Commuting - Nighttime jacket recommendation?

I ride home from work around midnight and the temps are dropping precipitously. I need something reflective that cuts the wind. Anyone use a Brooks Nightlife jacket or have another favorite?

Thanks in advance.

I ride home from work around midnight and the temps are dropping precipitously. I need something reflective that cuts the wind. Anyone use a Brooks Nightlife jacket or have another favorite?

Thanks in advance.

If you don't mind a little sweat on your arms, the Performance Illuminite works well as long as the temperature is below 50. It's too warm above that for me.

Just wear a reflective vest. For $5, it's more reflective than pretty much any jacket you're going to find, then you can wear whatever jacket you like instead of being limited to just those that are also reflective.

I have this jacket and love it,
http://www.bicycleclothing.com/Waterproof-Breathable-Rain-Jackets.html
I've had it several years, wearing it 100+ days a year (all winter with layers under) and it shows no sign of wear. It has a little reflective stuff on it, but I'm a real believer in the above advice.

I just got a C9 jacket from Target - I like it so far. Worn with a long sleeve jersey under it and I'm decent in 25 degrees, but 25 degrees to someone else might be really cold or warm.

Michael

I just wear a reflective vest. My cold weather jacket is a Mountain Hardware fleece with goretex (windproof). It is fine for any weather, I just layer more under it the colder it gets.

I ride home from work around midnight and the temps are dropping precipitously. I need something reflective that cuts the wind. Anyone use a Brooks Nightlife jacket or have another favorite?

Thanks in advance.

I would not focus too much on the brightness of the coat. I bought a Performance Illuminite vest and it is bright hi-viz lime-yellow. IT is excellent to be seen in low light conditions. The Illuminite stuff does reflect, but when my wife rode behind me one night she told me that almost nothing was in the back to reflect. I then added my $10 ANSI Class 2 reflective vest over top and now I practically GLOW for anyone coming up behind me with headlights on (actually visability is excellent from any direction).

My favorite coat is the EVap coat from www.foxwear.net. Lou will make a coat to your specific needs. The fleece he uses is almost 100% wind tight and yet allows lots of moisture to pass through. My Illuminite vest is made of "breathable" material and also has a flap along the back, but I still get a sweaty back. With the EVap coat I don't feel sweaty.

I just add my www.alertshirt.com ANSI Class 2 vest any time I need to be seen in the dark. In the Summer it may be on over my T shirt. In the Winter I put it over my coat. This works very well for visability, is government proven visability, and is inexpensive.

Happy riding,
André

I've got the Performance Century II Jacket. My morning commute is in the dark.
Man does thing cut the wind!
It has reflective piping on the back, around the arms on on the front. Zipper pocket in the back.

http://media.rei.com/media/tt/236fb4de-be24-452a-b7e7-c68dcb411ada.jpg

I wear this from here (http://www.rei.com/product/766288) and it works well with just one or two compression shirts under it @ 22 farenheit.

Comfortable, moisture goes out, windproof.

Rain is not much an issue here in the high desert.

Nevertheless ... I have a rain jacket that fits on top of that.

just wear a reflective vest. For $5, it's more reflective than pretty much any jacket you're going to find, then you can wear whatever jacket you like instead of being limited to just those that are also reflective.

+1 No jacket can touch this vest (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000137&subcategory=60001215&brand=&sku=22743&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Outerwear) for night time visibility.

picked up a reflective vest from harbor freight for $5. its still coming in the mail, along with some torque wrenches. its the only thing i'm missing for my build!

Harbor Freight vest:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94701

Photos:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=378850

The Nashbar vest looks like the same thing with a little more reflective stuff, and 3x the price. Plus shipping, but I have a HF store nearby so no shipping.

The big X on my back is worth the extra cost...but only because I can't find one with a bulls eye pattern. :D

I use the Performance Commuter jacket, hi-vis yellow, and add a reflective vest over that for good measure and sometimes a little extra insulation... It's Illuminite, and shows up well in headlights, though the black parts sometimes want to fade into the shadows when you don't quite have that biker-in-the-headlights look...

just get a reflective sash, you can wear it with anything

I would go with this: http://www.illuminite.com/Catalog/Cycling/81706.htm

I would not focus too much on the brightness of the coat. I bought a Performance Illuminite vest and it is bright hi-viz lime-yellow. IT is excellent to be seen in low light conditions. The Illuminite stuff does reflect, but when my wife rode behind me one night she told me that almost nothing was in the back to reflect. I then added my $10 ANSI Class 2 reflective vest over top and now I practically GLOW for anyone coming up behind me with headlights on (actually visability is excellent from any direction).

My favorite coat is the EVap coat from www.foxwear.net. Lou will make a coat to your specific needs. The fleece he uses is almost 100% wind tight and yet allows lots of moisture to pass through. My Illuminite vest is made of "breathable" material and also has a flap along the back, but I still get a sweaty back. With the EVap coat I don't feel sweaty.

I just add my www.alertshirt.com ANSI Class 2 vest any time I need to be seen in the dark. In the Summer it may be on over my T shirt. In the Winter I put it over my coat. This works very well for visability, is government proven visability, and is inexpensive.

Happy riding,
André

I saw that Alertshirt also has jackets and windbreakers with lots of reflective material on the torso AND sleeves. Practically a Class Three Coat. ~$35.00

I got a Pearl Izumi Gavia jacket in the Screaming Yellow color last winter and it works great. It is highly visible, wind and water resistant, and breathes reasonably well for a warm jacket. It tends to get too hot when temps rise above 50 F, but it's great for cold days. My coldest ride last winter was 18 F, and the Gavia kept me comfortable with a long-sleeve UnderArmor base layer. For rides in the 40s and 50s, I usually wear a PI Kodiak Light jersey with base layer and a vest over that. The PI Zepphyr vests in screaming yellow are highly visible and very useful under a range of conditions. Plus they are easy to take off and stow in a back pocket if the weather warms up.

I've used a MEC (canadian Mountain Equipment Co-op) Super Microfit jacket as a great windbreaker/light showers coat for the last 10 years or so, and just picked up a winter 2008 Castelli Goccia for a raincoat.

check out the 'flecco' on the Castelli raincoat!!!

+1 No jacket can touch this vest (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000137&subcategory=60001215&brand=&sku=22743&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Outerwear) for night time visibility.


Oooo, them's fightin' words! :D

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/iron-on_tape_1.jpg

Note how the jacket has a ton of reflective tape right across my behind. The lower it is, the stronger it's hit by low-beam headlights, and the more directly it faces traffic.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/iron-on_tape_2.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/iron-on_tape_3.jpg

Jacket plus ANSI Class II vest. With the reflective stripes down the sleeves, I feel a lot more confidence that my arm signals are seen from across an intersection in the dark.



As a side note, satin-finish reflective tape is noted for losing a lot of reflectivity when wet. That's one reason I double up and use my reflective vest over my customized jacket... the vest's tape is high-quality glossy reflective tape that sheds water and thus retains most of its reflectivity.

illuminite overpromises and underdelivers, folks. avoid or supplement with ANSI vests or custom flecco like Mechbgon.

I have one of these and I'm just about ready to start wearing it on the rides home...good for temperatures less than 50F in my opinion (I've never ridden in anything less than about 30). Great for visibility when using arms as turn signals.
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/bostonindustrial_2022_13607781
http://www.bostonindustrial.com/hiviwirestcl.html

So what kind of jacket is that? Did you make it yourself or are you trying to keep it a secret?

Who are you talking to tarwheel? If you're talking about the jacket i posted you can buy it at bostonindustrial for less than $20 lol

Here's one I'd like to try—or hear reviews http://www.cyclite.com/images/Products/mensHard_product.jpg
http://www.cyclite.com/

I wear this flashing LED vest personally, though, and love it:
http://dl.ledtronics.com/ImagesAll/vst1004_back.gif
http://www.ledtronics.com/products/ProductsDetails.aspx?WP=C352K648

illuminite overpromises and underdelivers, folks. Avoid or supplement with ansi vests or custom flecco like mechbgon.

+1

You can always sew (http://www.identi-tape.com/sew-on.html) reflective (http://www.identi-tape.com/vest-trim.html) tape (http://www.identi-tape.com/solas.html#solasSO) on any jacket or jersey, although I'd avoid doing that to rainwear unless you know how to seal the stitching.

The mornings have been down right chilly (for the South, at least) these past few days (mid-30s). Which is making me think I might need to add a fleece vest to my wardrobe. I may end up making my own (cheap I am) and adding copious amounts of reflective tape. I even found a source for neon yellow fleece (http://www.fleecelady.com/product.php?category=5&id=1303). Now, I just need to go through my patterns and see if I have a vest pattern somewhere. Oh, and convince the spousal unit that I need to spend the money for the materials. :lol:

here's a bellweather jacket I customized into a safety & weather vest for better warmth trapping than an ANSI safety vest... fleece is poor for warmth at speed due to wind permeability.

cut the sleeves off, used the sleeve material to add two back cargo and three inside front pockets, put on some of the glass filled vinyl reflective tape down low. I'm going to add some vinyl tape to the shoulders and down the front a bit.

i've always found the arms of jackets where a lot of perspiration accumulates unless the cuffs are quite loose. the MEC super microfit jacket has thumbloops so you can run the cuffs open for extra ventilation.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/iron-on_tape_2.jpg

okay, nice jacket... but what i really want to know about are those tires with the reflective sidewalls. what are they? where do they come from?

I use the transformer jacket. (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19314&subcategory_ID=1130) It has reflective piping, which isn't the greatest, but I absolutely love the easily removable sleeves and it's got a nice fit. I don't have any experience with other jackets though, and it's definitely not waterproof.





okay, nice jacket... but what i really want to know about are those tires with the reflective sidewalls. what are they? where do they come from?

biketiresdirect (http://www.biketiresdirect.com/tozz/citytouring_tires/products.htm) is one place with a couple models to get you started.

okay, nice jacket... but what i really want to know about are those tires with the reflective sidewalls. what are they? where do they come from?

Those are Panaracer T-Serv with the reflective-sidewall option (not all T-Servs have reflective stripes). You can find reflective versions in 700 x 25, 28 and 32 here: http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=list&Category=484&brand=290&modelid=2202&type=T

The rubber is pretty grippy. They're also fairly light in weight, unlike most reflective-sidewall road tires. I like them :) By the way, I think AEbike has the specs incorrect, the 700 x 28 isn't a 380-gram tire. If you want actual weights, I can weigh a 25 and a 28 and post them.

damn u.s. shipping. the postage costs more than the tires!

grrr.

here's a bellweather jacket I customized into a safety & weather vest for better warmth trapping than an ANSI safety vest... fleece is poor for warmth at speed due to wind permeability.


I don't mind that because a) I'm never going that fast (~16-18mph); b) it doesn't get that cold down here that often (this is the Mississippi Gulf Coast after all); c) I don't want to overheat, so a little breathability in the vest is a good thing; and d) if it gets too cold and/or windy for the fleece vest + long sleeve jersey + thermal shirt, I have a lightweight rain jacket that can serve as a windbreaker. :D

damn u.s. shipping. the postage costs more than the tires!

grrr.


Here's the best reflective-sidewall road tire I know of (performance-wise), from an online store in the UK: Continental Grand Prix 4000 Reflex (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18795), £24.99 each. Fully inflated, mine measure 27mm wide, so it's big enough to carry a modest commuting load. I hope that helps a bit :beer:

thanks... but britain's even farther away (i'm in canada). no matter... this has finally tipped my decision to go out to the really big lbs way out in the suburbs this weekend. if anyone in this province is going to have those tires, they will.

I would go with this: http://www.illuminite.com/Catalog/Cycling/81706.htm

Great, but apparently you have to hunt it down at some retailer that may or may not have it... I just followed their links to Performance bike (my local distributor) and lo and behold... it is no where to be found. SIGH

... i'm in canada). ...
Continental has several models with reflective sidewalls such as the SportContact (http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/city/citytyres/sportcontact/sportcontact_en.html). Note that it is available both with and without the reflective sidewall; if ordering by mail be sure you get the reflective ("reflex") model.

Several Schwalbe (http://www.schwalbetires.com/search/node/reflex) models also have reflective sidewalls. The link searches out the numerous reflective ("reflex") models. The link is also to Schwalbe's North American site; if you can not find the tire you want at your LBS or favorite on-line retailer, Schwalbe will sell it directly to you.

I have the Conti Top Contact:
Pluses: Good visibility, Great flat resistance, Nice grip, They're folders
Minuses: Expen$ive

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/themes/city/citytyres/topcontact/topcont_en.html

Here's the best reflective-sidewall road tire I know of (performance-wise), from an online store in the UK: Continental Grand Prix 4000 Reflex (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=18795), £24.99 each. Fully inflated, mine measure 27mm wide, so it's big enough to carry a modest commuting load. I hope that helps a bit :beer:

I recently bought some of the Conti GP 4000s with reflective sidewalls from www.probikekit.com for about $31 each, with no additional shipping costs. I bought three of them, and they arrived in the mail from GBR in less than a week. The reflective sidewalls work great, although a car does have to be approaching you from close to a 90-degree angle for best reflectivity. The GP 4000s are also very light weight and supposedly durable. I've put 500 miles on mine so far with no problems and they aren't showing any visible wear. Mine are the 700x25 size, which is just right for my purposes.

BTW mechBgon, what kind of jacket is that in your photos? Or is it a custom job?

I wear the Brooks Nightlife jacket. The blaze yellow color is very visible in low-light conditions and has some reflective patches. It's very thin material that does a decent job of cutting the wind, but it's not too warm if you unzip it and let some air pass over your torso. Last night in the middle of a pitch-black multi-use path, a biker passing the other way called out "nice jacket". I take it to mean I was very visible to her. The only thing I would change is to make the sleeves just a tad longer. I got mine at REI.

Great, but apparently you have to hunt it down at some retailer that may or may not have it... I just followed their links to Performance bike (my local distributor) and lo and behold... it is no where to be found. SIGH

Here's a website with a bunch of illumiNite stuff. What you showed looks like what the list as the Marathon.

http://www.night-gear.com/p/Reflective-Gear_Mens-Activewear_Jackets/4/Marathon-and-Cycling-Jacket-by-illumiNITE.htm

the guy going around australia, unsupported is using the cyclite stuff. The Cyclite jacket also got great review at AdventureCyclist and won the ISPO Brandnew Award.

www.cyclite.com

I use a vinyl reflective belt from http://www.reflect-a-life.net .

I use a vinyl reflective belt from http://www.reflect-a-life.net .

hm. it's a bit of 'nerd tag' tho'. the great thing about reflective sidewall tires is that they just look like regular tires until they start reflecting.

on the plus side, i got a pair last fall. basically stormed into the lbs and yelled 'i want reflective sidewall tires in 32s and i'm not leaving til i get a pair'. i may have brandished a u-lock (or maybe that was just in my head).

they said "okay" and even installed them at no extra charge.

belligerence has its rewards.