"When people brush against me, cut or open a door in my face," says cyclist Stéphane Richer, "their argument is always the same:" I did not see you. "Several accessories, like the orange jacket, worn by Stéphane Richer - allow being more visible by bike.
"The construction jackets do a great job, especially in the fall," says Pierre Boucher, a cyclist who is a member of the Facebook group Winter Bike Montreal. It's cheap and it's efficient. "It's possible to buy a reflective bib for less than $ 15. More sophisticated jackets with LED lights, zippered pockets and key fasteners, such as Nite Ize's Run model, retail for about $ 40. The Run bib is "easy to put on regardless of the thickness of clothing," says Suzie Lou, a follower.
Marc Pilon, a cyclist from Lorraine, advises wearing ankle reflective tape. "Humans get a better sense of what's moving," he says. With visible trousers, you kill two birds with one stone, as you also avoid having your trousers lodged in the bike trays. Offered everywhere for about $ 5.
Reflective tape
In Ontario, the law requires that a bicycle be "equipped with white reflective tape on the front fork and red reflective tape on the rear guy," according to the Ontario Safe Cycling Guide. Mario Grenier, a Longueuil who will work on a bike 12 months out of 12, has affixed a Scotchlite reflective tape on the fork, the stays and the mudguard of his bike. Patrick Drouin, another cyclist, put some on his backpack. "Simple and effective," he judges.
LED clothing
Anne-Marie Lacombe rolls at night with a reflective Lululemon coat. "It keeps me safe, even if I sometimes forget my little lights," she says. Christophe Marin-Beaudry, another cyclist, also opts for "commuting-style" clothing with reflective fabrics.
Discreet day clothes
A trend noted by David Tringle, buyer for the bike department of La Cordée? "Clothing and accessories with reflective materials that stay sober when they're not lit," he says. Far from fluorescent yellow, Louis Garneau's Glaze RTR coat is available in gray and black for around $ 130. Many "reflective spots" printed on the coat, to be visible after dark.
Padlocks and accessories
Virginie Chagnon, a cyclist who rides nine months a year, sees dual use of her Litelok fluorescent padlock: protecting her bike and making it more visible. This flexible and lightweight textile padlock is however not given. Others buy flashy bike bags, flags.
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