Don't wear black. DON'T WEAR BLACK. LOSE THE BLACK, MORONS!
09-19-10, 11:13 PM
#51
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But black is slimming and and makes my gigantic butt look slightly less gigantic.
Seriously though....I have a 350 lumen light. You can see my black spandex from the moon.
Seriously though....I have a 350 lumen light. You can see my black spandex from the moon.
09-20-10, 06:53 AM
#52
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Excellent point.
Not only is the person going to feel "crappy" they will live with that horrible memory for the rest of their lives. Get yourself killed or seriously urt and you ruin far more lives then just your own, you ruin the life other person involved in the accident and all of those around you that care for you.
Not only is the person going to feel "crappy" they will live with that horrible memory for the rest of their lives. Get yourself killed or seriously urt and you ruin far more lives then just your own, you ruin the life other person involved in the accident and all of those around you that care for you.
And my wife will be a hot rich widow
09-20-10, 07:36 AM
#53
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really? so lets be hypothetical here... lets say you get into a car accident. you die. who cares whose fault it is. do you think the other driver wont feel guilt that you died? even if the accident report comes right out and says "seatbelt use would have prevented death"
same goes if you're riding your bicycle at night and somebody hits you. they arent going to say "well too bad for him, he was wearing black so I couldnt see him." nope, they are going to feel like crap about it and it is going to be of concern to them. hell, I almost hit somebody one night b/c I didnt see him and I felt crappy about it.
so maybe you dont care how your actions could affect other people but to say that they are of no concern to anybody else is just plain selfish.
I'm all about the "dont tell me what to do" but the reality is that there are few decisions that don't concern anybody else.
same goes if you're riding your bicycle at night and somebody hits you. they arent going to say "well too bad for him, he was wearing black so I couldnt see him." nope, they are going to feel like crap about it and it is going to be of concern to them. hell, I almost hit somebody one night b/c I didnt see him and I felt crappy about it.
so maybe you dont care how your actions could affect other people but to say that they are of no concern to anybody else is just plain selfish.
I'm all about the "dont tell me what to do" but the reality is that there are few decisions that don't concern anybody else.
the seatbelt issue is a completely other topic and we can start a new thread to debate it, but i'm still against mandatory seatbelt use and i still don't wear them.
i agree the the majority of decisions we make concern others and we should be mindful of that. neither the color of my clothing nor wearing a seatbelt are one of them.
to say i'm a moron because i wear black is moronic. calling other people morons because they don't live their life the way you want them to is moronic.
Last edited by pablosnazzy; 09-20-10 at 08:05 AM.
09-20-10, 08:01 AM
#54
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I draw the line at wearing specific colored clothing so that random strangers aren't at risk for feeling guilty.
If I am riding at night I use multiple lights including the 350 lumen headlight. I am essentially riding in a 100+ foot halo of very bright light. I am given a much wider and slower pass when I ride at night than during the day. The color of my clothes is irrelvent. The bigger and brighter my headlight, the wider the pass. It has nothing to do with the 6sq inches of black spandex visible from behind.
Why do I ride at night? Am I insane? Could I be a vampire? Do I have a rare genetic disorder that makes me allergic to sun light? No. I have a job. I have children. I live in an area with winter. I don't think I am alone in those regards.
It gets dark at 5-7 pm in the winter/fall. I get home at 5PM. I care for my children until they go to bed at 7pm. If I didn't ride in the dark, I wouldn't be able to ride at all in the winter/fall during the week. That means no riding from Late September to Late March. That is 6 months out of the year.
If I am riding at night I use multiple lights including the 350 lumen headlight. I am essentially riding in a 100+ foot halo of very bright light. I am given a much wider and slower pass when I ride at night than during the day. The color of my clothes is irrelvent. The bigger and brighter my headlight, the wider the pass. It has nothing to do with the 6sq inches of black spandex visible from behind.
Why do I ride at night? Am I insane? Could I be a vampire? Do I have a rare genetic disorder that makes me allergic to sun light? No. I have a job. I have children. I live in an area with winter. I don't think I am alone in those regards.
It gets dark at 5-7 pm in the winter/fall. I get home at 5PM. I care for my children until they go to bed at 7pm. If I didn't ride in the dark, I wouldn't be able to ride at all in the winter/fall during the week. That means no riding from Late September to Late March. That is 6 months out of the year.
09-20-10, 08:03 AM
#55
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when a cyclist gets hit by a car, it is because:
1 - the driver was not paying attention or driving like a jackass, or/and
2 - the cyclist was not paying attention or cycling like a jackass
1 - the driver was not paying attention or driving like a jackass, or/and
2 - the cyclist was not paying attention or cycling like a jackass
09-20-10, 09:42 AM
#56
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Thanks everyone...I found the black shirt and shorts I have been looking for to go with my flat black helmet. If it were not for this thread I would have forgotten how much I hate looking like a bowl of fruit . Not to forget a super hero. Like pablosnazzy says"when a cyclist gets hit by a car, it is because:
1 - the driver was not paying attention or driving like a jackass, or/and
2 - the cyclist was not paying attention or cycling like a jackass"
PAY ATTENTION. 60 years and never got hit....hmmm must be doing something wrong. Use some COMMON SENSE. A good rule I follow: IF IT'S BIGGER THAN YOU DON'T " F " WITH IT. There are other rules too, but given the learning curve it seems they would only be wasted.
1 - the driver was not paying attention or driving like a jackass, or/and
2 - the cyclist was not paying attention or cycling like a jackass"
PAY ATTENTION. 60 years and never got hit....hmmm must be doing something wrong. Use some COMMON SENSE. A good rule I follow: IF IT'S BIGGER THAN YOU DON'T " F " WITH IT. There are other rules too, but given the learning curve it seems they would only be wasted.
09-20-10, 10:40 AM
#57
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i wear black on the outside, because black is the way i feel on the inside. i'm pretty sure they didn't get hit because of the color of clothes they were wearing, but because of careless bike riding. lights, awareness, defensive (or sometimes offensive, depending on circumstances) cycling attitude, these are what keeps you from getting hit. i shall continue wearing all black and i shall probably continue not getting hit by cars.
09-20-10, 11:51 AM
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REMEMBER, IF YOUR GONNA GET HIT! YOUR GONNA GET HIT DUMB ASS! ITS YOUR FAULT! NOT THE DRIVER! THERE IS NO LAW THAT PROTECTS YOU WHEN THE DRIVER LEAVES WHILE LAUGHING HIS ASS OFF THAT HE JUST SCORED A POINT FOR HITTING A DUMB ASS ON A BICYCLE!
I always get on the other side of the road when there are no on coming cars, So its harder for a driver coming up behind me to hit me.... I been hit twice... all where on purpose... all didn't stop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Ew6MZy-4s
I always get on the other side of the road when there are no on coming cars, So its harder for a driver coming up behind me to hit me.... I been hit twice... all where on purpose... all didn't stop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Ew6MZy-4s
09-20-10, 11:55 AM
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The rule here is to wear something to contrast with your background - no camouflaging - if i'm riding in a white tundra i'm gonna wear black not white, through a forest hunter's orange... etc
09-20-10, 01:41 PM
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Visibility is key. Have you ever seen the British PSA about bikes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNSgmm9FX2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNSgmm9FX2s
09-20-10, 01:43 PM
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09-20-10, 02:14 PM
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09-20-10, 02:41 PM
#66
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09-20-10, 05:09 PM
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if i'm hit on my bicycle, chances are the person wasn't paying close enough attention, and the color of my clothing wouldn't have mattered.
the color of my clothing does not automatically mean i'm going to be hit them.
calling other people morons because they don't live their life the way you want them to is moronic.
i dont think that wearing bright colors means you wont get hit. im just saying it may reduce your chances. since bicycle clothing is clearly not designed based on fashion, i chose my color based on function (in this case being seen)
as for the guilt, I think it is just human nature to feel badly if you cause another person any pain or suffering, even if they hold the majority of the blame. I might feel ANGER at you for your actions (for instance the guy that I almost hit one night that was wearing dark clothes & had no lights or reflectors) but I will feel guilt if I harm you.
09-20-10, 06:17 PM
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09-21-10, 06:45 AM
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I just picked up the ultimate cycling shell - a yellow (bright but non-fluoro) Paramo Velez. Completely rainproof, breathes better than a cotton T, superb cycling specific hood (keeps my glasses reasonably clear but doesn't restrict peripheral vision.) But you can't buy Paramo in the US, I believe.
09-21-10, 06:53 AM
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Thanks for the tip, but those are almost invariably too thick, heavy, don't breathe very well, are generally uncomfortable for riding in and/or not very packable. One shell requirement of mine is that they pack up into their own chest pocket and zip into a nice 6x6x3" (or so) package.
Yellow rather than green (and yellow is a better safety colour than green.) Wraps into an apple sized ball. Probably a mail order item in most parts of the US.
09-21-10, 07:59 AM
#73
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I agree with the don't wear black thing. I was chased by a jet black lab last night on my black as night ride. I out ran him pretty easily, as least I thought I did. He was so black I couldn't see him once he was behind my pedals. So, for all I know, he was 3 inches behind me for the next three miles.
I sure wish that dog was wearing dayglo orange. That dog was clearly a moron.
I sure wish that dog was wearing dayglo orange. That dog was clearly a moron.
09-21-10, 10:58 AM
#74
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https://www.montane.co.uk/products/me...h2o-jacket/164
Yellow rather than green (and yellow is a better safety colour than green.) Wraps into an apple sized ball. Probably a mail order item in most parts of the US.
Yellow rather than green (and yellow is a better safety colour than green.) Wraps into an apple sized ball. Probably a mail order item in most parts of the US.
The Safety Green color I mention is likely nearly an exact match to the Flouro Yellow listed on that site. Here's a link to a Gildan Safety Green T-shirt. Things get confusing, however as what most apparel manufacturers 'round here call Safety Green is vastly different from what paint manufacturers call Safety Green.
They're ridiculously bright and show up great in shade conditions. They might get a little washed out on a bright snowy day, however.
Last edited by LesterOfPuppets; 09-21-10 at 11:05 AM.
09-21-10, 11:09 AM
#75
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Mesh vests do seem to be the best solution I've seen. They're also easy to find with 2" wide reflective strips.