Illuminite

[Marco]

Does anybody have experience with cycling clothing that incorporates Illuminite? CC Cyclist, Performance and REI each carry some clothing that incorporates this material. It would be good to hear real life experiences with the product. For those that are not familiar, check out www.illuminite.com. My need is for something that will give maximum visibility to vehicles between about 5 and 7 am when I am out riding.

[roadie7]

I've used illuminite frequently and it really does work. The clothing also lasts as long as clothes without the illuminite. Be sure to use a light (blinking one) in the back and a headlight.

Good luck

[Bruce K]

ditto. My Illuminite jacket is 4 years old and still looks good.

Good lights are essential to help get driver's attention.

BK

[Peter]

You should get a piece of cycling clothing you can wear year 'round in case you get caught in the dark. A short sleeve jersey would be okay IF it were your outer layer. A cycling vest would work but it would be too warm in the warmer months; same with a cycling jacket.

I recommend you get a safety vest, regardless of how "dorky" you may think you look. You can wear one year 'round when you get caught out in the dark and they pack so small you can fit one in your jersey or seatbag with room to spare.

Here's what I use: http://www.glowdog.com/products/p00055.htm

Yes; the stuff works, and the more you wear, the better.

I also recommend you attach reflective strips to your helmet. 3M makes the most effective reflective material-Illuminite. If you're self conscious about how it will look, rest assured you can get a color to match your helmet so it will be invisible during the day. It hides perfectly with my Giro. Go here:

http://www.galls.com/brandcategory.html?assort=general_catalog&brandcode=20

And for that last measure of safety, how about some REAL reflective ankle bands? Same technology as above.

http://www.mfiap.com/halo/ankle.htm

P.S. Even though I was all decked out as above, I still got clocked by a car last March. Be careful out there...

[Marco]

your insights have been very useful. Peter touched on an important issue, at least for me. That being, perhaps it doesn't make sense to purchase seperate jerseys, jackets, short, et al that are weather specific and will cost a bit of coin that could be spent on other items. So long as that vest can fold up into the back of a jersey (it can, right Peter?) then I think it is a great solution. It may look less than peleton cool but at 5:30 am when it is dark out nobody will see the fashion statement anyways:)

[William]

From a driving perspective, the two things that I notice first on a rider/bike after dark is the reflective ankle bands and (the ultimate faux-pax in cycling cool ;) ) wheel reflecters.

You can't miss those bands bobbing up & down as the cyclist pedals along. And from the side, those spinning reflecters really stand out. The red blinkers really don't stand out that much to me.


William

[Too Tall]

I use one of those reflective triangles on a waist strap. It will always hang at the correct angle and is visible for a looooog way. Sad but true, the ankle bands are awesome for side visibility. Also, I use a black 3M reflective tape on my crank arms. Since my cranks are carbon fibre you hardly notice the reflective tape in daylight. Illuminite....mmmmmm....you could do better.

[bags27]

I concur with everyone about wearing reflective ankle bands, etc. I even have reflective tape on my wheels (virtually invisible in the day). I've considered Illuminite but Googled a report by a couple of (if I remember right) physicists who actually experimented with its properties and found that it works with car lights only when those lights hit it at certain angles. In other words, sometimes it's effective; sometimes not. Can't remember where I saw the report.

[Ozz]

http://www.hokeyspokes.com/

:banana:

FWIW - I have a pair of Castelli tights and and Castelli jersey that both have illuminite, and they have held up well for the past 3 years (not counting the slide across the road when I hit some ice last year rounding a corner).

I figure being visible in low-light tales several approaches - lights, reflective clothing, reflective bike parts, and flashing, moving or blinking light or reflectors. If you cover all your bases, you're more likely to be seen.

Also, clear lenses on your glasses are a must, so you have better vision also.

stay safe.

[Marco]

Too Tall- where does one find a reflective triangle such as you describe?

Ozz- Those spokes are beyond safe....they are hipster cool.