Black Out - Hi Viz

RideOnTime

It must be that hi-viz gear is less and less effective. I noticed yesterday about 1 in 5 people were in hi-viz - many inside cars (on the way to/from building site may be). I'm glad that black and dark cycling clothing has been in fashion thanks to Rapha etc - thank god at least I stand out in blue. If you're not wearing hi-viz perhaps drivers feel entitled to run you down.

But if we're all wearing hi-viz no-one is special. I think that I might get a hi-viz top hat...

arran77

RideOnTime wrote:

It must be that hi-viz gear is less and less effective. I noticed yesterday about 1 in 5 people were in hi-viz - many inside cars (on the way to/from building site may be). I'm glad that black and dark cycling clothing has been in fashion thanks to Rapha etc - thank god at least I stand out in blue. If you're not wearing hi-viz perhaps drivers feel entitled to run you down.

But if we're all wearing hi-viz no-one is special. I think that I might get a hi-viz top hat...

You were going to a Village People conference weren't you

secretsam

There used to be a chap on here who went under the name BentMikey (he rode a recumbent) - he argued that black or dark colours were better than hi-viz because vivid yellow was so common it wasn't noticed any more.

seanoconn

It is a massive problem. Hi Viz isn't as cool as black and I have my street cred to think of, but I'd rather not die. Tricky one.

arran77

seanoconn wrote:

It is a massive problem. Hi Viz isn't as cool as black and I have my street cred to think of, but I'd rather not die. Tricky one.

Get yourself one of these Sean,



You could wear in Lundan Gangsta stylee,

RideOnTime

SecretSam wrote:

There used to be a chap on here who went under the name BentMikey (he rode a recumbent) - he argued that black or dark colours were better than hi-viz because vivid yellow was so common it wasn't noticed any more.

Yeah but is he still alive?

k-dog

It does amuse me quite a bit when people go on and on about hi-viz for commuting at this time of year. Now it's useless as it's dark. Hi-viz is fantastic when it's just getting dark (that's how it works - the colours reflect more UV than visible light so when the sun has just dropped the colours are relatively brighter than everything else) but in the dark they're the same as everything else.

It's especially true for the cheap jackets that are just yellow etc with no reflective panels (and especially when they're about 10 years old, faded and they have a big rucksack over the top).

My black/blue stuff with big reflective bits is much more effective.

Monty Dog

Recent studies have shown that high-vis isn't really effective as some people think - if you want to be seen, get some reflectives, particularly ankle bands. IME you can wear as much high-vis as you like, but it doesn't stops cars from pulling out in front of you. Like those that campaign for compulsory helmets and high-vis they do nothing to change some motorists attitude to more vulnerable road users - the challenge is to address driver behaviour not swaddling yourself in cheap, flappy nylon in the vain hope that it's some kind of forcefield.

morstar

I've never contemplated wearing hi vis stuff for my normal riding which is 99% out in the sticks.

On my occassional commutes by bike I've been wearing a very bright windproof gilet with reflective panels as I'm spending around 30 mins in urban areas and a further 45 mins or so on busy trunk roads in the dark.

Will it make a bad driver a good one? No, does it reduce the likelihood of not being seen? I would say it helps.

That's enough justification for me to use it.

Pituophis

Not funny, but unfortunately true;
We used a pals errand to get a swift social ride in on Monday evening, which necessitated going through the centre of Manchester and out through the student area to the south.
Firstly I was struck by the number of people riding about on a variety of contraptions (mostly bikes :oops: ) and secondly the fact that only about three of them had ANY lights on, and only one had Hi-vis on.
Now my pal and I were lit up like flouro yellow Christmas trees, but on the way back out, he was almost knocked off when a lovely taxi driver decided to cut him up on an empty road (outside the Natural History museum for anyone requiring all the details ) in a manoeuvre that defied all logic?

So, do drivers switch off to hi-vis? Is low-vis better in city centres? Are a high percentage of drivers, and 99.9% of taxi drivers just too dangerous to be allowed on the road?
The only thing I can answer is; "Does pretending not to be able to speak any English get you off lightly when confronted by angry cyclists, and absolutely in the wrong?" The answer to this is "Yes" as the cyclist quickly feel they are having more p*ss taken out of them :evil:

kajjal

If you want to be a night time ninja dress all in black and good luck to you on pitch black roads.

If you want to live decent lights and visible clothing are needed. I just use proper lights front and back with a night vision evo jacket in Red. Makes me visible day or night.

daviesee

Anecdotal evidence.

I have cycled for over 45 years.
I have been hit by a car precisely once.
That was during the one month that I wore hi-viz.

The most important item is bright lights. Then reflectives.

arran77

daviesee wrote:

Anecdotal evidence.

I have cycled for over 45 years.
I have been hit by a car precisely once.
That was during the one month that I wore hi-viz.

The most important item is bright lights. Then reflectives.

Were you wearing it on the one day in the last 45 years that it's actually been sunny up there, maybe the driver got dazzled

daviesee

arran77 wrote:

Were you wearing it on the one day in the last 45 years that it's actually been sunny up there, maybe the driver got dazzled

Dark and raining.
As usual.

meagain

I don't see (sic) how viz stuff can do harm and it might help - good enough for me. Wearing "sensible" clothing will also reduce chances of "contributory negligence" lessening any award for injuries and loss when it all goes wrong. It shouldn't, but I suspect that it can.

awavey

Kajjal wrote:

If you want to be a night time ninja dress all in black and good luck to you on pitch black roads.

If you want to live decent lights and visible clothing are needed. I just use proper lights front and back with a night vision evo jacket in Red. Makes me visible day or night.

but thats the point there is a happy middle ground between stealth ninja and hi-viz, that just involves wearing normal cycling clobber with a bit of colour, Ive got a quite a few cycling jackets in red and blue I use this time of year and I dont feel any less visible because its not a fluorescant yellow waistcoast

the ones I worry most are those that are stealth ninjas with the hi viz waistcoasts, like the worst of both worlds, because they think they can be seen. up till they fling an arm out to signal, move and wonder why none of the following cars realised what they were about to do

pinno

daviesee wrote:

Anecdotal evidence.

I have cycled for over 45 years.
I have been hit by a car precisely once.
That was during the one month that I wore hi-viz.

The most important item is bright lights. Then reflectives.

Listen to that chuchta A77 - he lives on a wee outer Hebridean island where there is only one car - the now unemployed lighthouse keepers Austin A35 and still managed to get run over. He was probably very very paralytic at the time and he uses that example as 'anecdotal evidence'. Some people, I dunno. Should have worn a head cam I say.
Fair play to him though - he's only 47.

daviesee

pinarello001 wrote:

Listen to that chuchta A77 - he lives on a wee outer Hebridean island where there is only one car - the now unemployed lighthouse keepers Austin A35 and still managed to get run over. He was probably very very paralytic at the time and he uses that example as 'anecdotal evidence'. Some people, I dunno. Should have worn a head cam I say.
Fair play to him though - he's only 47.

Learn quick or die. Hic.
Do head cams fit on a Tam O' Shanter?

pinno

daviesee wrote:

pinarello001 wrote:

Listen to that chuchta A77 - he lives on a wee outer Hebridean island where there is only one car - the now unemployed lighthouse keepers Austin A35 and still managed to get run over. He was probably very very paralytic at the time and he uses that example as 'anecdotal evidence'. Some people, I dunno. Should have worn a head cam I say.
Fair play to him though - he's only 47.

Learn quick or die. Hic.
Do head cams fit on a Tam O' Shanter?

Some people need head cams on their bishops.

RideOnTime

pinarello001 wrote:

daviesee wrote:

Anecdotal evidence.

I have cycled for over 45 years.
I have been hit by a car precisely once.
That was during the one month that I wore hi-viz.

The most important item is bright lights. Then reflectives.

Listen to that chuchta A77 - he lives on a wee outer Hebridean island where there is only one car - the now unemployed lighthouse keepers Austin A35 and still managed to get run over. He was probably very very paralytic at the time and he uses that example as 'anecdotal evidence'. Some people, I dunno. Should have worn a head cam I say.
Fair play to him though - he's only 47.

If this car stops at a junction is that congestion...