Home Forums Bike Forum coats that look white when in car headlights?

  • This topic has 43 replies, 35 voices, and was last updated 5 years ago by P20.
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  • coats that look white when in car headlights?
  • ton
    Full Member

    is there a cycling one available.

    anyone know?

    mcnultycop
    Full Member

    Fully reflective jackets, there’s loads available?

    Klunk
    Free Member

    [pedant]Fully retroreflective jackets, there’s loads available?[/pedant]

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    What like pro Viz gear ?

    ton
    Full Member

    trail_rat, cheers mate, that em.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Not cheap stuff but then it’s not cheap crap either.

    martymac
    Full Member

    You can get a spray stuff to put on any jacket, it’s completely clear until you shine a light on it.

    https://www.albedo100.co.uk/shop/

    There’s bound to be others, that’s just one.

    MrPottatoHead
    Full Member

    Also worth looking at Scotchlite tape.  I covered my commuter in the black stuff, and really makes a difference to visibility.

    flanagaj
    Free Member

    I have a pro Viz gillet and it’s a boil in the bag affair so don’t wear it.

    benp1
    Full Member

    Anyone actually tried that spray on stuff? Heard mixed things

    proviz is excellent for reflectivity but not high vis so not very visible in the light, plus isn’t very breathable (so I’ve heard)

    ashweee
    Free Member

    I recently bought a pro viz 360+ jacket for commuting duties. I have to say the cut isn’t the best and the material is a bit heavy but I’ve had quite a few compliments about how visible I am with it on.

    redmist
    Free Member

    My FWE from Evans has done two full winters of commuting duties and still looks good and the finish has held up well. Not the most breathable but fine for my 30 minute commute, wouldn’t want to wear it for 3 hours

    paule
    Free Member

    I just got a dare2be one from sportspursuit for about £40 – looks pretty decent on first impressions. Not sure they’restill on the site but might be worth a look.

    stuey
    Free Member

    2nd vote for black 3M Scotchlite tape – It got me ‘told off’ for being too bright, so now use less ;-)

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Why bother, if a driver doesn’t want to see you…..

    Lights, reflector bits and all that and a camera for afters.

    That and land mines

    superleggero
    Free Member

    I have a Proviz Reflect360 CRS in green – they do  a few other colours including yellow and orange in the CRS models.

    They are incredibly reflective in car headlights at night, and with the right colour in the CRS models (CRS = Colour Reflective System) can be decently HiVis during the day. The standard Proviz Reflect360 (without CRS) only comes in a dull grey as do competitors such as the ones from Evans, and while they have the super bright reflective qualities at night they really don’t stand out during daylight. The dull grey seems to merge into the background imo.

    Agree with what others have said in that the material feels quite heavy and they can get sweaty. While they have pit zips and a vent across the back they don’t match the breathable qualities of Gore Tex or similar technical fabrics so things can get a bit uncomfortable when you sweat.

    It’s a compromise product and it depends on your priorities (and how much you tend to sweat). I use mine when it’s quite cold, even though I could do with the night time reflective properties all year round. I rely on plenty of lights and other reflectives when I’m wearing less eye catching but more comfortable outer layers in other times of the year.

    Proviz do a couple of cuts, the standard one which is a loose ‘commuter’ style and a more fitted ‘Plus’ cut. I’ve read a few reviews that are critical of both cuts. I would definitely advise trying for fit before buying.

    geex
    Free Member

    Got a Sugoi Zap (Their fully retroreflective jacket) a few years back when they were sort of new thinking it was a decent one. Wore it twice and found it wasjust too hot to ride in at anything more than a gentle pace. Have since heard they’re all like this due to the coating not being very breathable and relying on vents instead. A Gilet would have been better for me.

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    Ton you need to paint your bike with white gloss and stick some reflective tape to your wellies..as demonstrated here

    howarthp
    Full Member

    Had Proviz and found it too hot (even the gilet).

    Now use the Castelli Mortirolo Reflex jacket. It’s one of my favourite bits of kit. Needs to be cooler temp wise. It vents well, fits well and you can pick it up relatively cheaply (currently £99 at Sigma)

    rhid
    Full Member

    I was going to get the 360 jacket but went for their rucksack instead. I saw my friend riding rocking the jacket and bag combo the other day and she was lit up like a comet!

    I rate the the proviz stuff. It is super bright and the bag is great. Obs cannot comment on the jacket as I don’t own one.

    jkomo
    Full Member

    What about the reflective helmet from PX. It’s a good lid. £25

    n0b0dy0ftheg0at
    Free Member

    Picked up on of https://www.halfords.com/cycling/cycling-clothing/hi-vis/boardman-mens-reflective-removable-sleeve-cycling-jacket for ~£30 in September promo with BC discount, great for visibility on my early morning commute over the winter, but it rather “boil in the bag” if you are in a rush to get from A to B… Even in gillet form.

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    Reflectives on moving parts of you and the bike.. Reflective 3M spoke reflectors, ankle bands work really well.  Also bits of reflective tape on your bike and helmet.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Ton, given your first pie reputation, aren’t you the local Ronnie Pickering?

    DezB
    Free Member

    Got a Sugoi Zap…

    Must be a different Zap from mine – mine’s blue with wiggly reflective lines all over and its the perfect commuting jacket. I think its actually their running, rather than cycling, version,  but its not at all hot and needs decent base layering to prevent freezing!

    Hi-viz of it isn’t as impressive as the Proviz, but still good for 360deg reflectivity.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    Shed loads of deliveroo jackets on eBay for under thirty quid. Bit warm but they’ve got pit zips and are crazy reflective under lights

    mrchrispy
    Full Member

    I picked up a Proviz 360 gillet thingy from halfords when was trying to spend my remaining 200 pounds of my bike2work voucher.  expensive, not a great cut and only bit that breath are the…..neck, waist and the arm holes :D

    Still had to get something and its visible from space with a light on it.
    <span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>Boradman version seems much better for the money. </span>

    ton
    Full Member

    called into halfords and tried a pro vis on .  in the sale too, very cheap.

    far far to thick and inflexible.  felt proper boil in the bag too.

    bought a cheap reflective gillet instead.

    ton
    Full Member

    cynic-al

    Ton, given your first pie reputation, aren’t you the local Ronnie Pickering?

    </div>

    al, are you drunk?  what does that nonsense even mean?

    martymac
    Full Member

    Who?

    angeldust
    Free Member

    Slice of ‘first pie’ sounds a bit Adam and Eve….

    antigee
    Free Member

    have a lusso gillet which packs up small enough to go in one of those toolkit waterbottles when the sun has come up

    https://lusso.bike/product/nitelife-gillet/

    Poopscoop
    Full Member

    Can we get this back on topic please?

    Right, now where were we….

    cynic-al

    Ton, given your first pie reputation, aren’t you the local Ronnie Pickering?

    I’m also confused, like ton, what the hell does that comment mean?😳 😃

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    Sugoi Zap and other products in their range.

    Mine is not a zap it is another model (forget which) and is covered in a load of tiny reflective dots.

    I am informed by my fellow riders it is quite bright.

    IHN
    Full Member

    For the Sugoi Zap users, what’s the breathability like? Reviews suggest not great, is that right?

    Plus they seem to be a bit thin on the ground, especially the green/flouro-ish ones :-(

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Ton, poopscoop, look him up on Youtube.

    No road users mess with him.

    damascus
    Free Member

    I think the problem with the reflective jackets are that they are dull during the daylight hours and they just don’t breath making them boil in the bag.

    I cover my bike helmet in reflective tape, you can’t see this during the day but it lights up like tron at night. Same for my bike too, its covered in tape so you can see it from any angle.

    I ride in a high viz jacket that’s breathable and waterproof and I use plenty of lights, some constant, some flashing.

    I’ve never seen that paint on reflective stuff that goes on normal clothes. I think I’ll give that a try.

    Theres a cyclist I see on my commute that has a harness made of a combination of high viz and reflective tape that clicks with a buckle and goes over the shoulders. I can see them from a long distance away. Best of both worlds but a little retro.

    jeff
    Full Member

    I have the Boardman reflective jacket with zip off sleeves. The front zip lasted one winter before it lost a few teeth and stopped working. Really good visibility and very cheap in a sale. Very sweaty unfortunately. Still looking for the perfect jacket.

    DezB
    Free Member

    For the Sugoi Zap users, what’s the breathability like

    Mine says “Zap Training Jacket” on the label inside. It’s as breathable as any (non waterproof) jacket I’ve worn for it’s level of warmth. I run pretty hot and don’t have any issue with it’s breathability.

    (Another plus is it was about £30 from Sportpursuit and not £90, like the gilet up there ^^ !)

    geex
    Free Member

    Mine says Sugoi Zap Bike Jacket and breathability is terrible.

    Ps. Cynic-al meant to type “FIST pie. English is clearly not his FIRST language.

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