The Proviz 360+ Jacket. The solution to commuting visibility

Up to know, I mitigated issues of visibility by waiting until the clocks went forward in Spring before cycling to work - and stopping when they went back again in the Autumn.

This meant that although I've always had a selection of fixed and flashing lights on the bike, and a dayglo yellow jersey, ultimate visibility was never a problem.

Giving up the Kawasaki in favour of my e-bike/pedelec converted Dawes has involved commuting to work in all weathers - and darkness - so I needed to address issues of visibility and weather protection.

For those unfamiliar with Regents Park in London, it is quite dark at night  - streetlights are poor and the hedges that border all the roads make it a gloomy place for pedestrians and cyclists. As a result, when riding home in the dark on the Kawasaki, cyclists with highly reflective clothing are much more visible at night in a motorcycle's headlight - when dayglo is much less effective (the clue's in the name !).

Sometime towards the end of last year I (literally) saw a cyclist stand out like no other. It was as if his entire torso was glowing white !  As soon as I had Googled it, I knew I just had to have one of these.

It's a Proviz 360+

I will go as far as to say this is the greatest advance in cycle safety since the invention of the LED


Instead of a few reflective strips or panels the whole jacket is made out of a highly reflective material. All cyclists (and motorcyclists) know that there is little you can do about those "SMIDSY" (Sorry Mate I Didn't See You) muppets out there - who aren't even looking but this is a very "in your face" jacket under vehicle headlights.   

I believe that other manufacturers also have super-high reflectivity materials - the Dare2B "Observate" available at Halfords for example but this is clearly (or not so clearly!) a lesser product. Of course most cycling specific jackets have some degree of reflective material -  but my research suggested that Proviz was the clear leader in this field (www.provizsports.com) 

 The effect  is not always obvious to the wearer (it would dazzle you if it was) as it reflects light back to the source - making you highly visible to car drivers in the dark. To the wearer it often seems to "shimmer" in some light. The jacket itself is of high quality and clearly properly designed for cycling. It is waterproof, breathable and well fitting. 

The Proviz website is clear and easy to use and there are regular discounts sent by email if you register. Not the cheapest on the market but certainly not unreasonably priced for what they are. I have the "top of the range" 360+ version at £120 but there is a cheaper version with less breathability for £79. There is also a range of other products that use the material such as gilets, helmet covers and rucksack covers. 

To cap it all their customer service is exemplary. When I had a small problem with mine they replaced it instantly with no quibble. Since buying the jacket I have also bought a high-viz (dayglo) gilet and a pair of gloves from them and I will certainly be buying some waterproof trousers at some point in the future. I highly recommend this product and the company.

Of course as I write this the clocks have now gone forwards for Summer time - which reduces the benefit of this jacket - although read my next post for a solution for dusk and dawn visibility before we get to full daylight for both the morning and the evening commute. 



 

Commuting in London on an E-Bike - A Fortnight On

I'm now a fortnight into commuting by E-Bike and I'm very happy with the Panda E-bike conversion of my Dawes Sonoran. If you're thinking about converting your existing bike to a Pedelec then a Panda kit should definitely be on your shortlist - find them at www.pandaebikes.com/

It is worth saying that I am not office-based in Central London every day so this fortnight doesn't represent 200 miles of e-biking - in fact it's barely half that total distance. The 10ah battery is perfectly adequate for my 10 and a bit mile each way commute even on the highest power setting and I've stopped packing the charger in a pannier "just in case"


The first clear lesson is that an old man on an e-bike is not quicker over 10 miles than a fit "normal" person. Overall I am consistently  5-10 minutes minutes faster than I used to be but I am still passed like I'm going backwards by the "Regents Park Rouleurs" on the Outer Circle- and just about every other fit commuter everywhere else.

There is a "big win" (obviously) on hills. The available power let's you just keep going without your speed tailing off the further you ride uphill. This assistance means that you keep going against headwinds and also those long slight inclines that tax the less fit.The Panda's controller is excellent. There is a clear assistance from a standing start and the way it tails off at the legal maximum of 15.5 mph (25kmh) is unobtrusive. It also comes back in again neatly if you lose a bit of momentum on the flat. 

I have managed to get used to riding in a lower gear - and changing down early to ensure that turning the pedals as I change down through the gears doesn't cause me to surge forwards as I'm trying to slow down.This surge of power as you turn the pedals does mean that you have to be careful when picking your way between cars in very heavy traffic but like most things you get used to it.

Most importantly, I don't arrive at the office sweaty and wheezing and that's the key. Electric power doesn't make the journey quicker, it makes it significantly easier. 

The second lesson is that as electric power doesn't suddenly turn you into car! You still need to think - and ride - like an urban cyclist. Nothing new here but my key pointers for commuting in London are:

• Visibility - take every opportunity to be seen by other road users (more on that in the next post - a couple of "product reviews")
• "Own" your piece of the road
• Positioning is key - remember that in some circumstances it is better to be on the "offside" of the traffic in the centre of the road than it is to be "hidden" on the nearside
• If you are riding nearer the kerb, DO NOT ride in the gutter  - you have no manoevring room to the left and all the "mung" on the road collects there leaving you even more vulnerable to punctures
• Your biggest hazard is the road surface itself - the level of potholes (especially on Kilburn High Road) is such that being thrown of your bike is a far bigger risk than the other traffic
• Wear appropriate clothing - including a helmet

Commuting in London on an E-Bike - First Efforts

With the conversion all finished, it was time to actually use the converted bike "in anger" last Friday.

I rode a quick circuit of a 6.6 mile local route including a very big hill and managed to take 4 minutes off my best (fit) time so I was immediately impressed.

The commute to my office in Great Portland Street in the West End of London from my home in Stanmore is another matter. This is a 10.5 mile journey including some significant traffic - and in the early morning there is also the cold to contend with.

For the first trip in to work I probably picked the foggiest day in London for a very long time and it was also a cold one.

Despite the cold, it was a good trip. The motor applies power smoothly (and swiftly from standing start) and fades away unobtrusively as it hits the 15.5mph (25kmh) limit to ensure it stays within the EPAC (Electrically Power Assisted Cycle) regulations. Five minutes faster (in both directions) than my previous best times for the journey and I think there's an even greater time saving possible with some changes to my riding style.

Firstly, although the power from the 250Watt front hub motor is entirely "adequate", it does not have a great deal of torque available. As someone with a reasonable degree of power in my legs but a low level of aerobic fitness, I have always stuck to "grinding a higher gear" rather than "spinning a lower gear".

The other thing to get used to is the fact that I do not have "brake switches" to cut the motor power when braking. This is because my bike has combined brake and shift levers (it's the apparently "odd" Shimano "Megarange" "Rapid Rise" system). It also explains why I think every bike shifts the "wrong" way as this system is thumb push to change up and finger flick to change down.

Shift direction is irrelevant here anyway as the issue is that the combined brake and shift levers prevent the use of replacement brake levers with a cut out function. This means that as long as the pedal is rotating, the motor is running even if you are braking. As you need the pedals to be turning to change down the gears with a derailleur system it means modifying my riding style further to change down before I start to brake as I come to a halt.

So with 2 changes to my riding habits I should be fine - tomorrow will tell what effect that has on journey times.