Advice Please: High Viz jackets

Herman The Tosser

Hi all,

Although i've been a visitor to Bike Radar for a few years, this s my first post on the forum.

I've just started cycling to work (either side of my train journey) and i'm in the market for a high visability jacket. I've had a look at some of Altura's offerings but they seem a bit pricey. There also seem to be issues with the quality of the zips and waterproofing.

However, I then stumbled across this:

http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-hi ... e=63601390

I don't suppose anyone's got / had one and can either recommend it or advise me not to touch it with a barge poll.

It seems worth a punt for the money.

Cheers

pastryboy

Hi-viz in pitch black = waste of time (but good in low light).

You need to find something that's got lots of reflective bits if it's for winter.

hatbeard

Herman The Tosser wrote:

Hi all,

Although i've been a visitor to Bike Radar for a few years, this s my first post on the forum.

I've just started cycling to work (either side of my train journey) and i'm in the market for a high visability jacket. I've had a look at some of Altura's offerings but they seem a bit pricey. There also seem to be issues with the quality of the zips and waterproofing.

However, I then stumbled across this:

http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-hi ... e=63601390

I don't suppose anyone's got / had one and can either recommend it or advise me not to touch it with a barge poll.

It seems worth a punt for the money.

Cheers

my first few weeks of commuting I wore my karrimor hi-viz running jacket and it was just fine. now the temps are dropping I would ensure I had adequate layering on underneath to cope with the conditions but as a thin top layer to increase visibility it was fine.

edit: the quality of the garment though is more in line with their discounted price rather than equivalent garments for the full price from other brands.

edit 2: and when it's REALLY windy you'll sound like white noise/static as it ruffles about a lot.

Hot Orange

I have one of these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=36688

Not cheap, clearly, but a good piece of kit. Nice and warm, not flappy, little flashy light in the back.

jeremyrundle

As I have said previously see what I use at

http://sirpatrickmooresales.co.uk/Cloth ... rving.aspx

The green is misleading as it is BRIGHT yellow, also these are the only ones I have ever found where the sleves zip off, and they pack up in their own built in pocket, I have three.

Wallace1492

pastryboy wrote:

Hi-viz in pitch black = waste of time (but good in low light).

You need to find something that's got lots of reflective bits if it's for winter.

If the OP is cycling in lit streets then high viz is a start, but I would recommend reflective.... get a Hump or a WoWoW ruchsack cover, ot scotchlite tape on bike.

Herman The Tosser

Thanks for that Pastryboy.

I see your point about hi viz in the dark.

I probably should have mentioned: My commute isn't particularly long and one of the legs is through the busy and well-lit streets of London. I already have one of those back pack covers with reflective panels so I'm fairly visable from behind. It's my visibilty to oncomming vehicles i'm concerned about. I thought i'd get one of thease cheaper offerings and invest in a set of fluorescent arm bands.

Good idea or cheapskate hairbrain scheme?

Wallace1492

Herman The Tosser wrote:

Thanks for that Pastryboy.

I see your point about hi viz in the dark.

I probably should have mentioned: My commute isn't particularly long and one of the legs is through the busy and well-lit streets of London. I already have one of those back pack covers with reflective panels so I'm fairly visable from behind. It's my visibilty to oncomming vehicles i'm concerned about. I thought i'd get one of thease cheaper offerings and invest in a set of fluorescent arm bands.

Good idea or cheapskate hairbrain scheme?

Sounds good. What is also very good is the slap bands for ankles, I use the ones with lights and they *really* stand out. Also consider spoke lights, they are superb for side views.

secretsam

Herman The Tosser wrote:

Thanks for that Pastryboy.

I see your point about hi viz in the dark.

I probably should have mentioned: My commute isn't particularly long and one of the legs is through the busy and well-lit streets of London. I already have one of those back pack covers with reflective panels so I'm fairly visable from behind. It's my visibilty to oncomming vehicles i'm concerned about. I thought i'd get one of thease cheaper offerings and invest in a set of fluorescent arm bands.

Good idea or cheapskate hairbrain scheme?

If it's VFM you're after, and you want hi-viz on the front as well, get a workman's hi-viz vest and wear over your water/windproof - not terribly sexy, but does the job and (crucially) means your water/windproof can be used for non-cycling activities without you looking like a total nonce. I use a North Face general waterproof jacket that I picked up in a sale, it's OK for use on and off the bike - for visibility I use a Hump pack and reflective bands (very useful on cuffs - for signalling - and ankles - movement makes it more visible).

Personally, I prefer red to dayglo anyway, I actually think the dayglo is not 'seen' anymore as it's too common (or am I turning into BentMikey????)

Herman The Tosser

Thanks to everyone for all your helpful input.

Funnily enough, I had thought about a workman's vest. I was considering one of these:

http://www.hivis.net/546/Site-Equipment ... et/Yellow/

...but might opt for the vest instead:

http://www.hivis.net/183/Site-Equipment ... ped-Vests/

Thanks again.

il_principe

Lights, just use 2 (or more) good lights at the front and reflective kit. Hi Viz is a waste of time in the dark and in London, partly because every f*cking thing in the road is plastered in the stuff. Although apparently it means you can sail through red lights with impunity.

Rant over.

FWIW I run 2 front lights, 3 back lights and have reflective strips on my bag, shoes and most of my winter kit. No need to dress like a street sweeper at a health and safety convention.

MonkeyMonster

Il Principe wrote:

No need to dress like a street sweeper at a health and safety convention.

and +1 for the rest

Scottyland

In order to avoid the aforesaid road sweeper look. spend a few more shekels and get this:
http://www.elevengear.us/trafficmaster.html

jamesco

Il Principe wrote:

No need to dress like a street sweeper at a health and safety convention.

Molto snobby!

They dress like that because (a) it's the uniform, and (b) it helps prevent them being run over by cars. (b) doesn't apply to cyclists?

il_principe

jamesco wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

No need to dress like a street sweeper at a health and safety convention.

Molto snobby!

They dress like that because (a) it's the uniform, and (b) it helps prevent them being run over by cars. (b) doesn't apply to cyclists?

Why is that snobby? They're simply the most Hi Viz clad people I could think of. You'll note as well that they don't have the benefit of lights about their person/equipment...

jamesco

Il Principe wrote:

Why is that snobby? They're simply the most Hi Viz clad people I could think of. You'll note as well that they don't have the benefit of lights about their person/equipment...

It sounds snobby 'cos it implies that looking like a street-sweeper is something to be ashamed of. Fair enough, it was just word association, but "not to dress like a bobby" would have read a bit differently. I think that Tory 'breeding' comment in the other thread got my socialist blood pressure up

il_principe

jamesco wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Why is that snobby? They're simply the most Hi Viz clad people I could think of. You'll note as well that they don't have the benefit of lights about their person/equipment...

It sounds snobby 'cos it implies that looking like a street-sweeper is something to be ashamed of. Fair enough, it was just word association, but "not to dress like a bobby" would have read a bit differently. I think that Tory 'breeding' comment in the other thread got my socialist blood pressure up

Fair 'nuff - although I doubt street sweepers are overly excited about the kit they're forced to wear!

Tonymufc

Try this site for hi-viz everything http://www.proviz.co.uk/

As oppose to simply reflective ankle/armbands try getting some of these http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 2D1&f_bct=

SamWise72

I have a Dickies motorway jacket. Warm, bright, cheap, but not breathable, so only for the really cold months.

deptfordmarmoset

Going back to the OP, if there are issues with zips with Altura zips, stay away from Karrimor zips because they're probably worse. (I got some Karrimor tights and the zips around the ankles lasted 2 rides. And washing them turned everything else black - and my white saddle turned blue. They were cheap though...)

If looking like a road sweep means you're going to be the most obvious example of hi-vissitude...

They're simply the most Hi Viz clad people I could think of.

...then the fact that they were the first things to spring to mind would suggest that they're working.

jds_1981

I've one of the mens high viz running jackets

http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-hi ... e=45805690

£15 so cheap to replace if it goes bad. So far I've found it to be windproof and at least drizzle proof. A couple of layers under it & I'm toasty warm.

andyrr

My own preference is for :
Normal hi-viz vest over std bike wear
slap bands - used to wear these on legs but now use these on arms - thinking is that it helps with visibility when indicating left/right turns.
Lights - 2 or 3 rear, good front light, add in flashing front plus helmet mounted ligjht (Tesco LED) - last one is both really good itself plus great for pointing towards cars that look like they might start pulling out of junctions as you approach, seems to grab their attention.
Also recently added in a spoke light at the rear.
PLUS keep in mind that despite being dressed like a multi-coloured surely-not-invisible moving object that car driver may just be oblivious to everything but their windscreen and just pull out anyway.
Happened to me in decent visibility a couple of weeks ago and the woman driver started pulling away from a roundabout as I was 20 mtres away and just didn't seem to have registered me. HOW !! I CANNOT be invisible to you you clot !

So many people have high-viz jackets these days that I like the idea that my (very uncool) commuting combination of clobber stands out with an assortment of colours and high-viz bits possibly more so than if I was clad head to foot in flourescent yellow.