Be Seen

[Dirt]

T’is the season to NOT be seen by drivers. Commuting early in the morning means that we all need to be very good at making ourselves seen. We are rarely as visible as we think we are. Please put out the extra effort to be seen. We can blame others for resulting crashes, but if we haven’t done everything we can, we’re contributing to the problem.

Here’s what works for me:

Lights front and rear. Flashy in back and front along with a more powerful headlight to see by.
Reflective bands on wrists and ankles.
Reflective tape on helmet, bike frame and on the wheels. I put some on my shoes too. When I was riding the recumbent, I put reflective tape on the soles of my shoes. It got noticed many times.
Reflective clothing if possible….

I don’t wear a reflective vest. I probably should. I haven’t found one that I like. I know that is a lame excuse. I need to get over that.

The newest addition to the collection?

Embrocation Cycling Journal high-vis gloves made by DeFeet. Today was the first day I wore them. I had 8 people comment on them. If people are commenting on them, it means they can see them. Plus they have a cute coffee pot on the back.

What works for you?

Pete

Topic

[jabberwocky]

Dinotte 400L taillight and 800L headlight for me, both on steady. I generally add a planet bike superflash set to blink as an attention grabber too.

[Dirt]

That tail light of yours is absolutely offensive. I approve.

[jabberwocky]

I love that thing. Cars almost always slow to a crawl and follow for 5-10 seconds before passing. I think they get confused about just what the hell I am.

Seriously though, I definitely recommend people get the best, brightest lights they can afford. Front and rear. I’m amazed at the number of cyclists I see only running cheap, dim blinkies around here. The PB superflash is a good, inexpensive tail light, as is the Cateye ld1100. You’re competing for the attention of frequently distracted drivers, in an area with lots of visual clutter (signs, lights, reflectors). You want to stand out as much as possible.

[Dirt]

@jabberwocky 7871 wrote:

I think they get confused about just what the hell I am.

That is a common problem for many of us… on and off the bike.

[jabberwocky]

@Dirt 7873 wrote:

That is a common problem for many of us… on and off the bike.

To be honest, I’m not totally clear on that myself. :p

[Riley Casey]

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/2d/2da21d5c-6e1a-4427-ad82-cbbc80bde43b_300.jpg

10 bucks at Home Depot. You can wear it while you get over your sartorial reservations.

@Dirt 7867 wrote:

Reflective clothing if possible….

I don’t wear a reflective vest. I probably should. I haven’t found one that I like. I know that is a lame excuse. I need to get

Pete

[KLizotte]

Dirt,

This is what you need:

http://www.amazon.com/Viz-Pink-Safety-Vest-visibility/dp/B001Y9UIJY/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1315543265&sr=8-22

[ATTACH=CONFIG]368[/ATTACH]

[5555624]

Dirt and I have a different definition of “early” — 3:00 a.m. is dark regardless of the season.

That said, if you’re not using lights with rechargeable batteries, change the batteries often. As the batteries die, you lights get dimmer. You may notice the head light, but not the tail light.

[CCrew]

@5555624 7919 wrote:

Dirt and I have a different definition of “early” — 3:00 a.m. is dark regardless of the season.
.

3:00am isn’t early, I’m halfway to the office by then!! LOL

[Mark Blacknell]

3M Scotchlite Reflective Tape. Comes in white, black, silver, red, etc. No matter the color, it lights up like you’d never believe, when even a little light hits it. I’ve been adding it to all of my bikes.

[Dirt]

@KLizotte 7918 wrote:

Dirt,

This is what you need:

http://www.amazon.com/Viz-Pink-Safety-Vest-visibility/dp/B001Y9UIJY/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1315543265&sr=8-22

[ATTACH=CONFIG]368[/ATTACH]

Super sexy indeed.

[Dirt]

It isn’t that I’m opposed to vests. They just don’t do much for me. Any vest that you get at Home Depot will not fit when riding in an aggressive position. They provide minimal reflective help from the side, which I have TONS of reflective gear on anyways. A Home Depot vest for me will provide great protection if someone shines a light on me from above. Essentially for me to have something that works like a reflective vest for most humans, I’d need reflective patches on my butt.

I find other ways to be visible. Reflective tape, like Mark suggested is a great way.

[OneEighth]

I would specifically recommend SOLAS tape (Safety of Life at Sea). Designed to work very well in wet conditions.

[ponchera]

how about biking to work with this shirt instead of vest:
http://www.lapolicegear.com/511-bike-patrol-polo.html

About lights, i’m sporting 2 PB Superflash TURBOs but would love Dinotte but just can’t shell out that much, front and rear light cost as much as a new bike! Any in between solution? I’ve seen people mention wiring up Nova Bulls but i’ve yet to find a good tutorial on how to do this.

[PrintError]

In the winter/dark/night, I wear my W&OD Trail Patrol vest. It has HUGE reflective strips on it. Freakin’ love that thing!

A full regiment of strobes and lights does the rest, as well as the glowing green frame (see my avatar).

[Author]

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