Police comment on HiViz

[mjr]

Never knew folk struggled with yellow , It is one of the few colours I dont have a problem recognising .

It's a contrast problem: the countryside fills first with fields of yellow daffodils, then tulips, then yellow rapeseed flowers and finally yellow sunflowers. Wearing yellow out here ain't clever. Blue (intense ones, not cornflower blue) or black/white patterns are probably best for contrast, but really motorists should look properly and we should be demanding they look. Ultimately, we cannot force ourselves seen, especially when they're looking at the phone in their lap.

[QUOTE 4495917, member: 9609"]I am getting more and more paranoid about cars and trucks passing, I now look over my shoulder and make sure everyone about to pass is doing it properly.[/QUOTE]
I look over my shoulder, partly to see how they're behaving but mostly because I think showing a face seems to trigger something subconscious in motorists' minds to recognise you as human instead of a backside on a bike.

 

[steve292]

II look over my shoulder, partly to see how they're behaving but mostly because I think showing a face seems to trigger something subconscious in motorists' minds to recognise you as human instead of a backside on a bike.

^^^^^^^
This. I always look around at the cars by me when at lights, for this very reason. my PERSONAL opinion, which I wouldn't foist on anyone as gospel, is that reflective accents on the mobile bits of you are best in low visibility, and block colours, including black are best in daylight.
I ride a lot between WSM and Bristol/ Portishead which is as busy as old buggery and this strategy seems to work for me.

 

[raleighnut]

I've got one of these,


Drivers seem to notice it.

 

[Lonestar]

the 2nd best are Proviz switch .... wear the yellow side during the day, and the silvery side at night (amazing jackets and well worth the £80) ... you look like Casper the ghost at night


I saw cyclists wearing them last year during the dark and could see them half a mile away, so I bought one

I commute 40+km per day most days and travel on very dark roads right throughout summer and winter .... good lights and hi-viz jackets are my priority

Yes I've got one and worn it during the night but wont wear it during the day.Not on the bike anyway.

 

[Drago]

Never knew folk struggled with yellow , It is one of the few colours I dont have a problem recognising .

It shows up very poorly against a green rural background. In some settings we're finding it acts like a camouflage.

 

[Lonestar]

It shows up very poorly against a green rural background. In some settings we're finding it acts like a camouflage.

Yes I can understand that...just like the ninja and no lights brigade at night.

 

[I like Skol]

Black is what you need. I normally commute in baggy black shorts and have a choice of colours for my cycle tops and fleeces. Thinking about it I am beginning to see a pattern of stupid pull-outs and close passes matching the days that I am not wearing the ninja gear!

 

[mjr]

Yes I can understand that...just like the ninja and no lights brigade at night.

Slightly worse because at least at night, your headlights will reveal the true colour of the background, which often isn't black. Your headlights don't help see a yellow peril in a country scene.

 

[dim]

Black is what you need. I normally commute in baggy black shorts and have a choice of colours for my cycle tops and fleeces. Thinking about it I am beginning to see a pattern of stupid pull-outs and close passes matching the days that I am not wearing the ninja gear!

yea ... black sounds like an excellent choice, especially in winter when most people commute to work at 8am (when it's dark) and 5 pm (when it's dark)

 

[I like Skol]

yea ... black sounds like an excellent choice, especially in winter when most people commute to work at 8am (when it's dark) and 5 pm (when it's dark)

I commute at around 5.30-6.15am and 7.15-8.00pm all year round so I have a rough idea what I am talking about. Black actually stands out remarkably well in a lit urban environment, often much better than pale colours like hi-viz yellow which tend to merge into the pale grey background under the bleaching street lights.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Imo most cycling gear so called HI-Viz is not so at all: dirty yellow can't substitute good lights and good reflectives. It's the reflective bits that are lacking in some cycling jackets and in some workwear.
Bright red, shocking pink in daylight are much better than yellow, even black is better on a sunny day.
In darkness, I think a reflective belt and reflective ankle straps make one stand out more than wearing a builder's HiViz.

 

[classic33]

Ten washes and they say it requires replacing anyway, because the colour no longer stands out at it did when new. How old for 10 washes?

 

[Lonestar]

No not convinced.Still using Hi-Viz as I have been for years and it's not going to change however many billions of anti hi-viz threads there are.Close passes are because twats drive cars.Some prove to me they can pass perfectly reasonably.

No excuses.

Why people go into a frenzy with how I should dress out there is really baffling.I'm sure I can make my own mind up what works for me and my own eyes tell me what others wear,whether it is good or bad,I don't particularly like lycra or dark clothing at night(or day) but i'm not posting a thread up about it every five seconds.

No arguments nothing has changed I'm still wearing the same hi-viz stuff on my next commute the same stuff I've worn on my last 1000's of commutes.

It's not a batman outfit so I don't expect people to see me,because if they aren't looking or concentrating/are bad drivers or don't give a toss then it doesn't work.

 

[mjr]

Ten washes and they say it requires replacing anyway, because the colour no longer stands out at it did when new. How old for 10 washes?

Depends how much you sweat into it, probably. Also, most hi-viz wear seems to be synthetic, so each of those 10 washes is polluting more than natural fabrics.

 

[Lonestar]

Well respect to you guys and gals.

All I say is you do what works for you just as I do what works for me.