Black????really????

[ridebikeme]

I have been seeing this unfortunately for quite some time. I've actually started having long discussions about this with some of the clothing companies that I carry...while they listen most have tended to do NOTHING! When you have a minute, look at your selections of clothing... especially cold weather clothing. While we all know that shorts/tights are black, why is is that most(not all) jackets/vests are black? Think about this when you buy yor next piece, and voice your opinion to LBS/mail order.

Thanks for bringing this up, hopefully more people will pay attention to what they are wearing. I like so many of you, always wear bright clothing, and can only hope that someone is paying attention while they're driving.

[OakLeaf]

What 7rider said.

I've said it many times before here, but it bears reiterating. I wear hi-viz for two reasons.

First is for the people who ARE paying attention. If you've driven an automobile and come up on bicyclists, you know that you will see the ones in hi-viz about a half mile ahead, where you may not be able to see the ones wearing colors that blend in until you're a couple of hundred yards behind them, and it may not register that they're actually human road users until you're much closer. That just isn't enough time to plan at 65 mph, and it's barely enough time to brake or swerve. My being visible is courteous to good drivers, allows them to drive more smoothly and less stressfully, and allows traffic to flow better.

Second is why I call the gear "Exhibit A," as 7rider said. If a jury has to wear sunglasses to see what's left of my jersey, there's more hope that the automobilist won't be able to get away with "I didn't see her."

Of course I'm responsible for my own safety, always, on foot, on bici, on moto (and in a car as well). But it doesn't make sense to me, to deprive automobile drivers of the ability to see me and drive safely around me.


(It's a whole 'nother story on the moto where I have the opportunity to get out of trouble by twisting the throttle, as well as the opportunity to stay out of trouble. But the distinction between bici safety and moto safety, and target fixation vs. safe driving, is for another thread...)


Also, I'm sure it's different for urban riders, where speeds are so much slower, and things like intersections and parking lots force automobilists to expand their field of vision slightly. I don't think I'd worry much about visibility if I were riding in the daytime in urban areas.


Edit one more time ... FHWA and OSHA require hi-viz apparel for workers in highway rights-of-way. That's good enough for me.

[Crankin]

I love black and dress in black or grey almost all of the time, in my "regular" clothes." That said, I only have one piece of black cycling wear (on the top). It's a winter piece, long sleeved, thermal jersey that zips up. It has red and white reflective accents on it. I've only worn it in the day time, in bright sun a couple of times. Most of the time, it's been worn under my screaming yellow jacket. My other jerseys are all kinds of colors.
I too, have noticed many commuters with no lights, or only a horrible reflector at dusk. Most of them are young people or older people, "invisible" cyclists, etc. I see them on my way home from the city I am working in for my internship, which has a large immigrant population. No helmets, either. Going the wrong way. But, I also see this in Cambridge, which has a huge cycling population, commuters, who zip through very heavy traffic, in street clothes, with no lights. Yes, it is brightly lit on the main streets, but I am sure they go into residential areas to get home. Around where I live, most of the commuters have lights, but they could have more/better ones.
When I ride in the dark, I have a bright headlight, a very bright rear blinkie and a blinking ankle band on both legs, as well as a reflective vest. One day, when I was coming home from my before work ride, DH was going to get bagels and saw me, in a pretty dark corner of my neighborhood, He said I was extremely visible, so I guess it works.

[Thorn]

(state street in downtown Wauwatosa for any locals) .

Weekly summer-time destination for Tosa Farmer's Market (thank goodness for the Winter Farmer's market or I'd be going into Greens-withdrawl)

But I see your point -- riding that section of State Street is wicked during daylight hours. I can't imagine even thinking about it during the dark without a Christmas tree-ful of lights.

But, to the thread. Last year I picked up a pair of Hi-Viz yellow cycling jackets for DH and myself on Steep and Cheap (or one of its affiliates). Pair that with our yellow helmet covers and blinkies and we stand out. So much so as to take polite kidding from cyclists and shop keepers when we're wearing them. But, as Oakleaf said--rather the jury need sunglasses than a driver claim they couldn't see me.

[shootingstar]

Most of my cycling bottoms are black or dark. But tops, especially jackets are hi-vis. Jerseys tend to be light coloured or bright coloured..since I can wear bright colours well against my face.

I've gotten onto elevators at various workplaces, where there were car-driving employees in same elevator, who expressed their appreciation for hi-viz apparel by cyclists.

Doesn't that say enough? Oak's comment on hi-viz wear as a OSHA requirement (by highway workers, construction workers on the road, etc.) says alot here.

I suppose for some non-cycling apparel cyclists, maybe wearing black while cycling on a fixie is a form of "cool"/hip.

Or wearing black means to hide wet dirt splash-up.

But I value my life over fashion, while on bike.

[sarahkonamojo]

I agree with Ridebikeme, the choices aren't there, at least where I shop. I would rather dress like a Christmas tree than be hit by an auto.

I think cycling short/tights should have high viz on the rear/upper thighs.

[tulip]

I read somewhere a while back that hi-viz yellow is better to wear in urban areas because it stands out from all the other visual noise. The same article said that hi-viz orange is best to wear in rural areas. I would argue with the second point on a brilliant fall day in Vermont, however, when the leaves are as bright orange as the clothing.

Please do not ask me to come up with a source. I read it somewhere, a while back.

I figure the highway construction industry has done all the studies on visibility, so I get my hi-viz stuff at a highway safety supplier (alertshirt.com; there are other, too). Not cycling specific, but the products are compliant with the major standards. When I commuted by bike, I wore their simple t-shirts. You could sew your own pockets on the back if you are handy with a needle and thread. The prices are very reasonable, too.

[limewave]

tulip, the other day I saw someone wearing a high-vis yellow jersey and they completely blended in with the fall background. I happened to be looking for cyclists and runners as that is a popular area for cycling, so I saw them. But someone who isn't conscious of that never would have seen her

[pll]

I have to say I have noticed more drivers are courteous when I'm wearing a high visibility jersey. I had only a 'highlighter green' short sleeve jersey, and this fall I splurged and bought two fluorescent yellow jerseys, short sleeve and long sleeve. The latter makes me want to got out in the cold and I cannot wait for the spring to use the short sleeve one. It's hard to find high visibility stuff for women in the local bike shops -- I always look for it. It's black, down to the the under layers (why???).

[limewave]

DH was very frustrated after the last race he did because EVERYONE was wearing black with white/red accents. It made it impossible to mark people. It's the new trend I guess.

I've noticed that as cycling has gotten more popular over the last 10 years that certain safety precautions have gone out the window.

Before I did my first group ride, I was drilled about how to properly ride in a group: keeping a cadence (not yo-yoing), learning hand signals, how to draft, how to rotate w/o surging--it was a big deal. The jerseys/kits were wild colors, very visible.

Now, people wear iPods with headphones on group rides Jersey's are more fashionable, but not visible-friendly. The last few group rides I've done I've feared for my life b/c most everyone in the group didn't know basic safety precautions.

[PamNY]

I noticed that hi-viz bikers were hard to see when driving in Shenandoah on an autumn day. Not sure what would work in that situation, though.

NYC is full of black-clad, unlighted bikers. I could easily have hit one last night as I passed a runner, and I am careful. I literally couldn't see him with headlights from highway traffic in my eyes.

Hi-viz definitely works in the city. Pll, I agree with you that drivers are more courteous. In addition, I've had various people -- cops, passers-by, etc. -- randomly compliment me on my blazing glory.

[GLC1968]

Personally, I think cycling attire should be chosen based on riding location and conditions as much as possible. There are times when a black jersey will be more visible than a white one. When I used to ride in NC - there were a couple of winter rides we did where the roads were clear, but the fields had snow on them and the sun was super bright. A white clad rider would have totally disappeared and black would have offered more contrast.

On the other hand, wearing black at night is just asking for trouble.

I would opt to not wear orange when commuting home into the sunset (I kept my turquoise for those rides) and I don't wear my lime green jersey when riding in the country in the spring as it's virtually the same color as the fields/trees as they start to bloom.

That said, I actually noticed yesterday in our typical winter gloom that NOTHING stood out on cyclists (I was in a car) as well as hi-vis yellow. It made itself glaringly apparent in every single case (daylight conditions).

[Lesley_x]

My winter cycling clothes are black.

But then I only cycle in broad daylight and with lights sooo....

[lph]

In summer I wear brightly coloured tops, but for winter use I have a black softshell jacket and a grey one. Nothing to do with fashion, but light colours would all turn grey quite fast with road splash anyway, and washing jackets often isn't good for the water repellency. Mainly it's because winter riding here = riding in the dark, and in the dark there's no difference between black, red, fuschia or turquoise. Lights and reflective stripes are the way to go, and I'm decked out like a Christmas tree. In daylight bright colours are easier to see, but then again - in a busy city environment there's colour everywhere, so even then it's the flashing lights that announce to everyone "cyclist ahead!".

[kermit]

I have to add that the majority of the folks wearing black, are triathletes, usually in one or two piece kits. These are also the folks out doing longer rides for the upcoming IM and races, my good friend included. I have told her over and over but she is attached to her black tri tanks. It is a VERY popular cycling area but also with a lot of traffic. To each his own I guess...