Hi-Viz or High Style..?

[guest18]

Ok, now we're in the dark dismal winter I wondered how many in the club favour hi-viz clothing etc and how many don't agree with it? Or indeed daylight riding with headlamps on to open another can of worms...

Is it " a good safety aid" or does it make no difference as the b****rs don't look anyway and it's just another excuse for the smidsy's "I couldn't see him in broad daylight at 50 metres 'cause he didn't have a yellow jacket" etc...

As they say in the best (worst?) exams, Discuss:

[Andy M]

I wear a knackered vest that was "aquired" from some truck workshop for work and have one of those Sam Browne belts for best. All my bikes have automatic headlight or sidelight on, so I get no choice.

Riding, I think it makes naff all difference nine times out of ten. The one out of tens will vary between people who see you, ones who wouldn't spot an atom bomb blast and the "thought you flashed me out" brigade. The best defence IMHO is the right position in the road, the right speed and the right gear. More of an active defence than passive; you convince Captain Volvo to either get on with it or wait until you've finished with that bit of road. I'm also a bit of a horn fan in it's proper use as a warning.

The dayglo to me is useful as a second line of defence though. It's especially useful when walking along the hard shoulder or when you have some similar problem. Both my bikes carry reflective strip markings too, it's a defence for when the blind school practice parking in dark places! I keep my numberplate clean for the same reason.

I've never been accused of being stylish!

Andy

[andy230]

Hi all

Not too bothered about style but bought new, decent, kit about... 2-3 years ago now.  I swithered in the shop about BRIGHT Hi-viz, or black.  And I went for black, cos at least you can get off your bike and (Almost) blend in to society/pub/restaurant...

Plus, you dont have to wash it!

Agreed tho, its probably not the most sensible to wear black.  Not sure why I dont wear a Hi Viz vest...  Probably some old evolutionary hang-over from the distant teenager, wanting to look "cool", something I dont give a shit about now!!!  Cool is often dear!!!

Personally, headlights on all the time.  Except when the battery is dead.  No option on the DR, its a US import.

Agreed andy, road position is v important.  Also the ability to predict what folk are going to do, and being able to stop safely if need be/ steer out of trouble.

Summed up perfectly:

The best defence IMHO is the right position in the road, the right speed and the right gear.

I also find eye contact is very useful, stops folk pulling out.  Another reason to hate the current trend of tinted windows (and visors) as you can't see what someone is doing and where they're looking

Similarly, I think a loud (although not antisocial, but maybe thats riding style) pipe is *very* useful hacking round london.

Ok, I'm going to shut up now, as I am asking the gods for a spill on the way home, with all this pontificating!!!

[Julian217]

Hi Viz and Headlights.  About half my journey to work is just filtering, often in near stationary traffic.  I feel the headlights do help here especially in the rain.   Although hardly any car drivers look in their blind spot before turning right.
Bright yellow jacket with reflective strips and Hi viz vest.  This is horrible to look at, its streaked with London's traffic dirt and looks ridiculous if i'm wearing it for doing anything other than riding the bike. Its actually for snowboarding so is very well insulated and longer at the back than the front, handy for keeping by waist/ bum warm.
And a white helmet.
Despite this idiot get up I still assume that car drivers don't see me.
To date the most serious accident I've had is being rear ended by a Landrover ( Freelander not a proper one) while stationary at traffic lights.

[Steffan]

Bullet's light could hardly be described as working even when on so rarely bother, jacket has viz strip on the back but I am more than often in a leather jacket (brown) and the bike is either black or olive drab, so stuff em!! I use the loud exhaust principle!

Steffan

[guest18]

Ok 'suppose I'd better admit to my winter riding garb...
Summertime I don't bother with Hi-viz and only use daytime lights abroad (often required by law) or in heavy traffic/known bad areas in town.
If they're not looking in the first place.... there are times I'm pretty sure I could have Jo Guest standing naked on my shoulders (hmmm, yes please!) and they still wouldn't notice the bike about to hit them 

Commuting in this weather/time of year though.. I invariably wear a medic hi-viz vest*, the reason is simple... some car drivers notice a nice visible bit of scotchlite, but many automatically mentally discard it. It's not malice, we're just not in their mental list of things which "matter" to them while they're driving.
My three band "h" pattern scotchlite with badge panels and a (green and white) chequered band on the bottom, now at a glance, or when the headlamps flash over it, it looks emergency services... and that *IS* on their "need to know" driving list 
Most will then look closer and choose to ignore me, *but*, they've properly noticed me. Many, surprising how many, will immediately drop to 30mph exactly (or whatever the local limit is) and start driving very carefully.
It's like taking off a cloak of invisibility about 30% of the time. Thoroughly recommended, and I've just ordered a new vest as the old one is knackered, this tight jock just spent three times the price of a "standard" vest because I'm so convinced(!)
Just don't go dressing up as Policemen ok, they get upset about it 

(Although ebay have some "decomissioned" police jackets that I was tempted by.. I just can't quite bring myself to wear a blue chequer  I'm pretty sure it would be even more effective... but it would worry me)

Smudge
*I can and will give first aid to anyone I meet who needs it, and am First aider at work so I don't feel I'm "cheating" wearing the first aider chequer/logos. I think there is a picture of me somewhere in the site leaving the dragon wearing it btw.

[guest7]

When I commuted I always favoured the bright yellow or orange waistcoats with a zip (the cheapie velcro ones always end up coming open at speed). And of course they have reflective strips all over 'em.

Next time you see a biker in traffic wearing one of these you will have to concede that they are considerably more visible than those riders without high-viz.

Second to that is a broad banded Sam Browne belt as worn by coppers.

As for eye contact... I made eye contact with a driver who still pulled out and turned into my lane. The head-on impact was no fun at all. With drivers waiting to pull out, watch their wheels is my best tip. If a wheel turns half an inch you can see it easily and take action accordingly.

Cheers
GC

[SteveC#222]

Hi all


I also find eye contact is very useful, stops folk pulling out.  Another reason to hate the current trend of tinted windows (and visors) as you can't see what someone is doing and where they're looking

Totally agree with all above, Hi viz, loud pipes, bright lights all help. I think that after a while you tend to be able to 'read' what the silly sods are going to do to some extent. Direct eye contact works well, but another trick I learned from my cycling days was when approaching a car waiting to pull out of a side road, keep an eye on front wheels as they will start to move a fraction before the car giving you enough time to start to take avoiding action.

GN now sports a Honda 350 H4 headlight (Bright!) and I've spotted a 130Db horn on Eba which might come in useful too!

Presence is also a factor - I use to ride a Cossack, big, loud scruffy and very solid looking -  and I didn't have too many problems as it looked dangerous and I think the car drivers thought that it would probably inflict more damage to their car.  The GN on the other is small & puny ( and scruffy & Loud) but drivers totally ignore it most of the time. 

[SteveC#222]

You just beat to it GC !!!!

[guest24]

I wear a Baleno jacket that I realise is actually older than my eldest daughter (just become a teenager) and it was a green colour with reflective stripes - thats my winter wear over the leathers. Headlights during daylight? Nope (unless inclement weather).

Always take a good road position, and dare I say it, indulge in slightly aggresive riding. Kill kill kill, overtake before they spot you and wander into your path while filtering. I'm immortal so far....and approaching 1/4 century continuous riding with 17 of those years hacking into the big smoke every day 

[guest18]

indulge in slightly aggresive riding. Kill kill kill, overtake before they spot you and wander into your path while filtering..... 
.....17 of those years hacking into the big smoke every day 

Smeg city does require a slightly different riding style to most other locations! down there as you say, be aggressive and positive and get in and away before they have a chance to swerve!!
Up here I can afford to be quite a bit more laid back, they tend to try to kill you through oversight and laziness rather than an actual hatred of two wheelers in Edinburgh (mostly)...