Things I've learnt from commuting

[Bateleur1]

Interesting commute today .....

 

Today I came to work by car, same route that I normally cycle in the morning (I use a different route in the afternoon) - mostly no street lights, and before 6:00 it is still DARK !!

 

 

At 5:35 I encountered one cyclist/commuter along this dark route.

 

 

BACK - nice bright slow flashing red light - VERY VISIBLE !

 

Front - bright front light, ON (not flashing), again very visibly

 

 

 

What got my attention, or should I say got me thinking - my car lights were on DIM, thus NOT shining onto his bright yellow jacket.  Without light shining onto the jacket it was no more visible than any other dark jacket - not until light shines onto it.

 

 

Make sure you have high-viz and/or reflective items LOW down - to catch the light when cars are using lights on DIM setting.

 

It is mentioned somewhere early in this thread ...

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/160804-please-apply-visibility-on-the-road/

 

... very important to high reflective strips on your lower legs/knees.

[Fat Boab]

It is mentioned somewhere early in this thread ...

 

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/160804-please-apply-visibility-on-the-road/

 

... very important to high reflective strips on your lower legs/knees.

 

 

Has anyone tried the idea mentioned recently of a steady white light facing forward on the seat tube, to pick up reflectives on the legs/shoes yet?

 

I haven't tried it yet, but can only think that's its a winner if you have reflectives in that area. Why wait for car headlights to pick you out - provide your own!

[Bateleur1]

Has anyone tried the idea mentioned recently of a steady white light facing forward on the seat tube, to pick up reflectives on the legs/shoes yet?

 

I haven't tried it yet, but can only think that's its a winner if you have reflectives in that area. Why wait for car headlights to pick you out - provide your own!

 

Would like to see the idea in practise.  Does not make too much sense for me.  For light to be effective from reflective gear it needs to "bounce back" into a certain area.  So where would you fit a light on your seat tube that it refelcts back to traffic?  Not saying it is a bad idea but my logic needs some help here to see it work.

[Fat Boab]

Would like to see the idea in practise.  Does not make too much sense for me.  For light to be effective from reflective gear it needs to "bounce back" into a certain area.  So where would you fit a light on your seat tube that it refelcts back to traffic?  Not saying it is a bad idea but my logic needs some help here to see it work.

 

 

My thinking is on the forward pedal stroke, your feet/ankles/shoes will be illuminated from the side and behind. If you have reflective anklets, patches on your shoes etc, that they'll reflect to the side and backwards?

 

Small light mounted near the bottom of the seat tube, facing forwards?

[Bateleur1]

My thinking is on the forward pedal stroke, your feet/ankles/shoes will be illuminated from the side and behind. If you have reflective anklets, patches on your shoes etc, that they'll reflect to the side and backwards?

 

Small light mounted near the bottom of the seat tube, facing forwards?

 

As I say, need to see it in practice.  A small light already is not of much use in anyway. Then rather have a proper rear light from the start.  Most rear lights are pretty good as long as you don't use these small one led thingies using a small battery.  You have pretty strong led lights that you can see a mile away.  Here in Germany it is now dark in the mornings when I start my commute.  You do not normally have a problem to spot the rear light.  The front lights is more challanging as there you need something good actually as it is not only for you to be visible but also to ligth up the road in front of you.

[J∆kk∆ls]

Illuminating the ankles from behind does very little for visibility when a car approaches around a blind corner. The most visible part of your body from a drivers perspective is the top and therefor your head! 

 

If you want to be seen at night having a reflective helmet is the best thing you can add to your existing rear light. Wearing reflective kit is an added bonus. Having lights shine down from below the waist is fruitless especially in high traffic. The driver won't see you till the last second at which point your top half is most visible. 

 

On the open road having illuminated ankles will at least tell the drive that you are a cyclist. But being visible up top is vital. 

[Fat Boab]

Illuminating the ankles from behind does very little for visibility when a car approaches around a blind corner. The most visible part of your body from a drivers perspective is the top and therefor your head! 

 

If you want to be seen at night having a reflective helmet is the best thing you can add to your existing rear light. Wearing reflective kit is an added bonus. Having lights shine down from below the waist is fruitless especially in high traffic. The driver won't see you till the last second at which point your top half is most visible. 

 

On the open road having illuminated ankles will at least tell the drive that you are a cyclist. But being visible up top is vital. 

 

 

I wasn't soliciting opinion on the sole form of enhanced visibility, but rather a method of additional visibility. So reflective, flashing helmet plus the seat-tube light method advocated by others plus rear facing flashing red etc etc... 

[J∆kk∆ls]

I wasn't soliciting opinion on the sole form of enhanced visibility, but rather a method of additional visibility. So reflective, flashing helmet plus the seat-tube light method advocated by others plus rear facing flashing red etc etc... 

I didn't say you were! 

 

I was merely pointing out the importance of upper visibility. I have a cycled in complete darkness on open roads more times than I can recall. I make sure that my rear lights is blinking bright. I use a 900 lumen front light and make sure my kit is reflective. 

 

But this is my own practice. People can never be too prudent when is comes to road safety. The only incident I have had with a moving vehicle making contact was when a drunk teef leaned out the window to smack me on the ass while shouting "SEXY". 

[Bateleur1]

On the topic of lights on the helmet.  I see several peeps here in Germany who like attaching a light to their helmets.  How safe do you guys reckon that is should you crash/fall und hit your head where the light is attached.  Me thinks this could be problem.  Your opinion on this?

[Fat Boab]

I didn't say you were! 

 

I was merely pointing out the importance of upper visibility. I have a cycled in complete darkness on open roads more times than I can recall. I make sure that my rear lights is blinking bright. I use a 900 lumen front light and make sure my kit is reflective. 

 

But this is my own practice. People can never be too prudent when is comes to road safety. The only incident I have had with a moving vehicle making contact was when a drunk teef leaned out the window to smack me on the ass while shouting "SEXY". 

 

Maybe your reflective kit is more attractive than you think?

[Fat Boab]

On the topic of lights on the helmet.  I see several peeps here in Germany who like attaching a light to their helmets.  How safe do you guys reckon that is should you crash/fall und hit your head where the light is attached.  Me thinks this could be problem.  Your opinion on this?

 

Suppose it depends how the light is attached? Small bungee straps - probably ok. Clamped to part of the helmet with bolts etc, probably less ok. 

[J∆kk∆ls]

On the topic of lights on the helmet.  I see several peeps here in Germany who like attaching a light to their helmets.  How safe do you guys reckon that is should you crash/fall und hit your head where the light is attached.  Me thinks this could be problem.  Your opinion on this?

It is not a good idea!

 

Most helmets are not designed to have lights fitted to them. Which is why some manufactures design helmets with built in lights. 

[Nancy Drew]

It is not a good idea!

 

Most helmets are not designed to have lights fitted to them. Which is why some manufactures design helmets with built in lights. 

 

Excuse my ignorance, maybe it's obvious to many, but why isn't it a good idea? What are the risks?

[Bateleur1]

Excuse my ignorance, maybe it's obvious to many, but why isn't it a good idea? What are the risks?

 

In most cases the lights are housed in a hard casing.  Most helmets are basically a shell with some form of schockabsorbing material (what ever it is made of).  On impact you have a small hard object already strapped to your helmet that essentially (if the impact hits you wrong) gets hit through this protection layer into your head.  

 

That is the logic how I see it.  Rumour has it that this is what happened to Michael Schumacher in his skiing accident.  He apparently had a GoPro strapped to his skiing helmet.  I say again ... rumour has it.

[J∆kk∆ls]

Excuse my ignorance, maybe it's obvious to many, but why isn't it a good idea? What are the risks?

Is there research to prove that your helmet will be effective in a crash?

If you attach a foreign object, it probably won't meet the safety standard.

 

I am not very clued up on the topic, which is why I would not do it!  

[Fat Boab]

In most cases the lights are housed in a hard casing.  Most helmets are basically a shell with some form of schockabsorbing material (what ever it is made of).  On impact you have a small hard object already strapped to your helmet that essentially (if the impact hits you wrong) gets hit through this protection layer into your head.  

 

That is the logic how I see it.  Rumour has it that this is what happened to Michael Schumacher in his skiing accident.  He apparently had a GoPro strapped to his skiing helmet.  I say again ... rumour has it.

 

 

Of course the other aspect, is what reduction in risk is afforded by attaching a light vs without? The usual difficult to define argument (and I'm not suggesting we open the door on a debate of  helmet vs no-helmet....!).

 

If I could attach a light to my helmet in a way that I could easily remove for charging etc, I would do so.