Moving flashing lights and reflective clothing

[SpokeyDokey]

In the words of Sgt. Wilson: "Do you think that's wise?"

Just bear in mind that the instructions for most helmets say "don't attach anything to this". Also adhesives and plastics can be a tricky mix.

I won't say any more for fear of getting this thread sent to the helmet dungeon. I think the above is fair comment as it's mainly about lighting and only secondarily about hats.

@Moderators feel free to delete if I've overstepped.

Mod note:

You're 👍

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

My helmet has a "thing" at the back for a light - but I can;t find the light that fits is

and I certainly do not want anything sticking up from the top of my helmet - I have had a couple of occasions where having something there would have results in it being ripped off on low branchs etc
One occasion a twig from a tree actually stabbed into the helmet through one of the holes and yanked my whole head backwards
I was just lucky that the angle changed and it slipped out again!

so I am rather against attaching things to it

so I have stuck with adding reflective tape to all sorts of bits of the bike
and adding extra light - some of which I generally have flashing

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, I have dual flashing front lights, one flashing rear with brake light function (Cateye), dynamo front and rear lights, I will soon be mounting Knog flashers on my helmet since with my head moving around that will hopefully draw more attention than just another flasher. I've also got a lot of black-in-daylight Scotchlite tape since in daylight it blends in with my bikes black wheelrims, frame, seat (recumbent) and carbon tailbox. With all of this I'm going to make a bracket to attach pedal reflectors to my Speedplay pedals, which will render them single-sided but will mean I am legally compliant and as mentioned further up this thread will make me more visible as they are eye catching at night because they move.

From the description of your set up you come across as terrified to be hit.
I was the same when I first started cycle commuting, many years ago: I had a set up similar to your, was mainly using segregated routes with the odd unlit patch.
Yes, I was terrified to get hit on the few quiet streets I had to cycle on.
Eventually the fear passed, now I use 2 good back lights, in case one stops working, or gets detached from the bike.
One good front light on steady beam, a Sam Browne belt.
At times, I still feel invisible on the bike.
Worst bit is exiting the work's carpark, even the carpark attendant remarked on how many drivers blank me when I want to exit.
I don't think more lights would improve my visibility.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

From the description of your set up you come across as terrified to be hit.
I was the same when I first started cycle commuting, many years ago: I had a set up similar to your, was mainly using segregated routes with the odd unlit patch.
Yes, I was terrified to get hit on the few quiet streets I had to cycle on.
Eventually the fear passed, now I use 2 good back lights, in case one stops working, or gets detached from the bike.
One good front light on steady beam, a Sam Browne belt.
At times, I still feel invisible on the bike.
Worst bit is exiting the work's carpark, even the carpark attendant remarked on how many drivers blank me when I want to exit.
I don't think more lights would improve my visibility.

yes - you can only go so far

if the driver is just not looking then nothing is going to help

One of the reasons I use 4 or 5 lights is so I can point them out if someone hits me and says the old SMIDSY
and maybe give them less chance of getting away with it if they try to get out of taking responsibility

 

[classic33]

I've used a lit vest, as used by horse riders, and found that I was just as invisible when wearing it as when I wasn't.
It seemed to have no effect on some drivers, whilst others moaned about the use of flashing lights on a bicycle not being legal at the time. It wasn't on the bike, it was being worn by the rider which wasn't covered.

The most noticeable flashing light I've used was one normally used on building alarm boxes. Powered by an old R/C car battery and placed/carried in the external mesh pocket on the rucksack.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When I was hit I had 2 fronts, 3 rear, a helmet rear and hi-viz. That said I won't stop using them just because one person cannot check before driving there's not someone in the way first.

My helmet battery has died and can't figure out how to change the damn thing mind.

If questioned, I tell people that I have lights on my bike and wear reflective things and hi-vis
because I am waiting to get knocked off and someone says "SMIDSY" and I can point to the lights/ hi-vis, reflective stuff and all that

it is not far from the truth
if they are looking in anything other than proper darkness - and if you are just wearing dark clothes - then they will see you - most of the time anyway

 

[Alex321]

The elephant in the room is that you apparently cannot tell someone is a cyclist without these things. That at night, bike lights are not enough for you. That your observation skills are insufficient based on your direct experience.

That isn't remotely close to what he said.

 

[mickle]

"Driving a bus is difficult enough".

Irish bus drivers call for mandatory hiviz for cyclists.

https://road.cc/news/bus-drivers-union-calls-for-mandatory-hi-vis-for-cyclists

 

[Browser]

In the words of Sgt. Wilson: "Do you think that's wise?"

Just bear in mind that the instructions for most helmets say "don't attach anything to this". Also adhesives and plastics can be a tricky mix.

I won't say any more for fear of getting this thread sent to the helmet dungeon. I think the above is fair comment as it's mainly about lighting and only secondarily about hats.

@Moderators feel free to delete if I've overstepped.

The front mount happily went on with a long rubber band ad am hoping the rear may do the same, so if I do get into an accident they'll just snap off.

 

[Browser]

From the description of your set up you come across as terrified to be hit.
I was the same when I first started cycle commuting, many years ago: I had a set up similar to your, was mainly using segregated routes with the odd unlit patch.
Yes, I was terrified to get hit on the few quiet streets I had to cycle on.
Eventually the fear passed, now I use 2 good back lights, in case one stops working, or gets detached from the bike.
One good front light on steady beam, a Sam Browne belt.
At times, I still feel invisible on the bike.
Worst bit is exiting the work's carpark, even the carpark attendant remarked on how many drivers blank me when I want to exit.
I don't think more lights would improve my visibility.

Terrified - no, but I'd be bloody furious if it did happen so as someone else said I'd be able to point to all of the lights after the event and say "you didn't see me? really?!"

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

My helmet has a "thing" at the back for a light - but I can;t find the light that fits is

and I certainly do not want anything sticking up from the top of my helmet

I've never been keen on having something attached to a helmet as fall off and if that hard thing attached lands between road and head the feeble polystyrene will not stop it puncturing into your head. Never happened to me so theoretical and these days academic (I haven't worn a helmet for a few years).

When I used to fly gliders, club rule (unsure about other clubs) had a rule "no baseball hats" as get flung about a bit and/or straps a bit lose or some acrobatics and baseball hats have a button top middle which risks being driven into your skull. No idea if some official being OTT or if a potential risk but it was an enforced rule.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Terrified - no, but I'd be bloody furious if it did happen so as someone else said I'd be able to point to all of the lights after the event and say "you didn't see me? really?!"

I think it was @fossyant that told us the tale on how he was run over running a gazillion lights on his bike.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Moving stuff can get very complex and I'm not always convinced more is better. A lot of weird stuff happens in our brains with regard to movement perception. Loads of examples highlighting the weirdness but eg in the animated image below dark background (+ grid) is rotating with three stationary yellow dots and a blinking green dot in the middle. Look at the green dot and ... the yellow dots disappear, sometimes all, sometimes just one ... and then reappear but they are not -yellow dots are solid no flashing. It's your brain processing movement and deciding to ignore stuff. (On some screens it doesn't work apparently to do with screen technology and pixel refresh details).

note: on my phone the background isn't rotating so doesn't word but on my tablet it is and does work (both in Safari browser) -Reason for this: I have this website set to not play animations as a few people have highly irritating animated avatars.

 

[presta]

Moving stuff can get very complex and I'm not always convinced more is better. A lot of weird stuff happens in our brains with regard to movement perception. Loads of examples highlighting the weirdness but eg in the animated image below dark background (+ grid) is rotating with three stationary yellow dots and a blinking green dot in the middle. Look at the green dot and ... the yellow dots disappear, sometimes all, sometimes just one ... and then reappear but they are not -yellow dots are solid no flashing. It's your brain processing movement and deciding to ignore stuff. (On some screens it doesn't work apparently to do with screen technology and pixel refresh details).

View attachment 800740

note: on my phone the background isn't rotating so doesn't word but on my tablet it is and does work (both in Safari browser) -Reason for this: I have this website set to not play animations as a few people have highly irritating animated avatars.

If you cover the green dot with something so that you can't see it, the yellow ones still disappear.

 

[PaulSB]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, I have dual flashing front lights, one flashing rear with brake light function (Cateye), dynamo front and rear lights, I will soon be mounting Knog flashers on my helmet since with my head moving around that will hopefully draw more attention than just another flasher. I've also got a lot of black-in-daylight Scotchlite tape since in daylight it blends in with my bikes black wheelrims, frame, seat (recumbent) and carbon tailbox. With all of this I'm going to make a bracket to attach pedal reflectors to my Speedplay pedals, which will render them single-sided but will mean I am legally compliant and as mentioned further up this thread will make me more visible as they are eye catching at night because they move.

I think it was @fossyant that told us the tale on how he was run over running a gazillion lights on his bike.

From time to time I see setups similar to that described, a more common one is 4 or 5 rear lights. Another I see quite regularly are huge, badly adjusted front lights.

As a driver I find these sort of setups have one thing in common, they create a distraction. I see that something is there but I'm not quite sure what, at a guess it's a cyclist but I'm not certain. It takes longer to decide what the hazard is. I'm not sure this is a good thing.

I find similar with car lights, drivers who adorn the front of their vehicle with additional lights create a distraction as I tend to look at them.

The purpose of lights and highly visible clothing is to send a quick clear message. I'm here, I'm a cyclist. That's all that is required.

Mobile phone use is banned while driving. Why? It's distracting. Anything which distracts drivers potentially creates a hazard rather than preventing one.

Overall I'm unsure about just what cyclists who light themselves up like Blackpool illuminations think they're achieving. I don't understand the thought process or what stimulates it.