Side Visibility this winter

[upsidedown]

Saw some of these the other day :

http://www.sweetskinztires.com/sweetskinztires/products.aspx

Looked "interesting".

 

[Bman]

Gah, can't seem to find anything other than red fibreflare! I'd like the blue.

Bongman, take a picture of your hiviz at night without a flash or other light source near the camera, and then compare to active lighting. Hiviz is a load of rubbish by comparison.

Well yes, of course. Reflection requres there to *be* light in order to reflect it. Reflectors and these high vis strips reflect (most) light back to its source.

My point is, Hi-Vis is suprisingly effective in the majority of conditions. And I would argue, wearing a Hi-Vis vest is better than one of those Fibre Flares (they may be more effective on a recumbent though).

Did you also notice the rider in the Vid had no normal lights?

 

[BentMikey]

Hiviz will never be as effective as decent lights, not even slightly. Whether the fibreflare is a decent light remains to be seen I guess, but I assume it is. There are also many situations under which hiviz is ineffective, and many in which it becomes very visible, but not the majority as you suggest.

 

[Bman]

Hiviz will never be as effective as decent lights, not even slightly. Whether the fibreflare is a decent light remains to be seen I guess, but I assume it is. There are also many situations under which hiviz is ineffective, and many in which it becomes very visible, but not the majority as you suggest.

I suppose it depends on the riding location.

I use a bright set of LED Red and White lights for front and rear, an extra Xeon light when needed and a Hi-Vis decent set of lights. I doubt these FibreFlares would make much difference. They seem quite expensive too.

 

[RRCC]

Aldi have these reflective bands on Thursday, got to be blind to miss them.

 

[jonny jeez]

Aldi have these reflective bands on Thursday, got to be blind to miss them.

Saw those on a rider a year or so ago and they were really noticable..the motion of pedalling gave the ankle ones a real "stand-out-ability".

up close (and at rest) they look daft but who the hell cares for £4 I'm going to cover my self in them.

Aldi here I come

 

[jonny jeez]

Did you also notice the rider in the Vid had no normal lights?

or any road sense ...1st guy that is.

 

[Wheeledweenie]

I REALLY want a set of these... for safety reason obviously...

http://www.hokeyspokes.com/

 

[HJ]

Is side visibility such an issue? If you ride as part of the traffic, with good front and rear lights, then it shouldn't be a problem. One feels the need to put reflective stripes down the side of black cars (or cabs) to make them more visible from the side...

There is too much of a victim attitude here sometimes.

 

[XmisterIS]

Simply make journey to Chernobyl, every day eat chicken with three heads. Stay one week. After, you are glow in dark. No require bicycle lightings. This how we do it in USSR.

Simples.

 

[jonny jeez]

Is side visibility such an issue? If you ride as part of the traffic, with good front and rear lights, then it shouldn't be a problem. One feels the need to put reflective stripes down the side of black cars (or cabs) to make them more visible from the side...

There is too much of a victim attitude here sometimes.

Yes, but cars etc ARE the traffic..we dont keep up with the flow (not all of us anyhow) and so are more often seen (or not seen) from the side than any motorised transport.

At Junctions people are looking for and find it hard to miss other motorised transport, not the same for bikes...I see them looking right at me in broad daylight and they still pull out...it like they try to convince themselves that i'm not there.

 

[HJ]

If you ride as part of the traffic, then you are part of the traffic, you have to ride in the drivers sight line. Yes it can feel very exposed and vulnerable at first, but it is actually safer. Chapters 8 & 9 of Cyclecraft has some good diagrams showing how road positioning can change you visibility to other road users. I am not saying that all other will like the fact that you are now more visible, but that is because they can't just ignore that you are there and it is inconvenient to them that you are. If you need to just point out that your safety is more important than their convenience...

 

[semislickstick]

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Reflective rim tape such as is used on motorbikes: http://www.intobikes.co.uk/products/001220/Motrax_Wheel_Stripes_5?src=fro&highlight=022278

I have this stuff on my motorbike and my pushbike.

Simples.

Obviously no good if you use rim brakes and not disc, but there are a few tyres that have a reflective wall, a friend had some and it made it easier to spot(quite a big area) and recognise the bike as a bike.

 

[marinyork]

If one wants side visibility then why not get something like the cateye el-1100 that has much better side visibility than some other lights on the market. Much, much better side visibility than all the things being talked about on this thread. It all adds up though.

 

[Arch]

Aldi have these reflective bands on Thursday, got to be blind to miss them.

If anyone has a pound shop near them, keep an eye out in there - I got one of those bands for a quid.

Not only good from the side, but a handy back up rear light too - either on your ankle as a trouser band, or dangling from the saddle or whatever.

I also have on my winter bike, courtesy of my boss who brought them back from a German trade show, some clip on spoke reflectors - not the refractive plastic type that go between the spokes, but some little retro reflective tubes, about 3" long, that clip along the spoke. I thought they were by Schwalbe, but I can't find them off hand. Very lightwieght, you only need one every 2nd or 3rd spoke, and they reflect as well as the stripes on proper Hi-Vis. Just as an added thing really, the more the merrier.