Cyclists of the Night

I am in the same boat as many, a cyclist and driver. Yes there are a lot of idiots out there on bikes too, people that think they are invinceable. Once you ride a bike competitively or even commute for enough years you eventually realise that if you and a car have an incident, the rider is coming off second best no doubt, no matter who’s fault it is and how bigger redneck is the hick that ran you off the road is.

For one, I’d like to state that flouro high vis vests look totally gay and I will not be caught dead in one, let alone any other flouro gear in the time I am physically able to ride a bike unless I become a sandal wearing beatnik who buys a recumbent with a big pretty flag (highly unlikely if you know me). I’m one of those snobby cyclists that has to wear the latest of everything and has expensive pristine white sidi shoes and matching kit to the colour of my frame etc (i’m bloody vain to be honest). But that doesn’t mean cyclists at night can’t take more care. For those that commute, when it’s dark is usually winter, so get some booties (yeah more gay cyclist talk) that have silver reflective strips on the back, get a good warm jacket that has the same strips and some bloody good lights, especially the back ones that are red, bright and flashing and don’t be stingy when the batteries go flat!

These sort of costs should be built in to your cycling costs no different to what maintenance on a car is, you still come out way ahead at the end of the day and alive at the end of the week, everyone wins.

You do see a couple of guys with a death wish riding around, but I’d be a lot more afraid of all those idiots in cars out there.

There are probably less cyclists riding around without lights, etc. than drivers driving around unlicensed, unregistered and unroadworthy.

Horrid said :

2. Sad to see that some cyclists have fallen straight into the trap set by the anti cycling element who have no interest whatsoever in cyclist safety and just want to make cycling as difficult as possible. I repeat- no matter how many legal requirements, how much safety equipment, etc is made mandatory, these people will ALWAYS have a good reason why even more of the same are required, to the point where it becomes easier to you to take the car and they achieve their objective. If you consent to vest mandatory requirements, you are simply helping them. Wake up cyclists!

The same way P plater restrictions increase because ‘some’ P platers die from avoidable accidents?

Lights at night is hardly unfair, if I get caught at night with my bike (and I don’t have my lights) i feel extremely uncomfortable riding at all – and I defiantly wouldn’t do it on the road. Reflective vests are added safety, but shouldn’t be mandatory (although i choose to wear mine).

I think ear blinkers are a good idea. It makes it easier to see which way they are turning.

I wasn’t expecting sensible responses to a serious concern, mainly from people who did not bother to READ my original post before replying to it, and so luckily I am not disappointed
Main points:
1. Some above are proposing that because a minority of cyclists ride dangerously and illegally without lights at night or helmets, then ALL cyclists should be punished with additional mandatory requirements to wear vests. Neither fair nor logical. If you don’t like cyclists who ride at night without lights, then fair enough- I don’t either- so address that issue and leave the law abiding majority alone.
2. Sad to see that some cyclists have fallen straight into the trap set by the anti cycling element who have no interest whatsoever in cyclist safety and just want to make cycling as difficult as possible. I repeat- no matter how many legal requirements, how much safety equipment, etc is made mandatory, these people will ALWAYS have a good reason why even more of the same are required, to the point where it becomes easier to you to take the car and they achieve their objective. If you consent to vest mandatory requirements, you are simply helping them. Wake up cyclists!

astrojax said :

they’re much maligned – big sooks usually. a tickle behind the ear or a scratch on the belly and they’re anyone’s…

i recall hearing that mark spitz used to train with a false-fear of a pursuing shark – mebbe you can rival lance armstrong, peterh, with a newly modified technique!

I would try that, but the barking seems to put me off, don’t know why, it sounds like the dog is a lot angrier than they probably are…

they’re much maligned – big sooks usually. a tickle behind the ear or a scratch on the belly and they’re anyone’s…

i recall hearing that mark spitz used to train with a false-fear of a pursuing shark – mebbe you can rival lance armstrong, peterh, with a newly modified technique!

astrojax said :

worst ninja dogs are rottweilers. you don’t know where their owners are, but the dog does….

laeve poor defenceless little rotties alone, big meanie… ; )

and i’m none too sure that rotties do know where their owners are – certainly not by their [non-]reaction to calls to ‘come’… (well, mine, anyway)

oh, yeah. rotties are scared of me. sure.

more that i am able to pedal a hell of a lot faster with a rottie inspired incentive….

worst ninja dogs are rottweilers. you don’t know where their owners are, but the dog does….

laeve poor defenceless little rotties alone, big meanie… ; )

and i’m none too sure that rotties do know where their owners are – certainly not by their [non-]reaction to calls to ‘come’… (well, mine, anyway)

tylersmayhem said :

I ride a pushy, and I would have no problem if a law was brought in to enforce riders must ware hi-viz vests in low light, and must have front and rear lights. Riding without these basic safety items is madness! Unfortunately, many people need to be hit with a fine before they wise-up.

If a proposal was voted to make cyclists pay a rego fee – then that is another matter which I’d dispute for eternity!

um, not going to bite, this time.

had too much fun on the other thread…

I ride a pushy, and I would have no problem if a law was brought in to enforce riders must ware hi-viz vests in low light, and must have front and rear lights. Riding without these basic safety items is madness! Unfortunately, many people need to be hit with a fine before they wise-up.

If a proposal was voted to make cyclists pay a rego fee – then that is another matter which I’d dispute for eternity!

The Brad said :

without being bowled over on a driveway by someone who cannot see me
However, they’ll only see you, and the reflective strips, if they use lights to reflect upon you.

Off topic – as a cyclist who shares the bike paths, I have a gripe with ninjas who wear dark clothing at nighttime, that my lights only pick up when I’m too damned close. I have a major gripe with irresponsible pedestrians who have dark dogs at nighttime, off lead, with no flashing light on their collar. I almost ran one over once, when it came running out from the side view.

I hate ninja dogs.

worst ninja dogs are rottweilers. you don’t know where their owners are, but the dog does….

Thanks for that post ‘Horrid’ Made me laugh on a Monday morning – always a good start to the week…

without being bowled over on a driveway by someone who cannot see me
However, they’ll only see you, and the reflective strips, if they use lights to reflect upon you.

Off topic – as a cyclist who shares the bike paths, I have a gripe with ninjas who wear dark clothing at nighttime, that my lights only pick up when I’m too damned close. I have a major gripe with irresponsible pedestrians who have dark dogs at nighttime, off lead, with no flashing light on their collar. I almost ran one over once, when it came running out from the side view.

I hate ninja dogs.

if you don’t like the vest, horrid, pick up some of the reflective stickers and put them on your backpack, on the front straps and the back (if you wear one when riding) if not, use a reflective sticker on the front and back of a top you don’t particularly like.

I have reflective strips for my overcoat that I apply when I am catching the bus home at night. I would prefer that I can walk down a path without being bowled over on a driveway by someone who cannot see me.

Hi, I’m a cylist (but never ride at night) and I am amazed how many people play with their lives by not lighting up at night. But it does seem to me (I’ve been taking mental statistics) that most offenders are the casual cyclist and/or younger people in our community. It sh*ts me no end, because ultimately it gives a bad rap on those that do the right thing. I know I sound like a crusty but: If anyone knows these offenders could you give them a firm talking to.

OT: Not wanting to start a new thread (I don’t know how anyway), but I’ve noticed a definate increase in the amount of motorists that think the bike lanes are a place to pull over and pick/drop off or just wait for people (mainly on Northbourne and Barry Drive). Toll Transport is also a big offender as well as cars/taxis outside the Jolimont). A cyclist will get hit one day as you are forced out into traffic.

The black-clad ambler of Belco doesn’t strike me as your typical ‘cyclist’. Anyone who spends any amount of time on a bike (such as me) will shell out a few bucks for a helmet, lights and other reflective gear because they know that it is money well spent.

This Belco bloke, on the other hand, could probably have just been on his bike for a change (wife had car, flat battery, no gas etc) and might unlikely ride again.

I agree that cyclists should light up, but there are always going to be people out on bikes don’t have the gear and drivers just have to be ready for them – like they have to be primed for dogs, kangaroos, cars without lights, pedestrians, zombies and so forth.

If you’re actually trying to get somewhere then you’re better-off on the road.

My 44 minute ride from Ngunnawal to Civic this morning begs to differ.

Bike/pedestrian pathes the whole way – and I stop and walk for pedestrian crossings except for a few that have large green bike symbols indicating I can ride across them.

I am sick of cyclists who dont wear vests, or use lights and expecially the ones who ride pretty much in the middle of the road in busy traffic, especially when there is a path right there. I am forever scared i will hit a cyclist.
However i do not ride and the main reason is that i would not be able to tolerate the road rage and bad driving skills of canberran drivers

Horrid said :

Cyclists already have to ride a roadworthy bicycle in a legal manner, wear a helmet and show lights at night. That’s fair enough, and that’s also where the line should be drawn. People pushing this arguement should simply acknowledge they don’t like cyclists on roads, rather than pretending to care about their safety.

Horrid, I agree – No-one gives a shit about your safety, however I’m not in the business of injuring/killing people, on purpose or by accident, so why don’t you do the right thing and make yourself more visible so that the people who don’t give a shit about your safety don’t have to waste time giving a statement to the police whilst they shovel you off the road in the background.

RuffnReady wrote:
> try riding on the footpaths instead where you are far less likely to come
> into contact with 1.5t metal objects doing 60-80kmph!

If you’re actually trying to get somewhere then you’re better-off on the road. At speed intersecting with someone’s front path or driveway (aka surprise pedestrian or car) every 10m and ducking branches or dodging hedges is hardly a recipe for a safe trip. I’m still amazed that cycling on the pavement is legal here.

ahh that should be ‘city’, not town

I said I would shut up but I just can’t help myself

RuffnReady said :

No, I’m also a cyclist and driver and see morons with dark clothing and no lights on roads after dark all the time… and people not wearing helmets everywhere. Please, cyclists, obey the rules and behave with a modicum of intelligence or you give us all a bad name and are far more likely to end up a grisly statistic.

No lights, dark clothing – have to ride somewhere – try riding on the footpaths instead where you are far less likely to come into contact with 1.5t metal objects doing 60-80kmph!

I just figure they probably know they could be more visible but don’t care. And also I can’t imagine how many cyclists, a minority group, in a town as relatively small as Canberra, that aren’t doing the right thing, are also just going to happen to read this site. Just seems like a bit of a whinge post rather than anything constructive but I guess the same could be said about my contribution here. So I’ll shut up now, it doesn’t matter.

Horrid said :

much genuinely interested in cyclist safety as in eliminating cycling – their real objective behind the fake ‘concern’ for cyclist welfare is to progressively add so many mandatory requirements before one can legally get on a bicycle that it just becomes too much trouble,

You wouldn’t happen to own and wear an aluminium foil hat?

Horrid – that would be fine if they law regarding helmets and lights was enforced. I’m a cyclist and am continually amazed by how many other cyclists I see at night who ride without lights and/or helmet. The police would catch an amazing number of people if they just sat at one end of commonwealth bridge a couple of evenings a year.

The best case I’ve seen is a guy riding home at night without lights or helmet with a slab of beer balanced on his handlebars. Not surprisingly he wasn’t exactly cycling in a straight line either.

hetzjagd1 said :

Yeah lets hope that one guy reads this post or his friends do and tell him..

No, I’m also a cyclist and driver and see morons with dark clothing and no lights on roads after dark all the time… and people not wearing helmets everywhere. Please, cyclists, obey the rules and behave with a modicum of intelligence or you give us all a bad name and are far more likely to end up a grisly statistic.

No lights, dark clothing – have to ride somewhere – try riding on the footpaths instead where you are far less likely to come into contact with 1.5t metal objects doing 60-80kmph!

Horrid is upset that we dont all ride bikes.

? Someone PLEASE tell me that Horrid’s just trolling…

People who propose this and similar measures as mandatory are not so much genuinely interested in cyclist safety as in eliminating cycling – their real objective behind the fake ‘concern’ for cyclist welfare is to progressively add so many mandatory requirements before one can legally get on a bicycle that it just becomes too much trouble, hence one less cyclist on the road. If the people proposing mandatory fluro vests got their way, they would still not be satisfied- they would immediately be demanding yet another encumberance of one form or another for cyclists.They understand that it is the best way to ensure that new potential cyclists never take up cycling. Sorry mandatory fluro vest advocates, but we see through your real intentions.

Cyclists already have to ride a roadworthy bicycle in a legal manner, wear a helmet and show lights at night. That’s fair enough, and that’s also where the line should be drawn. People pushing this arguement should simply acknowledge they don’t like cyclists on roads, rather than pretending to care about their safety.

I am amazed by cyclists without lights! It beggars belief. I got me a 50 buck mountain bike at Walmart in the US, and then spent another 20 bucks getting me the biggest light array, batteries, and a Hunting vest. certainly worked. Nothing hit me, except cars splattering me with buckets of slush as they roared past. Even on my midnight ice-cream runs to walmart, nothing got me.

I always wear a high vis vest, and front/back lights when cycling at night.

Lights can be purchased really cheaply – bigW, ANU green, Kathmandu (especially during the half price sale). there really isn’t an excuse to be riding without lights.

Run the cyclist down. Worth 20 points in Death Race 2000

A (dayglo/flouro) reflective vest should be made mandatory for any cyclist on the road after sundown and before sunrise (on top of the standard helmet and light requirements). Any party or candidate willing to champion that as a cause?

I was 20m behind a cyclist (I was on a bike too) who was hit by a car turning onto northbourne ave in Turner. The cyclist didn’t have their lights switched on, and in amongst all the other light pollution at 9PM the motorist cold not have been expected to see them. The first question the Policeman asked me was if the cyclist had her lights on (which she didn’t).

Canberra motorists are very good at watching for cyclists, it seems only the interstate motorists try to kill me when I;m on the road. But as cyclists if we are to be taken seriously we need to be responsible and observe the road rules and spend $50 on a set of front and rear lights.

I find myself that when riding at night I have almost run into other cyslists because they have no lights.

Well, the intention was that everyone could benefit by making sure they easily stand out on the roads; it’s something that we all tend to forget a little too easily on occasion.

Yeah lets hope that one guy reads this post or his friends do and tell him..