Commuting in the fog

DonDaddyD

OK so it's one of those rare days in Wimbledon (London) where there is a really dense/thick/low visibility fog. It got me thinking, despite having the lights, is it safe to commute?

Now I'm going to Ilford so I can only imagine that the other end, which is also more residential than a highly comericial (well heated/lit) district will also suffer relatively dense fog.

So - seriously - what do we do when cycling through fog to remain safe?

iPete

Plenty of Sunday riders on the dual carriageways today, no lights, nutters!

Still, happy my District 3 is powerfull enough.

optimisticbiker

I was out riding today in the fog... 44 miles, 3degC, brrr... plenty of idiots in cars on narrow country lanes with no lights.. I was lit up like an Xmas tree and still they tried to overtake even though they couldn't possibly see what was coming the other way...

itboffin

This time of year that's my normal morning commute, you get used to it however it does make the commute slower.

Gussio

Richmond Park full to the gunnels today. Reckon about 10% of riders were using lights. Visability was seriously impaired. Insane.

veronese68

Use lights, be careful. There's a lot worse than fog.

waddlie

What's the difference between muff-diving and driving in fog?

When you're muff-diving you can see the c*** in front of you.

rolf_f

Weather isn't a bar to a commute in this country. All it can do is force a non extended commute. I think fog is nicer than gusting gale force winds.

I suspect the biggest risk in fog is of riding into the back of parked cars......

bails87

I don't mind fog at all. I had a Knog frog strobe on my fork, a red one on my helmet, a fibre flare on my flourescent and reflective backpack, a Magicshine MJ-818 ('car brake light' bright) on the back of the bike and a MJ-872 on the front.

I did see plenty of cars without lights on though, it's always the fog coloured cars isn't it!

I told one guy that his front lights weren't working, he said they weren't on, I told him his back lights were on though, he said they were his brake lights. So I told him his high, centre brake light wasn't working, he shrugged his shoulders. And then I said that his light bluey-silver car was practically invisible so he should probably put his lights on. He just looked at me as if I was speaking Incan at him. :roll:

rjsterry

bails87 wrote:

I don't mind fog at all. I had a Knog frog strobe on my fork, a red one on my helmet, a fibre flare on my flourescent and reflective backpack, a Magicshine MJ-818 ('car brake light' bright) on the back of the bike and a MJ-872 on the front.

I did see plenty of cars without lights on though, it's always the fog coloured cars isn't it!

I told one guy that his front lights weren't working, he said they weren't on, I told him his back lights were on though, he said they were his brake lights. So I told him his high, centre brake light wasn't working, he shrugged his shoulders. And then I said that his light bluey-silver car was practically invisible so he should probably put his lights on. He just looked at me as if I was speaking Incan at him. :roll:

I think that would be Quechua. I doubt I would have ridden last night, but it's very patchy, so you can think it's just a bit of mist then "hey where's my front wheel gone?". As with riding in snow, it's not my abilities I'm worried about, but people like the one described above.

bails87

rjsterry wrote:

bails87 wrote:

He just looked at me as if I was speaking Incan at him. :roll:

I think that would be Quechua.

Unless I'd invented my own language and called it Incan

vorsprung

DonDaddyD wrote:

OK so it's one of those rare days in Wimbledon (London) where there is a really dense/thick/low visibility fog. It got me thinking, despite having the lights, is it safe to commute?

Now I'm going to Ilford so I can only imagine that the other end, which is also more residential than a highly comericial (well heated/lit) district will also suffer relatively dense fog.

So - seriously - what do we do when cycling through fog to remain safe?

I just turn on all my lights

I have a smart super flash and a cateye ld1100 at the back and a IQ Fly at the front.

essex-commuter

I tend to turn my front light down on the fog. It was thick fog in Basildon this morning, 900 lumens on the unlit country lanes just lit the fog, I turned my light down to medium, then low, the lowest setting was the best. Really enjoyed the ride, albeit very eerie/eery!

spasypaddy

i did yesterday and would have done today if i had been riding to work. but walking in to the office instead today was fine.

i though yesterday id go slower due to the fog but actually got in quicker!

keyser__soze

Didn't ride yesterday morning nor this morning. Don't trust the drivers on the faster stretches of road.

Kieran_Burns

iPete wrote:

Plenty of Sunday riders on the dual carriageways today, no lights, nutters!

Still, happy my District 3 is powerfull enough.

Yup. Looks like you're being followed by a big red candy floss

rick_chasey

bails87 wrote:

I don't mind fog at all.

You've never descended a long/steel hill in freezing fog then...

meanredspider

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I don't mind fog at all.

You've never descended a long/steel hill in freezing fog then...

yup - steel gets really slippery with all that water/ice about - not many steel hills up here though

Kieran_Burns

meanredspider wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I don't mind fog at all.

You've never descended a long/steel hill in freezing fog then...

yup - steel gets really slippery with all that water/ice about - not many steel hills up here though

Would he be forging a new path in the fog?

Torvid

meanredspider wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I don't mind fog at all.

You've never descended a long/steel hill in freezing fog then...

yup - steel gets really slippery with all that water/ice about - not many steel hills up here though

Yep i find carbon hills to be more laterally stiff and vertically compliant, far better in the cold.

rick_chasey

It's the 3years I spent in Sheffield I tell ya.

bails87

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I don't mind fog at all.

You've never descended a long/steel hill in freezing fog then...

Typos aside.....

No, I don't have any particularly long or dangerously steep hills on my commute, so I don't mind fog. If there's freezing fog the the problem is ice, not fog.

rick_chasey

Or the icicles forming around your nose & mouth!

itboffin

like this ?

bails87

Rick Chasey wrote:

Or the icicles forming around your nose & mouth!

And what are icicles made of? :P


Maybe I should grow a polar explorer style beard....

rick_chasey

bails87 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Or the icicles forming around your nose & mouth!

And what are icicles made of? :P
.

Er, steel?

No,no, wait..!