tarmac grey...

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Maz

Guru
Forgot to put my hi-viz on this morning. I realised I was wearing various shades of tarmac grey from top to toe. Made me feel like I was camouflaged against the road (all I really needed to complete the look would be a dashed white stripe down my back) - especially nervy when I was on the 70 dual-carriageway.

Which got me thinking...Is there a 'best' colour to wear for riding in daylight? Any studies been done?
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
I was told once that the best colour for a car was yellow. Stands out against grey tarmac, and against white snow. I suppose you might disappear against a field of Oil-seed rape though...

Personally I think yellow or orange is the best, but a lot depends on the angle of the sun etc - if you're in sillouette against a low dazzling sun, no colour is going to work much better than another.
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
the red PI top I last bought is good for days and even night, it's quite a eerie shade of red that catches the light

anything bright for the day that's different to the general background

red, blue or yellow I suppose, the colours tops tend to be
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Tynan said:
the red PI top I last bought is good for days and even night, it's quite a eerie shade of red that catches the light

anything bright for the day that's different to the general background

red, blue or yellow I suppose, the colours tops tend to be

Yeah, that's the idea. And if it's a fluorescent colour, all the better to catch any sunlight and stand out.

I suppose lime green as well, not a grass green, but the sort of vicious lime green that makes people say "good god, who'd wear that!";)
 
I actually wear all black kit, and don't have a problem in daylight. I bring out the hi-viz at dusk, because it really stands out, and me dressed in black from head to toe on a black bike really doesn't! At night I usually just rely on lights.
 

biking_fox

Guru
Location
Manchester
The worst is the yellow sodium lights at night. They seem the bleach the colour out of any clothing so that nothing really stands out. Reflective strips help a lot, but manufactureres always seem very stingy with them.

Any Day-Glo colour will probably be good at day. Always assuming people actually try and look where they are going.
 
OP
OP
Maz

Maz

Guru
biking_fox said:
Any Day-Glo colour will probably be good at day. Always assuming people actually try and look where they are going.
I see what you mean...I just read your thread. I'm glad you're OK.
 

col

Legendary Member
When doing my training,we were told yellow is the last colour we see when our eyesight goes downhill,thats why step edges are sometimes edged with yellow,so it seems yellow is the best colour to be noticed in.
 

Chris James

Über Member
Location
Huddersfield
I seem to recall reaidng somewhere that blue was the best for day time and yellow for low light conditions.

I suppose there aren't many natural things that are blue for you blend in with?

I wear mostly blue anyway due to years of wearing blue to Everton games. I can use yellow as a change strip!
 
Top Bottom