Cycling jackets and hoods; or lack thereof

[ColinJ]

I was on the fence about a hood, however had my suspicions reinforced earlier when playing with my walking jacket - even with it's well-fitting hood sinched down nicely on the pull cords, it still struggles to rotate with the head when attempting to look to the side / behind.. so I think hoodless is the way to go.

A driver just demonstrated to me how little awareness he had with the hood on his jacket up. He had just put something in the boot of his car and was about to walk out from the rear of the car, round to the driver's door. I was freewheeling towards him from behind with my freehub clicking away; he didn't hear that. I clicked my brake levers; nope. I coughed; no reaction. I called out; he didn't hear me. In the end I overtook him with a 2 metre gap between him and me; he jumped towards the car in shock when I finally appeared in his peripheral vision...

 

[matticus]

Ha! Don;t get me started on young men driving in hoodies ...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

As for waterproof cycling rain caps

https://www.prendas.co.uk/products/prendas-lisboa-rain-red-cycling-cap

 

[jay clock]

I have a slightly older version of these. Mine has a removable hood, very very good quality, very waterproof and very well ventilated with huge zips down the sides. https://showerspass.co.uk/products/refuge-jacket

 

[Kingfisher101]

A driver just demonstrated to me how little awareness he had with the hood on his jacket up. He had just put something in the boot of his car and was about to walk out from the rear of the car, round to the driver's door. I was freewheeling towards him from behind with my freehub clicking away; he didn't hear that. I clicked my brake levers; nope. I coughed; no reaction. I called out; he didn't hear me. In the end I overtook him with a 2 metre gap between him and me; he jumped towards the car in shock when I finally appeared in his peripheral vision...

Have you got a bell?

 

[ColinJ]

Have you got a bell?

No.

Given that the driver didn't hear 'Whirr-whirr-whirr', 'CLICK-CLICK-CLICK', 'COUGH-COUGH-COUGH' or 'WATCH OUT MATE!!!', 'ting-ting-ting' wouldn't have made much difference either...

I always find that turning to take a look down the road you are walking out into more effective than hoping you might hear through your padded hood any dangers approaching!

Before anyone mentions bells... Years ago, after several walkers suggested that I should get one, I did. I then discovered that about 1/3 of people like them, 1/3 are so deaf or distracted that they don't hear them, and 1/3 find them annoying. One person didn't react to the bell so I used it again. He then said that he was not going to jump every time some idiot on a bike rang a bell. Furthermore, if I rang it at him again he would tear it off my bike and stick it up where the sun doesn't shine!!!

I don't bother with bells now. If I have to, I just cough at a distance to alert the walker, or call out a polite request to let me through.

 

[PaulSB]

No.

Given that the driver didn't hear 'Whirr-whirr-whirr', 'CLICK-CLICK-CLICK', 'COUGH-COUGH-COUGH' or 'WATCH OUT MATE!!!', 'ting-ting-ting' wouldn't have made much difference either...

I think you'd be surprised, bells are heard. I have a bell on my gravel/winter bike. When I encounter pedestrians, walkers etc. on gravel rides they are much more likely to react to a bell than any amount of shouting, free hub spin etc. Pedestrians recognise a bike bell and the majority know how to react to the sound. Other warnings such as shouting are often ignored or take people by surprise.

Whether it makes a difference in an urban setting I can't say and I'm far from suggesting we should all ride with a bell.

Ting-ting-ting does make a significant difference in some circumstances.........and usually raises a smile, wave, thank you.

 

[ColinJ]

I think you'd be surprised, bells are heard. I have a bell on my gravel/winter bike. When I encounter pedestrians, walkers etc. on gravel rides they are much more likely to react to a bell than any amount of shouting, free hub spin etc. Pedestrians recognise a bike bell and the majority know how to react to the sound. Other warnings such as shouting are often ignored or take people by surprise.

Whether it makes a difference in an urban setting I can't say and I'm far from suggesting we should all ride with a bell.

Ting-ting-ting does make a significant difference in some circumstances.........and usually raises a smile, wave, thank you.

As I posted above... about 1/3 of the people I encountered DID hear my bell and DID react favourably to it.

A large number were as hard of hearing as me, wearing earbuds/headphones, or just distracted, so they didn't notice the bell.

Several people DID hear the bell but were quite obnoxious in their responses, and as I also posted above - one threatened me with violence because I had the temerity to try to warn him of my approach!

I think one of the factors is the exact sound that the bell makes. The strident ring of the bell that I had did make it more audible, but perhaps it was also the mechanical equivalent of 'get out of my way!' I have heard other bells that still sounded like bells but which had much more pleasant and less insistent tones.

 

[PaulSB]

As I posted above... about 1/3 of the people I encountered DID hear my bell and DID react favourably to it.

A large number were as hard of hearing as me, wearing earbuds/headphones, or just distracted, so they didn't notice the bell.

Several people DID hear the bell but were quite obnoxious in their responses, and as I also posted above - one threatened me with violence because I had the temerity to try to warn him of my approach!

I think one of the factors is the exact sound that the bell makes. The strident ring of the bell that I had did make it more audible, but perhaps it was also the mechanical equivalent of 'get out of my way!' I have heard other bells that still sounded like bells but which had much more pleasant and less insistent tones.

Yes, I DID see your old quote from years back.

My experience on gravel is 99% of people hear and react favourably to a bell, often by smiling, waving, thanking. I've no idea about urban areas.

 

[ColinJ]

Yes, I DID see your old quote from years back.

My experience on gravel is 99% of people hear and react favourably to a bell, often by smiling, waving, thanking. I've no idea about urban areas.

This was on the Rochdale canal towpath between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden.

Maybe the negative responses were from urbanites on daytrips to the Calder valley!

The other possibility is that my perception was due to the difference in our personalities? If out of 100 people 99 smiled at me and only 1 was rude, I would probably dwell on the offender and not the nice people.