Came back from a road trip...

[ChezCheese:)]

... And it just struck me how some of the most hardcore bikers and ebikers - - the ones who are pedaling along on secondary hwys with what seems like their entire life packed into panniers, or the ones in little podunks who clearly have no other vehicle - - how these stalwarts insist on riding in all black, or more baffling still, camouflage . Like, give drivers a chance at least to see you ! Makes no sense!

 

[Robspace1]

... And it just struck me how some of the most hardcore bikers and ebikers - - the ones who are pedaling along on secondary hwys with what seems like their entire life packed into panniers, or the ones in little podunks who clearly have no other vehicle - - how these stalwarts insist on riding in all black, or more baffling still, camouflage . Like, give drivers a chance at least to see you ! Makes no sense!

Way too many out there that just risk themselves and others. Visibilty is the only option for bike survival. We have no shell or seatbelts around us. Wish the local cops would enforce the bike light laws.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

... And it just struck me how some of the most hardcore bikers and ebikers - - the ones who are pedaling along on secondary hwys with what seems like their entire life packed into panniers, or the ones in little podunks who clearly have no other vehicle - - how these stalwarts insist on riding in all black, or more baffling still, camouflage . Like, give drivers a chance at least to see you ! Makes no sense!

Not just bikers. The many night strollers in my neighborhood dress like ninjas. With no sidewalks, they meander down the middle of the streets in complete oblivion. Nearly mowed down an elderly couple in all black one night. Ordered a 2,000 lumen headlight the next day. It helps, but the ninjas are still darned hard to see.

 

[6zfshdb]

The ones that get me are the riders I see in tank tops, shorts & flip flops with no helmet or gloves!

Normally I would say to each his own but it's my insurance premiums that pay to put them back together.

 

[AHicks]

The ones that get me are the riders I see in tank tops, shorts & flip flops with no helmet or gloves!

Normally I would say to each his own but it's my insurance premiums that pay to put them back together.

My worst scare was from a guy on a crotch rocket, likely running well over 100mph and accelerating hard - wide open. No headlight, a black bike with very little frontal area. He was wearing a black t-shirt, black jeans, and a little beanie cap - also black. He came out of a tree covered shadowed area in broad daylight (bright sunny Florida sun shine) maybe 150 yds down the road, and was nearly impossible to see. I was rolling, getting ready to turn left in front of him when I finally saw him, somehow sensed some motion. He'll never have any idea how close he came to being a statistic that afternoon. There was a guy on the other side of the intersection, opposite from me, on a Harley. When I looked over at him with a "did you just see that kid?" look on my face, he was just sitting there shaking his head side to side......apparently just as amazed as I was..... -Al

 

[Robspace1]

Not just bikers. The many night strollers in my neighborhood dress like ninjas. With no sidewalks, they meander down the middle of the streets in complete oblivion. Nearly mowed down an elderly couple in all black one night. Ordered a 2,000 lumen headlight the nyeaext day. It helps, but the ninjas are still darned hard to see.

 

[Robspace1]

Yes. Anyone walking or riding anything at night needs to be seen. Some folks like hiding in the dark, but most are just not aware of how impossible it is for a car driver to see them.

 

[JethroXP]

I wear neon green, I call it my “please don’t kill me” color. I wear it everywhere I bike, roads and trails. I haven’t been cycling long, maybe 7-months, but I’m close to 1200 miles and I’ve noticed the same phenomenon, and I’m going to borrow Jeremy’s term, “ninjas”, because that’s what they look like when you finally notice them which is usually when you are almost on top of them. It just boggles the mind why anyone who isn’t up to no good would do that.

 

[Robspace1]

I wear neon green, I call it my “please don’t kill me” color. I wear it everywhere I bike, roads and trails. I haven’t been cycling long, maybe 7-months, but I’m close to 1200 miles and I’ve noticed the same phenomenon, and I’m going to borrow Jeremy’s term, “ninjas”, because that’s what they look like when you finally notice them which is usually when you are almost on top of them. It just boggles the mind why anyone who isn’t up to no good would do that.

Welcome to the forum and ebiking. Three things you may have noticed when riding, not enough bike lights, bike lanes, or friendly roadies. Maybe someday.

 

[ChezCheese:)]

Even my husband, who is one of those people of the male persuasion who dresses drab and thinks that even Harris tweed is "too floral", now wears a visability vest when he walks the dog in the evening and a neon overshirt when he rides a bike. It was hard work, but I finally got him trained.

 

[chunk]

For my motorcycles:

For my E-bike:

They have to see you, these types of colors really help. I noticed a large amount of cage drivers start to pull out in my path and then stop and do a double take, and then wait when they see me. My riding buddies say when they look in their mirrors they can almost always see my Hi-Viz yellow helmet, even at a considerable distance. The color seems to be hard to find, I guess it's not considered "cool". Too many M/C riders worry that their lid doesn't match the bike. It's good to be noticed. I almost pulled out in front of a guy on a Hardley- Ableson M/C once, the road was black, the bike was black, the rider was in black right to the top of his Tupperware bowl of a helmet, and his feeble headlight looked as bright as a pen light. I just caught a glimpse of the light at the last second. He was well camouflaged and had no idea of the meet up with my Tundra he missed. I'm glad I'm a careful driver. That could have been a bad day for both of us.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Even my husband, who is one of those people of the male persuasion who dresses drab and thinks that even Harris tweed is "too floral", now wears a visability vest when he walks the dog in the evening and a neon overshirt when he rides a bike. It was hard work, but I finally got him trained.

Glad your husband has finally embraced the hi-vis way but really don't want it getting back to my wife that other husbands are trainable.

 

[Robspace1]

For my motorcycles:
View attachment 151099
For my E-bike:
View attachment 151100
They have to see you, these types of colors really help. I noticed a large amount of cage drivers start to pull out in my path and then stop and do a double take, and then wait when they see me. My riding buddies say when they look in their mirrors they can almost always see my Hi-Viz yellow helmet, even at a considerable distance. The color seems to be hard to find, I guess it's not considered "cool". Too many M/C riders worry that their lid doesn't match the bike. It's good to be noticed. I almost pulled out in front of a guy on a Hardley- Ableson M/C once, the road was black, the bike was black, the rider was in black right to the top of his Tupperware bowl of a helmet, and his feeble headlight looked as bright as a pen light. I just caught a glimpse of the light at the last second. He was well camouflaged and had no idea of the meet up with my Tundra he missed. I'm glad I'm a careful driver. That could have been a bad day for both of us.

Great looking safety brain bucket! I gotta find one.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I had nothing to say in this thread until this evening.

Went for a ride to a grocery store for some additional shopping. There is a wide MUP around but no street lighting. I pressed the brake levers at the very last moment, or I would ride into a batman couple! Nothing bright or reflective on that man and woman! I was lucky and their were lucky too. My luck was I was riding really slowly as the evening air was surprisingly balmy despite of only 7 C, and I was enjoying the ride.

Only yesterday, I read some traffic accident statistics pertaining to cyclists. There was a pretty high number of accidents involving cyclists riding into pedestrians in Poland last year. Now I know why.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

When we first moved here, I was more wary of the cars than the pedestrians, but the pedestrians are catching up.

We have lots of good bike infrastructure here, and the drivers generally respect it. Not so the pedestrians, and especially the runners.

 

[Sparky731]

My wife and I lead 3 riding groups and we require Hi-Vis outerwear for all riders. It makes it so much easier to spot and count every biker in my rear view mirror.
Dark riders disappear and become traffic hazards within the group.