Lights

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Sorry but I think that is bollox. I always used to ride with lights on on my motorbike and the only reason drivers would pull out in front of you would be a mixture of impatience, underestimating the motorbikes speed or lack of correct and long enough checks.

To suggest that just because you are in a car clouds your judgement is plain barking mad.

I am repeating what I have read, I think as part of a piece in Bike. I think it is just like the helmet / no helmet cycling experiments - drivers pass closer to helmeted riders on average. People widely refute it as "bollox" but it is none the less what heppens.

I think its the same story here, and your second point is actually backing up what this article has said. Drivers judge a vehicles size and speed by looking at its profile around its wheels, having a headlight on draws attention away from their speed assesment reducing its accuracy.

My remark about cars was a little tongue in cheek, but insulation from the elements DOES impact car drivers behaviour. For example, when was the last time you noticed how windy it was in a car, unless it is *really* windy? Or what about not realising that manhole covers turn into frictionless plates when it rains? Or that there are things called diesel slicks, that KSI'd 617 riders between '00 and '05.

 

[Tynan]

so it's a fact that lights, hi viz and helmets all make cyclists less likely to be seen and more likely to be hit?

that helmet fact is based on a single study isn't it, I have no porblem with the distance I get passed by, on the whole, a pannier and mounting a light on the left side of the rack has improved that no end anyway

whatever, really, the motorbike forums are even more full of shoot than the cyclist forums on these sorts of arguments

people argue that all black clothing is safest because it induces fear, doubtless people were arguing against motorcycle helmets before they became law

once I'm happy that every motorist that looks for me sees me, I'll worry about what they see

 

[Arch]

I doubt I saw you, I don't think my route in and yours coincide at all. And it may well have been worse by the river; it was pretty bad for most of my way in, but became better as I neared work. Cold too - my hair and beard were frozen stiff when I arrived and, I kid you not, my front light had a think film of ice over the glass!

I rode up to campus at lunchtime and my fingers were in agony by the time I got there - my gloves are water- and wind-proof, but not minus-several-degrees-proof. Getting my cashpoint card out to get some money took a while...

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Not saying that at all.

This article was saying that while a light can help pick you out at long range, in close proximity situations it makes it more difficult for people to estimate the bikes speed.

If a driver looks properly, as most do, they will see you headlight or not - but with it on, you make it harder for them to judge your speed. Now most people would see the bike coming and just wait, like normal decent people, but if they are rushing because they are not following the JRG 10minute plan (TM), it makes their job of deciding if they can get out infront of you harder. And the chances getting hit increase, not because they haven't seen you, but because they have mucked up calculating your speed.

You should also know my feelings in HiVi by now!! That it is useful at dusk, in fog, rain etc, but in normal conditions its just another colour.

Helmets - I'm pro helmet.

The fear inducement arguments only abound from people with self confidence issues, who have a pathalogical desire to feel powerful.

Personally I like all black, because I'm a bit gothy, and like how it looks

 

[Tynan]

I not doing a row but it's all about being seen for me, I want to catch their attention

hi viz and a bright light don't help me get seen? we will have to disagree on that

the light and visibility in this country vary from day to day and those two are passive things that work all the time whether effective or not, just like helmets

I want the bloke that doesn't check properly to see me, maybe he looks and for whatever reason doesn't pick a cyclist out in the background, a bright flashing light might help him

ditto hi viz of whatever shape or colour

and I really don't think that a 5 led front light, however bright has that much effect on the perception or judgment of a grown adult on a bike, once you;re seen you go from a 'what's that' to someone on a bike

are you sure you're not taking motorbike 'facts' and lumping them over to cycle 'facts' because the two things aren't the same at all are they

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

I not doing a row but it's all about being seen for me, I want to catch their attention

hi viz and a bright light don't help me get seen? we will have to disagree on that

the light and visibility in this country vary from day to day and those two are passive things that work all the time whether effective or not, just like helmets

I want the bloke that doesn't check properly to see me, maybe he looks and for whatever reason doesn't pick a cyclist out in the background, a bright flashing light might help him

ditto hi viz of whatever shape or colour

and I really don't think that a 5 led front light, however bright has that much effect on the perception or judgment of a grown adult on a bike, once you;re seen you go from a 'what's that' to someone on a bike

are you sure you're not taking motorbike 'facts' and lumping them over to cycle 'facts' because the two things aren't the same at all are they

No no, I agree with you!! There is no need for the disagree part

You are right about the transferral of motorbike to velo, they aren't the same.

 

[Terminator]

Hi-Viz is just a backup for me as I get into some pretty tight situations sometimes so if it helps one motorist see me better then it's doing it's job.

Wear it all the time there is no harm in it and I seem to get more respect.

 

[simonali]

I only used my tail light today. I only have left turns on my way to work (it's not very far) and so didn't feel the need for the front one to be on.

I had it on flashy mode for the first time, as well and was sure that the cars were passing me closer than they normally do on steady mode?

 

[another_dave_b]

Coming home this evening from Reading, 7:40pm ish, after dark.

Saw a chap cycling, with safety vest, but without lights, on the A33, dual carriageway, about a mile north of junction 11 of the M4.

What's particularly weird about this, to me, is that, parallel to the A33 at that point you have a broad mixed use cycle/pedestrian path (the area is light-industrial) on one side of the carriageway, and on the other you have Sustrans Route 23. Headshot.

 

[Plax]

Coming home this evening from Reading, 7:40pm ish, after dark.

Saw a chap cycling, with safety vest, but without lights, on the A33, dual carriageway, about a mile north of junction 11 of the M4.

What's particularly weird about this, to me, is that, parallel to the A33 at that point you have a broad mixed use cycle/pedestrian path (the area is light-industrial) on one side of the carriageway, and on the other you have Sustrans Route 23. Headshot.

Crazy. I was on the A55 today and put my lights on even though it was daylight! Probably didn't make any difference, but made me feel better .

 

[yenrod]

I recall one night I went out for a ride and it was misty but not bad UNTIL i got to the outlying country type of areas not built up etc...and as much as I know the roads really really well the FOG was getting thicker and thicker as you can imagine.. until it i couldnt see further than my face the light was reflecting back/all around on myself causing me to stop, it seriously scared the hell out of me (well whats there )..the atmophere - very eery, in fact i beleive it could freak certain people in the correct circumstances...

 

[Terminator]

I put my front flashing light on near bank yesterday on my commute in as I was overtaking a traffic jam near Bank Junction and there was a taxi coming the other way.

 

[Amanda P]

I recall one night I went out for a ride and it was misty but not bad UNTIL i got to the outlying country type of areas not built up etc...and as much as I know the roads really really well the FOG was getting thicker and thicker as you can imagine.. until it i couldnt see further than my face the light was reflecting back/all around on myself causing me to stop, it seriously scared the hell out of me (well whats there )..the atmophere - very eery, in fact i beleive it could freak certain people in the correct circumstances...

A couple of years ago it was like that on my ride home from work.

A ride that normally takes 25 minutes took an hour. We couldn't see the road verges until we bumped into them, so we were down to walking pace much of the time. A nightmare.