Reflective tips

[G-Zero]

Gaz,

I take on board your comment re the Jag lights, in which case as has been mentioned while I cycled into work, the subjects are too close to the light source.

On unlit roads, the spread of light from car headlights will spread out sideways and upwards, even on the flat, and which at its extremities will still reflect back from retro reflective materials far higher than waist height. That principle alone has kept me safe while working on high speed, unlit roads for too many years to mention.

The light pattern is much more intense at low level in your picture, but unfortunately if a driver wasn't seeing cyclists or pedestrians until they were that close to a moving car, there wouldn't be much hope for them.
As already mentioned, move them to three or four times that distance, or even ten times and I'll guarantee that all of the relevant reflective bits will be effective, even at full height: and it is at this distance that I want drivers to become aware of me.

Once again, I don't disagree with your notion of moving light or reflective sources standing out more than static sources, but why limit yourself to these alone.

IMO - The more the better.

 

[fossyant]

I find the hump covers only really light up from my bike lights, not cars. !!! Gaz is correct. You don't get full effect from dipped.

 

[sheddy]

XXL Hi-viz waistcoat, but let it flap around (makes you look bigger)

 

[gaz]

Gaz,

I take on board your comment re the Jag lights, in which case as has been mentioned while I cycled into work, the subjects are too close to the light source.

On unlit roads, the spread of light from car headlights will spread out sideways and upwards, even on the flat, and which at its extremities will still reflect back from retro reflective materials far higher than waist height. That principle alone has kept me safe while working on high speed, unlit roads for too many years to mention.

The light pattern is much more intense at low level in your picture, but unfortunately if a driver wasn't seeing cyclists or pedestrians until they were that close to a moving car, there wouldn't be much hope for them.
As already mentioned, move them to three or four times that distance, or even ten times and I'll guarantee that all of the relevant reflective bits will be effective, even at full height: and it is at this distance that I want drivers to become aware of me.

Once again, I don't disagree with your notion of moving light or reflective sources standing out more than static sources, but why limit yourself to these alone.

IMO - The more the better.

Oh really? I'll have to repeat the experiment then and we will see.

My initial picture was used for a post I did in reference to the perceived need for a hi-viz jacket in a city, where large open distances between cyclists and drivers is unheard of, hence why it was so close.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Lots of cheap lights on a mixture of constant and flash.

I have 4 lights front and back on my commuting bike. Might be a bit excessive and none of them are the best lights in the world, but gets me noticed and I do not have to worry so much about a light running out of battery while riding or one falling off.

 

[niggle]

Could start with the legal requirements, i.e. red rear reflector and amber pedal reflectors, which the vast majority of SPD pedal users will not have. Look out for pedal reflectors when you are in a car at night, when you see them they really work. There are various solutions to the SPD/pedal reflector conundrum, eg.

http://www.kurbelix.com/products/Fa...atz-SM-PD40-fuer-die-Pedale-PD-M545-M424.html

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/shimano-adapter-with-reflector-sm-pd-22/aid:115758

and some SPD pedals do have them when sold.

You could also use reflective ankle bands or cycle clips, not strictly legal but should satisfy the vast majority of police officers, though not sure how they would stand up in court if claiming compensation from a driver. As Gaz demonstrates the upper body does not get lit by dipped headlights, so put a flashing LED on the back of your head/helmet for visibility in built up traffic. For the main rear light I personally prefer a good steady light on the back of the bike at about rack height. Spoke reflectors are largely a waste of time IMO, cannot see they are going to prevent many accidents as they are not visible at a useful angle and the point of sale ones are potentially dangerous if they work loose and jam in the wheel so I always bin them, but the ones that wrap around the spokes as linked to above should do no harm.

 

[Hacienda71]

I add reflective arm and ankle bands with leds for added visibility. Imho you can't beat a good set of lights though.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I find that the 3M reflective stuff (normally white or a funny grey colour when not shined on) is really good at reflecting.
If I'm cycling behind Mr SHK my AyUp really picks up all his reflective bits - from the teeny bit at the back of his shoes, the Brompton bag on the rear, his waistcoat (if it's on) to the strips on the back of the helmet.
I think ideally you want reflective stuff that moves (so your pedals; or ankle straps) as well as something further up on your body. If you will need to indicate with your arms wrist straps should be a good idea as well (or something on your gloves). Mr SHK's overtrousers also have a big patch of reflective stuff behind the knees, which is good for movement catching the light. And, re Gaz's point, should be smack-bang in the light beam of most cars.

On the high-vis point, it really depends. On a really dull foggy day it makes a huge difference, normally I'd say that it makes very little difference. Of course it beats reflective stuff during daytime though!

Reflective stuff (as opposed to lights) should get you noticed as a bike rather than a car or whatever else might have lights on it!

 

[semislickstick]

Anyone got any tips for the best reflective colours or patterns?
I know many moons ago when I rode a motorbike looking like a copper was deemed to be a good way to get noticed.
All ( relevant) ideas welcome.

There was a motorcyclist in Peterborough who fooled a lot of drivers, you had to do a double take, so most drivers assumed he was and gave him a wide berth, one woman said "sorry officer" after an incident. White helmet, chequered band, similar gear, similar bike. I've noticed a guy down my street doing similar, but I can't quite read what the blue reflective writing on the back of his hi-viz jacket says.

For cycling I wonder if getting a white specialized helmet with one of these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23572 and wear a black or blue jacket with yellow hi-viz vest jacket would work? I've done similar on a country road route where motors are going past at 60mph, I noticed there generally was a difference in holding back and wider overtakes...but maybe that is just the added vis-ability?

 

[Spinney]

I've been assessing cyclists seen while I have been driving country lanes in the dark.
The most effective was a chap(ess) who had two reflective vertical stripes either side of his back pack, with an additional red light mounted on the back pack. Also had reflective strips down the back of his calves.
The red light was higher than a bike/car rear lights would be, and was framed by the reflectives. The moving reflectives on legs caught the attention. The overall effect of all the reflectives was that there was a 'large' object ahead.

I do think reflectives help, even in town. Passed another cyclist with (fairly dim) lights, who just got lost in the glare of moving, oncoming headlights. Reflectives would have helped there.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

DO NOT GET A JACKET WITH REFLECTIVES, it's a waist of money. you are better off putting reflective material on your legs, feet and bike.

The reflective material needs light to be shined on it for it to be effective, thus making anything above the waist pointless as car lights have a limited height.

It isn't.

 

[Jezston]

I'm sure I've seen cyclists jackets with reflectives light up on the roads before, when I've been on bike and in car.

I don't think it's correct that they don't reflect because of their height - street signs are made of reflective materials and these are illuminated by vehicle lights. When I've been out at night on the bike with just the Hope dipped and in flashing mode, I can still see street signs being caught by it and flashing with it.

While the majority of light produced by dipped headlights is illuminating the road, there's still plenty being spread about the place to catch street signs, bollards and cyclists jackets.

I think.

 

[Bicycle]

This is potentially a very good and helpful thread. This is the sort of question a lot of people ask.

(Although I'm not sure there's much future in hanging on Jack Russell-like to a point made earlier in capital letters. For all that it might be right, people have read it and will go on from there).

My method (zero science involved, but I'm still alive) is to see what makes a cyclist visible when I'm driving in poor light. I copy much of what works and try to avoid what doesn't.

I don't use spokey things, but they do show up. I find that as a driver I do spot cyclists in reflective jackets and they do stand out. I don't drive a Jaguar, so that might be why.

Much of my driving is done on unlit, rural A-roads. Bright clothing works. As to reflective materials, anything on the lower leg, strips on rucksacks or saddle bags, Sam Brownes and reflective gilets are all good.

Although I usually wear a dark green cap comforter, I do tend to spot white cycling helmets quite early.

As to lights, I avoid overkill. One or two Cateye Cubes on the bars and one or two on the seatpost. Rears sometimes on flash, fronts never on flash.

I used to have one of those mighty eyeball-burners with a liquid-cell rechargeable I popped in a bottle cage. Frankly, it was tiresome and didn't live up to its billing. As a driver, I'd say that powerful lights shone straight ahead are a false friend. They can dazzle.

A good thing about reflectives on the lower leg is that they say "I'm a cyclist" from a distance because of the movement. As a driver, I like to know as soon as possible whether a lit figure on an unlit carriageway is a cyclist or a dog-walker. (Out here, winter dog-walkers often have cycle lamps).

 

[kishan]

think your test is done wrong the hi vis jackets and bag covers work ive gone past cyclyist on my 125cc and my headlight from a distance has made them reflect.

 

[gaz]

think your test is done wrong the hi vis jackets and bag covers work ive gone past cyclyist on my 125cc and my headlight from a distance has made them reflect.

Better than reflectors on the legs? I think not.