

So? That only matters after the collision.

Prevention is better than cure/collision.

Yes, and prevention is best based on evidence, which suggests that contrast beats hi-vis, while active and passive lighting beats both.

Does anyone really think that drivers of black cars don't care whether they're in a collision?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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maxcherry
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by maxcherry »

So why do people in Hi-Viz, with lights and helmet get knocked over ?
Honestly chaps, I'm a female!
AaronR
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by AaronR »

Cateye Rapid 3 front and rear, seem to run forever on one AA battery available everywhere, clips can be got so that they can be put on clothing (I have a few knocking about for the price of postage), add them to a headband and you have a very capable head torch, so thats one item instead of two to carry

Personally would never go out without Hi Viz waistcoat, but there is a lot of merit to the contrast/stand out posts that have been put on this thread, as is wearing something 'unusual' - I wore an Altura Night Vision jacket in red when it was an unpopular choice and it stood out from miles away on the road, the new post office jackets are almost pink in certain light

80's shell suit jacket? Pink (on a bloke)? Afro party wig on helmet? Saw an excellent lycra top once that made the rider look like a crash test dummy - anything that is going to catch a drivers eye and trigger them to look again is worth it

I spend all day on the road looking at other peoples driving whilst having to gauge how they react to whats going on and its the unusual that rings alarm bells, not whats brightest and boldest
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jamesgilbert
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by jamesgilbert »

Going slightly off topic, I remember seeing a tour report on Crazyguyonabike by someone who came very close to being deliberately run over in New Zealand! So in some situations camouflage gear would be appropriate :wink:
psmiffy
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by psmiffy »

elioelio wrote:Hi there,

Just wondering what other tourers do? Any tips?


I have a rule - I do not ride at night - however, life is not always perfect

I carry lights - red light leds to attach to panniers - front lights in the form of battery powered leds for front - plus head torch for map reading and signposts - plus a heavily reflective cycle specific waistcoat - all in all I end up looking like some sort of large stroboscopic bee - do i care - not a jot
Last edited by psmiffy on 17 Oct 2014, 10:23pm, edited 1 time in total.
gplhl
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by gplhl »

jamesgilbert wrote:someone who came very close to being deliberately run over


I had a car in Kenya hit me. I was riding on the pull off part that bikes and pedestrians use, so not even on the main road. A cyclist coming the other way said that car tried to kill you!

My bags are high contrasting colours in purpose and the incident happened during daylight. There's no accounting for these situations.

I'd go high contrast, cateye rear light and a good front light. Which is what I have equipped at the moment.

Gary
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RonK
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by RonK »

maxcherry wrote:Why does wearing black matter if I have lights on my bike?

Bright colours are for being seen in daylight.
The theory is simple: a) cycling is inherently fun, and b) the less weight you carry, the more fun it is.

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maxcherry
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by maxcherry »

Black stands out in daylight. It's not true that bright colours make people more aware.
Honestly chaps, I'm a female!
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Mick F
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Re: Lighting a bike/high vis on tour

Post by Mick F »

pjclinch wrote:What hi-viz certainly does that started me wearing it is standing out at very long distances, but the more I thought about it the more I realised you don't get hit when folk are a long way away. I can't recall any incident (driving or riding) where I've suddenly come across a bike (or car) at short range because it wasn't a conspicuous colour (including plenty of "stealth cyclists"). I can recall those where something turned up out of a blind spot, or where my own observation had been poor.
maxcherry wrote:Black stands out in daylight. It's not true that bright colours make people more aware.
Two answers from me here.

We were driving home from Liskeard in September, and there's a long stretch where you can see maybe half a mile. It's a great place to get a move on and perhaps overtake slower vehicles and lorries etc.

The road was clear, I was doing about 55mph maybe 60 it was about four in the afternoon and lovely bright weather. In the distance we saw a "shape" and as we got nearer it was a cyclist dressed in mainly black. There was no problem and we gave him plenty room as we passed him, but it was only because I had my eyes peeled into the distance that I saw him. Had there been a string of vehicles, I doubt we'd have seen him quite so early.

Obviously, cyclists don't get hit by vehicles a long way off and obviously I'd have seen him eventually and early enough to be no problem, but it is nice to see that the road is clear a way off so you can plan your line.

Had he been wearing something brighter, he would have been seen for what the "shape" was.
Mick F. Cornwall
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