Visibility in the dark?-Lights/reflectors

[Matthew_T]

As winter is rapidly approaching, and the skies are darkening, it brings up the question of how visible are you to other motorists?

I currently wear all black lycra, have a light on the front and back of my bike, and have reflectors on my saddle bag, shoes, and spokes. But is this as visible as I need to be?

I have been needing to get a waterproof high-viz jacket but havent got around to it yet.

How visible are everyone else? What makes you more easy to see than other cyclists?

 

[gaz]

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT3fh6BzSO0[/media]


If you have good lights then reflectors are pretty much useless. The only reflectors I do use are on the spokes and on my overshoes.

I wear pretty much all black apart from a white jacket.

 

[Alien8]

"other motorists"? Anyway, as long as you meet the legal requirements for lights/reflectors that should suffice. Everything else is essentially peace-of-mind. Do yourself up like a xmas tree if it makes you feel better.

 

[Matthew_T]

Sorry Gaz, unable to view the vid because of my silly connection error. But thanks for the input.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Two bright lights on the front, one constant and one flashing, two bright lights on the back, one flashing one constant, there's a reflector built into one of the back lights and reflectors on the rear of the pedals. I'm very visible, as long as the buggers are paying attention.

 

[element]

I just got home after riding through some pitch black countryside. DO get turbo bright lights like the cyclist I met coming the other way who seemed to have some kind of halogen light on the front of his bike. Don't do what I did and use two crappy LCD night lights sellotaped to the front of your bike because your proper but still crap LCD fell off. Don't also have a shoot rear light bracket that wont tighten so keeps aiming itself at the floor when you go over a bump.

 

[the snail]

If you have good lights then reflectors are pretty much useless. The only reflectors I do use are on the spokes and on my overshoes.

I disagree, lights can always fail so you might as well have reflectors as back up.

 

[gaz]

I disagree, lights can always fail so you might as well have reflectors as back up.

Buy a cheap light with a crappy bracket, then i would agree. But I have to disagree with you due to my initial comment talking about good lights, which to me includes a good quality bracket.

I've never had a light fall off in over 10,000 miles.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Buy a cheap light with a crappy bracket, then i would agree. But I have to disagree with you due to my initial comment talking about good lights, which to me includes a good quality bracket.

I've never had a light fall off in over 10,000 miles.

I've got a bit more mileage in the legs than you have gaz, I have had lights and brackets fail and fall off, modern lights and brackets are generally very good, the last one must have been four years ago, it wasn't a crap light either.

 

[Bobtoo]

Christmas tree for sure, motorists can be astonishingly unobservant.

It's counter-intuitive but I think you need more light in urban areas than in the country. On a rural road you'll be the only light around while in town you are competing for attention with loads of other lights.

 

[gaz]

I've got a bit more mileage in the legs than you have gaz, I have had lights and brackets fail and fall off, modern lights and brackets are generally very good, the last one must have been four years ago, it wasn't a crap light either.

Bu was it a crap bracket?

 

[snailracer]

I like pedal reflectors because they are a standard distance apart, which provides other road users a reliable cue for the how far ahead the bicycle is, which bike lights don’t.

Pedal reflectors are also better positioned (i.e. lower) than the red reflector, “flash” and the eye is more sensitive to amber than red.

 

[Davidc]

Agree with Gaz, except that I've had good lights come off or out of their QR brackets. Releasable cable ties help.

I always have at least 2 lights at each end in case one fails or falls off or gets nicked.

Interesting video Gaz.

 

[SquareDaff]

Two x 3W front lights - both constant.
Two x (0.5x2) rear lights (one constant / one flashing)

And as the front light is rechargeable and both lights run off the same battery - an emergency "get me home/keep me visible" front light.

Reflectors front and rear. Spoke reflectors for side ways on visibility. Bright yellow/orange jacket. Reflective strips on the panniers.

That usually does it!!

 

[siadwell]

I have been needing to get a waterproof high-viz jacket but havent got around to it yet.

There's another thread going on about reflectives, but don't forget that just because a jacket is hi-viz bright yellow doesn't make it super-visible in the dark. Light colours are more visible than dark ones, but fluo yellow is no more effective than white.

It's the reflective material on workmen's high-viz wear that makes them visible at night, and most cycling jackets will have far less reflective trim than a proper EN-compliant safety vest.