Conspicuality

Surveying the (Most) Visible Spectrum


There's good evidence on the web that the human eye responds well to fluorescent yellow among street furniture and other vehicula detritus: the emergency services each use the lime-yellow "day-glow" with their emergency "lights" (by Law) stickie reflective blues, greens, and reds.

Sensible Police rider with conspicuality all over him and the bike

It must be worth considering sticking some on Shadowfax, too then? After all, big and white as he is (when not covered in minced-badger shit) we still seem to disappear into the scenery at junctions. It's something to do with the human eye behind a windscreen being inable to recognise the shape or presence of a bike, or something?

I don't know if I could live with myself dressing him up too "Policey" but I've done another of my "artist's impressions" to have a think about the implications of wacking some fluorescence on his snout (or forehead and ears if you see his lamps as eyes...)

By day

By night

Silly, or sensible? It seems a fine line.

I've also had a chat with fellow plodder, Ian. He's got a snatty looking jacket from www.icu-ucme.com/shop1.php at £15.50 (still at the now irksome 17.5% VAT). My singlets, aside from fading in the rain dont help the side aspect of night-time visibility. Long sleeves seems the deal - again, the emergency bike riders wear full jackets for a reason.

Full Luminoscity Jacket

The jacket's on its way although I'm also looking at a waterproof version (£22) on the same site as well as Behrings latest "Safety" range (from £29 to £189) and that Heinke Get-rich beauty I saw at their shop in Aldershot the other month though, at £300 I may only have a look at it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Picking up Sherbert

Image
To recap, we'd been awake and travelling to Offenburg, Germany since 2:30 am. Bikemoto's offer of a free coffee felt overwhelmingly generous while we waited for Sherbert's paperwork to be readied. There was a hire agreement to cover our ride back to Ireland, the ownership documentation, Certificate of Compliance, manuals, sales agreements, and more. It all took time. All the time I was taking stock of the enormity of the day and second-guessing the plan. Self doubt I'd not ridden for nearly 5 years since fixing Arod's speedometer sensor and finding his fork seals were leaking. COVID 19 and working from home were little motivation to set things right. Now I am about to ride a new-to-me model of bike I've not ridden before. Sherbert is heavier than an ST1300, a weightier insurance liability, and has a dual clutch transmission (DCT). He's extra expensive to buy and more-so to fix. I'm riding on the right side of the road in Europe and with my wife rid
Read more

28 February - Jammed Screen Blues

Head Trauma The LHS winder for the screen is jammed. I’ve had the screen at a medium-high stetting for the cold and rain but this really gives some buffeting in some conditions – especially at speed on the M-ways. It was so bad on the way to Stoke I had to stop and hand-force the screen all the way down for some relief. It needs either another overhaul (gave it a good oiling when symptoms first appeared) or replacement, which is just so expensive. Even a knackered one from a ‘brakers seems to command an inflated £100+ tag. Daft greedy b’stards. Anyway – the jobs waiting for a quieter moment. Too much going on to rip the plastics off Shadowfax just now. We both have a job to do.
Read more

EZ-bags and Red tape

Image
Ebay Shopping I've ordered some snatty-looking pannier inner bags for Shadowfax; firstly as one of these will help carry my togs in to work, and secondly because they work out pretty reasonable being bought from USA. Others I've researched just don't have the same quality (hard-wearing) look for the price. I was particularly attracted to the option to have embroidered on them anything I might like. Of course, my "design by Pat Godfrey" logo would be great for my id, but as I couldn't send a graphic and it was text they were really offering that was not on. So, "Shadowfax" it'll be. Swish, I think, and Ka will be impressed enough to let me off my spending my pocket money on the bike (again). Possibly. Saddle bag liners from EZ Liners I've also been looking for reflective stickies for the rear of the Pan. I first fancied the swish red and yellow reflective 3M scotchbrite gadgets seen on the back of Police bikes but on consideration, turning Sh
Read more