Cycling with high vis jackets???

Evd-Burner

Hi all ive been looking to get high vis jackets, but couldn't find anywhere with them. I live in swords and checked the bike shops but they didn't have them when i was in..

Does any1 know where i could get them at a good price??

Im sick of cycling to work and nearly been knocked over.

Thanks all!

CianRyan

JJB sports in the square sell them for €3.

Yeah I think some €2 shops or hardware stores have them.

Sometimes the Luas or someone else give them out for free though.

todolist

any chance cyclists could give hand signals as well...and put some lights on your bikes..and obey traffic lights...okay ..that's asking too much

Chips Lovell

todolist wrote: »

any chance cyclists could give hand signals as well...and put some lights on your bikes..and obey traffic lights...okay ..that's asking too much

Thanks for the tips.

DirkVoodoo

todolist wrote: »

any chance cyclists could give hand signals

Trust me, I give out plenty of hand signals to people like you everyday

oobydooby

Luas gave them out free a while back. Although I usually wear one (from the gardaí) lights are way more important. Keep your eyes out for a good priced/free hi-viz but spend your dough on one or two good rear lights. Bring a bit of Xmas happiness to a troll too:)

Planet X

todolist wrote: »

any chance cyclists could give hand signals as well...and put some lights on your bikes..and obey traffic lights...okay ..that's asking too much

.......any chance car drivers stop breaking red lights, stop using mobile phones whilst driving, stop drink driving, stop driving in cycling lanes, stop reading the paper, stop picking their noses etc etc.

.... you do make up aswell in the rear view mirror?

jollylee

You can get high vis cycling jackets. I have one and its a great job. Nice fit and oh so visible! Cars can't moan about not seeing hand signals if your entire upper body including arms is wrapped in high vis. Halfords should have a decent stock of them!

mikemac

I have this jacket
I've seen plently of others around town with it too, it's popular

Great jacket, hi-vis and pretty warm but breathable at the same time
I use it when cycling but mainly out on the moped

todolist wrote: »

any chance cyclists could give hand signals as well...and put some lights on your bikes..and obey traffic lights...okay ..that's asking too much

There's a thread over in commuting forum if you want to rant about cyclists. Or maybe start a new thread here.
Either way, the fact that you jumped into a thread about jackets and tried to drag it offtopic pretty much shows you're just looking for a reaction and not a debate for your points

fineass66

todolist wrote: »

any chance cyclists could give hand signals as well...and put some lights on your bikes..and obey traffic lights...okay ..that's asking too much

how about this for a hand signal

blorg

The Altura Night Vision is a very visible jacket with plenty of reflective stripes on it. I find it a bit on the warm side, that would be the only downside. At the moment I use a Montane H2O Featherlite in the "Flouro Yellow" which has a few reflective dots, could have more. I also use an array of Smart 1/2 Watt LEDs (was four but I dropped one so down to three.) These are very visible rear lights and I honestly can't say I've had a problem with someone not seeing me (plenty of experience with both commuting and long cycles in the dark.)

todolist is just trolling or PUI, posting that rant on a thread where someone is asking how can I be more visible to motorists, don't know why so many of you are bothering to take the bait!

Dirk Gently

I use one of these. It really stands out and you don't look like a construction worker in it. Plenty of pockets for keys / maps / bits and pieces.

blorg

Worth bearing in mind, too, is that actual "construction worker" high vis jackets tend to be heavily padded and very non-breathable. This doesn't apply to the waistcoats.

Civilian_Target

Slightly OT, but just in case...

Remember that cycling with hi-vis and no lights is the equivalent of driving your car around with no lights because you chose a model in yellow!

Hi-vis alone is not very visible. Decent lights are!

DirkVoodoo

If you wear a bag on your back, one of those high-viz wrap arounds for a rucksack is a good idea, as my jacket is rendered nearly useless by my black jansport.

Luckily I have two Smart LEDs for the rear, one strobing, the other continuous.

Wiggle - Reflectives

I have an Altura night vision too and I agree with Blorg that it can get VERY warm at times.

Make sure you have a decent set of lights and in the winter, a couple of extra lights is handy to have.

cyclopath2001

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Hi-vis alone is not very visible. Decent lights are!

+1

And they need to be attached to the bike, not a bag or on a jacket. This is not just a legal requirement, but also, to be effective, lights work best if they're properly fixed and angled for maximum effect. LEDS need special attention as if they're aimed off-centre, they're useless.

Also, a focused white beam on the front, not flashing amber or green toys.

I like to carry spare batteries too. Rechargeables tend to fail suddenly when they're running down.

DirkVoodoo

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

And they need to be attached to the bike, not a bag or on a jacket. This is not just a legal requirement, but also, to be effective, lights work best if they're properly fixed and angled for maximum effect. LEDS need special attention as if they're aimed off-centre, they're useless.

I would disagree with that somewhat. As someone mentioned in a thread ages ago, having one on your bag means that should a rider be knocked off his bike, he may still be visible (although I suppose this is debatable depending on how the rider lands, light durability etc.)

A lot of lights bought now consist of an LED array so they are visible from multiple angles. Also, by being higher up they are more in the field of view of the driver and so more likely to be noticed.

cyclopath2001

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

having one on your bag means that should a rider be knocked off his bike, he may still be visible

No problem with body lights or extra reflective clothing, but the first priority should be lights fixed to the bike.

DirkVoodoo

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

No problem with body lights or extra reflective clothing, but the first priority should be lights fixed to the bike.

True, I only meant as a supplement, which is what I am now realising you meant too.

I have one on my seatpost and one attached to the right arm of the pannier, both blindingly bright and seem to work so far.

rubadub

blorg wrote: »

At the moment I use a Montane H2O Featherlite in the "Flouro Yellow"

I have the non-h2o version of that, very good, and surprisingly warm. I do not like the bibs flapping all around. I also have flouro t-shirts, they have 3M strips all over them, very good for summer, I also just wear it over sweatshirts in the cold.

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

If you wear a bag on your back, one of those high-viz wrap arounds for a rucksack is a good idea, as my jacket is rendered nearly useless by my black jansport

Saw a lad the other day with a full flouro backback.

Húrin

clown bag wrote: »

I use one of these. It really stands out and you don't look like a construction worker in it. Plenty of pockets for keys / maps / bits and pieces.

What is wrong with that standard "construction worker" vest? You want something cheap and cheerful in case you lose it.

311

Can anyone recommend a brand that would be a larger sizing.
I bought a gill XXL which fits ,but it's too damn cold to wear:o

cyclopath2001

Húrin wrote: »

What is wrong with that standard "construction worker" vest? You want something cheap and cheerful in case you lose it.

Peeping Tom sentenced to glow in the dark

Criminals 'will be forced to wear high visibility bibs while carrying out community service

Civilian_Target

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

I like to carry spare batteries too. Rechargeables tend to fail suddenly when they're running down.

Good point. Usually LEDs go noticeably dimmer for a couple of hours before they fail, good idea to top up the batteries as soon as you feel your LEDs are getting a little dimmer, rather than waiting for them to go dark (which usually happens not long after anyway) What you lose in the cost of batteries, you should save in the lifespan of your LED.

Of course... the best solution is dynamo-power, got my new dynamo lighting rig in the post at the weekend, if it lives up to its specs people will be mistaking me for a Christmas tree!

Freewheeling Ed

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Slightly OT, but just in case...

Remember that cycling with hi-vis and no lights is the equivalent of driving your car around with no lights because you chose a model in yellow!

Hi-vis alone is not very visible. Decent lights are!

Yup.. Hi-Vi jackets are just "reflectors", if there is no light shining on them, they are useless.

A clear example of this is , I was driving on a dark country road, stopped at a T- junction, and just about to make my turn, when a cyclist with a hi-vi crossed my path... and lit up nicely , but either side of my headlight beams, he was virtually invisible, and if he was 2 seconds later, I would have hit him.

DirkVoodoo

Depends on the battery.

Alkaline batteries will have a linear voltage drop and so get dimmer as time goes on.

Nickel-Metal Hydride have a small drop at the start then a negligible voltage drop until they are near empty, at which point the will suddenly drop.

If you are using older rechargable batteries then you might be best charging them once every two weeks anyway as their life will be diminished.

cyclopath2001

Freewheeling Ed wrote: »

Yup.. Hi-Vi jackets are just "reflectors", if there is no light shining on them, they are useless.

And in the city, quite a few drivers only use their parking lights when driving.

TheIrishGrover

Have a hiviz vest which is loose enough to fit round a small flatish rucksack (Just a construction worker one but it works). also have a good LED light on the seatpost and god main LED. Red LED light I clip to the neck of my jacket facing back and a pair of those LED Dynamo pedals......... Guys in work commented that I lok "like a f*cking UFO"..... Can't please some people:rolleyes:

TinyExplosions

I think something else to be aware of is if you do clip lights to your person/bag make sure that it's visible when you're on the bike -I've seen a few people around that have lights clipped to collars and to waistbands that are obscured by bags etc

jarmstrong001

I got a hi-vis jacket for €2 in Guineys on Talbot St.

blorg

TinyExplosions wrote: »

I think something else to be aware of is if you do clip lights to your person/bag make sure that it's visible when you're on the bike -I've seen a few people around that have lights clipped to collars and to waistbands that are obscured by bags etc

...or angled down at the road, sideways etc. It's a lot easier to angle lights properly if they are attached to the bike. An alternative to spare batteries is to use more than one rear light.

seamus

Indeed, I don't think you can ever have enough rear lights. It's easy to be vigilant about what you can see, and although cycling with no front light is ill-advised, it's doable. But cycling with no rear lights is suicide and I can't believe the number of people I encounter (particularly school kids) with no lights at all and a big black bag and a black jacket on.

hot fuss

seamus wrote: »

Indeed, I don't think you can ever have enough rear lights. It's easy to be vigilant about what you can see, and although cycling with no front light is ill-advised, it's doable. But cycling with no rear lights is suicide and I can't believe the number of people I encounter (particularly school kids) with no lights at all and a big black bag and a black jacket on.

I'm with you on that.. I am absoloutely astounded at the amount of people cycling around Dublin without any high vis clothing on or any lights on their bike. Do they have a death wish or what?!

I was driving home one evening recently, about to turn left, looked in my mirror, no sign of any cyclist and suddenly a guy appears right beside the passenger window of the car - black bike, black jacket, black hat... I hadn't spotted him at all in the dark. I just can't believe some people.

I cycle to and from work more often than drive and would never dream of cycling home through the city without my lights and high vis gear on.. even then you've to be super careful when it's dark..

concussion

Ninja cyclists were out in force this evening in Limerick - I even saw the Gardaí busting people for cycling without lights (well, it may also have been because they were cycling on the footpath. And they were scobes.)