Black Jerseys

[parco]

It seems to me that there are an awful lot of Jerseys for sale that are mostly black. It may be fashionable but when I'm riding I want to be seen. Not for my ego's sake but I want people in cars to know I'm on the road. Thoughts?

[Mike V]

Buy the jersey and wear some bright colored socks and gloves.

[Louis]

You'll wear whatever Rapha tells you to wear ;)

[Saxon]

The only (mostly) black jersey I own. I just don't wear it in the dark.

[krhea]

That's what rear blinkies are for.

[cachagua]

Black is the new stupid.

[Coluber42]

It's because I just looks that much more appealing when you get covered in salt deposits from your evaporated sweat. Can't beat that look in a black outfit.

[Kirk007]

just add this.

[pdmtong]

It's because I just looks that much more appealing when you get covered in salt deposits from your evaporated sweat. Can't beat that look in a black outfit.

Dont you know, black is a very slimming color.

The first search and state jersey I have ever seen was on top of mt diablo at the AToC stage finish last year. Pudgy guy was completely salt encrusted. man, that image cannot be unseen.

[weisan]

XL only
http://www.rei.com/product/848353/castelli-prologo-3-bike-jersey-mens

[Climb01742]

That's what rear blinkies are for.

I'm coming to believe that blinkies may be more visible, especially in the low grey light of fall/winter days, than even the brightest colors. I wonder if anyone has ever tested this?

[jlwdm]

Try the search function for "black kit" and you can review the arguments about black jerseys, lights and so forth from 2 months ago.

Jeff

[TimD]

Evolution got us this far, why should we start messing with it now?

[FlashUNC]

In a lot of cases, I'm riding a neon orange bike with a white helmet and white shoes and a couple blinky lights.

I figure if someone can't see that, the jersey color doesn't matter and I'm dead anyways.

[RedRider]

Contrast is the key to visibility. On a sunny afternoon a full black kit will stand out better than white; not so at night. Road dirt is grey and wearing a jersey that color just makes you blend into the scenery.
With all the bike/car accidents in the news I've started to ride with my seatpost light blinking at all times. If it's overcast or late in the day I wear a neon yellow vest.

[cfox]

In broad daylight, does it really matter? I really don't think you need to dress up like a neon Christmas tree every time you ride your bike. There has got to be diminishing returns at some point with all the safety stuff. I swear in a couple of years, people will think you are nuts for not riding with air horn that blasts off every 2 seconds. I wear hi-vis in the morning, but I don't even consider the color if I'm riding during the day.

[oldpotatoe]

Contrast is the key to visibility. On a sunny afternoon a full black kit will stand out better than white; not so at night. Road dirt is grey and wearing a jersey that color just makes you blend into the scenery.
With all the bike/car accidents in the news I've started to ride with my seatpost light blinking at all times. If it's overcast or late in the day I wear a neon yellow vest.

I see more and more people riding with lights a-blinking during the day. Think I'll join 'em, Blackburn blinkies cheap, easy.

[dawgie]

I don't get it. I see cyclists out riding (and runners) in the early morning or late afternoon, in dim to dark light conditions, wearing all black. If they do have a blinky light, it is usually very dim. They must have a death wish.

I ride in the dark and low light a lot while commuting. I can spot runners or cyclists wearing neon yellow at least 1/2-mile away. The ninja riders? Some of them I don't see until I'm right upon them.

What's ironic is that neon colors are kind of trendy right now in college and professional athletics. I was hoping it might rub off, but I still see an inordinate number of cyclists all dressed in black. Maybe they are in mourning.

[charliedid]

Yep

I started riding with blinkies during the day ( front and rear) when in traffic a couple years ago. Amazing how many people don't turn left in front of me entering an intersection now.

Winter/dusk/dawn is the worst for visibility.

[sandyrs]

I'm coming to believe that blinkies may be more visible, especially in the low grey light of fall/winter days, than even the brightest colors. I wonder if anyone has ever tested this?

This just has to be true. The blinkies are actually creating light themselves, while the colors rely on someone else shining their lights on them to be visible. That doesn't mean I don't wear fluoro defeet arm warmers for extra visibility (and humor), but if I'm serious about being seen, I've always relied on a light to do the job.

[Ahneida Ride]

As a driver ....... Black is not a color that fosters visibility.

[TimD]

More serious thought: A big, big difference between today and N years ago is an increase in the number of people driving distracted.

If they look up from their device every few seconds and I'm 200 m up the road with a 2 watt Cygolite Hotshot burning their retinas they might notice me.

If they don't notice me, they can't make a note in their feeble brain to steer around me. In this case my chances of getting hit go up. Way up.

Even in broad daylight.

When I hear stories of people in my area getting hit my first question is "What where they wearing and were they using lights?"

Have fun out there.

[tsampson]

I feel the same way. POC is coming out with new road gear and all there stuff is based on the safety of color. Pretty interesting

[metalheart]

I have the brightest tail light I could find and anytime I am on the road, I use it. I also have an amber headlight that I use anytime I am on the roads. I avoid night and dawn/dusk/school start&finish riding. There are lots of cyclists on the rural roads here and even with bright colors they can "disappear" on a bright day when they go into a tree's shadow. My observation is that a bight tail light is more visible than bright colors.

A couple of things to consider about color, visibility, and cycling:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2013/jan/10/cycling-high-visibility-safe-fluorescent

http://arsrpe.acrs.org.au/pdf/Raftery%20and%20Grigo%20-%20A%20pilot%20study%20of%20cyclist%20conspicuity. pdf

[tv_vt]

Have a few black jerseys that feel really nice to wear. But I don't wear them much because of the visibility issue. I'll ride them in a big group ride where visibility isn't an issue, and will usually couple them with shorts with big splashes of color, like these Garneau shorts in white: http://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/louis-garneau-mens-neo-power-bib-short

Almost never will wear them when I'm out by myself, and never with solid black shorts.

One is an Ibex wool jersey - often wear that with a white vest on cooler days.

[Tom]

Just charge up the damn light. I overtook a guy the other day and it looked like he had some weird growth coming off his seatpost and it wasn't until I was no more than four feet away that I realized it was a taillight and that it was actually turned on. Four of the feeblest little bulbs in there starving for wattage.

I'm sure he felt Safe. I couldn't get his attention, though, he couldn't seem to hear me over the headphones. He did have a brightly colored jersey.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Yep

I started riding with blinkies during the day ( front and rear) when in traffic a couple years ago. Amazing how many people don't turn left in front of me entering an intersection now.

Winter/dusk/dawn is the worst for visibility.

. . . Light & Motion Micro Viz 180. Brighter than heck. Anecdotal to be sure, but overtaking drivers do seem to give me more room more often now as they pass.

BBD

[charliedid]

. . . Light & Motion Micro Viz 180. Brighter than heck. Anecdotal to be sure, but overtaking drivers do seem to give me more room more often now as they pass.

BBD

For sure! I am using the viz 360 and an urban 550 up front. I went out during the day Wed and forgot the lights. Felt totally naked and exposed...

I must be getting old(er)

[dawgie]

For sure! I am using the viz 360 and an urban 550 up front. I went out during the day Wed and forgot the lights. Felt totally naked and exposed...

I must be getting old(er)

My exact setup, except I have two more taillights -- a Dinotte 140 and a PB Superflash. The helmet light is probably the single most effective item for visibility. You just turn your head and look at any driver who might pull out or turn in front of them, and they stop in their tracks.

The problem with reflective clothing and gear is that it only works if a car has its headlights on. I am amazed at how many drivers I see with no headlights on when it's dim or even totally dark outside. I haven't figured out whether they just forget to turn on their lights or somehow think it increases their gas mileage.

[jpw]

so did i make a mistake when buying an Assos Habu jacket in black? it only has a narrow white stripe on the center back pocket.

[charliedid]

My exact setup, except I have two more taillights -- a Dinotte 140 and a PB Superflash. The helmet light is probably the single most effective item for visibility. You just turn your head and look at any driver who might pull out or turn in front of them, and they stop in their tracks.

The problem with reflective clothing and gear is that it only works if a car has its headlights on. I am amazed at how many drivers I see with no headlights on when it's dim or even totally dark outside. I haven't figured out whether they just forget to turn on their lights or somehow think it increases their gas mileage.

I've been thinking the same thing recently. I mention the headlight thing to customers and have only ever run 1 tail light in all the years of using them.

I had one of those helmet mounted units years ago from Niterider, mostly for off road riding.

More lights in my near future.

[charliedid]

so did i make a mistake when buying an Assos Habu jacket in black? it only has a narrow white stripe on the center back pocket.

Nope.

That is a great jacket. Life is too short to wear dorky clothing. Just keep the lights on!

[BumbleBeeDave]

so did i make a mistake when buying an Assos Habu jacket in black? it only has a narrow white stripe on the center back pocket.

If it's a size large, then yes, you definitely made a mistake. You should package it up and send it to me to help keep you safe.

BBD

[jpw]

If it's a size large, then yes, you definitely made a mistake. You should package it up and send it to me to help keep you safe.

BBD

sadly only a medium.

wanted: guinea pig for field test :-)

[d6025k]

Nope.

That is a great jacket. Life is too short to wear dorky clothing. Just keep the lights on!

+1
Common sense goes a long way when riding a bike, wearing a black kit or jersey isnt going to kill you.

[jpw]

+1
Common sense goes a long way when riding a bike, wearing a black kit or jersey isnt going to kill you.

true. on my winter bike i have white SKS fenders, and i sport a white helmet with a reflective halo band, white gloves, and i'm looking for some neon over socks.

next on the list are day lights.

[cachagua]

...Wearing a black kit or jersey isnt going to kill you.

Not reliably, sad to say. . .

[sworcester]

It's because I just looks that much more appealing when you get covered in salt deposits from your evaporated sweat. Can't beat that look in a black outfit.

Thats one I hadn't thought about.
I mostly don't wear black because of the temperature

[Kirk007]

Not reliably, sad to say. . .

wow, "sad to say" ... really? really? I suppose that perhaps this is supposed to be a joke or sarcasm but it doesn't translate well in print.