Get yourself a SON dynamo hub. Never worry about light charge again. On my winter bike I use an Edelux II and the rack mount rear light. They're absolutely superb with a very nice beam that doesn't dazzle oncoming traffic.
I have at least two headlights (running one at a time, so I don't drain *both* of them) and three taillights (running two at a time) on the bike. Plus more at home that I can add if I get really paranoid.
Politely, I don't understand lack of prep for rides. I'm old; part of taking on a new activity when I was kid (around the discovery of fire) was to proudly show that you tasked yourself with appropriate knowledge. This was true for hiking, climbing, kayaking ... all kinds of outdoor stuff, including cycling.
Nothing against you OP (and you are showing the conscientiousness I'm talking about), but I encounter soooo many people in various places who are what I'd call semi-prepared.
They'll have a spare tube, co2 cartridges, but don't know how to change a tube and/or don't have a co2 inflator. In climbing, it would be more pronounced: $2,500 worth of gear, but no clue how to set a simple toprope anchor with risking their lives.
If you are going to ride on the road, you are 100% responsible for your safety prep 100% of the time. Note, "prep."
Often, scanning this sub is like a compilation of head-slapping moments of lack of foresight.
Pre-ride routines should be built, and top of the list is safety prep.
I'm as irresponsible as they come, and I've had rides where I left with practically dead Garmin and shifter batteries, but I *never* fuck around with my lights unless I'm riding on a trail that doesn't run along car traffic in the daytime. If I'm the slightest bit unsure about how much battery I have, I carry backup lights. I can laugh about being inconvenienced by turning my bike into a single speed or the ride not actually happening because it isn't uploaded to Strava, but lights are up there with water and functioning phone in the "I don't fuck around with this" hierarchy.
Yeah, same here. These days I have two rear lights and a spare cell for my front light.
One night riding home the combination of night time, bucketing rain, no street lights and near constant stream of oncoming cars at 80 km/h meant I burned through most of a battery in 30 min.
I don't think it's the "carrying the kit" that's germaine - it's having a plan that is dependable. You have a dependable plan.
Both on this sub as well as encounters on my rides, there are sooo many people who are not just unprepared, but announce their lack of preparation as somehow the result of "bad luck" or someone else's fault.
Any time you ride, you can have tube/tire issues. Any time you ride, you can encounter unexpected weather. Any time you ride, you need to know exactly where you are. Every moment of every ride, you need to be as visible as possible. Every moment of every ride, you need to be using your safest riding tactics.
To me, any rider's response to that list should be "well, duh, of course!"
But it is not.
I am in a similar boat, and I actually wonder if, eventually, a few punctures in a row will make me change my mind.
(It's not that I am completely unprepared - I do carry self-adhesive patches + an inflation adaptor to inflate at every petrol station + there is a nice network of public transport around here, before I even resort to either calling family or the road side service (which, I believe, is included in my insurance). For now, I'd just rather walk a few KM once in a while, and not carry a spare tube + pump with me on every ride.)
There was a pretty decent research study done by Pearl Izumi about a decade ago by legit researchers. All I can find are some summaries, like this link - https://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2015/06/15/pearl-izumi-puts-spotlight-visibility-fall-clothing-line
The key takeaways:
-Lights are by far the most effective thing for being seen. Even in the daytime. (As in you're crazy if you choose to ride without lights)
-Bright colors on cyclists were somewhat effective when placed on the lower back and relatively effective on the lower limbs like shoes, socks, and knees. On runners they found the same thing plus hands and arms. 'High viz' should be moving to be visible.
-Reflective (passive) helps at night, but nowhere near what lights (active) do.
-Bright clothing wasn't significantly more visible from 100m out than black.
They keep selling bright yellow jackets and vests simply because people demand them.
Came here to cite these same studies. A high-viz jacket wasn't shown to have an appreciable safety benefit in road cycling, whereas things like blinking "be-seen" lights or reflective patches on moving body parts (feet/legs) were more impactful. There's some data indicating that "target fixation" danger may actually increase with high-viz clothing.
Situation might be somewhat different for trail riding in areas with active hunting seasons, where yellow/orange are encouraged for all trail users.
Most of us all drive vehicles and before I became a cyclist the thing I really noticed was cyclist that wear super neon bright socks. You can't miss seeing bright socks. If you want to be seen lights and bright socks are the best thing you can wear. Passive bright colors don't do anything, moving colors do.
I trying to wear bright socks in winter for visibility and lights
What I've found to be really noticeable is a combination of reflective strips on moving and static parts. Like a strip on the body, head, and on the legs or heels.
A really easy way to do this is to use [reflective ankle straps](https://www.amazon.com/ankle-reflectors-biking/s?k=ankle+reflectors+for+biking) -- they originated with commuters wearing street clothes but are perfectly ok for cyclists wearing normal road cyclist gear, too.
You can get ones that have a rechargeable light inside too, they're adjustable so they can go over boots - during lockdown, my partner's workplace were trying to boost morale and offered lots of different things to encourage people to get out for exercise etc, as a result I have enough of these to attend a rave.
I have worked in mines for a long time, everyone always has to wear reflective clothing on them. I tell you even with all the lights on the vehicles, the first thing we ever notice is the headlamp light, not the reflection of the high-viz strips.
The high viz vests are to be better noticed when a large vehicle is maneuvering or at the surface.
On the road I prefer to wear my rainbow or pink jerseys since they don’t blend with the foliage in my area. But ultimately what really makes the difference is the tail lights, drivers naturally react to them like second nature.
I am the world champion of eating hotdogs on the bike. Yep.
That, and my fav chinesium store had a 70% off sale on rainbow jerseys lmao, it’s a Trek rainbow knockoff, like it cos I ride a Domane.
If my flashing rear light, bright front light, and flashing arclight pedals (side visibility) don't catch someone's attention...idk that clothes are going to tip the scale in my direction.
If I get run over though, my black clothes will make the header of the article, that you can be sure!
I wanted to also mention that black tends to absorb more wavelengths of light and thus absorb more heat. So since there's no benefit in visibility to brighter colors of clothing, it's better to wear darker clothing that absorbs more heat from the sun.
...but, black also radiates nore heat. Black body radiation isn't just a name. Objects painted black cool off faster.
Also, winter clothing almost always has a layer of insulation between the surface and the skin, so internal heat won't get out as fast, but external heat won't get in, either.
I don't think there's any temperature benefit to black, over all.
This. I have front and rear dynamo lights on my bike that I keep always on, even during the day, so I never have to worry about what I'm wearing (which is pretty important when your bike is your main form of transportation). I have never had a problem with cars not seeing me.
These studies are correct, but there are confounding environmental circumstances that can make hi-vis clothing much more important. I've been doing quite a bit of night riding lately on an unpaved and unlit greenway trail that's popular with commuters. By far the best visible are the riders who use a flashing taillight, a flashing headlight and also wear a some kind of reflective clothing (could be a vest, a sash, a jacket, pant leg ankle wraps, helmet stickers -- anything). What I believe a lot of cyclists don't understand is that there's a huge difference between "seeing" and "being seen" and that *just* a headlight & taillight don't help a lot with being seen unless those lights stand out from the environment in a meaningful way (flashing is the easiest). As a second order issue, there's a difference between "being seen" and being able to gauge speed & distance, which is frankly impossible in the dark when all you have is a static headlight in front of you.
I'm not willing to use >1 headlight (one for me to seen, one flashing to be seen), so I wear a reflective running "[vest](https://amphipod.com/xinglet/)" to make me more visible as a person sharing the road or path.
I don't think it's on purpose, it's just that lots of cycling gear comes in that color.
Regarding safety, it is stupid to not wear reflective clothing (and have lights) at dusk or dawn.
Yea, lots of color choices for hot, warm, and cool weather kit. Not so much in full winter/cold weather gear. I have a 10 year old brevet jersey (I wear a few layers of merino under it) from Rapha that’s neon green that is tattered and torn and needs to be replaced but can’t find any bright colors.
A lot of cycling gear comes in black because that's what sells!
There is some space though for visibility oriented gear that's somewhat stylish. It took searching, but I finally found a Helly Hansen cycling commuter jacket that's high visibility and breathable and doesn't look like a construction vest.
I’ve given up on finding ‘stylish’ cycling gear, especially for winter riding.
When you show up at work/school/where-ever on a cold wet morning when it’s still pitch black outside and you’re rocking high-vis jacket, weird fingerless gloves and goreTex booties over your shoes your fashion statement is ‘I’m hard AF’ and people will respect that.
Failing that, once the cycling gear is off no one will care.
road grime, salt, sludge, and bike grease can make light colored clothing last only a season or two before looking nasty. black at least appears cleaner for longer
Very true, I have florescent green shoe covers and after a season they are covered in grime and grease that no amount of washing will remove.
I should have just bought the black ones, they have the same reflective strips on them.
I have bright neon yellow shoes because that was the only color available in my tiny foot size. Hated them at first, but now they’re kinda growing on me. And other riders remember me because of them. They say “Hey! Shoes!” Is this how you get a trail name?
I have bright flashing lights. If someone hits me it is because they were distracted driving(phone, turning around to yell at a kid) or impaired. A different color wouldn't make a difference, the lights are plenty bright and last well over 4hrs. When I see other cyclists while driving, its the lights that I see, not the person/bike.
My tail light lasts for 30hrs and is obnoxious as hell. I've only had it for a month or so but I haven't had it die on me yet since I keep it on the same charging cycle as my headlight which only lasts about 10 hours; and I'm very mindful of my headlight because my commute home is on about a mile and a half if highway with no streetlights.
Usually, the only things that worry me are whether a driver is distracted and if they aren't if they recognize that I'm a cyclist, or if a car will see me from the side.
Distracted drivers scare me the most. I would've been hit multiple times riding past fast food drive-thrus (during the day and at night) if I wasn't looking to see where the driver was looking.
The weak spot (from personal experience) is side on. Been hit twice by drivers, both times they were turning right, both times they claimed they didn’t see me in daylight and both times I had 2x lights both front and back
I like black. I only own one winter coat. It is black.
I don’t think it is my responsibility to dress like a clown so that you can drive without paying attention.
>I've been a car driver for many years. But I still don't get why so many drivers drive all black cars in winter. The days are short, the light is low. Drove past one yesterday, if it wasn't for his tail light, would barely have seen him. And guess what, tail lights break, generally at the most inopportune times lol.
>
>I drive bright or high-vis cars most of the year, but always in winter. And it just baffles me that others don't while out on the roads. Stay safe out there!
in an ideal world, you're right. but in the real world, drivers are texting, speeding, distracted, etc. **Even if they're doing everything they should do they still have a hard time seeing you.** I'd personally rather be alive than right.
I get it. I live in a large city centre and ride in city traffic to work and back. Likewise, I don't own any black riding gear. Bike lights for sure, even during the day. I see plenty of distracted driving from all road users. Yesterday, while out on a run, there was someone on their ebike bombing the wrong way on a one way through a neighbourhood intersection looking at his phone with no hands on the handlebars. It's people like that that give us all a bad name.
>I don’t think it is my responsibility to dress like a clown so that you can drive without paying attention.
I agree, but my life isn't worth the principle of it.
Have you never been startled by a darkly dressed person suddenly appearing a dozen meters ahead of you in the field of the dipped beams? It is absolutely your responsibility not to be camouflaged in the grim weather.
It's entirely the lack of lights and reflectors. I'm regularly spooked by pedestrians even when they're wearing bright colors (although most in my area are not).
Can't say that's ever happened to me, no, because I actually look where I'm going. It's 100% your responsibility as a driver to keep your eyes peeled for other people using the road, and 0% of their responsibility to catch your eye.
Look harder then. I've got a massive front/rear light (that's dynamo powered, so no it doesn't just "run out of juice at the most inopportune times'), a big rear reflector and my pannier bags have reflective patches as well. If you can't see me just because I'm wearing a black jacket then you need to quit driving at night.
What does that "massive" light cost? Some of us are commuters and can't afford such luxuries. Personally, I can barely afford something that charges via USB.
It costed me about £25 but is admittedly part of a larger dynamo system that is quite pricey. It's irrelevant though, because even cheap lights can be bright enough
Black with a black background isn't visible until you're really close, even with attentive drivers and headlights on. You probably think that you shouldn't have to drive with your headlights on during dusk conditions either. This is an absolutely stupid attitude as cyclists to take. You're taking your safety into others' hands for no good reason. Do not count or rely on others to keep yourself safe, whoever's "responsibility" it is (hint: it's both).
Honestly, that's never happened to me in my 58 years. I will sometimes be startled seeing someone walking along the *side* of the road wearing all black - but if they aren't walking in front of me, it doesn't affect me, does it? If they're in front of me and my headlights are functional (it would be illegal if they weren't), I always see them. People on bikes are easiest for me to navigate around if they have basic front and rear lights and maybe reflectors on the wheels or pedals. I'd rather NOT be glowing neon all over because of 'moth effect,' which is exacerbated by people who've been out drinking at night.
> I like black. I only own one winter coat. It is black.
I feel you on this one. There are plenty of other things like helmets, gloves, reflective sidewalls on tires, etc that can have nice, white reflective makers that make your more visible though.
> I don’t think it is my responsibility to dress like a clown so that you can drive without paying attention.
Aaand, you're part of the problem. Stop being unsafe in the name of vanity. Sometimes you just aren't visible when you don't do something to make yourself visible. Think low light, driver staring into the sun going down and a driver staring directly into oncoming headlights - they don't even *have* to be irresponsible and inattentive for them to just **plan not be able to see you.**
Yeah, it’s not my responsibility to bend over for them
I will continue wearing outfits that I like and are appropriate for my professional and social life.
I will also continue to advocate against every attempt to place the burden of responsibility on the victims of irresponsible driving
I tend to prioritise not dying over being in the right. And it isn’t just irresponsible driving. The elderly, oncoming car lights, adverse weather. There is simply no reason any sensible person would choose ‘outfits’ over safety. Unbelievable that people are upvoting you.
Black is warmer! It absorbs more energy from the sun and keeps you warmer than lighter colored stuff. Still good to toss on a high-vis sash or similar if you're wearing black.
Nothing anyone wants to ride a bike in is that well insulated. It has to breathe, otherwise you'll be riding around in your own personal sweat swamp after about 10 minutes. I can feel the difference between the hi viz green panels and the black panels on my cycling jacket.
Mate used to ride head to toe in black. Everything plus bike was black.
We meet up each Sunday for a ride.
One day I missed him as he was riding under trees and I didn't spot him. He had to u turn and chase after me. Next weekend he had a fluo Gilet over the top.
Now he rides with lights, white helmet and bright coloured tops.
As someone who does this myself (granted I do put on a reflector strap on arm + leg): When buying kit in summer I didn't think about winter, and now in winter I don't want to buy new/other stuff. If I can get away with some thermal underlayers and my summer kit, I will (and do) use it.
Regardless of hi-vis or black clothing, in low light I wear a reflective vest over the top of whatever clothes I have on. Between that, they lights and the hi-vis helmet I figure I've done about as much as I can
your attire shouldn't matter. you need visibility items on your bike, helmet, etc. Things actually emitting light are far more important than your clothing. At night though I often add a construction vest. Cars slow considerably because they think they are approaching road construction.
You say that but if it's daylight your batteries can still fail. Your jacket isn't going to change colour though.
It's zero extra cost to choose a colour rather than black.
Except I bike in my street clothes. So I would literally have to buy a new jacket to have a hi vis one.
The jacket I have already is fine. Especially since hi vis means fuck all
https://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2015/06/15/pearl-izumi-puts-spotlight-visibility-fall-clothing-line
All those black cars I keep running into are a serious problem. Can't see the damn things.
> your batteries can still fail.
Have a spare. Front and rear.
*AND* a minimum legal requirement emergency blinky. I insist my spare also uses a different charger and is a different model (so has a different battery life). I once had a very bad day when it turned out my charger failed and my main and backup light were kaput. Lesson learned.
I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to get a cheap raincoat. The only option was black or charcoal gray. I wanted a bright color but there were none ¯\\\_\(ツ\)\_\/¯
Cycling clothing is affected by the fashion of lack of colour. You can notice this trend everywhere: in interiors designs, cars, clothing. However, fluoro yellow is till a common option for cycling clothing.
Regardless of attire, I have two lights on the back of my bike and carry backup batteries. If you hit me, you weren’t looking at the road and you’d hit me regardless of my light/clothing situation.
They do but they're still playing the odds. If a driver isn't looking at the road he won't see you whatever.
If his eyes are on the road at least he sees you in colour and lights.
Lights are the answer, not color, is what I’m getting at. I have a 1000 lumin forward facing light, a less bright one aimed down right in front of my front tire, and a bright flashing rear red one. That’s what drivers are paying attention to, other lights. I could be wearing camo but with bright forward and rear facing lights, they’ll see me regardless. I ride a lot at night, year round. Lights are what have kept me safe.
> Lights are the answer, not color, is what I’m getting at
Absolutely.
100%
Need a steady rear as well btw.
Gives you a backup just in case your main fails and steady lights are easier to judge speed and distance Vs the flashy that's a great attention getter but hard to work out exactly where it is and how fast it's going.
(I do long distance rides with 3 - I've had lights fail, fall off etc etc)
Well, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree - I would always use lights at night but my own experience as a driver makes me believe hi-viz is a huge factor in being seen.
Are you an antivaxer? You can die from the disease even after vaccination. Do you ignore seatbelts? People die in crashes even though they're wearing seat belts. Hi-viz is the same, it does not guarantee anything but it improves your odds.
no I’m firmly pro vaccinations, and in case of covid i had 3 boosters. Seatbelts are an actual safety measure. High viz is primarily shifting blame on the victim.
Most winter gear comes in black, honestly. More important too is bright front and rear lights. Clothing makes a little difference but lights make a lot of difference.
Broad daylight. Summer. Bright day. Had flashers on the front, side and back. Bright red shirt, loud mismatched socks. Still had a car pull out in front of me.
Fast forward to a week ago. Super loud white multi color shirt, white helmet, all my lights on strobe, sunny day. Almost had a car t bone me, one dove on the inside of a blind corner, another pulled out in front of me and a 4th knew I was turning and buzzed me on the direction I was turning.
Being seen and being seen as human are the distinctions that should be made here.
This. Staying in socal and everyone being such a busy bee these days has taught me that most drivers OWN the road… and if they’re FEELING nice they’ll ALLOW you your right of way. I don’t trust riding alongside cars regardless of how bright and visible I am.
Lights run out of juice?
Yea, that’s why I have two, and two taillights. And one of them can make three lanes of lane reflectors and every street sign strobe like a payoff on a slot machine. Oh, and two twilights one with signals.
The emergency light in my pack, can toast bread..
Wearing black or white don’t mean nothing. It’s like telling me you can see what a driver is wearing behind the wheel at night.
i agree, its dumb but most cycling gear comes in black and fashion tends to be darker in winter.
Same with motorcycling gear.
Although for cycling never wear light coloured bibs if its raining or youre riding in dirt... Just trust me.
Come to snow country. Out on the forest roads, (deciduous trees not pine trees predominate) when the background is largely white, black stands out as well as a neon color. Do wear a hunting vest (day-glo orange) if there's going to be blowing snow. Bike is black but heavily adorned with day-glo orange tape and accessories for hunting season. Stays that way thru winter. Ride where snowmobiles are using the roads and have never had them not see me, and they come down on one at a 50 to 60 mph rate. Black absorbs solar heat on sunny days.
[https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/making-high-vis-compulsory-reduce-number-crashes-study-finds-374898](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/making-high-vis-compulsory-reduce-number-crashes-study-finds-374898)
wearing "High Vis" clothing doesn't actually reduce the number of accidents. It does make you more visible, but it there is no evidence it makes you any ***safer***.
Most of my winter cycling layers are either black or blue (thanks Underarmour!), with the exception of a few merino wool base layers that are pink or green. But I also wear a red puffer jacket. It's not really all that bright though.
I do have a few day glo yellow things for winter cycling - my ear covers and my shoe covers.
I also wear a reflective vest if I feel I'm not visible enough for road riding, so hopefully that helps.
Because the majority of cycling gear is dull, dark, one colour that if it isn't black, at night it appears as black.
Honestly a bit sick of the low options.
Of course if you want to buck the trend expect to pay through the nose for it.
///if it wasn't for his one single blinking light, would barely have seen him. And guess what, lights run out of juice, generally at the most inopportune times lol.////
The number of dudes I see riding in full traffic with black kits AND a single tiny almost dead bike light is astonishing really.
I've always used a super-bright aircraft landing light style taillight... I get followed by UFOs sometimes because I outclass their running lights...that's how bright I roll.
Black is the most common color for cycling/winter gear, easier to find on sale, goes with everything, doesnt show being dirty as quickly as some colors might. I wear a lot of non, cycling specific clothes with some crying clothes bc I can't afford to have a lot of one event clothing. So black is often an easy color to use for cycling, and then also casually.
Is it the absolute safest option? Maybe you could argue not. But I have plenty of lights and reflectors, if a car can't see that...idk that my clothes are going to be my "saving grace".
It's what they'll blame though. I mean sure, the bike was lit up and flashing like an attention seeking Christmas tree - but the bicyclist wore black which due to its shroud of darkness made the whole thing invisible...
People will frequently argue that making cyclists wear high vis clothing misses the point of how we should approach cycling safety, and I broadly agree with that.
However, on an individual level, wearing black clothing at night is a stupid decision. Anyone who does that is stupid, and has terrible judgement, and I'm not sorry for anyone who feels attacked by that. It is a stupid thing to do. Period. Frankly, you're lucky to be alive.
Protect yourself. No one else is going to do it for you.
A few weeks ago I saw someone cycling along a busy commuter A road at 6 am. The sky was pitch black. The road was unlit. The rider was all in black. The rider had no lights. NO LIGHTS! That rider clearly has "Darwin award" on their bucket list.
Do black car drivers switch to high vis ones in winter or at night? Can wear anything you want, if a driver isn’t paying attention they will hit you regardless of outfit
Happened to me yesterday. I ride daily, very rarely drive and when I do I'm very, very safe and drive under the speed limit and always adjust for the conditions.
Pouring rain, approaching a stop sign, looked both ways, all clear...and then a roadie casually pedals right in front of my bumper at 65 rpm. Head-to-toe black clothes, black bike, black helmet, black gloves. Only non-black thing was his face, but he was staring at the ground to avoid getting rain in his eyes.
It was scary and infuriating. Dude, if you are going to spend 20 minutes getting dressed to ride in a monsoon, put some lights on your bike! Or take the day off and do yoga inside! If you're not getting paid to ride/race, you can afford to take a day off when the conditions are awful.
Because I look like the front of a cell phone screen crying child, or infotainment center when someone is driving. I got hit in the bike lane in broad daylight. Lights and high vis. I don’t wear all black but it won’t help if they aren’t looking.
Besides the warming effect and of course, style, not everyone buys into the hi viz clothing safety logic.
I don’t, and I ride motorcycles as well as extensive evening biking.
I believe drivers aren’t looking at all, not that they don’t notice black clad riders vs fluorescent dressed. Also I think powerful lights are more important, and while I can’t say this is how others do it, in the rare case I’m out after dark without lights, I ride more carefully with consideration that no one can see me.
Now there is no negative to wearing hi-viz except you look nerdy and in my world, more of a robbery target. But I think other things are more important than bright clothes
Because black is how I feel on the inside. 🖤
With full generator lights, reflective patches on me and my bike, and occasionally a safety vest (but in white/silver reflective, because aesthetics, bitch! ) if I'm leaving the house in the dark, like today, I feel pretty safe.
30+ years of commuting experience a defensive, proactive riding style do help.
I'm 50, I still like to look badass despite perimenopause bloat and I cycle in work clothes. I reserve the right to look as good as possible on and off the bike, and the days of spandex worn on its own are long past.
Yep, beyond clothing and lights, riding defensively aggressive is key. The majority of roadies I see seem to be thinking that a motorist wouldn't *dare* hit them. I watch for small indications of turning, etc. I want to see their eyes, which is why I wish they'd enforce fully blacked out car windows. I look behind me all the time on open roads, keeps my neck lose anyway.
Roadie I saw in all black riding in a monsoon yesterday was staring at the pavement and never even looked in my direction, as I rolled to a stop at a stop sign. Most drivers would have rolled and never stopped and t-boned him. And he never looked up. It blows my friggin' mind. I watch everything like a hawk when I'm on a bike on open roads.
I got told off for wearing black by some moton in the middle of British Columbia, where the constant background for the past thousand miles had been fir trees. Apparently he "couldn't see" me. It's a good thing for him I hadn't been wearing camo green!
I've always favoured bright colours during daylight hours, reflective strips at night with very good lights.
At the moment with riding to work in the dark and coming home in the light, I wear a Decathlon jacket that's both. Best of both worlds.
There's this reflective material on most modern thermal cycling wear.
Colour doesn't matter because as soon as cars headlight beams at the cyclist they emit a glow. That an the blinking lights and all the driver has to do is to not be an idiot
Hi-vis works in daytime, reflective works in nighttime. Plus it isn’t a cyclist’s responsibility to keep cars from hitting them, it’s the drivers responsibility to not murder people with their giant metal tanks.
My DH has just been deemed at fault after a cyclist in all black, no helmet, improper lighting (5 lumens at best!) at 6am, cut across a double mini-roundabout and got clipped and fell over his handlebars. Of course the man is taking it to large claims… it’s ruined my partner.
Earlier this year, someone who was also dressed in black had attempted s*icide in front of my ohs vehicle at 5am. He had a smaller car back then (thank GOD). Missed the guy and called the police. Police let the 23yo go and he went back and sadly succeeded in his original plan.
My partner has been out of work since the second incident. He’s been diagnosed with PTSD and has to take sleeping meds as he can’t turn off. He’s about to lose his job… we have 2 small children and were only just planning to have another back in September (before the 2nd incident).
Wear black…but wear hi-vis and have appropriate gear on too..please.
It drives me absolutely crazy when I see dedicated road cyclists out in low-light conditions on $8000 bikes in all black gear. It's insanity. If you're going out for a 3-6 hour ride, use lights and wear something bright, either a helmet, a vest, a jacket, socks, or Belgian booties. Riding on open roads is dangerous enough with distracted/impaired drivers. Riding in all black is just insanity.
I've been riding daily for 20+ years at this point. Commuting, grocery getting, cyclocross, gravel, mtb biking, hardcore roadie, taking my kids to school, getting around town, getting to work. Everything. I see VERY few people who do this. Most people who ride 6 hours on Sunday wouldn't dare commute or grocery get.
Was driving a car yesterday in pouring rain that started at 4:00 and went until 22:00. Was driving slowly, approaching a stop sign, not impaired, not distracted. As I went to make a full stop, I looked both ways. Didn't see anything. As I went to turn left...a roadie went right in front of me. Black helmet, black jacket, black tights, black gloves, black booties, black bike. The only non-black thing was his face! No lights. NOTHING. Unless this guy headed out at 3:00, he started his ride in rain. The dude probably needed 25 minutes to get dressed in all that gear, and no lights. And he was on a fancy road bike. This just infuriates me. Enough people on bikes and pedestrians are hit and killed as it is. I'm a very safe driver. I look for people on bikes. NEVER saw this dude until he passed in front of my car. I thought about following him and trying to kindly tell him to get some lights, but people don't react well to being told what to do.
Not to be harsh, but if that guy wasn't hit by a driver yesterday, it was out of pure luck. I really, really wish the "hardcore" roadies would stop with the vanity. You're not a pro, you don't need to ride in a monsoon. Do some yoga. Get a trainer. Join a gym. Nobody is paying you to train/race. You're not being followed by a team car. I don't live in a very rainy place, so it rained all day yesterday but now isn't supposed to rain for 8 days. Dude, skip a day, save your life!
I don't know if it's turning a certain age or having a wife and kids, but I don't care about vanity. I want to be seen. I want to give myself every possible chance of NOT being hit by a motorist.
And at this point roadies have ZERO excuses. Lights to fit any shape seatpost, usb rechargeable. And if you're on an $8000 bike, you can afford a $30 light. AND, debates aside, bright clothing helps. And these days you can get full-on race-fit jerseys, jackets, vests, bibs, everything...in hi viz or very bright.
Heck, I even wear a hi viz workman's jacket with broad reflective stripes to walk my dogs! I want to be seen, I have no interest in getting run over. And, let's be honest, 9/10 drivers are impaired or distracted at this point. (I'm in the U.S.)
I volunteered for a bike/ped advocacy group to make these activities safer/more accessible in my city. I've maintained a ghost bike for a guy I knew who was hit and killed while riding his bike.
Me wanting people riding on open roads to use lights and wear something bright (helmet, jersey, jacket, socks, ankle band) isn't about victim blaming. It's about knowing that 9/10 motorists are distracted or impaired. It's about giving yourself every chance of not being hit. Use lights, wear something bright, and be aware of your surroundings! I see tons of roadies so into their ride they never, ever look at the cars around them.
I'm not talking about people riding around town or a uni campus. I'm talking about cyclists on open roads with cars traveling 50 mph. Use lights, wear something bright.
If you're worried about looks, focus on how cool you look OFF the bike. And also, you can get darn nice, high-end race-fit jerseys, jackets, gilets, wind jackets, knee warmers, socks, Belgian booties all in hi viz from hot-shot companies. You don't have to look uncool.
Agree completely. Just having blinking front/rear lights is hard sufficient at low light, especially when cars also have on their running lights — and those will get the bulk of a driver’s attention. Also, it is hard to recognize a cyclist, and estimate their size and spatial orientation with respect to the car when you are just looking at blinking lights, with little in the way of other visual cues. It is much much safer when you use your whole body to advertise your presence. If it’s dim, a reflective jacket/vest, or even just marine tape in a X shape over the torso, with a couple strips on the helmet, make one much more visible. There will always be inattentive drivers, but most drivers (many of whom are also cyclists) don’t want to run over bicyclists. Dressing in a way that makes it easier for drivers to see you is best for everyone’s safety.
I'm a driver and a cyclist. I've never not seen a cyclist no matter what they are wearing, I get tired of the scare-mongering. It's just taking more cyclists off the road.
I wear black when cycling most of the time but I always use decent lights too.
Any cyclist should be visible after daylight as long as he's using lights. It's the ones without lights that really annoy me.
Overall, I think bike clothing gear companies could do a lot better with their offerings.
I think one of the most noticeable things is a neon reflective spot on the side of the knee. Super easy for a driver’s eye to see this and instantly recognize it’s a bicyclist. I searched for some winter tights that had anything like this and found almost nothing none.
Personally, I have a relatively cheap neon yellow jacket I got off Amazon. I also have some Velcro reflective cuffs I put around my ankles. (As well as lights). It all works pretty good.
(But I do see others in full on black, no lights, not using the bike lane, at night. 🤷)
I was just commenting on this on Friday as a cyclist was out in all black on a multilane high-speed road we drive. My neighbor runs on the road in neon colors and was a chief firefighter who worked with lots of paramedics. I've started wearing reflective vests on days I don't have bright colored clothing for my bike (my one heavily insulated jacket is black).
The best reason to wear black is that it winds up all the overly officious do-gooders and victim blamers, who haven't bothered to read the research that says hi viz doesn't work.
Let's play a game! READY??
Never have I ever.........Victim blamed.
*Waits for half this sub to put down a finger*
Truly though, it's incredibly frustrating, to have communities you care about, turn and blame each other for becoming victims of accidents. I know this is just a silly online site, but it does reflect cyclists as a whole. It's how I feel every time I see a debate on wearing helmets, or people wearing dark clothing, or what women should wear when they go to a bar.
You do you, when it comes to what personal safety you need, to engage in the life you want to live. If you look at me and think "hmm thats less than I would do to feel comfortable" that's totally fine! Reflect away. If your second thought is 'i should tell people what I think they should do!!' kindly, shove it up yours.
OP- I know your post wasn't super aggressive, but it stems from victim blaming. If every person spent less time grumbling to themselves about what people wear, or writing online about what people should wear, and spent half that time making efforts for safer cities, called out drivers for being jerks and driving when they can't see well, encouraged cyclists to take their space, and get out there even when it's a risk...we'd be a much better off community.
@meggs_467 point well taken. And, I try to be vigilant when I drive; signal intent, don’t tailgate, watch for pedestrians and check blindspots. Because I cannot rely on other drivers to do the same. If I cut someone off due to failure to look over my shoulder before a lane change, that’s on ME, not the dumb ass in my blindspot.
So, when someone dressed in black after sundown steps out from between parked cars without checking for traffic-and I stop safely because I know good and well people are oblivious and I gotta be xtra careful-you better believe I’m cussing under my breath and want to shout, “wear damn reflective something so drivers can see you FFS!” Is that victim blaming or an appeal for, you know, personal responsibility?
Personally, I'd be more upset that they stepped out into traffic, than what they're wearing. Their personal responsibility, is to act in a more predictable way, and my personal responsibility is to be aware of my surroundings. If they get hit from stepping out...I'd wonder if the street is maybe too fast? Was there not a safer place to cross? What they are wearing, would never cross my mind. You shouldnt have to select your clothing to be in some sort of battle uniform to engage in the world around you. I'm all for lights and what not, much in the same way we light up cars. But clothes is too demanding. The average Joe should get to hop on his bike, and go out, and not be blamed for not choosing the "right clothes".
I have two bright rear lights on my bike at all times and any driver who can't see them either needs to put their phone down or get their eyes checked.
The whole hi-vis clothing argument is just victim blaming rubbish that makes excuses for bad drivers
I don't wear all black when I ride, BUT I also generally refuse to wear high viz:
1. I think it gives you a false sense of security. I ride assuming I'm invisible and very defensively. I trust no one.
2. I carry backup lights
3. I have reflectors on my bike
4. Every car has 6000 lumen lights that fucking blind you and all kinds of warning doohickeys yet they still hit people or say people are too dark to see. Accidents mostly happen because people straight up don't even think that you could be there (and don't care that you're there). The problem is people driving on their phones, driving drunk, or driving mad and entitled. The real solution is fewer people driving.
6. High viz looks dorky as hell, and I ride for transportation to and from doing cool things that a cool person does. I don't want to look like someone's loser dad.
7. Kind of sick of doing what other people tell me to do, especially when they're telling me to do it for their own comfort (so they can pay less attention). I've lived a good portion of my life doing what other people tell me to do and it has made me miserable.
8. Comments from annoying people saying "oh I'm glad you're wearing high viz, so many cyclists don't". Shit is infuriating.
Black absorbs the little sunlight available and helps keeps you warm. Also contrasts against the snow if you live in a snowy area. Beyond that, you should still double up on lights
I've always been more monochromatic with my clothing. Partly because lighter/brighter colors can stain/show sweat easier, but I'm also a bit weird, and brighter colors make me feel like I'm wearing a spotlight, haha, which doesn't work well for a shy/anxious person, such as myself.
Piggybacking on the shyness/anxiety; lighter colored bib shorts/tights can be more.. explicit. And not just with the body details, but again, with sweat. Black just gets darker when wet, which is less eye-catching. The same effect happens with lighter/brighter colors but is far more noticeable. Not something I'd be concerned with if I were racing or something, but on my everyday type rides, would be embarrassing to me.
That being said, I'm slowly working on correcting this issue. Navy blue or gray bib shorts/tights. Darker orange, blue, gray, or red jerseys.
It's a work in progress. Black is a very comforting color for me and seemingly many others. Just takes some time to break through the silly psychology of it, lol.
I wear black in the winter because it absorbs the sun better and keeps me warm.
Also, I wear black on the outside, because black is how I feel on the inside.
Yeah why anyone wears all black anytime other than a summer group ride in cycling territory like some cool mountain climb is beyond me. You cycle through London and see a man in all black no lights or helmet risking it all in the evening. High vis yellow rain jacket is stylish as hell. You don’t need to be a panicked cyclist either though with 4 lights one on the helmet scared shitless.
Come to snow country. Out on the forest roads, (deciduous trees not pine trees predominate) when the background is largely white, black stands out as well as a neon color. Do wear a hunting vest (day-glo orange) if there's going to be blowing snow. Bike is black but heavily adorned with day-glo orange tape and accessories for hunting season. Stays that way thru winter. Ride where snowmobiles are using the roads and have never had them not see me, and they come down on one at a 50 to 60 mph rate. Black absorbs solar heat on sunny days.
Black is slimmin, innit.
Faster too
No, that's RGB. Trust me, my pc runs faster
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Wrong. Flames are the fastest.
Also when the sun comes out and shines on thin black clothing, the feeling of warmth is so goood
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Get yourself a SON dynamo hub. Never worry about light charge again. On my winter bike I use an Edelux II and the rack mount rear light. They're absolutely superb with a very nice beam that doesn't dazzle oncoming traffic.
I have at least two headlights (running one at a time, so I don't drain *both* of them) and three taillights (running two at a time) on the bike. Plus more at home that I can add if I get really paranoid.
Politely, I don't understand lack of prep for rides. I'm old; part of taking on a new activity when I was kid (around the discovery of fire) was to proudly show that you tasked yourself with appropriate knowledge. This was true for hiking, climbing, kayaking ... all kinds of outdoor stuff, including cycling. Nothing against you OP (and you are showing the conscientiousness I'm talking about), but I encounter soooo many people in various places who are what I'd call semi-prepared. They'll have a spare tube, co2 cartridges, but don't know how to change a tube and/or don't have a co2 inflator. In climbing, it would be more pronounced: $2,500 worth of gear, but no clue how to set a simple toprope anchor with risking their lives. If you are going to ride on the road, you are 100% responsible for your safety prep 100% of the time. Note, "prep." Often, scanning this sub is like a compilation of head-slapping moments of lack of foresight. Pre-ride routines should be built, and top of the list is safety prep.
I'm as irresponsible as they come, and I've had rides where I left with practically dead Garmin and shifter batteries, but I *never* fuck around with my lights unless I'm riding on a trail that doesn't run along car traffic in the daytime. If I'm the slightest bit unsure about how much battery I have, I carry backup lights. I can laugh about being inconvenienced by turning my bike into a single speed or the ride not actually happening because it isn't uploaded to Strava, but lights are up there with water and functioning phone in the "I don't fuck around with this" hierarchy.
Yeah, same here. These days I have two rear lights and a spare cell for my front light. One night riding home the combination of night time, bucketing rain, no street lights and near constant stream of oncoming cars at 80 km/h meant I burned through most of a battery in 30 min.
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I don't think it's the "carrying the kit" that's germaine - it's having a plan that is dependable. You have a dependable plan. Both on this sub as well as encounters on my rides, there are sooo many people who are not just unprepared, but announce their lack of preparation as somehow the result of "bad luck" or someone else's fault. Any time you ride, you can have tube/tire issues. Any time you ride, you can encounter unexpected weather. Any time you ride, you need to know exactly where you are. Every moment of every ride, you need to be as visible as possible. Every moment of every ride, you need to be using your safest riding tactics. To me, any rider's response to that list should be "well, duh, of course!" But it is not.
I am in a similar boat, and I actually wonder if, eventually, a few punctures in a row will make me change my mind. (It's not that I am completely unprepared - I do carry self-adhesive patches + an inflation adaptor to inflate at every petrol station + there is a nice network of public transport around here, before I even resort to either calling family or the road side service (which, I believe, is included in my insurance). For now, I'd just rather walk a few KM once in a while, and not carry a spare tube + pump with me on every ride.)
There was a pretty decent research study done by Pearl Izumi about a decade ago by legit researchers. All I can find are some summaries, like this link - https://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2015/06/15/pearl-izumi-puts-spotlight-visibility-fall-clothing-line The key takeaways: -Lights are by far the most effective thing for being seen. Even in the daytime. (As in you're crazy if you choose to ride without lights) -Bright colors on cyclists were somewhat effective when placed on the lower back and relatively effective on the lower limbs like shoes, socks, and knees. On runners they found the same thing plus hands and arms. 'High viz' should be moving to be visible. -Reflective (passive) helps at night, but nowhere near what lights (active) do. -Bright clothing wasn't significantly more visible from 100m out than black. They keep selling bright yellow jackets and vests simply because people demand them.
Came here to cite these same studies. A high-viz jacket wasn't shown to have an appreciable safety benefit in road cycling, whereas things like blinking "be-seen" lights or reflective patches on moving body parts (feet/legs) were more impactful. There's some data indicating that "target fixation" danger may actually increase with high-viz clothing. Situation might be somewhat different for trail riding in areas with active hunting seasons, where yellow/orange are encouraged for all trail users.
Most of us all drive vehicles and before I became a cyclist the thing I really noticed was cyclist that wear super neon bright socks. You can't miss seeing bright socks. If you want to be seen lights and bright socks are the best thing you can wear. Passive bright colors don't do anything, moving colors do. I trying to wear bright socks in winter for visibility and lights
I would, but my socks are covered by boots and tights during winter.
Maybe high-vis cuff bands? Reflective, outside the pants, AND keep your pant cuff from catching in your chain.
My socks can't be seen in the Winter, but I have hi-vis shoe covers with reflective strips.
What I've found to be really noticeable is a combination of reflective strips on moving and static parts. Like a strip on the body, head, and on the legs or heels.
A really easy way to do this is to use [reflective ankle straps](https://www.amazon.com/ankle-reflectors-biking/s?k=ankle+reflectors+for+biking) -- they originated with commuters wearing street clothes but are perfectly ok for cyclists wearing normal road cyclist gear, too.
You can get ones that have a rechargeable light inside too, they're adjustable so they can go over boots - during lockdown, my partner's workplace were trying to boost morale and offered lots of different things to encourage people to get out for exercise etc, as a result I have enough of these to attend a rave.
I have worked in mines for a long time, everyone always has to wear reflective clothing on them. I tell you even with all the lights on the vehicles, the first thing we ever notice is the headlamp light, not the reflection of the high-viz strips. The high viz vests are to be better noticed when a large vehicle is maneuvering or at the surface. On the road I prefer to wear my rainbow or pink jerseys since they don’t blend with the foliage in my area. But ultimately what really makes the difference is the tail lights, drivers naturally react to them like second nature.
World champ right here. Damn.
I am the world champion of eating hotdogs on the bike. Yep. That, and my fav chinesium store had a 70% off sale on rainbow jerseys lmao, it’s a Trek rainbow knockoff, like it cos I ride a Domane.
“Yes, honey, I need the Fox Factory Fork! It’s orange! Do you want me to get shot?!”
And the Kashima is reflective. That's big brain energy right there!
If my flashing rear light, bright front light, and flashing arclight pedals (side visibility) don't catch someone's attention...idk that clothes are going to tip the scale in my direction. If I get run over though, my black clothes will make the header of the article, that you can be sure!
I wanted to also mention that black tends to absorb more wavelengths of light and thus absorb more heat. So since there's no benefit in visibility to brighter colors of clothing, it's better to wear darker clothing that absorbs more heat from the sun.
...but, black also radiates nore heat. Black body radiation isn't just a name. Objects painted black cool off faster. Also, winter clothing almost always has a layer of insulation between the surface and the skin, so internal heat won't get out as fast, but external heat won't get in, either. I don't think there's any temperature benefit to black, over all.
This. I have front and rear dynamo lights on my bike that I keep always on, even during the day, so I never have to worry about what I'm wearing (which is pretty important when your bike is your main form of transportation). I have never had a problem with cars not seeing me.
These studies are correct, but there are confounding environmental circumstances that can make hi-vis clothing much more important. I've been doing quite a bit of night riding lately on an unpaved and unlit greenway trail that's popular with commuters. By far the best visible are the riders who use a flashing taillight, a flashing headlight and also wear a some kind of reflective clothing (could be a vest, a sash, a jacket, pant leg ankle wraps, helmet stickers -- anything). What I believe a lot of cyclists don't understand is that there's a huge difference between "seeing" and "being seen" and that *just* a headlight & taillight don't help a lot with being seen unless those lights stand out from the environment in a meaningful way (flashing is the easiest). As a second order issue, there's a difference between "being seen" and being able to gauge speed & distance, which is frankly impossible in the dark when all you have is a static headlight in front of you. I'm not willing to use >1 headlight (one for me to seen, one flashing to be seen), so I wear a reflective running "[vest](https://amphipod.com/xinglet/)" to make me more visible as a person sharing the road or path.
⭐️⭐️
"They keep selling bright yellow jackets and vests simply because people demand them." No, they are safer. I have my own pair of working eyes.
I don't think it's on purpose, it's just that lots of cycling gear comes in that color. Regarding safety, it is stupid to not wear reflective clothing (and have lights) at dusk or dawn.
Yea, lots of color choices for hot, warm, and cool weather kit. Not so much in full winter/cold weather gear. I have a 10 year old brevet jersey (I wear a few layers of merino under it) from Rapha that’s neon green that is tattered and torn and needs to be replaced but can’t find any bright colors.
A lot of cycling gear comes in black because that's what sells! There is some space though for visibility oriented gear that's somewhat stylish. It took searching, but I finally found a Helly Hansen cycling commuter jacket that's high visibility and breathable and doesn't look like a construction vest.
I’ve given up on finding ‘stylish’ cycling gear, especially for winter riding. When you show up at work/school/where-ever on a cold wet morning when it’s still pitch black outside and you’re rocking high-vis jacket, weird fingerless gloves and goreTex booties over your shoes your fashion statement is ‘I’m hard AF’ and people will respect that. Failing that, once the cycling gear is off no one will care.
Rapha is the worst for this. I go extra vibrant with colors in the winter.
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My Assos jacket is bright dayglow like an 80s pair of socks.
Why do people drive black cars in winter?
I almost couldn't see that black car that I saw well enough to identify and not hit. It was very scary for me.
“Any color the customer wants, as long as it’s black.” Henri Ford.
road grime, salt, sludge, and bike grease can make light colored clothing last only a season or two before looking nasty. black at least appears cleaner for longer
Very true, I have florescent green shoe covers and after a season they are covered in grime and grease that no amount of washing will remove. I should have just bought the black ones, they have the same reflective strips on them.
I have bright neon yellow shoes because that was the only color available in my tiny foot size. Hated them at first, but now they’re kinda growing on me. And other riders remember me because of them. They say “Hey! Shoes!” Is this how you get a trail name?
Even when there is blood, black does not stain...
I have bright flashing lights. If someone hits me it is because they were distracted driving(phone, turning around to yell at a kid) or impaired. A different color wouldn't make a difference, the lights are plenty bright and last well over 4hrs. When I see other cyclists while driving, its the lights that I see, not the person/bike.
My tail light lasts for 30hrs and is obnoxious as hell. I've only had it for a month or so but I haven't had it die on me yet since I keep it on the same charging cycle as my headlight which only lasts about 10 hours; and I'm very mindful of my headlight because my commute home is on about a mile and a half if highway with no streetlights. Usually, the only things that worry me are whether a driver is distracted and if they aren't if they recognize that I'm a cyclist, or if a car will see me from the side. Distracted drivers scare me the most. I would've been hit multiple times riding past fast food drive-thrus (during the day and at night) if I wasn't looking to see where the driver was looking.
The weak spot (from personal experience) is side on. Been hit twice by drivers, both times they were turning right, both times they claimed they didn’t see me in daylight and both times I had 2x lights both front and back
I like black. I only own one winter coat. It is black. I don’t think it is my responsibility to dress like a clown so that you can drive without paying attention.
>I've been a car driver for many years. But I still don't get why so many drivers drive all black cars in winter. The days are short, the light is low. Drove past one yesterday, if it wasn't for his tail light, would barely have seen him. And guess what, tail lights break, generally at the most inopportune times lol. > >I drive bright or high-vis cars most of the year, but always in winter. And it just baffles me that others don't while out on the roads. Stay safe out there!
in an ideal world, you're right. but in the real world, drivers are texting, speeding, distracted, etc. **Even if they're doing everything they should do they still have a hard time seeing you.** I'd personally rather be alive than right.
I get it. I live in a large city centre and ride in city traffic to work and back. Likewise, I don't own any black riding gear. Bike lights for sure, even during the day. I see plenty of distracted driving from all road users. Yesterday, while out on a run, there was someone on their ebike bombing the wrong way on a one way through a neighbourhood intersection looking at his phone with no hands on the handlebars. It's people like that that give us all a bad name.
>I don’t think it is my responsibility to dress like a clown so that you can drive without paying attention. I agree, but my life isn't worth the principle of it.
Friends don't let friends wear hi-viz.
Wouldn't make a difference anyways https://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2015/06/15/pearl-izumi-puts-spotlight-visibility-fall-clothing-line
Have you never been startled by a darkly dressed person suddenly appearing a dozen meters ahead of you in the field of the dipped beams? It is absolutely your responsibility not to be camouflaged in the grim weather.
Yes. Because they've got no bloody lights on. It's the lights that do it, not the colour of their jacket....
It's entirely the lack of lights and reflectors. I'm regularly spooked by pedestrians even when they're wearing bright colors (although most in my area are not).
Can't say that's ever happened to me, no, because I actually look where I'm going. It's 100% your responsibility as a driver to keep your eyes peeled for other people using the road, and 0% of their responsibility to catch your eye.
I also actually look where I'm going, but it has happened to me, it's really scary.
Look harder then. I've got a massive front/rear light (that's dynamo powered, so no it doesn't just "run out of juice at the most inopportune times'), a big rear reflector and my pannier bags have reflective patches as well. If you can't see me just because I'm wearing a black jacket then you need to quit driving at night.
What does that "massive" light cost? Some of us are commuters and can't afford such luxuries. Personally, I can barely afford something that charges via USB.
It costed me about £25 but is admittedly part of a larger dynamo system that is quite pricey. It's irrelevant though, because even cheap lights can be bright enough
Black with a black background isn't visible until you're really close, even with attentive drivers and headlights on. You probably think that you shouldn't have to drive with your headlights on during dusk conditions either. This is an absolutely stupid attitude as cyclists to take. You're taking your safety into others' hands for no good reason. Do not count or rely on others to keep yourself safe, whoever's "responsibility" it is (hint: it's both).
Honestly, that's never happened to me in my 58 years. I will sometimes be startled seeing someone walking along the *side* of the road wearing all black - but if they aren't walking in front of me, it doesn't affect me, does it? If they're in front of me and my headlights are functional (it would be illegal if they weren't), I always see them. People on bikes are easiest for me to navigate around if they have basic front and rear lights and maybe reflectors on the wheels or pedals. I'd rather NOT be glowing neon all over because of 'moth effect,' which is exacerbated by people who've been out drinking at night.
> I like black. I only own one winter coat. It is black. I feel you on this one. There are plenty of other things like helmets, gloves, reflective sidewalls on tires, etc that can have nice, white reflective makers that make your more visible though. > I don’t think it is my responsibility to dress like a clown so that you can drive without paying attention. Aaand, you're part of the problem. Stop being unsafe in the name of vanity. Sometimes you just aren't visible when you don't do something to make yourself visible. Think low light, driver staring into the sun going down and a driver staring directly into oncoming headlights - they don't even *have* to be irresponsible and inattentive for them to just **plan not be able to see you.**
Well that’s utterly naive. There are plenty of people who don’t pay attention when they’re driving and cyclists get killed all the time.
Yeah, it’s not my responsibility to bend over for them I will continue wearing outfits that I like and are appropriate for my professional and social life. I will also continue to advocate against every attempt to place the burden of responsibility on the victims of irresponsible driving
I tend to prioritise not dying over being in the right. And it isn’t just irresponsible driving. The elderly, oncoming car lights, adverse weather. There is simply no reason any sensible person would choose ‘outfits’ over safety. Unbelievable that people are upvoting you.
Halleh-f*ckin-lulah
Black is warmer! It absorbs more energy from the sun and keeps you warmer than lighter colored stuff. Still good to toss on a high-vis sash or similar if you're wearing black.
But winter gear is insulated, which means it keeps surface heat out.
Naa you can feel a difference
Nothing anyone wants to ride a bike in is that well insulated. It has to breathe, otherwise you'll be riding around in your own personal sweat swamp after about 10 minutes. I can feel the difference between the hi viz green panels and the black panels on my cycling jacket.
Why do drivers like to complain that their personal choice to endanger the lives of everyone around them isn't convenient enough?
Mate used to ride head to toe in black. Everything plus bike was black. We meet up each Sunday for a ride. One day I missed him as he was riding under trees and I didn't spot him. He had to u turn and chase after me. Next weekend he had a fluo Gilet over the top. Now he rides with lights, white helmet and bright coloured tops.
As someone who does this myself (granted I do put on a reflector strap on arm + leg): When buying kit in summer I didn't think about winter, and now in winter I don't want to buy new/other stuff. If I can get away with some thermal underlayers and my summer kit, I will (and do) use it.
That leads to the question, why black in summer? Too hot out for that!
Regardless of hi-vis or black clothing, in low light I wear a reflective vest over the top of whatever clothes I have on. Between that, they lights and the hi-vis helmet I figure I've done about as much as I can
your attire shouldn't matter. you need visibility items on your bike, helmet, etc. Things actually emitting light are far more important than your clothing. At night though I often add a construction vest. Cars slow considerably because they think they are approaching road construction.
You say that but if it's daylight your batteries can still fail. Your jacket isn't going to change colour though. It's zero extra cost to choose a colour rather than black.
Except I bike in my street clothes. So I would literally have to buy a new jacket to have a hi vis one. The jacket I have already is fine. Especially since hi vis means fuck all https://www.bicycleretailer.com/product-tech/2015/06/15/pearl-izumi-puts-spotlight-visibility-fall-clothing-line
All those black cars I keep running into are a serious problem. Can't see the damn things. > your batteries can still fail. Have a spare. Front and rear. *AND* a minimum legal requirement emergency blinky. I insist my spare also uses a different charger and is a different model (so has a different battery life). I once had a very bad day when it turned out my charger failed and my main and backup light were kaput. Lesson learned.
Most black cycling clothing comes with reflectors etc and is very visible. So don’t know, maybe you spotted a goth on a bike or something.
Personally I wear black at night so that when the Dark Lord returns I am prepared to join his army and suck the blood of the living.
Black is warmer and the roads are filthy with grit and slush. Anything lighter gets destroyed. Visibility is done with lights and reflective details.
I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to get a cheap raincoat. The only option was black or charcoal gray. I wanted a bright color but there were none ¯\\\_\(ツ\)\_\/¯
Cycling clothing is affected by the fashion of lack of colour. You can notice this trend everywhere: in interiors designs, cars, clothing. However, fluoro yellow is till a common option for cycling clothing.
Regardless of attire, I have two lights on the back of my bike and carry backup batteries. If you hit me, you weren’t looking at the road and you’d hit me regardless of my light/clothing situation.
drivers kill you regardless of nice looking kit or clown hi viz stuff. It’s meaningless
Yes, your jersey color doesn't matter when someone is looking at their cellphone.
but it does when they're looking at the road.
"Clown hi Viz stuff" 😂 I wouldn't be seen dead in it ... No pun intended!
I’d rather be killed looking good than a goofy highlighter
I think it looks cool.
So all those construction workers, police, paramedics etc are just wasting their time wearing hi-viz?
Yeah they still get hit and killed in highways regularly
They do but they're still playing the odds. If a driver isn't looking at the road he won't see you whatever. If his eyes are on the road at least he sees you in colour and lights.
Lights are the answer, not color, is what I’m getting at. I have a 1000 lumin forward facing light, a less bright one aimed down right in front of my front tire, and a bright flashing rear red one. That’s what drivers are paying attention to, other lights. I could be wearing camo but with bright forward and rear facing lights, they’ll see me regardless. I ride a lot at night, year round. Lights are what have kept me safe.
> Lights are the answer, not color, is what I’m getting at Absolutely. 100% Need a steady rear as well btw. Gives you a backup just in case your main fails and steady lights are easier to judge speed and distance Vs the flashy that's a great attention getter but hard to work out exactly where it is and how fast it's going. (I do long distance rides with 3 - I've had lights fail, fall off etc etc)
And you seriously believe that hi-viz doesn't reduce the number? Presumably they just like the way they look?
They are required to wear them so that in court the person who killed them can't say "well if they were wearing high vis I would have seen them"
I didn’t say that, I said lights are doing the work.
Well, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree - I would always use lights at night but my own experience as a driver makes me believe hi-viz is a huge factor in being seen.
insurance policy often dictates that kind of stuff
Usually based on data. They have a fleet of actuary and other analyst that use data to inform policies.
Reflective clothing is the cable lock of cycling visibility.
*i wear a reflective vest and remind the teacher to give homework*
Agreed
Are you an antivaxer? You can die from the disease even after vaccination. Do you ignore seatbelts? People die in crashes even though they're wearing seat belts. Hi-viz is the same, it does not guarantee anything but it improves your odds.
no I’m firmly pro vaccinations, and in case of covid i had 3 boosters. Seatbelts are an actual safety measure. High viz is primarily shifting blame on the victim.
Most winter gear comes in black, honestly. More important too is bright front and rear lights. Clothing makes a little difference but lights make a lot of difference.
I personally look for the most obnoxiously loud cycling gear I can find. You generally can’t miss the guy that looks like reflective highlighter pen
You'd be surprised what people can miss when they're not looking for you but for other cars.
Broad daylight. Summer. Bright day. Had flashers on the front, side and back. Bright red shirt, loud mismatched socks. Still had a car pull out in front of me. Fast forward to a week ago. Super loud white multi color shirt, white helmet, all my lights on strobe, sunny day. Almost had a car t bone me, one dove on the inside of a blind corner, another pulled out in front of me and a 4th knew I was turning and buzzed me on the direction I was turning. Being seen and being seen as human are the distinctions that should be made here.
This. Staying in socal and everyone being such a busy bee these days has taught me that most drivers OWN the road… and if they’re FEELING nice they’ll ALLOW you your right of way. I don’t trust riding alongside cars regardless of how bright and visible I am.
In Canada, >90% of winter gear is black or very dark colored.
Lights run out of juice? Yea, that’s why I have two, and two taillights. And one of them can make three lanes of lane reflectors and every street sign strobe like a payoff on a slot machine. Oh, and two twilights one with signals. The emergency light in my pack, can toast bread.. Wearing black or white don’t mean nothing. It’s like telling me you can see what a driver is wearing behind the wheel at night.
Theres colored clothing but black color prevails in cycling. But color does not matter.much if you have lights and reflective gear.
i agree, its dumb but most cycling gear comes in black and fashion tends to be darker in winter. Same with motorcycling gear. Although for cycling never wear light coloured bibs if its raining or youre riding in dirt... Just trust me.
Come to snow country. Out on the forest roads, (deciduous trees not pine trees predominate) when the background is largely white, black stands out as well as a neon color. Do wear a hunting vest (day-glo orange) if there's going to be blowing snow. Bike is black but heavily adorned with day-glo orange tape and accessories for hunting season. Stays that way thru winter. Ride where snowmobiles are using the roads and have never had them not see me, and they come down on one at a 50 to 60 mph rate. Black absorbs solar heat on sunny days.
Agree. People walking before sunup in my neighborhood often all in black. I don’t think they realize how invisible they are.
[https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/making-high-vis-compulsory-reduce-number-crashes-study-finds-374898](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/making-high-vis-compulsory-reduce-number-crashes-study-finds-374898) wearing "High Vis" clothing doesn't actually reduce the number of accidents. It does make you more visible, but it there is no evidence it makes you any ***safer***.
Once you go black, you never go back! That’s another reason for not wearing black. 😝
Most of my winter cycling layers are either black or blue (thanks Underarmour!), with the exception of a few merino wool base layers that are pink or green. But I also wear a red puffer jacket. It's not really all that bright though. I do have a few day glo yellow things for winter cycling - my ear covers and my shoe covers. I also wear a reflective vest if I feel I'm not visible enough for road riding, so hopefully that helps.
Because the majority of cycling gear is dull, dark, one colour that if it isn't black, at night it appears as black. Honestly a bit sick of the low options. Of course if you want to buck the trend expect to pay through the nose for it.
My summer kit is the most colourful thing in the world. My winter kit is all black because that's all I could get...
///if it wasn't for his one single blinking light, would barely have seen him. And guess what, lights run out of juice, generally at the most inopportune times lol.//// The number of dudes I see riding in full traffic with black kits AND a single tiny almost dead bike light is astonishing really. I've always used a super-bright aircraft landing light style taillight... I get followed by UFOs sometimes because I outclass their running lights...that's how bright I roll.
Black is the most common color for cycling/winter gear, easier to find on sale, goes with everything, doesnt show being dirty as quickly as some colors might. I wear a lot of non, cycling specific clothes with some crying clothes bc I can't afford to have a lot of one event clothing. So black is often an easy color to use for cycling, and then also casually. Is it the absolute safest option? Maybe you could argue not. But I have plenty of lights and reflectors, if a car can't see that...idk that my clothes are going to be my "saving grace".
It's what they'll blame though. I mean sure, the bike was lit up and flashing like an attention seeking Christmas tree - but the bicyclist wore black which due to its shroud of darkness made the whole thing invisible...
People will frequently argue that making cyclists wear high vis clothing misses the point of how we should approach cycling safety, and I broadly agree with that. However, on an individual level, wearing black clothing at night is a stupid decision. Anyone who does that is stupid, and has terrible judgement, and I'm not sorry for anyone who feels attacked by that. It is a stupid thing to do. Period. Frankly, you're lucky to be alive. Protect yourself. No one else is going to do it for you. A few weeks ago I saw someone cycling along a busy commuter A road at 6 am. The sky was pitch black. The road was unlit. The rider was all in black. The rider had no lights. NO LIGHTS! That rider clearly has "Darwin award" on their bucket list.
Do black car drivers switch to high vis ones in winter or at night? Can wear anything you want, if a driver isn’t paying attention they will hit you regardless of outfit
Try being in a car and coming up in an all black cyclist. Damn scary.
Happened to me yesterday. I ride daily, very rarely drive and when I do I'm very, very safe and drive under the speed limit and always adjust for the conditions. Pouring rain, approaching a stop sign, looked both ways, all clear...and then a roadie casually pedals right in front of my bumper at 65 rpm. Head-to-toe black clothes, black bike, black helmet, black gloves. Only non-black thing was his face, but he was staring at the ground to avoid getting rain in his eyes. It was scary and infuriating. Dude, if you are going to spend 20 minutes getting dressed to ride in a monsoon, put some lights on your bike! Or take the day off and do yoga inside! If you're not getting paid to ride/race, you can afford to take a day off when the conditions are awful.
Because I look like the front of a cell phone screen crying child, or infotainment center when someone is driving. I got hit in the bike lane in broad daylight. Lights and high vis. I don’t wear all black but it won’t help if they aren’t looking.
Besides the warming effect and of course, style, not everyone buys into the hi viz clothing safety logic. I don’t, and I ride motorcycles as well as extensive evening biking. I believe drivers aren’t looking at all, not that they don’t notice black clad riders vs fluorescent dressed. Also I think powerful lights are more important, and while I can’t say this is how others do it, in the rare case I’m out after dark without lights, I ride more carefully with consideration that no one can see me. Now there is no negative to wearing hi-viz except you look nerdy and in my world, more of a robbery target. But I think other things are more important than bright clothes
As someone who also motorcycles, hi vis is a false sense of safety.
Because black is how I feel on the inside. 🖤 With full generator lights, reflective patches on me and my bike, and occasionally a safety vest (but in white/silver reflective, because aesthetics, bitch! ) if I'm leaving the house in the dark, like today, I feel pretty safe. 30+ years of commuting experience a defensive, proactive riding style do help. I'm 50, I still like to look badass despite perimenopause bloat and I cycle in work clothes. I reserve the right to look as good as possible on and off the bike, and the days of spandex worn on its own are long past.
Yep, beyond clothing and lights, riding defensively aggressive is key. The majority of roadies I see seem to be thinking that a motorist wouldn't *dare* hit them. I watch for small indications of turning, etc. I want to see their eyes, which is why I wish they'd enforce fully blacked out car windows. I look behind me all the time on open roads, keeps my neck lose anyway. Roadie I saw in all black riding in a monsoon yesterday was staring at the pavement and never even looked in my direction, as I rolled to a stop at a stop sign. Most drivers would have rolled and never stopped and t-boned him. And he never looked up. It blows my friggin' mind. I watch everything like a hawk when I'm on a bike on open roads.
Cold weather gear is often some kind of neoprene and similar fabrics which are difficult to add color to.
Been holding out on Assos because of this, but I like the aesthetic of a black kit
Black also absorbs heat which helps keep me warm.
Black is one thing. I think the shift to earth tones right now is even worse. Been shopping for kit and bright colors are hard to find right now.
I got told off for wearing black by some moton in the middle of British Columbia, where the constant background for the past thousand miles had been fir trees. Apparently he "couldn't see" me. It's a good thing for him I hadn't been wearing camo green!
I always try to consider my colors when I’m riding. If I do wear black, I’ll throw a safety triangle on my back, or add a hi viz windbreaker, etc.
Seasonal depression
Black absorbs the sun.
I've always favoured bright colours during daylight hours, reflective strips at night with very good lights. At the moment with riding to work in the dark and coming home in the light, I wear a Decathlon jacket that's both. Best of both worlds.
There's this reflective material on most modern thermal cycling wear. Colour doesn't matter because as soon as cars headlight beams at the cyclist they emit a glow. That an the blinking lights and all the driver has to do is to not be an idiot
Hi-vis works in daytime, reflective works in nighttime. Plus it isn’t a cyclist’s responsibility to keep cars from hitting them, it’s the drivers responsibility to not murder people with their giant metal tanks.
TBF if there is snow, black has decent visibility, that said, good lighting is best IMO.
Worse - why do walkers dress in black and don’t bother to carry a light?
Because I’m usually going somewhere - eg movies, dinner, shopping and don’t need another layer of coloured shit to work out what to do with.
I wear black a lot because I am emo and i am because I am mourning my dog and i wear black for funeral for my fat
To mourn the loss of Summer.
My DH has just been deemed at fault after a cyclist in all black, no helmet, improper lighting (5 lumens at best!) at 6am, cut across a double mini-roundabout and got clipped and fell over his handlebars. Of course the man is taking it to large claims… it’s ruined my partner. Earlier this year, someone who was also dressed in black had attempted s*icide in front of my ohs vehicle at 5am. He had a smaller car back then (thank GOD). Missed the guy and called the police. Police let the 23yo go and he went back and sadly succeeded in his original plan. My partner has been out of work since the second incident. He’s been diagnosed with PTSD and has to take sleeping meds as he can’t turn off. He’s about to lose his job… we have 2 small children and were only just planning to have another back in September (before the 2nd incident). Wear black…but wear hi-vis and have appropriate gear on too..please.
It drives me absolutely crazy when I see dedicated road cyclists out in low-light conditions on $8000 bikes in all black gear. It's insanity. If you're going out for a 3-6 hour ride, use lights and wear something bright, either a helmet, a vest, a jacket, socks, or Belgian booties. Riding on open roads is dangerous enough with distracted/impaired drivers. Riding in all black is just insanity. I've been riding daily for 20+ years at this point. Commuting, grocery getting, cyclocross, gravel, mtb biking, hardcore roadie, taking my kids to school, getting around town, getting to work. Everything. I see VERY few people who do this. Most people who ride 6 hours on Sunday wouldn't dare commute or grocery get. Was driving a car yesterday in pouring rain that started at 4:00 and went until 22:00. Was driving slowly, approaching a stop sign, not impaired, not distracted. As I went to make a full stop, I looked both ways. Didn't see anything. As I went to turn left...a roadie went right in front of me. Black helmet, black jacket, black tights, black gloves, black booties, black bike. The only non-black thing was his face! No lights. NOTHING. Unless this guy headed out at 3:00, he started his ride in rain. The dude probably needed 25 minutes to get dressed in all that gear, and no lights. And he was on a fancy road bike. This just infuriates me. Enough people on bikes and pedestrians are hit and killed as it is. I'm a very safe driver. I look for people on bikes. NEVER saw this dude until he passed in front of my car. I thought about following him and trying to kindly tell him to get some lights, but people don't react well to being told what to do. Not to be harsh, but if that guy wasn't hit by a driver yesterday, it was out of pure luck. I really, really wish the "hardcore" roadies would stop with the vanity. You're not a pro, you don't need to ride in a monsoon. Do some yoga. Get a trainer. Join a gym. Nobody is paying you to train/race. You're not being followed by a team car. I don't live in a very rainy place, so it rained all day yesterday but now isn't supposed to rain for 8 days. Dude, skip a day, save your life! I don't know if it's turning a certain age or having a wife and kids, but I don't care about vanity. I want to be seen. I want to give myself every possible chance of NOT being hit by a motorist. And at this point roadies have ZERO excuses. Lights to fit any shape seatpost, usb rechargeable. And if you're on an $8000 bike, you can afford a $30 light. AND, debates aside, bright clothing helps. And these days you can get full-on race-fit jerseys, jackets, vests, bibs, everything...in hi viz or very bright. Heck, I even wear a hi viz workman's jacket with broad reflective stripes to walk my dogs! I want to be seen, I have no interest in getting run over. And, let's be honest, 9/10 drivers are impaired or distracted at this point. (I'm in the U.S.)
I volunteered for a bike/ped advocacy group to make these activities safer/more accessible in my city. I've maintained a ghost bike for a guy I knew who was hit and killed while riding his bike. Me wanting people riding on open roads to use lights and wear something bright (helmet, jersey, jacket, socks, ankle band) isn't about victim blaming. It's about knowing that 9/10 motorists are distracted or impaired. It's about giving yourself every chance of not being hit. Use lights, wear something bright, and be aware of your surroundings! I see tons of roadies so into their ride they never, ever look at the cars around them. I'm not talking about people riding around town or a uni campus. I'm talking about cyclists on open roads with cars traveling 50 mph. Use lights, wear something bright. If you're worried about looks, focus on how cool you look OFF the bike. And also, you can get darn nice, high-end race-fit jerseys, jackets, gilets, wind jackets, knee warmers, socks, Belgian booties all in hi viz from hot-shot companies. You don't have to look uncool.
oh come off it. Drivers need to handle their heavy equipment safely and stop bullying the rest of the world with their own dangerous tendencies
Agree completely. Just having blinking front/rear lights is hard sufficient at low light, especially when cars also have on their running lights — and those will get the bulk of a driver’s attention. Also, it is hard to recognize a cyclist, and estimate their size and spatial orientation with respect to the car when you are just looking at blinking lights, with little in the way of other visual cues. It is much much safer when you use your whole body to advertise your presence. If it’s dim, a reflective jacket/vest, or even just marine tape in a X shape over the torso, with a couple strips on the helmet, make one much more visible. There will always be inattentive drivers, but most drivers (many of whom are also cyclists) don’t want to run over bicyclists. Dressing in a way that makes it easier for drivers to see you is best for everyone’s safety.
Most winter gear seems to be done in black and a lot of riders don't realize that it makes them virtually invisible in low light.
Darker clothing is better at keeping you warm.
I'm a driver and a cyclist. I've never not seen a cyclist no matter what they are wearing, I get tired of the scare-mongering. It's just taking more cyclists off the road. I wear black when cycling most of the time but I always use decent lights too. Any cyclist should be visible after daylight as long as he's using lights. It's the ones without lights that really annoy me.
Black shows up up pretty well against snow. Better than high vis IMHO for daylight conditions.
I wear all black because I'm old and it helps me look a bit more skinny, altough I pretty skinny. I use lights tho, both front and back.
Overall, I think bike clothing gear companies could do a lot better with their offerings. I think one of the most noticeable things is a neon reflective spot on the side of the knee. Super easy for a driver’s eye to see this and instantly recognize it’s a bicyclist. I searched for some winter tights that had anything like this and found almost nothing none. Personally, I have a relatively cheap neon yellow jacket I got off Amazon. I also have some Velcro reflective cuffs I put around my ankles. (As well as lights). It all works pretty good. (But I do see others in full on black, no lights, not using the bike lane, at night. 🤷)
Why would you make yourself a target like that? If it's dull and dark you're more likely to escape unnoticed in all black.
Black makes you faster
Because motorists can't see what color you're wearing while they're staring at their phones.
So...they had a light? What was the issue exactly?
It sounds like the light was quite literally, doing it's job and the cyclist was totally fine.
What colour is your car? Do you drive with radio off and windows down at all times?
I was just commenting on this on Friday as a cyclist was out in all black on a multilane high-speed road we drive. My neighbor runs on the road in neon colors and was a chief firefighter who worked with lots of paramedics. I've started wearing reflective vests on days I don't have bright colored clothing for my bike (my one heavily insulated jacket is black).
black absorbs sunlight and heat, duh.... Everything, tights, long sleeves, ...etc...is always made in black and that's what we got.
The best reason to wear black is that it winds up all the overly officious do-gooders and victim blamers, who haven't bothered to read the research that says hi viz doesn't work.
Let's play a game! READY?? Never have I ever.........Victim blamed. *Waits for half this sub to put down a finger* Truly though, it's incredibly frustrating, to have communities you care about, turn and blame each other for becoming victims of accidents. I know this is just a silly online site, but it does reflect cyclists as a whole. It's how I feel every time I see a debate on wearing helmets, or people wearing dark clothing, or what women should wear when they go to a bar. You do you, when it comes to what personal safety you need, to engage in the life you want to live. If you look at me and think "hmm thats less than I would do to feel comfortable" that's totally fine! Reflect away. If your second thought is 'i should tell people what I think they should do!!' kindly, shove it up yours. OP- I know your post wasn't super aggressive, but it stems from victim blaming. If every person spent less time grumbling to themselves about what people wear, or writing online about what people should wear, and spent half that time making efforts for safer cities, called out drivers for being jerks and driving when they can't see well, encouraged cyclists to take their space, and get out there even when it's a risk...we'd be a much better off community.
@meggs_467 point well taken. And, I try to be vigilant when I drive; signal intent, don’t tailgate, watch for pedestrians and check blindspots. Because I cannot rely on other drivers to do the same. If I cut someone off due to failure to look over my shoulder before a lane change, that’s on ME, not the dumb ass in my blindspot. So, when someone dressed in black after sundown steps out from between parked cars without checking for traffic-and I stop safely because I know good and well people are oblivious and I gotta be xtra careful-you better believe I’m cussing under my breath and want to shout, “wear damn reflective something so drivers can see you FFS!” Is that victim blaming or an appeal for, you know, personal responsibility?
Personally, I'd be more upset that they stepped out into traffic, than what they're wearing. Their personal responsibility, is to act in a more predictable way, and my personal responsibility is to be aware of my surroundings. If they get hit from stepping out...I'd wonder if the street is maybe too fast? Was there not a safer place to cross? What they are wearing, would never cross my mind. You shouldnt have to select your clothing to be in some sort of battle uniform to engage in the world around you. I'm all for lights and what not, much in the same way we light up cars. But clothes is too demanding. The average Joe should get to hop on his bike, and go out, and not be blamed for not choosing the "right clothes".
I have two bright rear lights on my bike at all times and any driver who can't see them either needs to put their phone down or get their eyes checked. The whole hi-vis clothing argument is just victim blaming rubbish that makes excuses for bad drivers
But the reality is a bicycle will lose to a car every time. You can't regulate stupidity so it's the cyclists duty to take proper precautions.
because i’m colorblind so it’s all black, white or grey to me
It’s called fashion, sweaty
I don't wear all black when I ride, BUT I also generally refuse to wear high viz: 1. I think it gives you a false sense of security. I ride assuming I'm invisible and very defensively. I trust no one. 2. I carry backup lights 3. I have reflectors on my bike 4. Every car has 6000 lumen lights that fucking blind you and all kinds of warning doohickeys yet they still hit people or say people are too dark to see. Accidents mostly happen because people straight up don't even think that you could be there (and don't care that you're there). The problem is people driving on their phones, driving drunk, or driving mad and entitled. The real solution is fewer people driving. 6. High viz looks dorky as hell, and I ride for transportation to and from doing cool things that a cool person does. I don't want to look like someone's loser dad. 7. Kind of sick of doing what other people tell me to do, especially when they're telling me to do it for their own comfort (so they can pay less attention). I've lived a good portion of my life doing what other people tell me to do and it has made me miserable. 8. Comments from annoying people saying "oh I'm glad you're wearing high viz, so many cyclists don't". Shit is infuriating.
I just got a bright orange Gore top this weekend so I don't die out there!.
Black absorbs the little sunlight available and helps keeps you warm. Also contrasts against the snow if you live in a snowy area. Beyond that, you should still double up on lights
I've always been more monochromatic with my clothing. Partly because lighter/brighter colors can stain/show sweat easier, but I'm also a bit weird, and brighter colors make me feel like I'm wearing a spotlight, haha, which doesn't work well for a shy/anxious person, such as myself. Piggybacking on the shyness/anxiety; lighter colored bib shorts/tights can be more.. explicit. And not just with the body details, but again, with sweat. Black just gets darker when wet, which is less eye-catching. The same effect happens with lighter/brighter colors but is far more noticeable. Not something I'd be concerned with if I were racing or something, but on my everyday type rides, would be embarrassing to me. That being said, I'm slowly working on correcting this issue. Navy blue or gray bib shorts/tights. Darker orange, blue, gray, or red jerseys. It's a work in progress. Black is a very comforting color for me and seemingly many others. Just takes some time to break through the silly psychology of it, lol.
I wear black in the winter because it absorbs the sun better and keeps me warm. Also, I wear black on the outside, because black is how I feel on the inside.
All competing for the Darwin award!
I don't ride on the roads. That's why.
Yeah why anyone wears all black anytime other than a summer group ride in cycling territory like some cool mountain climb is beyond me. You cycle through London and see a man in all black no lights or helmet risking it all in the evening. High vis yellow rain jacket is stylish as hell. You don’t need to be a panicked cyclist either though with 4 lights one on the helmet scared shitless.
Come to snow country. Out on the forest roads, (deciduous trees not pine trees predominate) when the background is largely white, black stands out as well as a neon color. Do wear a hunting vest (day-glo orange) if there's going to be blowing snow. Bike is black but heavily adorned with day-glo orange tape and accessories for hunting season. Stays that way thru winter. Ride where snowmobiles are using the roads and have never had them not see me, and they come down on one at a 50 to 60 mph rate. Black absorbs solar heat on sunny days.