Fifty Plus (50+) - Any tips for riding in the fog?

It may not get cold here, but in the winter we have a lot of foggy mornings. Any tips for riding in the fog?

Be really careful in Fog. Get a blinking tail light. Get a headlight. Better yet, in thick fog, don't ride. You can't see and worst, you can't be seen. Just remember all those 30+ car crashes due to Toole fog. Think of you and your bike in a 30 car crash. That said, I like riding in the fog. I trust my blinking tail light gives enough warning to drivers. I also try to stay on streets with very wide bike lanes. Man, those F'in' Cali drivers are nuts!

...Get a blinking tail light ... Man, those F'in' Cali drivers are nuts!

Some are nutser than others. Here on the peninsula -where I live- folks are relatively sane. I'm always shocked when I venture outside of the peninsula by how aggresive and impatient drivers have become.
Especially in the east bay where they are just flat out insane. Their unpredictable driving helps to create the very traffic mess they constantly gripe about. Ah, well... rant over. Sorry.

From what I understand, though, blinking rear lights are not allowed in California?

Get a PlanetBike Superflash blinkie. If they don't see that it just means they're on the phone or doing makeup and you're gonna get hit anyway, fog or no fog.

Some of my rides start out in the morning mist, but I try to get off the roads asap. You can't see much and you definitely can't be seen. First warning you get of an approaching car is the Tyre Squeal as it just misses you.

Several years ago we got on top of the hills and onto a big field. Two experienced riders and 2 novices so me and Mike took a novice each to let them know that fog is dangerous. We took them off the trail for about 20ft and then told them to get to the other end of the field. I never knew there was a fence around that field but we only found that on the 4th big circle. The lad I was with actually passed over the track twice And just as I was beginning to wonder where I was- I saw a bit of the track I recognised and told the lad he was lost and I'll take over. Mike got off worse. He actually did a downhill on his route- and this was supposed to be across a 1 mile section of Flat path across a field. Luckily Mike knew the downhill so when his lad was lost- He took him on a stiff climb back up the hill and finished 10 yards away from us.

Afterwards both Mike and I said the same thing. WE both had got lost and it was only finding something we recognised that saved our faces up against the novices. If it had been New track to us- We would still be up on those hills- somewhere.

Based on these reponses, I think I'll avoid riding in the fog whenever possible. Thanks!

Foggy ideas are welcome, however.

Yeah, DG, I avoid the fog too. It's not like the dark; in my humble opinion, it's much worse. Even with very bright blinking lights, you can be invisible to a car until it's right on top of you. Heavy fog will kill a planned ride for me quickier than just about anything else.

It may not get cold here, but in the winter we have a lot of foggy mornings. Any tips for riding in the fog?
Before you go on a California fog ride,put a return address on your shirt so they can mail you back home in a pizza box.Your jesting with us,right,Gary?

There's fog, and then there's FOG. If it's just fog, and you've got blinky lites, etc., then maybe. If FOG, just don't ride. A couple of weeks ago, we had a group ride that started in morning ground fog (not FOG). In addition to general visibility issues, my glasses kept fogging up - deadly combo. Everyone should have a bar-end or saddle bag clip-on battery powered red blinky light just in case they get caught in fog, or end up riding past dusk. Be safe man.

Ride Fast and Pray Hard!

















Not!

Yo, dude, give me a fricking break. The way I hears it is that all them guys on the west coast ride in a fog most of the time. Too many of them healthy juice or fruit smoothie drinks clouding their thinking. Ya want tips for ridding in the fog? I say get good health insurance. And if ya give me your vitals, I'll take out a life insurance policy for ya. Ya know, out of the kindness of my heart.

We here in Philly ride in all kinds of stuff... smog, fog, rain, sleet snow, bullet cross fire. Geez, just a little bit of fog keeping you off the bike? Sounds to me like another case of those wanna be California types crying about the trials and tribulations of real life, not that pampered existence you call San Francisco. But to be fair, ya ain't quite as bad as your southern neighbors that don't know nothin but sunshine. Wit all due respect, it's the candy a$$ed guys like you that give bikers a bad name. I mean, just yesterday my younger sister rode an old Varsity with her two kids on it to get 'em to school. Little Micky was on the handle bars and Sal was sitting cross ways on the top tube, and it was so foggy, they missed the school by two blocks and had to stop at a Dunkin Donuts to ask a cop how to find their way back. Never did make it to school, because Sal let his shirt ride up exposing the 38 special he had in his waistband. But I'm getting side tracked here. Just go out and ride. Don't worry about nothin. I mean what are the chances anyone else in California will be out in that fog anyways?

Well I live in Sunny San Diego too. I just make sure my lights work. I stick to the Strand and don't waer any glasses to get clogged up

Looks like the Diegos may have moved to Philly.

Some are nutser than others. Here on the peninsula -where I live- folks are relatively sane. I'm always shocked when I venture outside of the peninsula by how aggresive and impatient drivers have become.
Especially in the east bay where they are just flat out insane. Their unpredictable driving helps to create the very traffic mess they constantly gripe about. Ah, well... rant over. Sorry.

From what I understand, though, blinking rear lights are not allowed in California?
While I agree with your general premise, I suggest you try riding over Devils Slide sometime if you think that Peninsula drivers are so sane.

Tips for riding in Fog:

1) WEAR VERY BRIGHT COLORS - Got that? I made that number one so you'd see it. International Orange, florescent green or yellow, hot pink. Any other colors disappear in tens of yards. If you want to survive you have to be seen. To be seen you have to be bright. Believe me, I personally tested this idea and here's the result - earth tones: cars would come right up on me before seeing me. bright colors: cars would still occasionally have to swerve away from me because I caught them by surprise. Dayglow: no problems save from the nutcakes.

2) Think about where you're riding. Fast traffic on narrow roads without a bike lane or wide shoulder is not the place to be on a bicycle. Equally bad is really back roads where locals drive at insane speeds because "no one ever drives out here on my road". See the Tour of California stage that goes over Calaveras Rd. where motorcyclists used to commonly exceed 100 mph on narrow winding roads.

3) Remember that you can't see traffic any better than they can see you. It is easy and dangerous to miss a traffic light. Fog has dense and thin parts and they move around. Cars will enter the increasing visibility spots and speed up only to drive into zero visibility. Don't get trapped into the same stupid acts yourself.

4) USE YOUR SENSE OF HEARING AND PAY ATTENTION. Don't wear a music box, headphones for anything or talk on the cell phone. Use all of your senses.

5) Fog and commute traffic go together like medical and insurance. Stay OFF of the roads during commute hours regardless of anything else.

Unless you are stuck with no other option; my tip is, don't do it. Better to forego the ride than getting hit by a car.

bike fog lights
http://capecodcyclist.8k.com/Headlight.htm

plus some others if the above prove unsatisfactory

Seems like I ride in a fog most of the time. Oh, that's not what you mean.

It depends on how foggy it is. If its just a little foggy, good lights and highly visible clothing along with increased vigilance and travelling slowly along lesser-traveled streets works for me. If we are talking dense fog, as in riding in a cloud, then I would stay off the bike and become a pedestrian far enough off the road to avoid getting hit by a car.

There are times when discression is the better part of valor.

I lived in Bakersfield for a year when working for Nestle. I experienced Tule fog. It was worse than a whiteout during a Nor'easter blizzard. You have to drive with your window down so you can look down to see the center line. You pray that the car ahead of you has their lights on. Schools were delayed. Staying home was not an option. I hope you don't have that in San Diego!

Don't ride in heavy fog.

You're never satisfied. Pray for wind!!


Wind! Huh!
Good God y'all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it again...

Wind! Whoa, Lord ...
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing.

(That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

I lived in Bakersfield for a year when working for Nestle. I experienced Tule fog. It was worse than a whiteout during a Nor'easter blizzard. You have to drive with your window down so you can look down to see the center line. You pray that the car ahead of you has their lights on. Schools were delayed. Staying home was not an option. I hope you don't have that in San Diego!

Don't ride in heavy fog.

Ditto!
I used to long-haul down thru central California. Fog is the worst non-ice environment there is - maybe even worse than ice. Many drivers use their brights, thinking it works better. Not so. White light in fog shrinks the pupils and reflects a White-Wall back at the driver, out of which objects appear instantly. The brighter the Wall, the worse the effect. Real fog lights are amber, and are aimed low for low speed. In the olden days of auto-touring, the fog lights were very large and were used with the headlights turned off. No one does this today. Stay home, DG.

Worst part about fog for a road rider is the wetness. Wet and painted roads DO NOT MIX. Any type of slicks are crazy. This time of year if it looks like chance of fog the road bike stays put and out comes my lead sled. Stay off areas with no bike path, slow down and use parking lots and side walks if you have to. Cagers in a friggin hurry and won't slow down.

It may not get cold here, but in the winter we have a lot of foggy mornings. Any tips for riding in the fog?

1) Perhaps you should move someplace with less fog...like Albuquerque or Phoenix or Las Vegas?

2) Start messing with headlights & blinkies: they're cheaper than a new bike and come in infinite variations. That will also give you an excuse to post in the Commuter Forum where lights are an obsession, truly an obsession (for good reason)

3) only ride on sunny days with winds less than 5 mph (oh, that's MOST days in San Diego)

4) walk

:D

Come on now. You know it is normally 10 mph wind by Noon :D


Too close to the ocean and you have wet roads until about 8 am every day :D

you have wet roads until about 8 am every day :D

Wet roads? so you could get road filth on your clothes? people actually RIDE on wet roads? :eek: :eek: :eek: