Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
TonyR
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Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by TonyR »

In London yesterday in the oppressive heat and saw someone cycling along Oxford St in a bright yellow long sleeved rain jacket. I can only assume they were wearing it because of the the perceived need to be visible but it must have been boil in a bag big time. I was sweating enough in just a cycle shirt and shorts.
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Slow Loris
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by Slow Loris »

I'm amazed at the number of hi viz rain jackets I've seen this week – how people avoid melting is beyond me :shock: .
On a recent leisure ride, a nice elderly lady in the pub garden enquired where I was going and showed concern that my grey T-shirt wasn't visible enough. We were sitting in glorious sunshine at the time :? . On my way home last night in the dark, I had two strong rear lights - one flashing, a strong steady front light, a reflective belt and reflective ankle bands – none of which prevented the obligatory daft overtake in the face of oncoming traffic. Some people may genuinely feel that hi viz protects them, but I suspect others hold the jaded view that it is merely a box ticking exercise to hopefully lessen the chance of blame – I'm afraid I'm the latter :( .
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Si
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by Si »

See them all the time in Birmingham no matter what the weather. And long tights too.

Having said that, I seem to be acquiring the habit of wearing yellow tops (as I have to wear them for work), although at least I go for cool ones (rather than kewl ones).
mercalia
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by mercalia »

well I had the sense when Halfords were selling off their tabard style hiviz to get a few - no tea shirt underneath nice draught around the side & reflects much of the suns heat I think.
thirdcrank
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by thirdcrank »

I have a stock of Lusso hi viz cycling jerseys made in Coolmax. I've had them a while - most bought cut-price at York Rally - so they may not still be available.
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GrumpyGit
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by GrumpyGit »

I sometimes wear a dayglow yellow Adidas coolmax T-shirt I found in Sports Direct, the main reason I bought it was the price (about a fiver I recall).

Most of the time though it'll be whatever I'm wearing anyway, apart from my work suit!
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jezer
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by jezer »

I do voluntary work at our local hospice, and recently children from the nearby primary school were invited to visit in order to learn about our work. They all wore hi viz tabards inside the building, well I suppose those speeding wheelchairs do pose a serious risk.... :shock:
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TonyR
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by TonyR »

Perhaps its a consequence of Gove's drive to return to Victorian teaching values. Children should be seen and not heard. :wink:
Freddie
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by Freddie »

I fear that all this hi viz will have the opposite effect of what we need as cyclists. It'll mark us out in the road and give aggressive and negligent drivers an opportunity to pass even closer than usual, as they can see us too well (if they were less sure, they may pass with more space). A few years and some SMIDSYs involving non hi viz wearers later and some "well meaning" parliamentarian will raise the question of whether hi viz should be made compulsory for cyclists.

If you cannot see a cyclist in broad daylight, then your eyes are deficient and you should not be driving a car in the first place.
Flinders
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by Flinders »

Freddie wrote:I fear that all this hi viz will have the opposite effect of what we need as cyclists. It'll mark us out in the road and give aggressive and negligent drivers an opportunity to pass even closer than usual, as they can see us too well (if they were less sure, they may pass with more space). A few years and some SMIDSYs involving non hi viz wearers later and some "well meaning" parliamentarian will raise the question of whether hi viz should be made compulsory for cyclists.

If you cannot see a cyclist in broad daylight, then your eyes are deficient and you should not be driving a car in the first place.


Quite.
My car is black (only one of its kind I could find 2nd hand at the time), and certainly isn't as visible as my previous tomato red one, but nobody expects me to have it resprayed in bright yellow.
mrjemm
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by mrjemm »

Freddie wrote:I fear that all this hi viz will have the opposite effect of what we need as cyclists. It'll mark us out in the road and give aggressive and negligent drivers an opportunity to pass even closer than usual, as they can see us too well (if they were less sure, they may pass with more space). A few years and some SMIDSYs involving non hi viz wearers later and some "well meaning" parliamentarian will raise the question of whether hi viz should be made compulsory for cyclists.

If you cannot see a cyclist in broad daylight, then your eyes are deficient and you should not be driving a car in the first place.


Sounds like you're arguing that because someone in hi-vis can be seen by a motorist, he'll get less space... despite making little sense to me, I think I'll stick to wearing hi-vis when I deem it suitable (i.e. when I remember or can be bothered); I'd rather be seen than not.

And before someone comes up with the old chestnut of Blah blah blah, let me point out that a bib is not exactly my entire attire- I do tend to wear something covering my not inconsiderate backside; I am yet to see someone who is entirely clad toenails to tonsure in day-glo, and I am yet to find a ride where I am silhouetted against one consistent background colour.

Unfortunately, the roads are full of prats who don't see because they don't look. Don't pay attention. Don't remain on the same plain of existence when driving. And simply don't care. And of course some have such magnificent eyesight that they deem headlights unnecessary in poor visibility conditions. Whether someone should not be driving is totally irrelevant as long as they still are, and oh my, they still are.
broadway
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by broadway »

Or the logic of a high viz jacket with a black backpack which I saw earlier this week on a warm morning last week.
mrjemm
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by mrjemm »

broadway wrote:Or the logic of a high viz jacket with a black backpack which I saw earlier this week on a warm morning last week.


Still works from the front and sides.
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honesty
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by honesty »

The best (worst?) use of hi vis tabards has to be one I have seen recently. In Taunton there is a primary school on the edge of a park. There is a cycle lane / path running along one boarder of the school which the school has a gate out onto. Directly opposite this gate is a play are - climbing frame, swings, that sort of thing. The school took a class of pupils across the path into the play area, and all of them were wearing hi vis tabards. they then proceeded to play in the tabards...
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Triumph of HiViz over common sense?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Makes for easy identification of kids who walk away with adults.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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