http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: That Other Bugbear - Hi Viz en Sun, 31 May 2026 16:58:19 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46661 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:45:59 +0000 steveo 46661@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Its only very effective camouflage when there are another hundred of you with a very similar pattern and it only disguises the individual the mass of the herd are still quite visible. Tbh when that kind of camouflage becomes useful i'll probably be happy with wearing it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46658 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:28:56 +0000 wee folding bike 46658@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>So is that black with white stripes or white with black stripes?</p> <p>I'm fairly sure the zebras view it as camouflage. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46605 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:47:09 +0000 Stepdoh 46605@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I always thought inverse zebra for the night vision stuff. Bit more hi-viz this year, but refusing lemon. </p> <p>Have a white jacket with lots of retroreflective and very, very red knee warmers with retroreflective labelling all down the back. Think with black everywhere else it's reasonably eye catching. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46585 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:42:17 +0000 chdot 46585@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://activetravel2stenhouse.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/illuminous-day" rel="nofollow">http://activetravel2stenhouse.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/illuminous-day</a></p> <p>Stenhouse is a school I do some work in, though I wasn't involved in that. </p> <p>It's part of the <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-do/bike-it/i-bike-in-scotland">Sustrans I Bike project</a>. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46554 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:06:00 +0000 wee folding bike 46554@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Decathlon's ad for "fluorescent" jackets annoys me a bit. </p> <p>I'm fairly sure they're just brightly coloured. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46551 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 01:46:44 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 46551@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>Anth - I thought you had this bright windcheeta - Isle of Skye Brewery</em>"</p> <p>No, I've got the short-sleeved jersey, but now I want that! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46538 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:05:30 +0000 kaputnik 46538@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The Altura Nightvision stuff is superb, but makes all wearers look like they are on their way to a fancy dress party as a skellerington </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46534 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:49:44 +0000 Uberuce 46534@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Brickie's tabard bought at the car boot sale for me. Plenty of Scotchlite and the bilious yellow, and because it's out of my field of view, it means I can easily forget I'm wearing such an ugly garment. My bag sits on my hip so it's not obscuring more than the straps's width. </p> <p>I think reflective tyre walls look rather handsome. If they're safer then hurrah.</p> <p>Mabs - you've given me a notion to pick up another tabard at the car boot sale and attack it with a Stanley knife until I've left just the reflective bands. Slip that over a T-shirt and I have got myself a handy kick up the visibility bum without any unwanted heat insulation. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46533 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:49:16 +0000 Instography 46533@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When I was buying a winter jacket I went for the bright yellow with some reflective stripes and piping. It's not pretty but I thought, what the hell, if it's going to help drivers see me in the (at best) half light I'll be riding in in winter then I'll go for it. It's not much more visible to other cyclists but in headlights it's probably pretty bright.</p> <p>The only times I've ever got into trouble in the past have been at night with drivers getting way too close or cutting in front of me when I was in more ordinary clothes (I used to wear a fairly normal beige Berghaus jacket). I reckon they either just don't see you or don't see enough to judge speed very well.</p> <p>Maybe I've become more cautious and better at taking up more of the road but (touch wood) I haven't had any trouble so far with painfully bright lights and a big yellow jacket.</p> <p>I like the idea of reflective gloves. I've been conscious of the limited visibility of black hands. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46531 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:41:21 +0000 Mabs 46531@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Reflective detail certainly makes a difference when out an about and it is often the first thing I see when out driving before I see their own lights.</p> <p>An issue I have is the distinct lack of reflective t shirts. All those jackets light up like napalm but there is very little on the t-shirt/jersey front. It's a rare day where it is cold enough to warrant a jacket. Any one know of some decent reflective t shirts? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46529 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:22:21 +0000 gembo 46529@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Anth - I thought you had this bright windcheeta - Isle of Skye Brewery</p> <p><a href="http://www.thecyclejersey.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&amp;cPath=9&amp;zenid=03e6983d05398400fc45c11cef9a7d02" rel="nofollow">http://www.thecyclejersey.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&amp;cPath=9&amp;zenid=03e6983d05398400fc45c11cef9a7d02</a></p> <p>I have a fair isle tank top in the same orange colour whenever I wear it cycling not only am I highly visible I also get torrents of abuse </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46527 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:25:15 +0000 recombodna 46527@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>'We could start a trend wearing those Morphsuits, but not sure if they are hi viz!</p> <p>I'm sure people would notice you......... maybe not in the good way though. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46520 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:01:30 +0000 1lesscar 46520@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I always carry a white / transparent rain jacket that has Scotchlite. It's very good in the dark. I don't own any bright yellow gear, it mostly being bright black, which considering I'm 6'1" and about 16 stone, is usually very 'hi-vis'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46519 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:44:07 +0000 kaputnik 46519@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My only cycling "jacket" is a Polaris fleece with eindtex panels on front, in a very lurid shade of brighter-than-bright yellow. But it's not the fluo-hi-viz shade, a colour I am particularly not fond of.</p> <p>It has retroreflective piping so stands out on a dull day and in headlights.</p> <p>In the months of the year with not much daylight I have a respro retroreflective band around my helmet that lights up like a christmas tree if it is caught in headlights. I like the idea of putting my hi-viz panel on my head, as it's generally visible from all directions, arms and backs can get obscured.</p> <p>I see lots of people with bright tabards on who then plop a rucksack ontop of them, pretty much invalidating any value of them.</p> <p>Current gloves don't have reflective bits on the hands to I've taken to using some of those snap-around bands that Spokes etc. give away on my wrists for making hand signals more obvious in the dark. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46512 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:28:38 +0000 custard 46512@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I went with a graphite Altura jacket for "high viz"<br /> I just couldnt see myself(no pun) wearing bright yellow </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46460 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:39:09 +0000 Nelly 46460@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>odd combo in that shop.</p> <p>We could start a trend wearing those Morphsuits, but not sure if they are hi viz! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46459 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:38:19 +0000 recombodna 46459@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hmmmm Morphsuits eh? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46458 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:34:27 +0000 chdot 46458@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Talking of hi-viz, came across this yesterday -</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chdot/6340129039/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6116/6340129039_1ff6dfab29.jpg"></a></p> <p><a href="http://topcatfancydress.co.uk">Web site</a> says it's an on-line fancy dress business so no idea if it sells from shop - or if stuff is 'value for money'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46444 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:21:26 +0000 wingpig 46444@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd class true hi-vis as anything involving Scotchlite(no R symbol on phone) rather than simple fluorescence. I've still to wear my LRT freebie tabard, though tend to try and wear my lighter-coloured T-shirts outside of daylight. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4412#post-46443 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:02:52 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 46443@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Had reason to consider this again on a ride yesterday.</p> <p>Much like good old helmets, I'm simply pro-choice on this. If you want to wear bright yellow then fine; if you don't want to wear bright yellow then fine.</p> <p>What I find odd is that people will say, in an <em>absolute</em> fashion, that one or the other is more visible. The thing is, life is never that absolute.</p> <p>I have photos in bright sunshine of dark clothing standing out waaaaaaaay more than alleged hi-viz. But yesterday on a run in the Borders with my other half and her dad, after stopping for lunch he produced an as-yellow-as-yellow-can-be jacket. And by eck in that dull gloomy light of two in the afternoon out in the middle of nowhere he stuck out like the sorest of thumbs.</p> <p>It's all in the context. Basically anyone who takes an entrenched view one way or the other is closing their eyes to the reality of different conditions. That is all.</p> <p>p.s. one thing I would say, in the dark, forget the debate between hi-viz or not, what you <em>really</em> want is <em>reflective</em>.</p> <p>p.p.s. for the record both Mel and her dad wore a helmet, I didn't, no antagonism, no disagreements. Live. Let live. Mel used to not wear one after reading the same stuff as me, took a long break from cycling, and having got back into it has decided she wants to wear a helmet again - I'm just happy she's back on a bike. </p>