Uniform
The other day I was riding to work when I happened to notice the other people riding bicycles around me.
This was more of a coincidence than typical of what I see everyday. But I wondered- does not wearing a fluorescent uniform make a person stand out more?
Why do we bike? It’s fun, fast and easy tranportations, healthy and cheap. But why make it difficault? I use the clothes when I bike or rent a car. I do not use helmet in either case. Bike slowly, enjoy your ride and you will not sweat. I am a man in the age of 50 but have biking lady bicicycle with basket for 30 years. This is the only way to bike comfortable 🙂
Wear what you want, but don’t discount the safety imparted by what you’re calling “code”. You don’t know what commuting conditions these other cyclists have to deal with– maybe they ride regularly on dark roads with poor visibility. Maybe they’ve experienced crashes with vehicles and have learned from experience. I can tell you with confidence that you *won’t* stand out more in this scenario in poor visibility.
Personally, I don’t a hi-vis jacket regularly but I will when I know the visibility will be poor (e.g., fog) ,but I do regularly wear a helmet mirror (highly recommended!) like the ones in your illustration, a helmet headlight and taillight, and my bike has dynamo lighting. I also keep a reflective triangle hanging off the back of my large saddlebag. I could care less whether I am conforming to a code, but having been involved with motor vehicles, I wear what my experience informs me to, not what I see others wearing.
Helmet mirror – best invention after the bicycle.
I live in Christchurch, NZ. Post-earthquake if you wear day glo orange you are likely to disappear against the many road cones!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/columnists/martin-van-beynen/9542578/Christchurch-hi-vis-capital-of-the-world
” we are all individuals ” 😉
Why do we wear seat belts or have airbags in cars? I’ve never needed them but the one time I might they will make the difference. I’ve been an urban cyclist for 45 years and been hit by a car once. Is this due to luck or defensive riding including maximizing my visibility? When the US is like the Netherlands I’ll shed the bright jacket, helmet, mirror, and blinking lights. As for the cameras, I don’t use one but I’m happy others do as the videos help make the case about dangerous car drivers.
I think there is research justifying seat belts and airbags in cars. I don’t think I have seen research justifying high-viz for bikes.
It turns out that there is quality research justifying use of daytime running lights on bicycles (randomly controlled trial, N of about 1000, about 50% reduction in daytime bad-crash rate) so that is what I do.