Cycling Bell-ends

[newfhouse]

Also it’s the split second that your eyes take to recover after being dazzled, is when ninjas dressed in dark clothing are missed, similar effect when the sun is low and gives a flashing effect as you drive past trees

Will more lights make you less dazzled?

 

[mjr]

These aren’t illegal, they’re the led projector headlights that are fitted to some modern cars, they’re too bright for anyone going towards them

Dazzling is illegal. I don't care if they're standard equipment. I wish someone would enforce the law against them.

 

[DRM]

Will more lights make you less dazzled?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The problem here (in both cases) is that nobody notices the ones who do everything correctly, it is the bell-ends who stand out, and because they are the ones who are noticed, the whole category gets a bad reputation.

Indeed all people in black clothing are getting tarred with this brush.

 

[newfhouse]

View attachment 622762

I was questioning whether adding lights or reflective clothing into a situation where you are already dazzled would help or hinder.

As others have said, the solution is to stop the dazzling, not to get into an arms race.

 

[Alex321]

I was questioning whether adding lights or reflective clothing into a situation where you are already dazzled would help or hinder.

As others have said, the solution is to stop the dazzling, not to get into an arms race.

It is only going to hinder if your lights are also dazzling.

But it certainly won't help as much as it would when the observers were not already dazzled.

 

[Tribansman]

I'm one of those so called 'ninjas' who wear all black. I've done roughly 30,000 miles over the last three years, a lot of them commute miles in the dark.

I have been driven in to once. Just once, and that was in a streetlit area, on a roundabout where the driver who should have given way admitted to just not looking right, he was too busy assessing speed of car coming from left and working out whether he could make the gap or not. So no level of hi viz or reflectives would have prevented that.

It may just be that I'm ludicrously fortunate, or it may just be that having good lights, small reflective patches on my clothing and a non-aggressive riding style is enough.

Riders with no lights at night are obviously going to be not as easy to spot in some conditions. But the idea that hi viz/bright coloured clothing has some sort of magical effect on drivers is bullsh1t. And maybe even dangerous bullsh1t if it lulls people into a false sense of security that there's more chance they'll be spotted.

Sadly, I reckon people driving into cyclists is more likely to be the result of drivers not looking than not seeing (or a mental block where they genuinely don't 'see' because they're not looking for a bike) because the bike/rider are too dark. Or seeing and risking it, or just generally not giving a sh1t!

And where any of that's the case, no amount of hi viz or bright this or that would make a difference.

 

[icowden]

I'm one of those so called 'ninjas' who wear all black.

It may just be that I'm ludicrously fortunate, or it may just be that having good lights, small reflective patches on my clothing and a non-aggressive riding style is enough.

And where any of that's the case, no amount of hi viz or bright this or that would make a difference.

Man who has good lights and wears reflectors says that good lights and reflectors don't make a difference?
<error>Does not compute<error>

Also - which Ninja's wear reflectors?

 

[Alex321]

I'm one of those so called 'ninjas' who wear all black. I've done roughly 30,000 miles over the last three years, a lot of them commute miles in the dark.

<snip>

It may just be that I'm ludicrously fortunate, or it may just be that having good lights, small reflective patches on my clothing and a non-aggressive riding style is enough.

So you aren't one of those so-called ninjas.

Wearing all black or not, you are only one of those if you also have no lights or decent reflectors.

 

[Tribansman]

Man who has good lights and wears reflectors says that good lights and reflectors don't make a difference?
<error>Does not compute<error>

Reading error, try again

 

[Tribansman]

So you aren't one of those so-called ninjas.

Wearing all black or not, you are only one of those if you also have no lights or decent reflectors.

Fair dos, but this thread was going in the direction of again extolling the benefits of brightly coloured, hi viz clothing. My point was that decent lights are enough. People have previously commented that wearing black is asking for trouble. And I don't agree.

 

[DRM]

Fair dos, but this thread was going in the direction of again extolling the benefits of brightly coloured, hi viz clothing. My point was that decent lights are enough. People have previously commented that wearing black is asking for trouble. And I don't agree.

As far as I’m concerned I was not extolling the benefit of hi viz, merely pointing out that any bright light that dazzles you, renders you blind for a moment, wrecking any night vision you have, putting others in danger as you can’t see them until your sight readjusts, anyone in black, not illuminated is invisible, anyone who has navigated using a map at night knows you use a light with a red filter to view the map, as this keeps your night vision functioning.
in this instance being in black with no lights IS asking for trouble

 

[Oldhippy]

I have ridden for over 40 years in cities, countryside, foreign countries and it has not once occurred to me to dress in day glo or wear a helmet. I wear dark colours most of the time but have front light, back light and obey the rules of the road. I have never been killed, hit, run over.

 

[Blue Hills]

I have never been killed.

Glad to hear it, though have long suspected that we have a select clique of posters from the other side.

 

[simongt]

The main problem is nobbers in cars using dazzling lights,

Indee. I sometimes get this on the unlit part of my commute. Most drivers are very good at dipping, but the occasional troll obviously thinks 'it's only a bike, why should I bother.'