FedericoMena

... to a guy who commutes regularly at night. We cross paths frequently (I take the car in the evenings to pick up my mom from a nursing home), and this winter it freaked me out to see him on the road only until I was about 10 meters behind him. Old, beat-up bike, no reflectors, regular/dark-ish clothing.

I know a reflective vest is probably not enough (but it has LEDs!), but I hope this keeps the guy from getting killed.

dynaryder

Good on yer.

I used to try and hand out cheap blinkys to folks I saw rolling ninja. But most of them didn't want them. One woman even said,"well,you saw me didn't you?". I still try to carry an extra with me,just in case.

noglider 

Reflective vests are good! I don't use one consistently, but I use headlight and tail light consistently.

10 Wheels

Good idea...

no1mad 

You can offer it to him, but there is no guarantee that he would take it. Not everyone likes to draw attention to themselves with their clothing. He might be more receptive to reflectors or reflective tape on the bike.

rumrunn6

good luck with your plan

hey 10-wheels - how you doin?

niuoka

very nice. hope he uses it , I would if I did not already have one

cplager

I've been tempted to do the same thing. Let us know how it goes.

Big Lebowski

+1. I've befriended a guy on the bus that like me, puts his bike on the bus and I have been trying to think of the best way to approach him, because he has no reflective clothing or lights. I don't think he even has gloves in this freezing weather and he rides his bike to the bus regardless of the conditions.

cplager

If you already wear a vest, you could upgrade yours and ask if wants the old one. Or you could say you got a buy one get one free. Or you could just tell him the truth (I couldn't see you at all this morning).

I recommend that people in cold weather carry plastic bags as an emergency way to block freezing rain. Looks quite silly, but that ain't the point...

Coal Buster

Good ideas. The wrong approach might put him off.

I'm thinking: What the heck are you going to do with those little plastic bags you get grocery shopping? Until I realized you meant garbage bags

cplager

The shopping bags work well for hands or feet in emergencies... Hefty bags make great rain jackets in a pinch.

myzamboni

I wish more joggers and walkers would use reflectives . . .

RKThunder

Here's mine! I found this hunting vest for about 4 dollars on clearance at a local sporting goods store. I made some improvements sewing in clips inside the pockets to hold keys and stuff and ironed on patches on front and reflective patches on the back.

FedericoMena

I've been meaning to catch the guy I have in mind, as I frequently run into him at night, but last week that didn't happen.

But on Friday, while driving back home on the highway, a ninja was biking on the shoulder, evidently back from work at one of the highway-side suburbs - it was dark, foggy, and he had no reflectants or lights at all. I pulled over, gave him the vest, and he seemed thankful. He put it on immediately.

These vests are cheap, so I think I'll carry one or two and give them away as appropriate. Haven't really researched cheap lights to give away.

mstraus

That is a great story, glad that they guy you have the vest to put it on and I hope it keeps him safer.

I have often thought about buying a bunch of cheap little LED lights and give them away to the ninja's I encounter. I have seen some for under $2 on Amazon. Not sure how good they are, but better then nothing for some people. I have often wondered how many people would want take them and how many people want to be a ninja.

wphamilton

Put them around your hands and feet.

PatrickGSR94

Did he seem freaked out as you stopped? I'm not sure how I would react if I saw someone trying to pull over and/or stop near where I was riding.

Big Lebowski

I ordered a Knog Beetle 2-LED Bicycle Light on Amazon tonight for $7. It should arrive on Wednesday, so hopefully I can give it to "CJ" on Thursday or Friday. I did introduce myself a couple of weeks ago and I asked him his name. I see him on a regular basis on the bus (it's been too cold for me to do my full commute), so I am not a complete stranger. I'll try to post an update before the weekend.

FedericoMena

I passed the guy, and made my turn about 800 meters after I passed him, from the highway onto a side road that leads to the place I was going. I parked the car and waited for the cyclist. The highway is uphill in that direction, so he was going slowly, and I just said hi and explained how hard it was to see him.

But you raise a good point! Just stopping the car and getting out to talk to a cyclist could be freaky. I'll keep that in mind

Fargo Wolf

I actually have two vests. One is a blaze red hunters vest which I use if visibility is reduced, or if I have to ride in heavy (but slow moving) traffic, which I haven't had to do since I lived in N. Van. I also have a fluorescent yellow vest with reflective strips for night riding.

IAMAMRA

I never understand the idea of riding ninja...and yup I even leave the reflectors on my wheels(as well as having reflective tires).

FedericoMena

There is a substantial number of working-class people here (I hate the term, but you know what I mean) that use bikes to get to work. Gardeners, builders, that sort of job. Most grab the handiest bike they can; they are often old beaters, with no reflectors or lights or anything. These people can't afford bicycles with all the fittings.

noglider 

Federico, you could be describing a great many areas in the US.

Big Lebowski

Gave this to CJ this morning. Hopefully he will use it.