To cycle in the fog or not...

[Nigeyy]

Personally, I'd ditch the bike. Is it really worth it? Then again, I'm a mamby pamby (but then again, a live mamby pamby!)

 

[gavroche]

NEVER ride in the fog, no matter how good your lights are. You are very vulnerable on a bicycle at the best of time, but in the fog, it is a death wish!

 

[BSRU]

NEVER ride in the fog, no matter how good your lights are. You are very vulnerable on a bicycle at the best of time, but in the fog, it is a death wish!

I do not know how this can be true, my lights make me more visible than cars.

 

[lulubel]

I do not know how this can be true, my lights make me more visible than cars.

It depends on the fog. Cars aren't very visible in thick fog, so being "more visible" might not mean much, especially if the car coming up behind is travelling at the same speed as usual because the driver knows the road and hasn't considered there might be other vehicles moving slowly on it. (Yes, this was me when I was young and "immortal".)

I got caught out once when the fog came down while I was at work, and I rode into it halfway through my journey home. It was probably the most frightening cycling experience of my life. My front light - can't remember what it was, but it wasn't a cheapo, and neither was the rear - was illuminating 2 cats-eyes ahead of me, and every time I heard a car coming up behind I looked for a gateway to pull into while it went past. I'd never do it by choice.

 

[Davidc]

I keep it simple.

I don't ride on ice.
I don't ride in snow.
I don't ride in fog.

Even with my fairly high power rear lighting it's just not worth the risk. I still want to be here when the fog clears.

 

[Nigeyy]

I really like that answer (I also follow those rules too -though to be honest, unless I'm caught out I don't cycle in hard rain either -but that's because I am a mamby pamby! Just don't like cycling in the rain.)

I keep it simple.

I don't ride on ice.
I don't ride in snow.
I don't ride in fog.

Even with my fairly high power rear lighting it's just not worth the risk. I still want to be here when the fog clears.

 

[BlackPanther]

All the m/bikes I have owned in the last 15 years have had double bulbs in the tail lights. My current one has an LED unit conversion with about 50 of them in it.

The primary difference between motorcycling and cycling on country roads though is that on a cycle, by and large, every other vehicle on the road 'will' overtake you so good rear viz is essential. This is rarely the case when motorcycling, and you generally always either hold your place in the traffic with other motor vehicles or overtake them yourself (obviously not in fog)

I also feel from a m/cycling viewpoint (well any really) is that you can indicate your intention well when changing direction. I've actually upgraded mine and have 4 indicators on each side of the bike now with some inside the tail and seperate ones on stalks and have converted the regular mirrors into mirror indicators for better viz. I'm even toying with the idea of putting CREE type DRLs into the mirror indicators now if I possibly can figure a way of doing it. I know that some see the biker image as being reckless and lawless (etc) but by and large nearly all the people I know take the safety (being seen) side very seriously.

Don't forget ya hi-viz stickers. I always stick a few on my bikes and if you get them in the same colour as the bike they're almost invisible by day, but at night I turn into Jesse Mach. StreetHawk!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Hivized and smart 1/2 watt x 2 plus two other rear lights I still had the joy of a minibus door mirror on the upper arm in fog last week. Train+brompton for me when the mist is in.

 

[Peteaud]

Although i have to drive to work, i would never cycle in the fog, as my route would take me past a really spooky graveyard, and in the fog it would be to scarey.

 

[BSRU]

Hivized and smart 1/2 watt x 2 plus two other rear lights I still had the joy of a minibus door mirror on the upper arm in fog last week. Train+brompton for me when the mist is in.

I would not cycle in fog with smart 1/2 watt lights as my main rear lights either.

 

[Maz]

I keep it simple.

I don't ride on ice.
I don't ride in snow.
I don't ride in fog.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[cyberknight]

Yes i would cycle in fog , mainly because its a choice of cycle or walk 10 miles as the wife needs the car,theres no public transport and i cannot give a definete finish time and i am not allowed personal calls during works time so booking a taxi in a 10 minute coffee break for a guestimated finish time could be problematic...
and the wife would not drive to pick me up.
I find country lanes safer than normal roads TBH as there is less chance of a lorry hitting you and even though i only run 1 smart r2 with a smart 1/2 watt on each pannieri feel safe enough with the magicshine on the front .

 

[GrasB]

I keep it simple.

I don't ride on ice.
I don't ride in snow.
I don't ride in fog.

Any reason for this besides irrational fear?

 

[DRHysted]

I actually like cycling in fog. There's something about the difference in sound, the coolness of the mist, and the wispyness of sight. All though the road I use is a single carrigageway main A road, it is straight and wide, much safer than the back roads.

 

[BentMikey]