Matt black bike and Black clothing

1964johnr
1964johnr Posts: 179
edited January 2019 in Road general
On my ride today I must have seen a couple of dozen matt black bikes with the riders wearing all black kit. It looks pretty cool, but I couldn't help thinking that it's not great for safety, especially in the winter when it often gets quite dark at 3pm.I think i'll stick to my bright colours even though it doesn't look as good. I'm not making any particular point here, it was just an observation.

Comments

  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    You saw them then. Clothing colour is irrelevant once it's dark, reflective material and lights is what matters.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    1964johnr wrote:
    it was just an observation.

    literally...
  • thiscocks
    thiscocks Posts: 549
    Yep bright colours is best for the day. If I wear a black top I usually wear a hi vis gillet over it. Didnt today but I have a yellow helmet (!) and yellow reflective ankle band, so better than nothing.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I'm using flashing lights in daylight thru the winter too. Doesn't cost me anything.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,402
    Brakeless wrote:
    You saw them then. Clothing colour is irrelevant once it's dark, reflective material and lights is what matters.
    This is wishful thinking.
  • OnTheRopes
    OnTheRopes Posts: 460
    First Aspect wrote:
    Brakeless wrote:
    This is wishful thinking.
    I think you will find it is physics
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    thiscocks wrote:
    Yep bright colours is best for the day. If I wear a black top I usually wear a hi vis gillet over it.


    are you a school lollipop crossing man?
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    1964johnr wrote:
    On my ride today I must have seen a couple of dozen matt black bikes with the riders wearing all black kit. It looks pretty cool.

    FTFY.

    it seems that someone had hacked your account and added a load of tosh to your post. I think it may have been donald trump.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,402
    OnTheRopes wrote:
    First Aspect wrote:
    Brakeless wrote:
    This is wishful thinking.
    I think you will find it is physics
    Which bit of it? The bit that's wishful thinking or the bit that's self evident?
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    I managed to crash in to a white bus (with vivid colour markings) during broad daylight a few weeks ago.... Don't think colours in day are as significant for visibility as some make out.

    If you are concerned then just use day lights (front and back). The flash mode is far more likely to get you noticed by other road users than the colour of your jersey.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    You can dress up in what you like as far as I am concerned.
    Just to point out that the vast majority of people on bikes in my town are people in ordinary clothes getting from a to b . Some of them maybe scallies on drug runs and some of them are in hi viz but only because AOdot com and the rest pf the mega warehousing enterprises make them wear it so they dont get run over by fork lifts.
    Accidents do happen.
    Great song.
  • OnTheRopes
    OnTheRopes Posts: 460
    First Aspect wrote:
    OnTheRopes wrote:
    First Aspect wrote:
    Brakeless wrote:
    This is wishful thinking.
    I think you will find it is physics
    Which bit of it? The bit that's wishful thinking or the bit that's self evident?
    Colour is irrelevant when it is dark
  • chippyk
    chippyk Posts: 529
    Oh good. A thread on hi-vis.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,402
    OnTheRopes wrote:
    First Aspect wrote:
    OnTheRopes wrote:
    First Aspect wrote:
    Brakeless wrote:
    This is wishful thinking.
    I think you will find it is physics
    Which bit of it? The bit that's wishful thinking or the bit that's self evident?
    Colour is irrelevant when it is dark
    Read the original post.
  • step83
    step83 Posts: 4,170
    ChippyK wrote:
    Oh good. A thread on hi-vis.

    Popcorn sir?

    This all arbitrary if the person who hits you is colour blind. :lol:
    Titanium Px Spitfire
    Easty commuter
    Tripster AT
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228
    redvision wrote:
    I managed to crash in to a white bus (with vivid colour markings) during broad daylight a few weeks ago.... Don't think colours in day are as significant for visibility as some make out.

    Hold on a minute, don't let that be a throwaway comment. Because you didn't notice it was there?
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    Hold on a minute, don't let that be a throwaway comment. Because you didn't notice it was there?

    It would appear so, at least according to the police report.

    I have zero memory and the only witnesses were the bus driver and member of the public. Both say I was at fault and just rode straight in to the bus at speed.
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    redvision wrote:
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    Hold on a minute, don't let that be a throwaway comment. Because you didn't notice it was there?

    It would appear so, at least according to the police report.

    I have zero memory and the only witnesses were the bus driver and member of the public. Both say I was at fault and just rode straight in to the bus at speed.

    Hope youre starting to feel a smidge more with it Redevision. :)

    The university of Winchester has done loads of work on hazzard perception and accidents with bikes, theyve come up with some really interesting insights including work on flashing lights.

    They're apparently irritating and likely to distract drivers. some of the brighter ones at night in country lanes dazzle other road users rendering them temporarily blind. its a minefield out there
  • bikes`n`guns
    bikes`n`guns Posts: 959
    It's all about contrast init ? You need to stand out against your background. Black does that best in some cases.
    Trek,,,, too cool for school ,, apparently
  • arthur_scrimshaw
    arthur_scrimshaw Posts: 2,596
    Bikes`n`guns wrote:
    It's all about contrast init ? You need to stand out against your background. Black does that best in some cases.

    This presumes people are actually seeing rather than simply looking? Like the difference between listening and hearing.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Vino'sGhost wrote:

    Hope youre starting to feel a smidge more with it Redevision. :)

    The university of Winchester has done loads of work on hazzard perception and accidents with bikes, theyve come up with some really interesting insights including work on flashing lights.

    They're apparently irritating and likely to distract drivers. some of the brighter ones at night in country lanes dazzle other road users rendering them temporarily blind. its a minefield out there

    Yep, starting to feel better thanks mate. Long way to go and had a few set backs over the last week or so, but can now walk unaided and able to reduce the number of painkillers im taking.
    Just fed up of wearing a collar and casts though :cry:

    The study on lights is interesting. I read (skimmed through) a couple of the published studies this evening and both suggested lights are a major factor in most bicycle/ vehicle collisions at night.
    Going to do some more reading in to the subject as it's not something I ever really considered tbh. Naively I was always of the mindset that a mega front light (exposure Toro) and a bright rear light would light me up like a Christmas tree. But it does seem some lights are too bright :?
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    ultrabright lights in a group ride are a pain in the arse too
  • kingrollo
    kingrollo Posts: 3,198
    Trust your instincts.

    And remember there will be a report on the internet to prove/disprove that theory.

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