Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by pwa »

Tonyf33's video sits well with my own experiences as a driver. On roads like that I always manage to see and react to a cyclist in good time, slowing down and waiting if necessary. In my opinion some dark outfits (Team Sky) make it a little harder to see cyclists when you are driving, and I avoid wearing dark kit for that reason. But although I find some riders harder to see, I do see them in time to make things safe.
mikeabanks
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Joined: 10 Apr 2012, 1:48pm

Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by mikeabanks »

Railway workers wear orange because "hiviz" green is not very visible with a mainly green background.
Flinders
Posts: 3023
Joined: 10 Mar 2009, 6:47pm

Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by Flinders »

Tizme wrote:1730 on Saturday afternoon, cycling to work (15 miles) for a night shift, plenty of cars have overtaken me, including a large tanker that kindly slowed right down until he could safely pass, then crossed right over to the far side of the road and gave me plenty of room when he pulled back in, I gave him a cheery thank you wave - so he obviously saw me. Fast Forward 3-4 miles and three of four cars are approaching me when a small blue car overtakes me with about 12" to spare going at about 50mph. I put my hand up (in a why did you do that gesture). A mile down the road said car is pulled into a layby and the driver is stood waiting for me. He was quite polite, asking me to stop and then immediately said that he "was a cyclist too" but I was completely invisible wearing blue and green and he nearly hit me because of it. I suggested he should get his eyes tested or retake his driving test. He informed me that he had passed his test a year ago, thank you and I shouldn't be on the road in such camouflaged kit. He said he could not understand why I did not have my rear light on (I was wearing sunglasses as it was such a lovely afternoon) and although he stopped himself from saying it, I think he was going to say I should be wearing hi-viz. At no time at all would he even contemplate that he was in the wrong and been inattentive, despite having a very pretty passenger in the car with him. He said several times that he was a cyclist and he was only concerned that I wasn't visible on the road! His parting shot, at which I very nearly did get angry, was that I shouldn't be so grumpy when someone was trying to help me!! I wished him a pleasant day and rode off. Strangely he saw me when he went passed a few minutes later, almost touching the opposite verge to give me room :roll:


These short-sighted numpties always claim to be cyclists. I no longer believe them when they say that.
Flinders
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Joined: 10 Mar 2009, 6:47pm

Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by Flinders »

pwa wrote:I suppose none of us can really know exactly what that driver saw and why he had such difficulty making out that it was a cyclist he was approaching. Our vision, including the part of it that goes on in our brains rather than in our eyes, is a fascinating and complex area. I wonder if dappled sunshine under trees could have played a part? That is very good at breaking up shapes and, effectively, camouflaging.


That's why I am very careful, as a driver, in dappled shade. Drivers ought to be aware of light conditions as a hazard, and should drive slower/look harder.
Tonyf33
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Joined: 17 Nov 2007, 3:31pm
Location: Letchworth N.Herts

Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by Tonyf33 »

Would someone blame a fallen tree/large branch in the highway for being a dark colour after they failed to stop in the distance they saw to be clear? :roll:
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mjr
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Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by mjr »

Probably, as some can't see reflective level crossing barriers and the lights get blamed for being "poor": http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/new ... -1-6079841
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
LollyKat
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Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by LollyKat »

And the sun was in her eyes.... :(
pwa
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Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by pwa »

It's all of us, not just drivers, who have trouble seeing stuff at times. I once cycled into the side of a jet black bullock on a lane at night. I saw it very late and, going down a steep hill, had trouble stopping. The poor animal was more scared than me. None of us are perfect, and none of us judge things perfectly 100% of the time. A good driver will be on the lookout for other road users and will enter bends with the expectation that braking or stopping may be required at any moment, but even good drivers will occasionally misjudge things. That's in the nature of human beings.
Jon Lucas
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Joined: 6 Mar 2009, 6:02pm
Location: Bath

Re: Invisible wearing Blue & Green!!

Post by Jon Lucas »

Fairly dark blues and greens are the colours I wear most of the time, including when walking or cycling (I don't normally wear any different clothes when doing these than I would for anything else). Sometimes (not that often) I've had people commenting negatively on this. I often get drivers passing too close, but that is their appalling driving behaviour, not my visibility. Most drivers obviously have no problem seeing me and will wait to pass if that is necessary.

I do worry when cycling on fast single track main roads, but my main worry is the speed of the traffic, not my visibility.

I'm not a driver, so it was interesting watching the video Tony linked. I've always been aware that there is low contrast between my clothing and much of the background, but have felt that the shape and size of a cyclist, and the other reflective materials on bikes and the wheels themselves, should be sufficient, and indeed that is what the video shows.

It would be interesting to see a video of drivers passing pedestrians on similar roads. I have very occasionally had to walk on single track rural roads, and have felt much more vulnerable, as I knew my smaller size (compared to someone on a bike) and being right on the road's edge, would make my visibility much worse. However, of course, sadly appalling driving has meant that the numbers of people who do walk on these sorts of roads is now minute.
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