High-vis vests

[stewartpratt]

L’obligation s’applique aussi au passager éventuel ... This also applies to visitors.

Passengers, not visitors.

[thirdcrank]

Of course, in English, passenger originally meant someone passing as in passer-by, which is why the law still refers to foot passengers. My French is rusty so I'd not want to argue, but I think it means that the 'Jer sweez urn ornglayz' routine (in a Ted Heath accent) won't do instead of hi-viz, rather than if you 'give somebody a saddle' they have to be visible. (I speak as somebody who was once stopped in the early hours and asked why my front lamp was white rather than yellow by the numerous crew of a Peugeot estate with the 10 foot scorpion-tail radio aerial, all armed with what looked like machine guns - shades of The Day of the Jackal.)

Either way, if you're over there on a (push) bike, out-of-town, in the dark or in the gloom, it's the Christmas tree look, like it or lump it. (But not on a motorbike.)

[fredkite]

Here is some upmarket hi-viz gear - http://www.respro.com/

[millimole]

The Polaris RBS cycling jacket is to the correct standard, but would not meet your spec's as it is windproof, but not shower (or rain) proof. I's what I'm taking to France, with a Lidl cheapy for the missus.
Remember that Lidl & Aldi are mass-buying these for the mainland market, so any overspill to their shops in Blightly will be to the same standard. Failing that - as the other poster said - any market stall in France (but be aware of rumours of over-enthusiastic French police reaching their targets by stopping Les Britanniques fresh off the ferry!)