Reflective Tips (Part 3)

[Bicycle]

Until I started to read the other threads on this subject, I'd just noticed reflective gear without really paying much attention to it.

But those bloody threads have got me thinking.

And here's one of the annoying questions that came up:

Car a bicycle reflectors are the rear are red. At the front they are white. This is a safety thing and a good thing.

The only white lights a motor vehicle displays to the rear are its reversing lights, which only come on when the rear bacomes a temporary stand-in for the front. So white light is only shone in the diirection of travel.

Why then are reflective panels on clothing worn by cyclists often white?

Is it because the clothing is not part of the vehicle and so can be any colour you want?

Is it because the best quality reflection can be achieved by white panels?

Is is a cost thing?

Is it because the clothing is for a variety of uses so use on the roads is secondary?

Is it a bit of all of the above and something else besides?

I have stuff with white reflective panels and I'm very happy with it. I was just wondering why you don't see much red reflective material on the rear panels of cycling clothes.

A duller question has not been posed on this forum, but I like to set new standards where I can.

 

[ushills]

Red is apparently less reflective or obvious to the eye compared to white. Somewhere possible Sheldon Brown gave a figure of 20% reflective compared to white, yellow being the best intermediate solution as it wouldn't be confused with a white reflector.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Because the alien lizards that really run the planet have a sinister plot to ensure we all look like we work on a building site/railway/road crew thus destroying our self-esteem and making the future invasion a piece of cake.

In other words, imo, there is no science or logic behind any of it. We just adopted "safety gear" and adapted it, for the most part badly, to cycling.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I always thought that it was a culture/expectation thing - you associate white lights with coming towards you and red lights with going away from you. Reflectives (when light shined on them) reflect back white/red in this manner - how many times to you see numpties on bikes with the lights the wrong way around and you get confused until you get closer and realise what they have done.

Now why are pedal reflectors orange, thats the real question!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I always thought that it was a culture/expectation thing - you associate white lights with coming towards you and red lights with going away from you. Reflectives (when light shined on them) reflect back white/red in this manner - how many times to you see numpties on bikes with the lights the wrong way around and you get confused until you get closer and realise what they have done.

Now why are pedal reflectors orange, thats the real question!

Certainly that dates from the railway age at least. Does it pre-date the mid 19thC I wonder?

 

[wiggydiggy]

Certainly that dates from the railway age at least. Does it pre-date the mid 19thC I wonder?

Er... Shipping perhaps. Horse Carriages?

Best guess is any lighting carried by vehicles/vessels in early years would have been ad hoc or to a custom e.g. coaches carried lights on their corners. Certainly I'm geuessing the light would have for identification (like most bike lights) than for seeing with?

In one of the dullest searches I ever did I tried to find out, and there was a Shipping Act introduced by the United States in 1838 concerning carrying navigation lights, and it was later expanded to cover positions, colour etc. Article here: http://www.marineinsight.com/misc/m...the-importance-of-marine-navigation-lighting/


(suprising, I'd have though Britain would have something a lot earlier given the naval history)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I was wondering re 18thC stage coaches/carriages and ships