Public service announcement - LIGHTS!

lost_in_thought

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

riding in black gets you much more room, because people assume you're a ninja and will flip out and kill people. FACT.

Maybe that's it... I will invest in a balaclava and a pair of crossed swords for my back. Actually, that would probably be pretty damn effective!

EDIT:

Does anyone read Yehuda Moon other than me? They refer to people without lights as bike ninjas...

see here http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2008-09-09

and here http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2008-09-10

love this cartoon.

singlespeedexplosif

yehuda moon is indeed fab.
I'm still waiting for a bike episode of http://www.askaninja.com though

Eat My Dust

lost_in_thought wrote:

Maybe that's it... I will invest in a balaclava and a pair of crossed swords for my back. Actually, that would probably be pretty damn effective!

Don't laugh, but on very cold winter days I do wear a balaclava!

Verb

Just a guess, but perhaps the difference between having lights on a black background versus a high viz background is the contrast.

With the dark background, a light is more obvious than against a light background.

Also, with roadsigns and various street furniture being high viz, it's possible drivers grow accustomed to it and blank it out to some degree.

The ninja theory holds water too.

biondino

Probably what it is is when the driver spots a cyclist in black they immediately think "that nobber's got a death wish" and are very careful to stay as far away from him as possible - such an idiot could do just about anything and if he does you'll barely be able to see him anyway!!

downfader

girv73 wrote:

I've been running a flashing rear light @ 7.30am for the past month or so and will soon run the front (steady) as well (as soon as I get paid and order a Fenix )

My personal rule is: any hint of not-full-days-brightness and the lights go on.

I'd rather a driver noticed me and thought I was a gimp for lighting up when it's not fully dark, than not notice me at all until I was sitting beside him!

I've been doing the same... or had been, lol. I always set up my lights to flash. I wear me shades to try and estimate driver visibility beforehand.

singlespeedexplosif

The ninja theory holds water too.

holds water? it slices it into a million wafffer-thin pieces with its bare hands.

moonio

lost_in_thought wrote:

drivers seemed to give me a wider berth when I was wearing the black jacket than the hi-viz one.

But why?

I think its because a flash of red against black is used in nature as a warning sign saying..fuck with me and I'll kill you

I am pleased to say my flashing wrist bands were a great success this evening, and really helped when I was indicating , one car even screeched on the breaks when I indicated that I was pulling out to go around a parked car...hehe

Cunobelin

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

It does seem to be the people who don't wear helmets who don't have lights, I just assumed it was some sort of experiment to see how long the average idiot survives.

no helmet, but lots of lights. Where do I fit in your sweeping generalisation?

How silly of you......

Don't you know that a helmet will save your life when the vehicle that failed to see your lights knocks you off!

Helmets are the answer to ALL road Safety discussions.

nwallace

Eat My Dust wrote:

Don't laugh, but on very cold winter days I do wear a balaclava!

Wimp, facial hair is the maximum insulation allowed.

Something to bear in mind is that lights are only required where streetlighting is spaced a certain distance apart (same as default 30mph limit?)

I was carrying lights the few times I was out in the summer, just don't want to get caught out by a big dark cloud.

Then the one day I didn't bother with them it was raining and had a visit from the fairy.... who had also moved my tyre levers to another bike. :twisted:

always_tyred

HID on the front, Dinotte at the back.

Cost as much as a serviceable bike, but I'm visible from space.

By far the best position for reflectives is on the legs. Funny upanddowny motion means cyclist. Random reflectives elsewhere could be a jogger (because its dangerous on the pavement) or a dog (leads not being as robust as they used to be).

Eat My Dust

Verb wrote:

Also, with roadsigns and various street furniture being high viz, it's possible drivers grow accustomed to it and blank it out to some degree.

Bingo! That's the one. Wasn't there a huge bank robbery where the robbers were all wearing hi-viz clothing, when they asked the people in the street for witnesses, everybody said they hadn't seen anything/anybody!

lost_in_thought

Eat My Dust wrote:

Verb wrote:

Also, with roadsigns and various street furniture being high viz, it's possible drivers grow accustomed to it and blank it out to some degree.

Bingo! That's the one. Wasn't there a huge bank robbery where the robbers were all wearing hi-viz clothing, when they asked the people in the street for witnesses, everybody said they hadn't seen anything/anybody!

In a previous life, before moving to the big smoke, I used to organise airshows around the south of England. This meant being on the active or live side of airfields a lot, and meant I should wear hi-vis.

Was standing chatting to a friend on the live side once and heard this exchange:

Jobsworth: Oi mate you should be wearing a hi-vis jacket, people won't see you.

Pilot: How do you know I'm not?

Jobsowrth: Well I can see you not wearing one

Pilot: So....

Made me smile!

dirk_van_gently

Very misty this morning, had to shout "Lights" at a WVM, every other vehicle had lights on, you would have thought the driver may have took the hint! or maybe he was trying to save fuel ?

jedster

Re hi viz

I think there are two situations where hi viz (meaning day glo yellow) does help:

1. avoiding smidsy pullouts - I notice when driving that I see a high viz clad cyclist earlier
2. getting seen in wing mirrors while filtering - even when I'm not actively checking a mirror, I sometimes see a yellow flash in my peripheral vision as a cylist filters towards me

I can't comment on drivers getting closer to high viz riders. I normally encourage drivers to give me room by weaving around even minor potholes. Drivers should give you room to do this. If you make a point of taking that room frequently, drivers see this as they approach you and dont have a chance to line up close alongside you (as they tend to if you keep a dead straight line).

I often wear all black but have taken to wearing a high viz and reflective sash/belt thing in low light.

I like reflectives - even good bike lights dont necessarily get you noticed from side on. Good reflectives really get lit up by the headlights of cars waiting to join your road.

On lights, I have a dynohub and have taken to leaving the lights on pretty much all the time unless in really bright sunshine. Sure there is a smidge of extra drag but it's all training isnt it?

J

demBones

newbie so just my opinion

started off with

cateye el135 and ld130
used as flashers and a SL100 Compact Safety Rear Light on my backpack

just upgraded to

front cateye single shot plus

rear cateye ld1100
for winter riding.

Wear northwave skeleton tops mostly for getting noticed and scaring people in lifts at work