Hi-Vis OR Lights
- Thread starter classic33
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
gaz
Cycle Camera TV
- Location
- South Croydon
NO!
Lights are what make you look like a vehicle and are only a good thing. Lights are also a legal requirement when cycling in darkness, where as you are not required to wear Hiviz
I personally think hiViz in cities is pointless as every Tom dick and Harry has it and you don't stand out.
My 3 front lights and 4 rear lights are working for me.
Lights are what make you look like a vehicle and are only a good thing. Lights are also a legal requirement when cycling in darkness, where as you are not required to wear Hiviz
I personally think hiViz in cities is pointless as every Tom dick and Harry has it and you don't stand out.
My 3 front lights and 4 rear lights are working for me.
Keith Oates
Janner
- Location
- Penarth, Wales
I don't think that Hi Vis should be used as a replacement for lights but I do feel it's good additional protection to have. Out here a lot (almost all) of bikes do not have lights but they do have some Hi Viz and this is very good, particularly on moving parts like pedals, legs and wheels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OP
OP
classic33
Leg End Member
The person that got me asking the question feels that because he's wearing a hi-vis vest & the street lighting means he doesn't need lights. He passed me on his way to work about an hour ago, doing over 30, downhill, approaching roadworks.
Tried telling him, but he's of the opinion the vest is sufficient.
Tried telling him, but he's of the opinion the vest is sufficient.
gaz
Cycle Camera TV
- Location
- South Croydon
The reflective tape only reflects light from a certain angle, basically the light you shine at it is only shined back in the same plane it came from. So street lights don't reflect their lights to car drivers behind or in front of him.
So his real problem is with a car pulling out from a side road in front of him they will not get any benefit from the reflective material as their headlights are not shining on him. It will result in him having s collision and one he will have to accept part fault as he will have no lights.
He is a silly cyclist!
So his real problem is with a car pulling out from a side road in front of him they will not get any benefit from the reflective material as their headlights are not shining on him. It will result in him having s collision and one he will have to accept part fault as he will have no lights.
He is a silly cyclist!
Rhythm Thief
Veteran
Absolutely not. You might be seen if you're lucky - I passed an unlit cyclist on the A6 near Kettering last night (the bit without streetlights) around midnight, and I only spotted him because of his rear reflector and hi viz top - but you need to SHOUT your presence on the road. Good lights mean you stand out: a driver's attention is actively drawn to them, even if the driver is concentrating on the traffic approaching the side road 30 yards away, or whatever. Hi vis and reflectors rely on the driver happening to look in the right place.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
ClichéGuevara
Legendary Member
- Location
- Kingston upon the River Hull
What does he have against lights?
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
Mind you it might depend on the light/state of the batteries ... some people I wonder why they bother attaching something that glows so dimly. I'm not saying that you need to have the most powerful light possible in cities - but that it should have a reasonable output and replace the batteries before they fade. I think they both have their place but if I was going to have one ... it would have to be a decent light.
downfader
extimus uero philosophus
- Location
- 'ampsheeeer
The simple fact of the matter is that at night people LOOK for lights. They dont look for people.
PpPete
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chandler's Ford
Muppetry of the highest order - can't help feeling that only (the almost inevitable) collision might be the only thing that knocks some sense into this person. Just hope he isn't too badly hurt in the process.
pshore
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Last contour N of Cambridge
I know we were talking in the context of night time, but if you meant daytime, I disagree.
In towns or cities, HiViz works well during the day. On my motorcycle I get SMIDSY'd a lot more than on the bicycle, and when I put on HiViz the number of SMIDSY's is reduced significantly. Note, my m/c has lights on permanently - there is no off switch.
As a driver and cyclist around cities, again during the day, I have a few times not noticed a cyclist hidden behind car until the last second even though I am very used to looking for cycles. Hi Viz really helps here as it can be seen through windows, and sometimes just a glimpse of an elbow or shoulder in hi-viz is enough to get seen. It is about breaking up the outline of the car and standing out against that object, not other cyclists.
At night though, I agree, the colour doesn't work.
Sheffield_Tiger
Guru
No and No
What use is hi-vis when you encounter a dozy driver who forgot to turn THEIR lights on - they are shining no light on you to be reflected back.
downfader
extimus uero philosophus
- Location
- 'ampsheeeer
No. They'll probably give up cycling, concluding that its "too dangerous" completely failing to understand the given situation.
I went the other way. I have up on the hiviz I'd been wearing since around 2000-01 and switched about 3 years back to just bright colours day and night (reflective strips in jacket, etc, but mostly rely on good lights at night and a few reflective bands on the bike).
I get less smidsy now than I did before.
