Cyclists invisible without reflective clothing, evidence....

[crossroads]

Ah, splendid, can we start a traditional Canon vs Nikon war?

I've always used Nikon SLRs, and have boxes full of Nikkor lenses, so I bought a Nikon D800. It's a fantastic and ultra-sophisticated camera and makes superb pictures even with very old non-zoom lenses. It isn't difficult to carry around and is great if you are a photographer who travels by bike.

However, for a cyclist who also wants to take good photos, a compact or camera-phone is far easier. I confess (as a Nikon lover) that Canon make excellent compacts, as do Panasonic and Fuji. And Nikon, obviously. I also use a GoPro HD Hero as a point-and-hope camera. (It has no viewfinder, so takes some getting used to. I like it, because it reminds me of a 5x4 47mm camera I once built.)

Lets not start another war snigbo .... please
arrh..... home built 5x4 , sheet film .... takes you back doesn't it

[Vorpal]

Ah, splendid, can we start a traditional Canon vs Nikon war?

Oooooo, we don't even have subforum for that!

[Gearoidmuar]

Let's look at evolution in action in England...

Before the industrial revolution there was a moth in England of light colour. He remained light in colour in the countryside. As the cities began to grime up nicely, the moth became a lot darker.

Mechanism. Light moths stood out against a dark background and were gobbled up my motheatythings. That is to say, they were spotted (but not necessarily with spots).

Of what is this an example.?

Camouflage.

If you don't want to be seen, wear camouflage..

[gaz]

Of what is this an example.?

A light coloured moth covered in grime?

[andy753]

Interestingly, in daylight, dawn and dusk, black is the best colour to wear - that's because the human eye detects movement of black objects first. That's why the RAF has painted all of its training aircraft black. Here's an interesting and thought provoking article for us all to read: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/safety-first-as-raf-paints-planes-black-1146643.html
Wearing black clothing with reflective elements is always my first choice. I also invest heavily in lights.

[aprildavy]

Are we seriously saying cyclists are flying in the sky now and wearing black will help avoid mid air collisions with squeezy jets? hi viz requires contrast against the background. Black may be better when the cyclist is backlit against a light sky, but great camouflage when you cycle into a tree covered lane at any time! I don't think there is any colour that is universally contrasting on a journey of decent length in varying road conditions, hence I now have both my front and rear lights on flash all the time in daylight to help.

[aprildavy]

Plus, since I know quite a lot about flying as well as cycling, the aircraft that you would collide with has no relative movement on your windscreen. In the same way if you are driving towards a cyclist, who is cycling ahead of you on a long straight road, in a line of traffic, there is little movement of the cyclist against the background. It may be the case that black is detected first if there is a contrast against the background colour, and the Cyclist is moving relative to the background. I suspect what is a good colour for urban cycling may be a bad choice for a mix of urban, dual carriage way, and twisty country roads.

[Ellieb]

The reason why black works for RAF jets is that at the sort of distance (& therefore relative size) at which you need to see them it is almost impossible to discern colour. The aircraft will just look like a dark speck against a light background :Therefore you go for as high a contrast as you can (ie black) That isn't the same case with bikes.

[[XAP]Bob]

The point isn't that black is best, but that best changes according to the background.

Since the background on the road is not constant there is no such thing as universal high vis. There is only universal inattention on the part of motorists...