how much high vis

[historyman]

It's weird how hi-viz although technically makes you more see-able, psychologically makes you an alien. I started recently wearing a hi-viz top, and I get much less understanding from fellow commuters when manoevring my bike on and off the commuter train. Before, I dressed like them & was one of them; now I've become a Martian and they give me no room & barge past me. A form of this must happen on the roads too.

 

[Auntie Helen]

In winter in the dark and cold I'm Mrs Altura Night Vision (jacket, trousers, overshoes, gloves). If it's warmer I'll still wear the jacket. I also have 3 rear lights and 3 front lights and a reflective flag so I'm rather like a Christmas tree. I was following my husband cycling in the dark in town the other day and I realised I couldn't see his hand signals as his Aldi jacket had black sections on the arms so when he stuck his arm out it wasn't really visible. He once drove past me going home and said that the reflective bits on my jacket flared incredibly brightly and he'd have to be blind not to see me, even from a long way away.

Last night I was cycling home in the dark and came up behind another cyclist. He was well loaded up with panniers and stuff but just had one rear flashing LED light on his rucksack which wasn't very bright. I'm not sure if he had a rear reflector - I didn't see one amongst all the pannier stuff; perhaps he did and my bike lights weren't strong enough to pick it up. Anyway, he was pretty hard for me to see and I wondered if I should say something to him as I went past (perhaps he doesn't realise how inefficient his light is) but in the end I said nothing as I didn't want to look as if I was having a go at him. It's a difficult one.

 

[Tynan]

lights on clothes are poor, they not fixed on the rear axis, they tend to hang any old how

np excuse for a poor light but given how many have no light at all ...

 

[threefingerjoe]

I'm too old to care what other people think about how I look. I'd dress like a CLOWN if I thought it would keep me safer. When I'm on a bike in traffic, I want to be seen. I normally commute in my work clothes in winter, and it's dark when I leave the house. I wear a hi-viz construction-type safety vest, with lots of the 3M reflective striping. I have lights, reflectors, and put pieces of red/white 3M "Conspicuity Tape" on various parts of the bike...red on the rear, white on parts of the frame. When a fellow commuter/workmate told me that I overdid it, I asked him, "Ok....what parts of the bike do you think SHOULD be invisible?"

 

[Funtboy]

Although I'm devilishly handsome and debonair in normal life, I am quite happy to look like a hi viz dweeb on my bike. My commute can be very hairy at times and I'm not taking any chances. You can be sniffy about hi-viz if you live in the outback but I'm not in that position unfortunatley.

 

[HLaB]

One of my colleague's has just got a bike through a cyclescheme. He was mouthing off about how he thinks cyclists with hi vis and multiple lights look stupid, etc. Strange how many other people, me included have them, I think its probably based on experience but he wouldn't listen to that, so its not worth telling him.

 

[goo_mason]

One of my colleague's has just got a bike through a cyclescheme. He was mouthing off about how he thinks cyclists with hi vis and multiple lights look stupid, etc. Strange how many other people, me included have them, I think its probably based on experience but he wouldn't listen to that, so its not worth telling him.

I'll bet he's a car driver who also mouths off about cyclists riding with no lights and being a danger to themselves and everyone else on the roads.

Sounds like a right idiot - you'd think that he'd be prepared to listen to the voices of experience. I'll bet he'd listen to you about anything else you were providing him with experienced knowledge of though.

 

[HLaB]

I'll bet he's a car driver who also mouths off about cyclists riding with no lights and being a danger to themselves and everyone else on the roads.

Sounds like a right idiot - you'd think that he'd be prepared to listen to the voices of experience. I'll bet he'd listen to you about anything else you were providing him with experienced knowledge of though.

He's a bit of a strange character totally loves cars and can tell you every detail about them but he doesn't own a car although he does mouth off about the usual anti cyclist things, road tax, no lights, etc. He listens to nobody about anything always beleiving his way is right.

 

[BentMikey]

I don't think hiviz looks particularly bad, but then I don't think lycra looks bad either. I just don't believe that hiviz works for the most part, at least not in a way that measurably increases anyone's safety. One exception might be Maz's situation, riding fast dual carriageways.

 

[SoulOnIce]

I also wear some hi-viz bands with red flashing lights around my ankles. Got a pair of them for 6 quid at Decathlon

 

[historyman]

I don't think hiviz looks particularly bad, but then I don't think lycra looks bad either. I just don't believe that hiviz works for the most part.

- that's the point i was trying to make; not about whether it looks nerdy, but that it can counterintuitively make you less visible.

 

[Tynan]

personally I think the arguments against hi viz and helmets are mostly because people don't want to wear either so they find arguments to justify themselves

if lights weren't cool, they'd find a counterintuitive argument against lights after dark

 

[john2702]

Personally, I believe you can't have enough high-viz...even if you do look like a pr@t.

I always use flashing lights in daylight as well.

If you're hit, and survive, there's no way you can be blamed for being 'invisible' if it goes to court.

 

[BentMikey]

personally I think the arguments against hi viz and helmets are mostly because people don't want to wear either so they find arguments to justify themselves

if lights weren't cool, they'd find a counterintuitive argument against lights after dark

Not in my case. I don't mind wearing either that much when I have to. My concern is just that it's misplaced effort, and limits effort on more effective measures. Effectively, the focus on helmets and hiviz means that people end up being less safe than they otherwise would be.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

He's a bit of a strange character totally loves cars and can tell you every detail about them but he doesn't own a car although he does mouth off about the usual anti cyclist things, road tax, no lights, etc. He listens to nobody about anything always beleiving his way is right.

He is a strange character, right enough. So on the one hand he loves cars and hates that bikes don't pay road tax*, but doesn't have a car so presumably doesn't pay any himself, but does have a bike, for which he pays no VED. Also he doesn't like bikes with no lights but thinks too many lights look stupid.

Presumably there's a secret formula known only to him that determines the exact number of lights one should have? Take it you don't often go out for a beer with him, Hlab??

* yes, I know, VED, but ...