Low sun danger

themekon
themekon Posts: 197
edited November 2013 in Road general
it may seem like a nice day for a ride when the sun is shining. At this time of year it is also bloody dangerous. Just riding into town this morning on my shopping bike I was having to shield my eyes with my hand even with a cap on. Driving a car a cyclist even dressed well would easily be missed.
just saying be careful out there.

Comments

  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Agreed. Driving to work this morning I joined the A1(M) up the hill out of Chester-le-Street, traffic was at an almost stand still crawling along, thought there had been a crash. But no; I found the problem when I got to the top of the hill - the sun was on the horizon and shining straight at you, could see almost nothing, so I like everyone else slowed to an almost crawl, after that the traffic picked up but the sun was nasty all the way.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Only time I've ever been hit was when I was cycling into the setting sun and a van driver clipped my bars with his mirror. He did stop and ask if I was OK; said he hadn't seen me when he came round the corner and was blinded by the sun.

    I leave my evening rides till it's properly dark now, and light myself up like a christmas tree.
  • adr82
    adr82 Posts: 4,002
    themekon wrote:
    it may seem like a nice day for a ride when the sun is shining. At this time of year it is also bloody dangerous. Just riding into town this morning on my shopping bike I was having to shield my eyes with my hand even with a cap on. Driving a car a cyclist even dressed well would easily be missed.
    just saying be careful out there.
    Sounds like you need a pair of sunglasses, shielding your eyes with a hand is not a good idea.
  • kwi
    kwi Posts: 181
    I always feel most vulnerable at dusk/dawn. But low lying sun comes a close second.
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    kwi wrote:
    I always feel most vulnerable at dusk/dawn. But low lying sun comes a close second.

    Isnt that the time for low lying sun?
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  • themekon
    themekon Posts: 197
    adr82 wrote:
    themekon wrote:
    it may seem like a nice day for a ride when the sun is shining. At this time of year it is also bloody dangerous. Just riding into town this morning on my shopping bike I was having to shield my eyes with my hand even with a cap on. Driving a car a cyclist even dressed well would easily be missed.
    just saying be careful out there.
    Sounds like you need a pair of sunglasses, shielding your eyes with a hand is not a good idea.

    I was wearing sunglasses as well but it was blinding.
  • Oxo
    Oxo Posts: 144
    How very true.

    Sat here nursing a very sore noggin and bruised quad after being hurled into the road by a young driver who was blinded by low sun yesterday evening whilst I was cycling home from work.

    He told me that he had been momentarily blinded by low sun coming over a hedge on the rural B road and didn't have time to even slow - he had no idea at all I was there until he heard the impact which sent me upside down landing on the back of my head in the centre of the road. The first warning I had was a sound like an atom bomb going off next to me and then found myself lying in a heap. It's hard to take in the violence of an impact with a vehicle at 30 - 40 mph I can assure you. I'm amazed I'm still here to be totally honest. A trip to A&E confirmed that nothing is broken but I should be sporting some impressive bruises and lumps in the next few days.

    I had a very bright rear light flashing away, high viz bands on my ankles (yeah, sexy baby!) and a now deformed and rippled Catlike Whisper in Euskatel colours (orange and white) so I was, I felt, pretty visible.

    Not sure what the leasson to be learn't here is, as there's not much more we can do as cyclists to avoid this type of accident other than change route (it would be the opposite direction to home for me though!). That said I have ordered myself a Hope District 3 rear light.

    My beautiful old Holdsworth Zephyr is in for repairs tomorrow, really hoping the frame's not bent.

    Stay safe peeps,

    Ox
    Sunday Best: 2013 Colnago Master 30th Anniversary
    Foul Weather: 2010 Kinesis Racelight T2
    Commuter: 1958 Holdsworth Zephyr Fixed Gear
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    So the sun isn't actually dangerous, just the rider not riding to conditions?
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Not sure what a rider in front can do about it?

    In my car I ended up putting my rear fog light on which sounds odd when too much light is the issue but the only thing I could see of the cars in front were their lights.
  • Oxo
    Oxo Posts: 144
    SloppySchleckonds wrote:
    So the sun isn't actually dangerous, just the rider not riding to conditions?

    How would you suggest someone should ride in these conditions?
    Sunday Best: 2013 Colnago Master 30th Anniversary
    Foul Weather: 2010 Kinesis Racelight T2
    Commuter: 1958 Holdsworth Zephyr Fixed Gear
  • kwi
    kwi Posts: 181
    goonz wrote:
    kwi wrote:
    I always feel most vulnerable at dusk/dawn. But low lying sun comes a close second.

    Isnt that the time for low lying sun?
    No, that's late afternoon/early morning, dusk/dawn is that period where the light is changing.
  • rpherts
    rpherts Posts: 207
    Just wait until ice starts forming on windscreens. That's the worst of all. There's no way you get it all off and when strong low sunlight hits that...
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    rpherts wrote:
    Just wait until ice starts forming on windscreens. That's the worst of all. There's no way you get it all off and when strong low sunlight hits that...

    In my car you press the heated windscreen button, wait 2 minutes and it's all gone.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    One of my clubmates was killed by a driver blinded by the sun.

    This was on a Sunday morning - on a quiet dual carriageway. Driver couldn't see where he was driving and ploughed into two cyclists.

    Now if there's low sun around - I'll change my route if I can.
  • elderone
    elderone Posts: 1,410
    Oxo wrote:
    How very true.

    Sat here nursing a very sore noggin and bruised quad after being hurled into the road by a young driver who was blinded by low sun yesterday evening whilst I was cycling home from work.

    He told me that he had been momentarily blinded by low sun coming over a hedge on the rural B road and didn't have time to even slow - he had no idea at all I was there until he heard the impact which sent me upside down landing on the back of my head in the centre of the road. The first warning I had was a sound like an atom bomb going off next to me and then found myself lying in a heap. It's hard to take in the violence of an impact with a vehicle at 30 - 40 mph I can assure you. I'm amazed I'm still here to be totally honest. A trip to A&E confirmed that nothing is broken but I should be sporting some impressive bruises and lumps in the next few days.

    I had a very bright rear light flashing away, high viz bands on my ankles (yeah, sexy baby!) and a now deformed and rippled Catlike Whisper in Euskatel colours (orange and white) so I was, I felt, pretty visible.

    Not sure what the leasson to be learn't here is, as there's not much more we can do as cyclists to avoid this type of accident other than change route (it would be the opposite direction to home for me though!). That said I have ordered myself a Hope District 3 rear light.

    My beautiful old Holdsworth Zephyr is in for repairs tomorrow, really hoping the frame's not bent.

    Stay safe peeps,
    Get well soon,the exact same thing happened to me a year ago.Really scary and nothing you can do about it.To be honest I thought I was over it,but noticed I was a little nervous riding home into the low sun again.As my ride home is into the west (ish) direction with not much chance of different route.
    Ox
    Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori
  • Frank the tank
    Frank the tank Posts: 6,553
    I endevour to not ride in low sun conditions, it's so dangerous. As a car driver I've lost sight of other vehicles in such conditions let alone cyclists. Therefore when driving or cycling in low sun I'm more than wary of the dangers.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • kwi
    kwi Posts: 181
    Not even low sun today, 1300ish I could barely make out cars coming towards me through the glare of the wet road, couldn't even begin to think how cars coming from behind could see me.
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    Luckily i don't *have* to commute so i choose to drive at this time of year for exactly this reason. My route is all fastish roads and people do not seem to slow despite not being able to see where they are going.
  • Bozman
    Bozman Posts: 2,518
    About 10 years ago a girl got killed in a car on a level crossing near where I live due to that very reason, but it's ludicrous to say that you wouldn't go out on a bike because of a low sun, the world has gone mad.
  • Big Geordie
    Big Geordie Posts: 49
    It's not the cyclists not riding according to the conditions, it's the drivers. Isn't there something in the Highway Code about being able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear? I don't see what the cyclists can do- in order to be visible with the sun right behind you you would need a light that was brighter than the sun.
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    With the way lighting technology is going, that isn't too far away...
  • Simmo72
    Simmo72 Posts: 262
    Worst time of year to ride for sure

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