Tricks for being seen on the road.

[Edwards]

also wear a long blond wig rather than a helmet

It would be so helpful if you did give this a try then report back as to how successful it is.
Them afterwards try other items to match the wig.

[frank9755]

It was tried - by a chap who did a study on distances given by cars in Bristol a couple of years ago.

The two findings I can remember are that:
- Drivers give more room to people wearing normal clothes and least to people who look like pros wearing team kit and helmets
- A blonde wig is the best thing you can wear!

That 'Big' link at the start of the thread is good. I do quite a lot of the things that are mentioned in there. In particular I certainly feel I get more room when I have a wide pair of touring panniers on my bike.

[s2vmx]

Perhaps a bikini and a blonde wig might do the trick ?

- but with flashing red lights may get you the wrong sort of attention
Stu

[Edwards]

Perhaps a bikini and a blonde wig might do the trick ?

That is likely to attract a motorists attention. Remember the average male is supposed to be able to spot a pair of knickers showing above young ladies hipster trousers at 200 paces.

[Phil_Lee]

Since my latest lighting upgrade I now ride at night with reflective arm and leg bands with 4 flashing red leds in each, 4 tail lights, 2 of which are flashing, flashing red led handlebar end plugs, reflective material on shoes, jacket, gloves, rear mudguard and rack bag, normal rear and pedal reglectors, white flashing led marker light on front, Ixon IQ, 9 led headtorch, and a 270 lumen led torch as "high beam".

I don't seem to have too many problems with smidsys after dark

Downside is that it takes (depending on bike - they differ slightly) either 10x AA, 10x AAA and 4x CR2032 or 4x AA, 13x AAA, 4x CR2032 and 4x LR44 to power all that lot, but at least all except the button cells (LR44 & CR2032) are rechargeable.
I use low self-discharge NiMH for the AA and AAA cells, and carry spares (although the likelihood of everything running out at the same time is pretty low).

[Big T]

Since my latest lighting upgrade I now ride at night with reflective arm and leg bands with 4 flashing red leds in each, 4 tail lights, 2 of which are flashing, flashing red led handlebar end plugs, reflective material on shoes, jacket, gloves, rear mudguard and rack bag, normal rear and pedal reglectors, white flashing led marker light on front, Ixon IQ, 9 led headtorch, and a 270 lumen led torch as "high beam".

I don't seem to have too many problems with smidsys after dark

Downside is that it takes (depending on bike - they differ slightly) either 10x AA, 10x AAA and 4x CR2032 or 4x AA, 13x AAA, 4x CR2032 and 4x LR44 to power all that lot, but at least all except the button cells (LR44 & CR2032) are rechargeable.
I use low self-discharge NiMH for the AA and AAA cells, and carry spares (although the likelihood of everything running out at the same time is pretty low).

If lighting is weaponry, then you must be Rambo!

However, I'm not far behind you with an RBS refective jacket, 4 seperate rear LED lights, an Ixon IQ and/or Light & Motion Vega up front, with a 6 led oxford torch as back up.

[alicej]

I've got flashing LEDs in my pedals http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... r&istBid=t (cheaper on ebay, as always). I wonder if seeing a flashing orange light sometimes makes drivers think I might be about to turn right?

Along with Reelights and umpteen reflective stickers on the frame and mudguards, I'm fairly dazzling even before I do anything that takes any thought. I also leave some of these http://www.ebest24.co.uk/2-in-1-mini-le ... -3457.html permanently attached to the bike. Got loads of 'em for 50p each on ebay, so not really bothered if they get nicked, and not removing them means never forgetting to bring them with me.

I still use proper lights and a hi viz waistcoat thing too, obv.

[thirdcrank]

.... If lighting is weaponry, then you must be Rambo!....

Thinks We've not hearfrom Halit Osis recently never mind Rambo - the nuclear option. (scroll down)

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=21366&

[alicej]

Where'd you get these ?

flashing red led handlebar end plugs

That'd be another set of lights I don't have to remove when I leave the bike.

[alicej]

Hmm, one of the things suggested in the "big" link is that motorists are going to give more room to anything they suspect of being a police officer on a bike.

A while ago I went to a fancy dress party as a police officer (long story, don't ask...), and I wore a big flouro bomber jacket with strips of chequered black and white fabric sewn on it, which I'd cut from a chef's apron. Might try sewing some of those strips onto my normal flouro gillet thing for cycling, it was surprisingly effective at subconsciously conveying the "cop" vibe!

[eileithyia]

Quite agree MickF, no matter what you wear or how many lights you have they will only see you if they are looking.

[Edwards]

Some of the poor dears driving in their own little world need all the help they can get. Then there are the ones who are not in. The lights are on and nobody is at home.
That is without the ones who are not on this planet.

[s2vmx]

As a biker of many years the SMIDSY - 'Sorry Mate I didn't see you' - is all to common and I suspect for many motorists the fact that they are not looking is the key to most collisions with Pedestrians, Cyclists and Motorcyclists.

All we can do is try and attract their attention - but I suspect even with flashing lights things will stay asis.

Stu

[essexman]

I was driving out of saffron walden and saw this chap with an amazing arrangement on the back of his bike. Cars were treating him with enormous respect, i was really gobsmacked.

He was riding an old looking touring road bike, but on the rear he had a sort of trailer tail-board affair. It was white plastic, widish, two reflectors either end (where car lights would be), and then vertical hazard stripes in orange between them. It mimmiced a larger vehicle and drivers responded to him, in a sort of ahh, see thats how cyclists should look. The width was such that it covered the rear of his panniers + a tiny bit more.

It even sort of looked like you could have fitted a registration plate on it

[essexman]

and my faves\personal bugbear for the dark:

http://www.safe-turn.co.uk/bicycle-indicator-lights.php (nice on an mtb on a dark road)

http://www.buybuybicycles.com/winkku_indicators.html (mirror and an indicator!)


I dotn have these, just a glove with a crappy reflector on.