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Daytime Visibility: Bright Colors vs. Stripes?

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Daytime Visibility: Bright Colors vs. Stripes?

Old 03-28-22, 12:23 PM
  #51  
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
Interesting that you mention pink. Several states now allow it as an option to orange for deer hunting. Indeed it stands out in green vegetation much better.
My son uses "safety green" discs when disc golfing in wooded areas... that color still stands out, even in a forest of green. And more so as one gets closer to the object/cyclist.
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Old 03-28-22, 12:31 PM
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Originally Posted by genec
I once saw a negative newspaper commentary about cyclists "trying to look like bees," regarding the black and yellow combination... to that writer, I say FU... you saw us cyclists, and that was the important part.


There are bees, and then there are Killer Bees, bicyclists don't want to be associated with the wrong kind...
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Old 03-28-22, 04:19 PM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by genec
My son uses "safety green" discs when disc golfing in wooded areas... that color still stands out, even in a forest of green. And more so as one gets closer to the object/cyclist.
Not really much of an advantage. Close-up, cyclists standout fairly-well regardless of what they are wearing.

Last edited by njkayaker; 03-29-22 at 07:38 PM.
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Old 03-28-22, 04:29 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
Not really much of an advantage. Close-up, cyclists are standout fairly-well regardless of what they are wearing.
And yet, so often, the words from the motorist, after the collision, are "I didn't see the cyclist..." Go figure.
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Old 03-28-22, 04:44 PM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by genec
And yet, so often, the words from the motorist, after the collision, are "I didn't see the cyclist..." Go figure.
If they are more noticeable only up-close, it's too late.

There are multiple levels to get to registering the cyclist. The farther away, the better since there is more time for the recognition to get through.

The problem with "I didn't see the cyclist..." isn't actually perceiving the cyclist.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/ina...of%20attention.

And, of course, the motorist won't see something they aren't looking at: they tend not to look at the side of the road close to their car. They tend to be looking forward (at at view, the cyclist tends to be fairly far away).

========================

Cyclists can be hard for anybody to recognize from far off. Are cyclists right next to your car hard to see/recognize if you are looking at them? Is wearing a green color really going to do that much to help you recognize them?

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Old 03-28-22, 05:02 PM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by genec
And yet, so often, the words from the motorist, after the collision, are "I didn't see the cyclist..." Go figure.
I figure it as trustworthy and truthful as everyone in prison stating "I didn't do it" or "I was innocent but my lawyer F-ed me." Sometimes that may be correct but I wouldn't bet on it.
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Old 03-29-22, 06:34 AM
  #57  
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I'm a big proponent of hi viz yellow. I wear a solid hi viz yellow jersey and hi viz socks. The combination of bright yellow socks going up and down with an active bright red blinker on the rear works well. Long ago I gave up the desire to "look cool" out riding after a few close calls with motorists. On a bright day I may wear one of my "cool" jerseys but always the yellow socks and blinkers going. On cooler days I'll wear a solid black long sleeve under-layer and the black arms contrasting the yellow jersey really stand out on overcast days.
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Old 03-29-22, 06:44 AM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by drlogik
I'm a big proponent of hi viz yellow. I wear a solid hi viz yellow jersey and hi viz socks. The combination of bright yellow socks going up and down with an active bright red blinker on the rear works well. Long ago I gave up the desire to "look cool" out riding after a few close calls with motorists. On a bright day I may wear one of my "cool" jerseys but always the yellow socks and blinkers going. On cooler days I'll wear a solid black long sleeve under-layer and the black arms contrasting the yellow jersey really stand out on overcast days.
The "hi viz" yellow also tend to be something cyclists (and few others) wear.

So, not only is it easier to see, it makes it easier to identify the thing being seen as a cyclist. Which means the driver will have a better idea of how you are going to behave and how they should behave in turn.

This is also why rear lights that flash are better than those that are constant.

(Nothing is going to be perfect.)
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Old 03-29-22, 07:09 AM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by DangerousDanR
We also had someone hit a school bus that was stopped with the flashers on...
Ah, so you've met my sister-in-law.
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Old 03-29-22, 07:50 AM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
The "hi viz" yellow also tend to be something cyclists (and few others) wear.

So, not only is it easier to see, it makes it easier to identify the thing being seen as a cyclist. Which means the driver will have a better idea of how you are going to behave and how they should behave in turn.

This is also why rear lights that flash are better than those that are constant.

(Nothing is going to be perfect.)
I hadn't thought about drivers processing the high vis yellow as "cyclist" It does make sense. Good point about nothing being perfect. I approach safety with a layered strategy. Road choice, lane position, pay attention relentlessly, bright socks, bright shirt, bright helmet, flashing lights, etc.
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Old 03-29-22, 08:09 AM
  #61  
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By the way, my rear red blinker is a Cygolite that I keep in the random strobe mode. I went back 100 yards to check it out before I started riding with it and it is impossible to ignore. Almost irritating. The constant strobe mode isn't nearly as eye-catching. I had a motorist ask me where I got it because he said it's the brightest he's ever seen.
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Old 03-29-22, 08:52 AM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by DangerousDanR
I don't trust any of them to keep that one special driver from hitting me.
If you did, you'd be doing it wrong. Nothing is perfect. That doesn't mean you aren't better off generally wearing something that enhances your visibility.

Originally Posted by DangerousDanR
The price of bicycling is eternal vigilance...
False dilemma. This doesn't preclude enhancing your chances by wearing something that is easier to see.

Last edited by njkayaker; 03-29-22 at 08:59 AM.
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Old 03-29-22, 08:58 AM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
I hadn't thought about drivers processing the high vis yellow as "cyclist" It does make sense.
What do you think when you see the color? (Sure, being a cyclists is priming you.)

Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
Good point about nothing being perfect.
You didn't do it but it's common for people in these discussions to say something doesn't work "at all" because they can find an example when it didn't work (see example in the post above). Those examples only show that something isn't perfect. It doesn't address whether people are better off doing something than not.

Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
I approach safety with a layered strategy. Road choice, lane position, pay attention relentlessly, bright socks, bright shirt, bright helmet, flashing lights, etc.
Of course. Though, it might be possible to over-do it. If you are confusing, then drivers have no idea what you are going to do.

Last edited by njkayaker; 03-29-22 at 09:14 AM.
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Old 03-29-22, 09:13 AM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by drlogik
By the way, my rear red blinker is a Cygolite that I keep in the random strobe mode. I went back 100 yards to check it out before I started riding with it and it is impossible to ignore. Almost irritating. The constant strobe mode isn't nearly as eye-catching. I had a motorist ask me where I got it because he said it's the brightest he's ever seen.
It's fairly common in these discussions to bring up issues of "not being able to estimate speed" or the problem with "tracking" flashing lights. People making those comments don't understand the purpose of the flashing light (which is to get you noticed). If a driver knows the thing is a cyclist, they can make fairly good guesses about speed and tracking. And, when they are close, they can see the entire cyclist (at night, their headlights show where the cyclist is and where they are going; they don't need the rear light for "speed estimation" or "tracking").

Flashing is better than constant because it's somewhat novel, it's visually more noticeable, it makes smaller light sources more visible, it uses less power. it makes the source distinguishable from reflectors, it's a fairly universal indicator of "cyclist", and it's a fairly universal indicator of "caution".

There's also the "drunk drivers are attracted to flashing lights" argument too. That flashing lights are used nearly always in emergency situations invalidates this criticism against using flashing lights. Clearly, people see the trade-off of possibly "attracting" drivers as very worth it.
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Old 03-29-22, 09:27 AM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by drlogik
ILong ago I gave up the desire to "look cool" out riding after a few close calls with motorists.
Good decision. Note that only ardent bicycling "enthusiasts" believe that any bicyclist attire "looks cool."

Bicyclists can dress for comfort, performance, safety, protection from the elements, etc., but bicyclists can forget about "looking cool" in public unless they dress for it, and that would require tossing all the bicycling attire recommended by BF posters.
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Old 03-29-22, 09:47 AM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
Good decision. Note that only ardent bicycling "enthusiasts" believe that any bicyclist attire "looks cool."

Bicyclists can dress for comfort, performance, safety, protection from the elements, etc., but bicyclists can forget about "looking cool" in public unless they dress for it, and that would require tossing all the bicycling attire recommended by BF posters.
On occasion I would go to a restaurant or pub after work... and bike commute there. The solution was to bring "cool attire" in the bike bag... then change upon arrival. And just "be cool" because you grabbed the closest parking spot.

Many decades ago, I dated my wife this way... We would arrange a date to meet some place... and I would arrive early, by bike, clean up a bit, and then change. She had heard from mutual friends that I didn't drive... and asked, after a few dates how I got there. I told her. We have been together for nearly 40 years now.
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Old 03-29-22, 12:32 PM
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I ride to the Wednesday night rides. Sometimes on a bike path that is totally straight to the shop where riders are waiting and just standing around. About a mile away if there is one rider with the new safety green/yellow solid jacket. I can see the bright color with my sunglasses in sunlight. I can't tell what it is from a half mile to a half mile but I can see it. Sometimes when I get there, there are 5-10 riders standing around Can't see well enough to see they are cyclists there until I get closer.

My Cygolight pro 200 hotshot taillight is much brighter than most car taillights. In the daytime it is almost blinding from a block away and easy to see from a few blocks in sunlight. Same for my tiny Cygolight "dice" white front flasher.
When ever I get a new light I walk way away from it to see the visibility it has. I also move right to left to see what the side spread is like. I do it in daylight and the dark, with ambient light and in total darkness.

I'm surprised that some riders apparently don't do this. Do others do it? ??
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Old 03-29-22, 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
What do you think when you see the color? (Sure, being a cyclists is priming you.)
In this case, context matters. There's so much construction in downtown NOLA right now, at first glance I'd suspect a construction worker. Out on the rural back roads, I'd immediately think "cyclist."
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Old 03-29-22, 02:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
In this case, context matters. There's so much construction in downtown NOLA right now, at first glance I'd suspect a construction worker.
Nothing is perfect.

And, if a cyclist is perceived as a construction worker, that might not be so bad.

Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
I hadn't thought about drivers processing the high vis yellow as "cyclist" It does make sense.
Out on the rural back roads, I'd immediately think "cyclist."
Given this response, it's interesting you hadn't ever thought about it.

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Old 03-29-22, 05:49 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
Nothing is perfect.

And, if a cyclist is perceived as a construction worker, that might not be so bad.


...
I've had road crews give me priority through their stop signs because I was dressed like them.
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Old 03-29-22, 05:53 PM
  #71  
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Originally Posted by genec
And yet, so often, the words from the motorist, after the collision, are "I didn't see the cyclist..." Go figure.
Meaningless. They "don't see" cyclists no matter what they're wearing. They "don't see" cyclists because they're not paying attention and/or actually distracted.
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Old 03-29-22, 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Camilo
Meaningless. They "don't see" cyclists no matter what they're wearing. They "don't see" cyclists because they're not paying attention and/or actually distracted.
A motorist involved in a collision stating that he didn't see the victim is an admission of guilt and negligence.
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Old 03-30-22, 07:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Camilo
Meaningless. They "don't see" cyclists no matter what they're wearing. They "don't see" cyclists because they're not paying attention and/or actually distracted.
It's up to us to ensure that the false statement "I didn't see" is truly false by making ourselves as boldly visible as possible.
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Old 03-30-22, 08:11 AM
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I know this thread is about daytime visibility... and I suspect this vest would work quite well in daylight... But I mention this as I just saw something like this, glowing, running up the street behind my house in the pre dawn morning. It was quite visible, and self lit. And quite obviously a runner.

I am not sure it was this exact vest... but it looked something like this. https://www.safetysmartgear.com/glob...st-glo-315led/ There are likely similar designs for sale at other sites. This was just the first such image I found.

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Old 03-30-22, 09:47 AM
  #75  
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Originally Posted by genec
I know this thread is about daytime visibility... and I suspect this vest would work quite well in daylight... But I mention this as I just saw something like this, glowing, running up the street behind my house in the pre dawn morning. It was quite visible, and self lit. And quite obviously a runner.

I am not sure it was this exact vest... but it looked something like this. https://www.safetysmartgear.com/glob...st-glo-315led/ There are likely similar designs for sale at other sites. This was just the first such image I found.

That type of reflective tape doesn't really work when wet.
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