berner

For conspicuity a high fiber diet is recommended.

kickstart

Using reasonable enhancements to visibility on a bike is simply a means to communicate our presence more efficiently as a courtesy to other road users to make it easier for them to fulfill their obligation to be safe, in the same way turn signals, brake lights, running lights, and reflectors do on motor vehicles.

They don't provide safety, they simply enhance our efforts to ride safely.

The possibility that they may fail to achieve the desired goal doesn't entirely negate their legitimate usefulness.

DrIsotope

Yes, yes you are. But you sure made a lengthy post to say absolutely nothing, so kudos on that at least.

linberl

1. Strong front and rear lights (and always have backups/replacement batteries)
2. Helmet blinkies
3. Hi Viz clothing
4. Air horn (to stop people from backing in to you since they don't hear you yell with their windows up)
5. Monkey lights for your wheels (better side visibility and just plain fun)
This will help people who are looking for cyclists at night because they don't want to hit them.
The other people, who don't give a damn about your life, won't notice so you need to add in a heaping helping of paranoia and patience.
Assume drivers WANT to hit you and cycle accordingly. Be safe out there.

njkayaker

No, you didn't understand it.

Jim from Boston

Increasing Conspicuity

Quote:

Originally Posted by linberl

1. Strong front and rear lights (and always have backups/replacement batteries)
2. Helmet blinkies
3. Hi Viz clothing
4. Air horn (to stop people from backing in to you since they don't hear you yell with their windows up)
5. Monkey lights for your wheels (better side visibility and just plain fun)
This will help people who are looking for cyclists at night because they don'twant to hit them.
The other people, who don't give a damn about your life, won't notice so you need to add in a heaping helping of paranoia and patience.
Assume drivers WANT to hit you and cycle accordingly. Be safe outthere.

Not to be argumentative, but since @linberl seems to be presenting an exhaustive list of visual aids for increasing conspicuity, yet except for an air horn throws in the towel on the behavior of drivers, I would add:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I too was hit from behind as a hit-and-run ...

More than even before the accident, with all visibility aids, I am particularly confident wearing a rear view mirror, actually two,right and left Take-a-Look eyeglass-mounted.

linberl

Wasn't meant to be an exhaustive list, I am sure there are additions. It's just what I use, personally. I have a friend who rides with one of those flags on a bendy stick (that would drive me nuts) and now there are those lights that actually shine "lanes" on the road, too. I'm also not sure, other than an air horn, what one could add that would impact the behavior of drivers, but I would be interested. Personally, I just assume drivers range from clueless to hostile and it keeps me alive.

Jim from Boston

Thanks for your reply. I have not tried using an airhorn because I wonder if in a tight situation, where I would have to do a quick evasive maneuver, if I could further react to blast the horn. IMO, more likely it would be a post-event reaction. I rely on the rearview mirror to anticipate dangers.

However to add to your list of visibility aids, see this thread, “Safety hack for bikes using a pool noodle.” It has a video and photo of a pool noodle. I recall thinking it is something I might put on my bike, and a pool store is near by my workplace, so I’ll have to check it out.

Finally. I have one of those rear lights that shine parallel “bike lane” markers, and it was roundly panned as ineffective when I posted about it, and I would have to agree.

linberl

As far as the air horn goes, placement is key. My lever is at the end of my grip, in front of my brake lever. I can rest my thumb on it comfortably while riding in situations where I anticipate the need (like Costco's parking lot, when I shop on my bike, to alert drivers backing up). It actually saved me once at Costco; a guy in an SUV backed up with his music blaring and windows closed and he did not see me, but a long blast and he stopped on a dime!!! I didn't have anywhere to go with cars on the other side so it saved me getting squished. I use the air horn as an alert to drivers in situations where I'm not sure they see me, it's not so much an emergency thing as a way to prevent that emergency. Drivers do not hear bells and a quick horn tap gets a head turn so I know they see me. Just my experience...

ItsJustMe

My list:
Hi-viz vest. TWO taillights, one set on steady and one flashing. Ideally one of the newer generation of highly visible, bright lights. Doesn't have to be crazy expensive. The PDW Danger Zone, the Axiom Pulse 60, the Blitzu 168T are three that I've tried, there are others like the new hotshot and some others that are 60+ lumens. I have at least one driver a month thank me for running multiple good taillights.

Up front, strobe in the daytime, something with a pulse to it at night. I like the Cygolite Metro series. They have a steady + strobe that you can run at night to see by but are still very visible.

Pedal and spoke reflectors are extremely effective in getting attention. What you want is for drivers to say "what the hell is that" because then you've got their attention. Anything that doesn't blend into the background. Reflectors or lights (valve stem lights for instance) are effective beyond what their simple brightness would indicate because they move weird, and that gets attention.

mackigator

I think reflective tape deserves a place on our lists. They even make it in black. I stick it to helmets and fenders and other non painted surfaces. You should always run powered lights, but the tape adds a lot of conspicuity, and it works even if the batteries are dead on the lights - or a wire comes loose.

Sangetsu

I am on the fence about being conspicuous on the road. I worked as a traffic accident investigator for almost ten years, and learned a lot during that time. First, I learned that flashing strobe lights on patrol cars and emergency vehicles parked on the sides of the road (while on a call) were magnets for drunk drivers, who frequently hit them.

For safety's sake, while riding I always assume that I am invisible to car drivers. I acquired this habit when I rode motorcycles. Even in broad daylight, with almost no traffic, with the headlight on and flashing, and the motor revving loudly, car drivers still fail to notice motorcycles. If I saw a car getting ready to make a turn in front of me, I automatically assumed that it didn't see me, and took the appropriate precautions.

With a bicycle, speeds are much lower, and being in the open you can see and hear more. Rather than make cars notice me, I do what I can to notice cars. It is easy enough to hear cars coming up behind you (unless you are an utterly stupid, brainless moronic contestant for a "Darwin Award" who listens to music while riding), with practice, you can judge how fast a car is overtaking you, and even tell which lane it is in.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sangetsu

I am on the fence about being conspicuous on the road....

With a bicycle, speeds are much lower,and being in the open you can see and hear more. Rather than make cars notice me, I do what I can to notice cars. It is easy enough to hear cars comingup behind you (unless you are an utterly stupid, brainless moronic contestantfor a "Darwin Award" who listens to music while riding), withpractice, you can judge how fast a car is overtaking you, and even tell which lane it is in.

I replied previously to this current thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I too was hit from behind as a hit-and-run (turned himself in next day) with residual bone, not neurologic, difficulties. I still ride enthusiastically. My safety aphorism is, "Make yourself as visible as possible, and assume nobody sees you."

More than even before the accident, with all visibility aids, I am particularly confident wearing a rear view mirror, actually two, right and left Take-a-Look eyeglass-mounted.

Furthermore, regarding possible advantages of a bicycle in traffic, I previously posted to this thread, “How Safe Do You Feel When You Ride?”:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I’m fortunate to ride in an urban environment with many alternative routes, and I prefer to ride early in the morning to avoid traffic.…

A more serious consideration of safety though, is how do you explain that attitude to non-cyclists, especially those who express concern for your safety? Besides the usual arguments of the risks versus benefits, or careful riding habits, one subtle contention I read on BikeForums impressed me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Generally I get kudos or just indifference towards my cycling, mostly as a year-round commuter here in Metro Boston, even after my serious accident four years ago. The most hostile remarks, particularly in Winter, are from those drivers who fear for themselves to hit me.

Of course I contend with their fears using many of those talking points as mentioned above. One soft argument I read on Bikeforums is that cycling in traffic really does look [more dangerous than it is] to car drivers ensconced in their vehicles. Personally I feel pretty safe, well-lit, with unlimited vision with mirrors, and pretty nimble on my bike. Nonetheless, I’m totally attentive to the cars around me…

Once though, I was standing on a busy intersection (Massachusetts and Commonwealth Aves) one Saturday night watching some happy-go-lucky student-type cyclists on Hubway Bike Share bikes, no helmets, riding along and laughing intraffic, and I thought to myself that really does look dangerous.

asmac

Try this reflective spray -- it's widely available: Albedo100 - Invisible light-reflective spray to keep you invisible in all conditions. Be Safe. Be Seen. And please turn off the blinkies if you're on an MUP.

rumrunn6

wow, what will they think of next

mr_bill

Head's Up!"

-mr. bill

rumrunn6

lol, if only

KD5NRH

Even if you could make the entire bike including tires and drivetrain hi-viz, reflective and blinking, it wouldn't give as much visible area to the front and rear as your chest and back. Side might be more, especially since it's spread out, but a hi-viz jersey and some reflector tape on the shorts/pants is far more visible than anything on the bike except active lighting from behind.

Plus even a small triangle on the bike is going to add a lot of drag unless it's entirely within the wind shadow of existing panniers or other gear.

njkayaker

Drunk drivers hit all sorts of things. Most of which don't have flashing lights.

Presumably, having flashing lights works better overall than not having them.