rumrunn6

I was watching a guy on a bike yesterday. I saw him on my way and on my way home. thick thighs; black tights; solid blue jersey and obviously an experienced road rider (only a small saddle bag). meaning not your typical Fred commuter with hi-vis day-glo lime-green garments and strobes, etc.

It got me curious how he was treated by the cagers. meaning was he buzzed or perhaps did the drivers give him courtesy room because he looked and performed like an experienced cyclist.

I'd like to hear from those riders. (I'll refrain from the term black ninjas)

do I really need hi vis stuff and strobes? sometimes I feel a bit ridiculous because of it all

Spinz

I am 52 and have been riding since jr. high school. My preference is to travel with the minimal amount of paraphernalia. However anything that makes me more visiable to all of these elderly and redneck drivers in my neck of the woods; well then I for one am all for it. There are two flashing stobes on the rear of my bike, and my prefered jersey color is hi vis yellow. There are days when I doubt if that is enough. Lp

veloboy971

You don't need any of that crap unless you're maybe riding at night...but then I might just wonder whether I had a decemtbenough lighting system to be riding at all.

datlas 

I do high VIZ when riding solo and commuting (reflective vest, etc.) but am pretty ninja when on group/club rides.

Probably not a good idea to ride alone in traffic like you describe.

tubescreamerx

I find that I don't need any of the hi-vis stuff. Maybe I'll change my tune if I finally get hit, but I think that riding as an experienced cyclist (holding your line, signaling your intentions, stopping at lights/signs) is usually enough. I can't say that I haven't thought about elderly folk careening up behind me though. FWIW, I wear bright yellow Mavic shoes, which seem to get people's attention fairly well, having received comments from motorists occasionally.

waterrockets 

I ride in race kits. My team kit is white and orange, some older team kits are dark. In 19 years, I've never had a real issue with people seeing me other than when I got hit at twilight back before I was "serious" and didn't have a light.

Quel

I usually wear bright jerseys, but not hi-vis. It's enough. If I'm riding later and might get stuck in low/no light, I bring the lights.

DXchulo

You guys are probably getting tired of me posting this link, but here it is again: https://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7444/857.

Personally, I hope people mistake me for a construction worker. Hit one of those guys and you'll be slapped with a real punishment. Hit some cyclist and you might get a stern talking-to.

NickDavid

If I commute, I use a NiteRider head light + Planet Bike flashing tail light.

Never had any issues, except for the occasional "F@G!" as some kid passes in his POS Honda Civic with rims.

Homebrew01

If there's any degree of darkness involved (dusk, early morning, night), then I use lights and reflective vest or bright jacket. Daytime rides I wear regular kit.

As a car driver, I've almost hit a few pedestrians at night because I did not see them on the side of the road until the last second.

roadiejorge 

I have a Superflash tail light and a Magicshine headlight when I ride at night, plus my bag has a reflective shimmer on the back of the bag so I've had no issues despite the fact I'm a ninja otherwise.

Yaniel

during the day I'm not concerned with wearing high visibility stuff. 99% of drivers that buzz you do it because they're dicks not because they didn't see you and the high visibility won't change anything.

tubescreamerx

Sweet, I have a white helmet

rumrunn6

Yaniel ~ so you get buzzed too?

valygrl

Yeah, that. I got hit at noon on a sunny day, she "didn't see me" - I was wearing all black. I went high-vis for a few years, and now I'm starting to revert to my natural tendency to want to wear black, but it's against my better judgement.

Brian Ratliff

No different. If it's a situation where I think visibility is a problem (heavy fog/rain or darkness), I'll wear a strobe/blinky. Otherwise, it's not really an issue.

rumrunn6

https://planetsave.com/blog/2008/09/2...r-of-missouri/
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/...d7b386e33b.jpg
https://blog.lib.umn.edu/carl1236/dailyspirit/bike.jpg
https://www.treehugger.com/riding-the-bicycle-train.jpg
https://blog.motorcycle.com/wp-conten...namic-duo3.jpg
https://content5.videojug.com/fa/fad8...a-bat-bike.jpg

Yaniel

you can't ride in miami without getting buzzed. but most of them are looking right at you or giving a 1 finger salute as they do it.

Yaniel

"didnt see you" was probably code for too busy text messaging, or dialing the phone, or eating french fries, or reading something, or picking a phone up from the floor. A sunny day at noon, you should be able to easy see anyone wearing any color of clothing unless you're just not looking at the road.

MKahrl

DXchulo has given you the only useful answer to your question.

If you have a choice between a bunch of us bf'ers telling you that motorists are so blown away with the nattiness of our kits and the suppleness of our ankling technique that they pass wide while saluting us or an actual study with someone counting body bags, go with the study.

Hot Potato

Reflective and hi-vis stuff is beneficial in low light situations. But I use whatever clothing I want with 1200 lumens front and 400 lumens rear in low light situations. During the day, I must agree with the others who have stated that being buzzed is because the drivers are jerks, not because you aren't visible. Most of the time I can see the jerks preparing for the bonehead manuever in my mirror and am not surprised by it. On my commute, the worst behaviour is elicited by an upcoming stop sign or traffic light. The idiots will do wildly ridiculous things trying to claim a spot ahead of me, often accelerating to scary speeds with just yards to go before to veering right and slamming on the brakes.

I see no reason to conclude that anything that benefits a motorcycle rider will benefit a cyclist. The only common ground is two wheels, everything else is different.

ptle

I don't really have any high visibility clothing. My jersey colors are either red/black, blue/black, or white/orange. My bike has a lot of SOLAR tape on it, which helps at night and maybe in the day a little bit. However if it's night time or even cloudly I will throw on my lights.

One easy Sunday group ride, everyone (four guys) had rear PB superflashes. I have one, but didn't bring it because it was bright and sunny out. I felt like the odd one out.

Doohickie

Oh, you look ridiculous, but it's not because of the hi vis stuff. Get a haircut; it would be an improvement.*


*I kid. I kid.


I mostly ride with hi vis stuff- all the time at night hi vis and/or reflective stuff. During the day I tend to wear bright colored (if not hi vis) and usually run with a blinky front and back. So... I look ridiculous too.

midgetmaestro 

I used to wear high-vis stuff and got buzzed. I don't wear it anymore and still get buzzed, I just don't look like a total dork now

rumrunn6

trimmed my mustache - does that help?