Reflective jacket with bike image?

[bigjim]

The bloke with the brain cell was off the day they designed my car; there is no way you can have warm feet and a warm windscreen, the heater controls are NOT tactile in any way, and when you cycle through the heater settings (which is about once every minute on days where the windscreen mists up i.e. most winter days) the AC comes on automatically and then has to be cancelled.

But you bought it anyway?

[coast 2 coast]

there is a whole range of things which you are not allowed to do on the road, because it may confuse road users into believing that someone is a policeman..... ..... Carrying blue lights is one such; the law take a pretty dim view of it

Not necessarily, it was recommended to me by a serving police officer that I buy and attach a blue fibre flare light to my bike, along side my normal red one. http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/11070/fibre-flare-fibre-flare-safety-light?gclid=CJe2hdrm9boCFWsOwwodHmYAcg I was a little nervous at first but eventualy bit the bullet and started my winter urban commute, with a blue light on my bike. I was impressed by how much extra clearance motorists would give me when overtaking. Collegues behind said I was given an extra 18" more space. I was still a little nervous about using a blue light and spoke to a number of other police officers. All were supportive and took a pragmatic view. One particular traffic cop told me, he had absolutely no problem with it and a cyclist taking extra measures to be seen and be safer on our roads, was a good idea.

However two things about using these lights annoyed me to the point I wouldn't reccomend them.

I did occaisionally get some nervous old lady motorist crawling along behind me, unwilling to overtake. This was irritating for me and probably for all other motorist, stuck behind her.

Fibre Flares chew through batteries and have crap seals. They stop working almost exactly the moment it starts raining.

[Brucey]

The bloke with the brain cell was off the day they designed my car; there is no way you can have warm feet and a warm windscreen, the heater controls are NOT tactile in any way, and when you cycle through the heater settings (which is about once every minute on days where the windscreen mists up i.e. most winter days) the AC comes on automatically and then has to be cancelled.

But you bought it anyway?

yeah, I did, didn't I... I was wondering when someone would mention that....

I'd driven an identical car several hundred miles (in the summertime) which kind of lulled me into a false sense of 'I know what I'm doing here' -ness. In fairness the car has many strengths too, which I won't bore you with. This one came up and (via sealed bids) I won it, almost by accident. I had some vague idea that I might flog it if I didn't like it, keep it if I got on with it OK. Despite the heater controls (and a few other quirks...) 240ftlbs, space, comfort, double-wishbone front suspension and 45-50mpg is a difficult combination to cast aside (especially at the price I paid...) so I kept it... Five years on I'm older and wiser, but I could still flog it for only a bit less than I paid. Not quite free motoring but pretty close.

cheers

[Brucey]

there is a whole range of things which you are not allowed to do on the road, because it may confuse road users into believing that someone is a policeman..... ..... Carrying blue lights is one such; the law take a pretty dim view of it

Not necessarily, it was recommended to me by a serving police officer that I buy and attach a blue fibre flare light to my bike....

Doesn't make it legal I'm afraid. Imagine what it would be like if everyone carried such a light? Other coppers/forces would pull you for it without pausing to draw breath.

http://www.norfolk.police.uk/safetyadvice/roadsafety/advicetoroadusers/howlegalisyourvehicle.aspx

Local to me even proper ambulance drivers have been threatened with prosecution for carrying blue lights when not on a call.

Years ago I heard of a cheeky D.R. who realised that his progress through London traffic was greatly facilitated whenever he showed a blue light. Knowing this was illegal, he figured that the law says that it is illegal to carry said light attached to the vehicle. So he attached it to himself instead. He got pulled and was told in no uncertain terms that he would be stopped repeately until he stopped showing said light. Quite right too.

cheers

[andymiller]

Wow . Spectacular thread drift. What about the original question? I'd like to know the answer.

Thanks for speaking up, I also thought it was a question that deserved an answer (thanks Brucey).

[AndyK]

Wow . Spectacular thread drift. What about the original question? I'd like to know the answer.

Thanks for speaking up, I also thought it was a question that deserved an answer (thanks Brucey).

Looks like you can design your own version at a reasonable cost - for instance this company http://www.hivis.net/ would do a single hi-vis vest with your custom design printed on the back for just over a fiver.

[mjr]

Hivis.net won't print reflective bike symbols will they?

[AndyK]

Dunno, I haven't used them myself, I was just quoting them as an example. Other Printers Of Hi-Vis Gear Are Also available.

[mjr]

Well, it's not listed on their page and I've yet to uncover any hivis printer that actually prints in reflective stuff... it looks like the choice is import or DIY

[AndyK]

These people claim to do reflective printing onto hi-vis clothing. Minimum order of 12 though.

[davegtt]

For those who still wish to know where to source one of these. I was in Decathlon this weekend looking for my touring equipment and saw this hanging on the shelf. Didnt even think to look at the price though, just instinctively thought of you lot looking for it.

[Psamathe]

I don't like the POLITE reflective things either.

Reasons:
It's no longer amusing (I remember such "POLITE NO PARKING" notices when I was a child 50 years ago).

I believe (hopefully correctly) that even the most aggressive impatient driver does not want to be delayed with a cyclist under his/her wheels or a horse leg through his/her windscreen, etc. Reflective jackets are about helping drivers notice you (against a background). Lots of words, etc. are not helpful except being an excuse for more contrast/reflective patches. In fact a text message might risk making things worse as a driver tries to read the message to register what is happening before (s)he takes action.

Blue and white checks might cause a driver to slow but there is a risk that the impatient ones will speed up again when their brain registers "not the Police".

Unsure about arrows as there might be a risk of confusing a driver when you are turning right and in the middle of the road ?

Personally I just wear a typical builders yellow waistcoat thing. I would spend money on one with a reflective symbolic bike design on the back (might help driver register the nature of what he sees quicker). I would not get a "POLITE" one even if I did not have anything already. But it dose not bother me when others wear them (I just see them on horse riders these days).

Ian

[Cunobelin]

Nah, this is what you want: http://www.countrybase.co.uk/proddetail ... tAodjEAAFw Much more effective

Those really, really, really annoy me. Really. It's not funny and it's not clever. Just very very annoying. Either it doesn't fool anyone, in which case it's just stupid, or it does fool some people in which case it's impersonating a police officer.
Did I mention that they really annoy me?

It is a sad fact though that these are more noticeable because of a few letters........ says a lot about driver attitudes.