39

I know about the obvious stuff like a bright vest, blinking rear light and wearing light colored clothes but is there anything else that I need for when nightfall hits?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] cvieira@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

As a commuter, a big upgrade for me was getting a peircing loud bike horn. Despite having multiple bright lights and high-vis, I still have multiple close calls a week with cars not looking before turning. Having a way to get a driver's attention without needing to rely on them even looking at all has been a huge benefit.

Additionally, this might be a controversial opinion, but I've found the wearing high-vis clothing often makes the issue worse. As a general rule, I try to select high-vis clothing that makes me look more like a motorcycle than a pedestrian. For example, I wear a reflective helmet and neon gloves, but not vests or shirts. When a driver waiting to emerge sees me, I want them to think "rapidly approaching vehicle" and not "slow moving pedestrian".

I use my bike like a car, and I live in a rural area. I regularly ride 20-30mph to fit in with traffic, so my experience may differ from yours if you ride in a slower, more urban environment.

[-] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

I've been thinking about getting a horn. What kind of horn do you recommend? Anything that's electric and rechargeable? Or completely mechanical in nature?

[-] cvieira@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago

I've been using the Hornit dB140, which has two modes. One is a loud peircing chirp sound, and the other is a much less loud sound resembling a car horn. I personally leave it on the peircing mode. The battery has lasted several months with regular use, so recharging isn't much of a concern.

The trigger is separate from the horn unit, which allows me to put it somewhere that I can hit the brakes and the horn at the same time.

I've been really happy with it, but I also haven't tried any alternatives to compare to.

this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2024
39 points (100.0% liked)

Bicycles

3146 readers
11 users here now

Welcome to !bicycles@lemmy.ca

A place to share our love of all things with two wheels and pedals. This is an inclusive, non-judgemental community. All types of cyclists are accepted here; whether you're a commuter, a roadie, a MTB enthusiast, a fixie freak, a crusty xbiking hoarder, in the middle of an epic across-the-world bicycle tour, or any other type of cyclist!


Community Rules


Other cycling-related communities

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS