I wear my nice high-viz vest and still use my older orange police-type vest once in awhile. I may look funny but I stopped caring about that along time ago. Nobody really laughs though...not yet anyway.
Ernest

Corsaire - does your vest light up? If not, check out this LED reflective vest at Ledtronics:

https://www.ledtronics.com/products/P...px?WP=C352K648

I have one and love it - it's really cool! Personally I don't get on a bike without my vest and I don't give a @^$#$% what I look like. In the warmer months I use a mesh reflective vest (cheap one from Home Depot) - don't need lights for evening commute like in dead of winter and really appreciate the lightweight mesh.

+1

I've posted it here before, but it bears repeating:
My brother is a fireman and paramedic. Last year, they had a fire truck severely damaged when a guy rear-ended it at full highway speed. The truck was parked in the road, all brakes locked, all lights running. There were several other emergency vehicles parked, all lights running, and a bunch of guys walking around a car fire with full gear on.

The guy came plowing in and slammed into the back of the fire truck hard enough to drive it forward 10 feet. They got what was left of the driver out of the pickup with a combination of jaws and a spatula, probably.

People can get completely oblivious when driving. This is why I not only light up and bright up, I use a mirror heavily. If you're approaching me from behind, I've been keeping an eye on you for at least a few seconds before you'll get close enough for me to have to make a "bail-out" decision. Usually if someone is pushing too close to me, I'll move a bit left, that wakes them up.

I would like to know if they sell safety orange patches or fabric I can sew to my commuter bag. Having a safety vest might seem like a moot point if it's being covered up by a bag or backpack.

I'm an avid mirror user also, but I never thought of that trick. It seems they would have to get somewhat close before you make your decision that they are pushing too close, and then veer left. I'll give it some thought before I try it.

Most important trick in the book, if you ask me.

I have a class 3 safety vest that really works well. I wear it during the day and night. I noticed that during the day it cuts down on harassment. I would estimate that it has reduced honking and screaming at me by 80%.

I cant figure out why but I can only assume that they think I might be a public safety official?

Anyone else notice this when wearing the vest?

Ya think just the vest is dorky you should see me in mine it has 4 rows of blinking L.E.D.'s now thats dorky

I don't "veer" left, I push left a bit, and never really more than to the right tire track. I only do that if it's pretty clear that someone doesn't see me. It's been said here before that some drivers "see" only what's directly in front of their car; if you're a foot to the side of where their car's body will go, they tune it out. Getting into that zone for a second wakes some drivers up, but I never do it unless the car is far enough back that I can push left then come back right again before they reach me. I want to make sure they see me, not try to actually act aggressively towards them.

I think this depends on your riding situation. Almost all of my riding is on rural roads, and most drivers see me several hundred yards before they get to me, and there's rarely oncoming traffic. If someone hasn't started to move over by the time they're 100 yards back or so, they need waking up.

I do this in in-town traffic too but as you say, tolerances are a bit tighter there. If traffic is coming that often, it's usually best to just go ahead and stay as far left as you care to go, for me, right tire track.

Luckily, traffic around here is extremely courteous, in fact they bug me sometimes because they're so courteous; it's like they're treating me like a child. This morning I was at the right edge of a 3-foot-wide clean shoulder outside a wide car lane on a 50 MPH road, and two different cars slowed down and followed behind me at my speed for about 20 seconds until oncoming traffic cleared. I don't know WHAT that was about. They could have passed me in the middle of their lane and left a good 5-6 feet between me and them, and certainly they could have seen that after slowing down to my speed and following for a few seconds. Though I guess it's better than being buzzed, I keep thinking "I don't need 15 feet of clearance, people."

I can only assume that they think that all cyclists are totally unpredictable and might veer in any direction at any time.

So as far as safety vests go, what does one look for?

What's with the 'Class' ratings - do these relate to level of reflectivity or something?

What specific characteristics do emergency personnel require - Scotchlite / SOLAS / Reflexite trim; daytime visibility, breathability, durability, etc?

Good sources?

How can you be so sure? Is your dorkage meter accurate?

I haven't had it calibrated for years, but I'm pretty sure that it's precise, if not accurate. The percentage change when wearing the vest is on the order of +10%, if you're already wearing a helmet. maybe +12% if not.

BTW, I calibrate Dwayne Dibley on a bicycle as "100"

Look for an ANSI Level II or III vest. These are certified to contain the standard levels of reflective material used by road and emergency personnel. Technically, there is no such thing as an ANSI Level III short-sleeve vest (Level III was created for emergency jackets covering your entire arm length as well as full-length pants).

When it's warm outside, I wear an ANSI Level II short-sleeve vest. When it's colder or raining, I use the ANSI Level III full-length jacket.

I've noticed this also - cars tend to be more cautious (and occasionally hesitate to pass even) when you're wearing your vest. This may be because they certainly notice you more, or also because they think you're a bike cop. On several occasions at stoplights I've heard passengers remark about "that bike cop" (referring to me, I presume). When I'm in downtown I constantly get stopped by both drivers and pedestrians asking for directions.

My helmet is the same color as my neon yellow vest and I also wear dark wraparound sunglasses during the day. These no doubt contribute to the "bike cop" look.

As long as people see me, I don't really mind that they think I'm a cop.

in my experince in both wearing and observing others, safty vest and screaming yellow jersey/wind jackets work really well during the day and in poor weather conditions during the day. like when its foggy or overecast the jacket literaly seems to glow. if your a driver and you just happen to glance in a direction, you will imedently see and identifty and cyclist in yellow. thats just how it is around here. in a normal jersey from 50yards away not so identifyable, a driver can't guess the speed, ect as quick as they would if in a saftey vest/sateren yellow jersey.

at night seems to be the down fall of safty vest. from a distance say 20feet or more in pitch black, half moon or dim lite conditions its not that great even with lots of large 2inch reflective bits with orange stripes. if i put my arm out to signal a turn its hard to tell what i am doing if your a car 30feet back going 20mph. safty vest only work with some aviable light, either full moon, street lights, or headlights. i know some vest come with flashing lights, but they are such weak led lights that can't even be seen from 10feet away. again useless.

i either use a mesh saefty vest or a jacket with lots of reflective bits but only at night, bad weather or if its windy out(its wind proof). i tend not to wear one during the day, imo its very efffective but i don't always wear one. lasty no vest is a replacment for lights. always use atleast 2 red lights in back and 2 up front, one flashing and one stready and both far apart.

Thanks for your considered reply to my post. One thing I've learned from Bike Forums is to note on my commute to ride the right tire track more, traffic permitting. Before my studded tires a couple weeks ago, for winter riding it was more of a necessity, but now I have more options to stay further right (my right).

Anyone use a Nathan vest? They have some that are specifically made for cyclists.

Funny story: One day I went into a deli to buy a sandwich at lunch time. A woman ahead of me at the counter was in the middle of her order, but she was so nice - interrupted the store worker and told her to go ahead and take my order right away. I thanked her several times for being so courteous. Finally at one point she said something about understanding that I have to get back to work. That's when I realized she must have thought I was a school crossing guard or something like that because of my reflective vest!

I posted this above, but I'll repeat it here: Check out the LED reflective vests at Ledtronics.com (under Products>Consumer/Safety LED products>Safety Vests) - I love mine (by the way, it's ANSI class 2):

https://www.ledtronics.com/products/P...px?WP=C352K648

I agree totally with your comment about the vest not being a replacement for more lights. The more the merrier!

A no-style gimbo with teeth the druid's could use as a place of worship?

That's what the character was designed to be. He's the Cat's antithesis.

Ah, I detect another Red Dwarf fan.

I had a safety light on, bright neon vest, and blinking helmet light on my black cannondale in boston on a rainy day. A car slammed into a row of parked cars right next to, sending a guy in one of the through the windshield. The car then took, so I chased it to get it;s info, and they pulled over and got out of the car wasted in some format, telling me they were just looking for a place to pull over, and then when they figured out my outfit merely approximated a bike cop outfit and wasn't one they took off. But by that point a million people had their license plate numbers. All the witness though I was a cop too due to my really pretty ugly/crazy get up. so if people see you and think you;re a cop that can't be bad from a safety perspective.

I use a reflective sash. The one I use is black with two reflective stripes. Practical and stylish. Cuts down on the dorkiness factor. That being said I have an orange safety parka with green reflective stripes for commuting in blizzard-like conditions:



Of course, having other shiny bits on my bike doesn't hurt either.

I think it makes people wonder if I am a cop or not, but like the fact that they do see me.