Zinger

I came across This company: Torm which is supposed to be about 95% as good quality as Rapha for a better price. Interesting color selection and they are made of "Sportwool" which is Merino wool on the inside and polyester on the outside.

I especially like the simple horizontal stripe configuration for a good contrast for a little visibility. I'd have to know how long they are since I'm tall for my size.

Here is a review of the product as compared to the pricier Rapha brand

lenny866

A cyclist looking to blend in with his/her back round is what I call culling of the herd!

Rowan

I think the herd has heard what you said and is now running in the other direction.

Biker395 

Chartreuse. Doesn't that sound sexier than green-yellow or hi-viz?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartreuse_%28color%29

berner

Sometimes the perceived need for high visibility jerseys may be effected by the terrain one rides in. I had a good ride today in an area relatively new to me on roads that just a bit busier than I normally ride. Here in the NE USA, even in populous areas, there is often a continuous forrest canopy. As a result I was in shade or moving between bright sunlight and shade. I did think about being visible and was glad to be wearing my "screaming yellow jersey.

Zinger

I'd say guys and girls who ride with music blaring from ear speakers are probably more dangerous to themselves even on bike trails. I've ridden with a guy who wanted to do that back when and thought it was ridiculously dangerous for him to do that. He stopped doing it when he found himself riding on after we had stopped for a break.

10 Wheels

How bout Black?...........

locolobo13 

You know, sometimes everybody misses something. I know I have. Not in the same vein but once my boss and I spent 30 min looking for her glasses. Finally I saw them. Around her neck where they always were! I try to use these moments to motivate me to see what is already there.

Rowan

The issue for drivers with this sort of environment is the dappling and the speed at which is passes means the eye's iris is not opening rapidly enough to see properly in the shadows. The dappling also can have a hypnotic effect, so the driver's attention can be affected. That screaming yellow certainly does become a focal point in those situations.

jbenkert111

I agree with you. I have a flashing white light on the front AND back. I think red lights are next to worthless. You want to be seen and ID'd as a cyclist.

Kactus

That's very true and you can never eliminate people not seeing you. But just because you can't eliminate it doesn't mean that we can't, and shouldn't, minimize the chance of people not seeing you!

JanMM

You need a new tail light.
A white light on the back of a bike is miscommunication.

DGlenday

A friend of mine wore this last weekend:

https://www.elevengear.com/roadwear/t...eve-men-s.html



Highly reflective, and has a triangle on the back.

A bit pricey, but I may get one...

Kactus

Anyone that can't see that needs a Seeing Eye Dog!

Bikey Mikey

With that Jersey, I'd see it flash beneath my eyelids every time I blinked.

Cougrrcj

Me likey!!! I might just have to put that in my 'bike budget'

DnvrFox

I believe the point of the OP was that not only he, but any driver, can miss a bicyclist on the road for a variety of reasons and this can be ameliorated by wearing bright clothing. Thise who attacked the OP for not seeing the bicyclist missed the point a bit.

IMHO, multi-colored bright jerseys are, in essence, a form of camouflage when viewed from a distance - similar to the camouflage used in military situations, where they have numerous colors to mimic the background. I remember in WWII the multi-colored camouflage draped over numerous military producing installations, such as Convair in San Diego.

Instead, one should wear a solid bright color such as the lime yellow. I use a solid very bright orange flourescent jersey, but would certainly consider the lime-yellow.

RoadHolland

It's hard for me not to comment here, especially since I make a lot of cycling clothes, and none can be characterized as BRIGHT or NEON (well we do have a lime-green tshirt). I do agree that cyclists should use front and rear lights when their visibility is in question. But saying that a cyclist has to go out and ride head to toe in bright yellow warning clothes is really unnecessary. Why are bicyclists being told they need to ride these clothes when motorcyclists have been enjoying their denim and leather for decades? I think what you are mistakenly saying is that bicycling is dangerous and that we should be scared to go out and ride on our streets. This is false, and preventing cyclists from wearing normal looking clothing just sends a message to drivers that we shouldn't be there. Share the Road is the answer, and wear what you want to.

rck

RoadHolland-What motorcyclists wear is not, at least to me, relevant. I'm not riding one. I recognize that biking particularly in areas with traffic puts me at an increased risk. Do I let it stop me from riding? Of course not, however, I do what I can to minimize that risk(at least when it suits me) and therefore ride wearing brightly colored jerseys and having a blinky on the rear of my bike.

volosong

Nobody can ride a two-wheel, motorized mode of transportation on any military base in this country unless they are wearing a "high visibility" safety vest/jacket.

Daspydyr 

I've been surprised by riders that appear suddenly because of what they wear when they ride. I've never hit anyone, but that is just a luck of the situation thing at this point. In my mind I have already decided that it is better to merge into a car than strike a rider in an emergency situation. Dressing for the time of day and surroundings is HUGELY important.

Glad everyone is OK.

Daspydyr 

All this is true and very appropriate. We have a right to be there!

OTOH, the insurance agent in me says-reduce your risks! Be your own risk manager.

Mountain Mitch

Yeah, remind my widow to tell the driver that!

This isn't about RIGHTS. Of course we have the right to be there. It is about common sense and creating the best chance for a driver to see you. Comparisons with motorcyclists aren't at all relevant since they are operating a much larger machine directly in the lane of travel and going at or above traffic speed. Besides which, motorcyclists are a high risk group and many of them are killed or injured each year by drivers who 'just didn't see them'.

NOS88

OK, I see a couple of things going on here. The first is the issue of the OP recognizing that he didn't see something he expected he would see, and knowing that some of that had to do with the rider not being conspicuous for the given situation. Keep in mind that this particular situation includes, the time of day, the colors involved, that visual acuity of the driver and many other factors affecting the ability to see the rider in the foreground and not the background. This was a dynamic situation with enough variables that it might be rash to pick out one as a singular issue to be addressed.

For my part, if I had been in the same situation as the OP, I would be asking what I could do to make sure I’m more likely to see a rider in a similar situation. I believe it would be unrealistic to assume I wouldn’t encounter a similar situation in the future. So, three things come to mind. First, I would want to evaluate any role speed might have played. If I were going slower, would I have been better able to spot the rider sooner and/or have more time to react? Next, I would want to consider how adequately I was scanning the full field. That is, was I effective in scanning the entire road, especially the sides of the road? And the third thing I would want to assess is if there were changes or limitations with my vision that contributed to the situation. (I know, for example, that when I wore my first pair of bifocals, going down stairs took some real adjustments.) Perhaps there are adjustments that need to be made to enhance my vision.

If I were a rider who heard of such a situation, I might be thinking about three things. What could I do to be more conspicuous? Of course, there are numerous possibilities for accomplishing this. Next, I would think about where I ride and what the traffic was like where I ride. If, for example, I ride on a narrow road with lots of shade and cars tend to drive this road for sport, I would think about where I wanted to position myself on various parts of the ride. Or, I might even decide that there were times of day when I would not ride on that stretch of road. The third thing I’d think about is if I wanted to make any adjustments to or just go with the philosophy that what happens, happens. Now I’ve thought about this third thing a great deal and have come to the conclusion that what happens can be tempered by my role within it. So, I do pay attention to how conspicuous I am and where or when I’m riding.

What I don’t comprehend is the need to find a villain in situations like this or the need to find more or less fault with a given approach. There were a lot of things taking place in the OP’s example. I think it unwise to have a limited view of it.

ModeratedUser150120149

Interesting to read comments. Some, clearly, are taking advantage of the opportunity to promote their politics or business. Others are struggling with the need to be seen. On that subject the verdict has been in for quite some time.

Clothing and visibility standards for highway workers and other occupations recognize that roads are dangerous places. People who wear those vest and other clothing don't do it as a fashion statement. They don't argue about their right to be where they are. They do it because after lots of analysis we know it saves injury and death.

Cyclists also need to understand that the same rules of life apply. See and be Seen is the rule on the road and in the air. No academic discussion or political agenda or fashion argument changes that. We are different only in that there is no law or military commander making good sense decisions for us. We are responsible for our own survival.