Table of content

1. The lack of visibility when riding a bike, a danger for all

2. Which equipment should you choose to be seen when riding a bike?

3. Rainjoy’s solutions to improve the visibility when riding a bike.

The lack of visibility when riding a bike, a danger for all

When riding a bike, the ability of a user to be seen by others plays a crucial role in the rider’s safety. They must be able to see in front and behind but also – and this is maybe even more important – they must be seen by the other road users. These include other cyclists on bike lanes and especially cars and lorries when the road is shared.

One of the major dangers when riding a bike is being hit by another larger vehicle. In the case of a crash between a bike and a car, unfortunately the car wins. Often the accident is caused by the fact that the cyclist was not seen by the other driver. Indeed, visibility is a major factor of security.

The risk of being run over increases if cyclists are not visible to road users. For example, in the evening or when the visibility is low, a cyclist wearing dark-coloured clothes would not be seen until the very last minute. Outside urban areas, there is generally less street lighting at night but even in cities the trend is to reduce street lighting.

These risks are amplified in poor weather conditions. In rain or fog, the visibility of cyclists becomes even more important in order to warn the other road users and therefore, avoid accidents.

Other dangers are also to be taken into account. Cities have been investing in the creation of more and more bike lanes along roads or separated from roads. This encourages more people to use their bikes to commute – but this means it is even more important to be visible to the other users. Bike lanes at the edge of roads and especially alongside parking spaces are risky as car owners may suddenly open their doors without looking if a cyclist is approaching – but if the cyclist is more visible this could reduce this risk.

2. Which equipment should you choose when riding a bike?

A number of security features are mandatory when riding a bike in France:

• Brakes at the front and the rear of the bike
• A bell
• Retro-reflecting devices at the front, at the rear and on the sides of the wheels and pedals
• Helmets are mandatory for children under the age of 12 (they are recommended for all users)
• A yellow/white light at the front and a red light at the rear of the bike (at night or when the visibility is poor). If the lights are not present on the bike, the user may face a fine, but more importantly cycling without any lights is extremely dangerous at night!
• Wearing a certified retro-reflecting jacket may be mandatory outside urban areas (at night and when the visibility is poor)

Other equipment is not mandatory to have but highly recommended such as a rear mirror and reflecting devices to improve the visibility of the cyclist in order to see and be seen by the other road users.

3. Rainjoy’s solutions to improve the visibility when riding a bike.

Rainjoy offers the Bub-up®, a protection bubble against rain and the cold that instantly deploys itself. It adapts itself on every bike and after use is easily foldable and transportable. The cyclist is more visible with a Bub-up® because of the volume effect once it is deployed, which makes the user less vulnerable to the other users of the road.

To ride a bike at night in safety, the Bub-up® Light is the accessory you need! It is quick and easy to install on one of the two dedicated slots on your Bub-up® thanks to its magnetic clip. With its 4 built-in high power red LED lights, the Bub-up® Light can be used in a flashing mode or switched on continuously.

To see and be seen, the Superbikero bracelets combine a light signal and an integrated rear-view mirror.

It enables the user to see behind them with the mirror without having to turn their head around, and it increases visibility when signalling to other road users before the cyclist makes a turn.

The bracelet adjusts perfectly by rolling itself around the user’s wrist and the mirror is orientable to provide an excellent field of vision. Combining practicality and safety, the accessory incorporates a light that can be used in flashing mode or switched on continuously.

And for even more safety, the Superbikero Duo by Rainjoy includes a second lighting bracelet.

To see or be seen, that is the question.

And Rainjoy has the solution!

Find more information about the Superbikero bracelets on www.rainjoy.eu.