Dark cycle users.

[newfhouse]

I only wear dark clothing and don't wear a plastic hat, though do have lights. Am I slightly crazy, nearly bloody crazy or just other crazy?

Is this a poll? If so I’m going to say option 3, although that’s not based on your attire

 

[srw]

I’m amazed in Oxford on the way home how many cyclists I see in dark clothing, no helmet and no lights, bloody crazy 🙄

On the other hand you see them.

 

[mjr]

I'd prefer to be seen sooner rather than later, if I'm going to be seen, that is. All black with no lights doesn't help one's chances, but obviously many disagree with such a 'common sense' sentiment

Well, consider this: if you have no lights, you probably ride assuming no-one has seen you and so are more likely to survive than someone lit up like the proverbial who assumes they have been seen when they haven't. That may be why being unlit is a factor in under 3% of reported collisions, despite how many ninjas are riding.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’m amazed in Oxford on the way home how many cyclists I see in dark clothing, no helmet and no lights, bloody crazy 🙄

Clearly not. If it was crazy it’d appear in the accident stats but it doesn’t. The fact you see them kind of says it all, hi vis tends to be blend into the background of similarly coloured street furniture.

Visibility is rarely the issue, attention span of the driver is.

 

[Gunk]

Perhaps I needed to give a bit more clarity, you can barely see these people, It’s not just the dark clothing but no lights in the evening, rush hour in central Oxford.

 

[Poacher]

Perhaps I needed to give a bit more clarity, you can barely see these people, It’s not just the dark clothing but no lights in the evening, rush hour in central Oxford.

Would wearing a helmet make them more visible?

 

[Alex H]

Would wearing a helmet make them more visible?

Yes!

 

[Kryton521]

Yes!

View attachment 506150

"Touche"!!!

 

[Andy in Germany]

I only wear dark clothing and don't wear a plastic hat, though do have lights. Am I slightly crazy, nearly bloody crazy or just other crazy?

Not sure, but there's two of us...

 

[Thisoldbike]

Why wouldn't you want to be as visible as possible?...cyclists usually come off the worse in a collision.

 

[newfhouse]

Why wouldn't you want to be as visible as possible?...cyclists usually come off the worse in a collision.

Visibility is more about riding in a sensibly assertive position on the road than clothing choices. If you’re not perceived as traffic you won’t be treated as traffic.

 

[Tom B]

A few weeks ago I popped to the top shop on foot in the rain after dark. On my way back walking along the side of a busy main road I spotted one of the local castelli ninjas who is a decent cyclist topping many of the local Strava kom's. He was all in black with a really poor rear light.

Despite the good streetlighting and the open main road he just vanished from my sight within 100/150m. Turned out he was stopped at some traffic lights waiting to turn right. But it was incredible how difficult he was to see.

Really made me stop think.

I believe there is an option to add "cyclist wearing dark clothing" as a causation factor in KSI accident reports. As discussed on another cycling forum where they get a bit outraged by stuff like that.

 

[mjr]

I believe there is an option to add "cyclist wearing dark clothing" as a causation factor in KSI accident reports. As discussed on another cycling forum where they get a bit outraged by stuff like that.

I don't think anyone is outraged by it being available on the casualty (not accident!) reports. That's how we know it's not a significant factor, with ninjas underrepresented in casualties.

It's the daffodils who leap from it being on the casualty reports to it must be a problem that outrages people.

 

[Ashimoto]

I wear dark clothing I also wear a helmet and use lights. On top of that Im riding a Neon Green bike. Im pretty confident on the road so tend to do my own thing . I find the majority of motorists just fine but theres also some inconsiderate and down right dangerous ones as well. The other day a car pulled right in front of me in a cycle lane and stopped. Luckily i wasnt going at any speed so avoided an accident. The moron even looked at me as if I was in the wrong

 

[DRM]

Clearly not. If it was crazy it’d appear in the accident stats but it doesn’t. The fact you see them kind of says it all, hi vis tends to be blend into the background of similarly coloured street furniture.

Visibility is rarely the issue, attention span of the driver is.

That’s a bit of a stupid statement, in many city Centre environments it’s not driver inattention, it’s just that you can be overwhelmed visually by what’s going on around you, dealing with several lanes of traffic, what lane to get into, idiots cutting you up, low sun reflecting on wet road etc etc ,as a cyclist it’s a no brainer to make your self as visible as possible