Just bought first bike in a decade

[DizzyLizzy]

I get hot really quickly, even on a brisk walk I'm striping off down to just my top within minutes.

 

[ianrauk]

Once again agreeing with @Tin Pot. I love my Altura Night vision jacket as it's completely waterproof. However, temps above freezing means it's a tad too warm for a quick commute. In the coldest weather it's suffice just to wear the jacket and a base layer. And agreeing with @vickster , Better too warm then too cold.

If you are taking it slower and/or easier then you would be hard pressed to find a better jacket for a commute.

 

[steveindenmark]

High viz is what you would use in daylight hours. What you need is something with reflective material on it. The Altura night vision is a good jacket at that price.

I ride to work at 5am in the morning and can assure you that if you are wearing reflective material, it will be seen far sooner than if you are all in black on an unlit road. I know this by the number of dog walkers who are out at that time of the day. The ones in reflective material can be seen from a long way off even with my bike lights. The ones all in black, invariably have black dogs, I don't know why. I spot them because of the dogs eyes are reflective. Yes a vigilant driver would see someone all in black. But much later than someone wearing reflective material.

 

[vickster]

I think you boys probably run warmer than me. Even on the hottest day cycling, I don't actually get that sweaty (or that glowy )

 

[Tin Pot]

I think you boys probably run warmer than me. Even on the hottest day cycling, I don't actually get that sweaty (or that glowy )

Yup. I lost 3kg in water on a two hour run one time..!

 

[Mrs M]

I have an Altura night vision jacket and always wear it on night rides, nice and cozy and reflective
Decent lights are a must though

 

[dim]

Cool! .... my first bike in the UK was a Ridgeback Comet hybrid that I used to commute with .... I had pannier racks and pannier bags .... a great bike to commute with in the city. I cycled over 1200km on that bike

As for highviz, look at Proviz Switch ... costs a bit, but it's very good, as it has the yellow high viz for the day, and the reverse of the jacket is made entirely of reflective material (amazing, as when you see people riding at night who wear them, they look like white ghosts (you can spot them from a mile away .... the jacket is very bright (I still dont have one, but I cycle with a backpack, so I'm looking very closely at the Proviz backpacks

Here's a video showing the side that you wear at night (the other side is hi-viz yellow:


If you want a bit cheaper, look at these: (I have one, that I sometimes use .... very effective, and I've cycled past cars and have seen people throw their mobile phones on the floor of the passenger side of the car:

and even cheaper are the jackets at Sports Direct .... marketed for construction workers, but really warm and waterproof .... there's an high viz orange alos available:

and get a very good D-Lock

 

[gavroche]

Good positioning on the road is the most important. Make yourself big so you are seen, so ride at least 1 metre away from the gutter, take space on the road as if you were a car. Drivers might beep at you or swear at you but they will see you.

 

[DizzyLizzy]

When I first had a bike way back when I had a d lock and three of those flexible lock things. Pain in the bum to unlock, but my bike was never stolen.

 

[mjr]

Construction worker H bar pattern reflectives are NOT understood by the general public as humans. Most proper cycling or walking jackets will use more recognisable patterns, like the Altura or I think Proviz ones.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Try to ride primary AKA the middle of the lane (or to some stupid drivers *in their way*) rather than the gutter, you don't blend into the pavement or side of the road walls/buildings etc and if you do get some pillock getting too close, you have somewhere to go.

I get hot really quickly, even on a brisk walk I'm striping off down to just my top within minutes.

I run hot too and have yet to find a jacket that doesn't make me hot and sweaty even in winter. I wear layers with a softshell as the outer. For contrast and night time body reflectivity I use a Sam Browne belt, (the round the waist and diagonal over the upper body straps) over black tops for that slash of contrast in the day too. It also (while dorky) screams out bicycle far more than the ubiquitous builders vest type slab of colour and reflective.

Lights tho are your best friend, as well as attentive and aware fellow road users.

 

[vickster]

I get hot really quickly, even on a brisk walk I'm striping off down to just my top within minutes.

You might find the altura too warm then. Rack, panniers, layers might be the way to go. Avoid backpacks if sweaty. I get hotter walking than cycling, moving faster through the cool air makes a big difference

 

[dim]

Construction worker H bar pattern reflectives are NOT understood by the general public as humans. Most proper cycling or walking jackets will use more recognisable patterns, like the Altura or I think Proviz ones.

I know, but I can vouch that when it's -5 degrees C with an icy headwind of 30km/hr, and it's raining at the same time, these construction jackets are a Godsend (I cycled/commuted 6 days a week last year during the winter, and I think that this year will be colder .... also important to have decent gloves, thick scarf and warm thermal undewear ... I'm having a very close look at the balaclavas ... keep your feet warm aswell

if you dress warm, and one part of your body is exposed, you will still feel cold

 

[DizzyLizzy]

You might find the altura too warm then. Rack, panniers, layers might be the way to go. Avoid backpacks if sweaty. I get hotter walking than cycling, moving faster through the cool air makes a big difference

That's very true actually. I hate being sweaty, makes my teeth itch. I've got panniers that I can stash stuff into.

I think I'm just going to have to see what it's like once I get going.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

The jacket I have doesn't have any reflective bits on it, and I do have lights (and am planning to get some more to attach to my person).

I figured I needed something reflective, and light as I remember getting really hot and bothered even in the depths of winter in a bog standard coat.

I will be riding both days and nights. I will look at cycle craft.

Hi Lizzy and
I cycle most days (or nights, it's rarely light here lol) and I have the Altura jacket
you linked to, it is one of my favorites.
For when I don't want to wear cycling clothes on the bike I use a Sam Browne belt and some reflective ankle straps: they are very effective combined with a good set of lights, but, as said above, if a driver is distracted you can be illuminated like the proverbial Christmas tree and still be invisible!