Self Illumination?

[gaz]

The hi-viz that is sold as cycling products has very minimal reflective bands.

 

[DrSquirrel]

The hi-viz that is sold as cycling products has very minimal reflective bands.

Not sure if you are telling me that, or saying in general - but it was the point I was making above

 

[gaz]

in general

 

[Leaway2]

I have considered this, but perhaps illumination from the back. Most of my commute is unlit country road and therefore no light shining in my eyes is an advantage. My worry is that motorists cannot see me side on, when I am on unlit roundabouts. This was confirmed by the GF the other morning.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I have considered this, but perhaps illumination from the back. Most of my commute is unlit country road and therefore no light shining in my eyes is an advantage. My worry is that motorists cannot see me side on, when I am on unlit roundabouts. This was confirmed by the GF the other morning.

Maybe you need a light like this...
http://s5.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/CA1E615F.jpg

Or some orange glow wire around the frame...

 

[Leaway2]

Maybe you need a light like this...
http://s5.thisnext.c...on/CA1E615F.jpg


Does this allow me to RLJ? If so it may be worth investing in one :-)

 

[Rhythm Thief]

RT, Hi Viz doesn't work at night, because fluorescent colours (typically) absorb UV present in daylight, and this light is re-emitted as visible light. At night there's very little or no UV around and the average headlight doesn't emit UV. So there's effectively no fluorescence. So Hi-Viz at night doesn't really help.

Retroreflective tape is good, especially if it's low down, where dipped headlights will illuminate it. But reflectors rely upon other vehicles using lights and not everyone does.
It's always best not to rely upon someone else doing the right thing, because sometimes they don't. So RVLR compliant bright lights and reflectors are required on the bicycle.

UV LEDs are available, so it would seem possible to self-illuminate a Hi-Viz tabard / jacket using one. Different UV LEDs vary in wavelength etc. So, some research would be needed to avoid potential eye damage and or unnecessary skin exposure.

Of course, the self-illumination lights could be run-off a dynamo. If they are supplied via a sensor controlled headlight, they could switch on automatically.

By Hi viz, I mean a proper roadworker's tabard with two round the waist reflective bands and a reflective band over each shoulder. These are very visible indeed at night, even when you're waiting at give way lines and a cyclist wearing one comes along the main road. As long as someone's headlights are shining on the reflective strips, they help a cyclist's visibility enormously. I agree that fluorescent clothing is no use whatever at night, and I should also stress that "proper" hi viz is not a substitute for lights in any way. But after a good set of lights, a hi viz tabard is the single best thing you can do to make yourself more visible. And you really don't need to mess about pointing lights at it - other vehicles will do that for you.

 

[Norm]

UV LEDs are available, so it would seem possible to self-illuminate a Hi-Viz tabard / jacket using one. Different UV LEDs vary in wavelength etc. So, some research would be needed to avoid potential eye damage and or unnecessary skin exposure.

Taking it back to the idea of self-illumination, any ideas whether the visibility of fluorescent clothing would at night would be improved if the bike was fitted with some sort of UV / blacklight?

I know, I wouldn't use it myself but does anyone know if it would even work?

And, following RT's comment, it's ironic how you criticise the use of the phrase "hi viz". Hi viz doesn't only mean fluorescent.

RT, Hi Viz doesn't work at night, because fluorescent colours (typically) absorb UV present in daylight, and this light is re-emitted as visible light. At night there's very little or no UV around and the average headlight doesn't emit UV. So there's effectively no fluorescence. So Hi-Viz at night doesn't really help.

 

[HelenD123]

Indeed. One flashing, one constant at each end of your bike.

Unless you're in the US and they think you're indicating! They use red indicator lights.

 

[summerdays]

We were heading home and mucking around in the snow when Mr Summerdays took this photo of me:

But after a good set of lights, a hi viz tabard is the single best thing you can do to make yourself more visible. And you really don't need to mess about pointing lights at it - other vehicles will do that for you.

Though I would have agreed with you yesterday but I read a report which whilst it did like the reflective vest - it actually thought that the reflective bit on the moving ankles and knees was actually better.
The flaw in the report was that each different way of being seen was added to the previous level rather than tested separately.

So they tested it with
a rider in black
a rider in flouresent clothing
a rider in a hi-vis vest (and black clothing I think)
a rider in a hi-vis vest and relective stuff on the ankles and knees.

The looked at how early the motorist spotted the cyclist and also looked at motorists age... with the youngest doing best and the oldest being half as likely as the youngest at spotting the cyclist on their test circuit.

This test was done not using lights on the bike ... (because the report said that lots of cyclists rode without them!!!), so it is additional measures that you can take.

It also concluded that cyclists and pedestrians (previous paper they had done), over estimated their visibility to motorist.

 

[BentMikey]

These are very visible indeed at night, even when you're waiting at give way lines and a cyclist wearing one comes along the main road.

Hiviz reflectives only work when lights point from in line with your own eyes towards the cyclist, and that's rarely the case when a cyclist is going along the main road, and drivers are waiting at side roads. Other peoples' lights also do nothing to illuminate the reflectives, unless inline with your own eyes.

 

[buddha]

This reminds me of a similar thread (on the BR forum, I think, a few years ago). Where this chap was mentioned.

 

[gaz]

I read a report which whilst it did like the reflective vest - it actually thought that the reflective bit on the moving ankles and knees was actually better.

That would be this report titled Cyclist visibility at night : perceptions of visibility do not necessarily match reality

 

[mr Mag00]

anyone seen tron legacy? i wanna look like them on my bike

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Hiviz reflectives only work when lights point from in line with your own eyes towards the cyclist, and that's rarely the case when a cyclist is going along the main road, and drivers are waiting at side roads. Other peoples' lights also do nothing to illuminate the reflectives, unless inline with your own eyes.

Sorry BM - and I don't really want to get into a(nother) long drawn out debate with you on this - but that's not true. Other peiople's lights illuminate reflectives just as well as your own, and I've spotted any number of cyclists wearing a hi viz vest instead of lights purely because their reflective strips were picked up by the headlights of cars on the main road. I'm not arguing with you, just telling you.