Reflective Clothing Psychology - Your Thoughts...

[Oldhippy]

Front light, back light, reflector on rack works for me nothing else required.

 

[kayakerles]

Proviz is shoot. I have a hat made out of it. Even that makes my head sweat and it only gets used in winter on cold nights.

I take the approach of making the bike visible. Two lights on rear in case of failure. Dynamo light on front with backup be seen battery light. I have mudguards on my bike. 3M do highly reflective tape in orange, black, white , red etc. It meets the British standards on reflectives as long as you have enough surface area. The mudguard is a much bigger surface area than the rear reflectors you can buy.

I have a long strip of reflective red down rear mudguard. Mudflapd in flouro yellow with retro reflective black in middle. I use clipless pedals. I have orange reflective tape on the cranks which does same job as pedal reflectors. Front light also has a white reflector below it.

I will point out that most rear lights have more modes than steady or flashing. I have mine in a pattern that cycles through the multiple LEDs. The rear light is never completely off, at least one LED is lit as the pattern changes. It’s not just an on / off pattern that you’d call a flash.

I want to wear normal clothing when out on bike. Hope off it into pub etc with no undressing ceremony. Make the bike visible wear what you like.

If I’m on a long audax that involves riding through the entire night. I will wear a high viz gilet. Half of that is about the extra warmth it brings doubling up as a wind proof layer. But otherwise it sits in my rear bag. To be deployed if I’m off the bike at night and walking in road due to a mechanical or other reason etc

As mentioned up. Defensive cycling and awareness is by far the best protection once you’ve done the basics required by law.

View attachment 610878 .

I love the look of the red strip down the mudguard, Ming, but back in the day of riding motorcycles, a friend came with me when I was going to buy some new gear. Debating between a bright yellow or a bright red motorcycle jacket, my friend who is colorblind noted, if that is red, it's just mud brown to me. That settled my choice.

Then I read on the subject, “Colour (color) blindness (colour vision deficiency, or CVD) affects approximately 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1 in 200 women in the world. In Britain this means that there are approximately 3 million colour blind people (about 4.5% of the entire population), most of whom are male.” Colorblind Awareness Org. News to me.

As for my safety precautions:
White light on front of my bike
Neon yellow bike *elmet
Red blinky light on back of *elmet
Highway certified reflective gilet that fits over whatever I wear, for both cold or hot weather or in between

I like the idea of reflective strips of tape on the cranks.
But to each his/her own. Everyone likes/justifies their own thing.
TOTALLY AGREE Defensive cycling and awareness is by far the best protection once you’ve done the basics required by law.

I grew up riding my 10-speed Peugeot UO-8 in NYC during my teens/20s long before anyone cared about lights, reflective clothing or *elmets at all, and I am still alive to talk about it thanks to defensive riding.

 

[biggs682]

Proviz jacket with a flashing rear light positioned just between the shoulder blades and then another attached to the seat post area .
And on the front using a Chilli front light on mid setting and a flashing light as well .
Ride single file and just be sensible

 

[neil_merseyside]

Proviz jacket with a flashing rear light positioned just between the shoulder blades and then another attached to the seat post area .
And on the front using a Chilli front light on mid setting and a flashing light as well .
Ride single file and just be sensible

Single file encourages close passes unless in primary, if in primary you may as well have a mate on the inside with their extra light, that twin head/rear light view might just make a moton think you are a car and act a bit better...

 

[matticus]

Debating between a bright yellow or a bright red motorcycle jacket, my friend who is colorblind noted, if that is red, it's just mud brown to me. That settled my choice.

Then I read on the subject, “Colour (color) blindness (colour vision deficiency, or CVD) affects approximately 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1 in 200 women in the world. In Britain this means that there are approximately 3 million colour blind people (about 4.5% of the entire population), most of whom are male.” Colorblind Awareness Org. News to me.

Being colour-blind myself, I've been aware of the issues since a teenager:

but if the above is true, do you think we can see red rear LIGHTS? Or are they invisible to 5% of road users (along with red traffic lights).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I love the look of the red strip down the mudguard, Ming, but back in the day of riding motorcycles, a friend came with me when I was going to buy some new gear. Debating between a bright yellow or a bright red motorcycle jacket, my friend who is colorblind noted, if that is red, it's just mud brown to me. That settled my choice.

Its reflective and it must be red at the rear by law. Same as red lights, red reflectors etc. It’s not about how it appears in day time but more when it reflects light at night.

 

[sasquath]

Single file encourages close passes unless in primary, if in primary you may as well have a mate on the inside with their extra light, that twin head/rear light view might just make a moton think you are a car and act a bit better...

Generally agree.There are places where single file allows safe overtake in the same lane. And there are places where 2 abreast will force close pass no matter how carefull the driver is. I have it all on 5.5mile commute

Being colour-blind myself, I've been aware of the issues since a teenager:

but if the above is true, do you think we can see red rear LIGHTS? Or are they invisible to 5% of road users (along with red traffic lights).

I'm guessing you see the light but looks just like green one?

 

[Alex321]

Its reflective and it must be red at the rear by law. Same as red lights, red reflectors etc. It’s not about how it appears in day time but more when it reflects light at night.

I don't think that is true of clothing, only of things attached to the vehicle?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

And there are places where 2 abreast will force close pass no matter how carefull the driver is. I have it all on 5.5mile commute

Whoa there. No careful driver will ever be “forced” into a close pass. It’s a choice a driver makes not something forced on them.

If drivers are close passing you on your 5.5 mile cycle commute. They are not being careful.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I don't think that is true of clothing, only of things attached to the vehicle?

Colour blindness is different depending on whether it’s clothing or attached to vehicle. Who knew?

 

[Alex321]

Colour blindness is different depending on whether it’s clothing or attached to vehicle. Who knew?

Neither your post nor my response had anything to do with colour blindness.

You were stating that it was required by law to be red, and that is what I was responding to.

 

[sasquath]

Whoa there. No careful driver will ever be “forced” into a close pass. It’s a choice a driver makes not something forced on them.

Sorry, but if someone is riding 2 abreast on a road so narrow that overtake physically can't be done with gap big enough then we have peanuts on bikes. Junctions, and short sections by isles etc are excluded.

 

[matticus]

@Alex321 @Ming the Merciless : I think the same post talked about reflector colour AND motorbike jacket colour!
(and also colour blindness)

Cool your engines!

 

[neil_merseyside]

Generally agree. There are places where single file allows safe overtake in the same lane. And there are places where 2 abreast will force close pass no matter how carefull the driver is. I have it all on 5.5mile commute

I doubt there exists a single lane anywhere that a driver can pass a cyclist at the required 1.5m clearance actually in the same lane, and if a driver can't pass with 1.5m clear (in lane, opposite carriageway wherever) then they shouldn't attempt to pass, and you need to stop it as at the first sign of danger to their steel cage they will just grate you against the nearest hedge/tree/whatever. If needs be you need to ride further out to stop them squeezing you - they will kill you accidentally squeezing by and getting it wrong (though it isn't an accident it's bad driving).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Sorry, but if someone is riding 2 abreast on a road so narrow that overtake physically can't be done with gap big enough then we have peanuts on bikes. Junctions, and short sections by isles etc are excluded.

And what about the peanuts driving two abreast? If the cyclists are two abreast there’s a reason and any overtake should proceed with caution or just accept it is not a suitable place to overtake and you’ll have to wait. A careful driver would understand that and stay behind till safe to pass.