See and be seen: TOUR gives tips for cycling at dusk

Cycling at dusk - good vision is a must

The last golden days of October can be deceptive, weather and road conditions often change literally overnight in autumn. The switch to winter time around the middle of October also means that it gets dark an hour earlier. This should be taken into account by those who plan their training season all year round and also get on their bikes in bad weather and poor visibility. Checking your equipment for visibility and good eyesight is mandatory in this case.

A number of factors affect the visibility of road users both during the day and at night. Statistically speaking, it is foggy every third day in October. In the mornings and evenings, the low sun is dazzling and night vision is more challenging due to reflections on wet roads. What's more, as you get older, your eyes take longer to "switch over" from bright to dark surroundings - after encountering oncoming traffic, you may be travelling blind for seconds.

The fitter your eyes are, the less you need to invest in suitable lenses. If you have already taken a close look when buying your road cycling glasses, you should ideally have a model that comes with tinted lenses as well as other lenses that are suitable for cloudy days. The colour of the lenses has a decisive influence here. It can increase or decrease contrast and reduce or increase glare. The positive example of this is an orange-coloured lens, which absorbs most of the blue light and lets green and red light through.

The red-green channel in the eye is responsible for brightness, which is why contrasts appear stronger and edges sharper behind orange-coloured lenses. Grey lenses, on the other hand, allow mainly blue light to pass through, which reduces the difference between light and dark areas. In the long term, this is tiring for the eye because it has to expend more energy to overcome the weakening of the light.

While driving, the eye has to adapt to the constant change of light and shadow. If you make its work more difficult by wearing very dark glasses, it can no longer adapt quickly enough to a sudden drop in brightness, such as when driving into a forest, as it receives too little light stimuli. In the worst case scenario, not being able to see for several minutes on a public road can be fatal.

Cycling at dusk - Dial discs

Photochromic lenses, which change their tint depending on the light conditions, are no alternative to clear and transparent lenses for racing cyclists in autumn and winter. The self-tinting lens reacts to UV radiation that hits the earth in all weathers and darkens just when you don't need it, namely in cloudy weather.

However, being clearly visible in road traffic is only half the battle. How well you are seen by other road users also plays a role, which is why, in addition to a functioning headlight and a rear light on your bike, it is essential that you wear eye-catching and bright clothing.

There are no statistics or studies that make a statement about the effect of visibility and lights on the number of accidents involving cyclists, says Siegfried Brockmann, Head of Accident Research at the insurance companies. However, all those involved in the subject of road safety recommend this and cite a study by the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund "suva" as an indication, according to which half of all cycling accidents could have been avoided if those involved had seen each other a second earlier.

The shining positive examples and role models in terms of visibility are, by profession, refuse collectors, road construction workers and emergency doctors with their bright and reflective work clothing that can be recognised from afar. This must comply with the EN ISO 70471 standard and its manufacture is recertified at regular intervals. The appearance of police cars and ambulances is characterised by the so-called Battenberg design, a fluorescent colour marking pattern that is used internationally.

Trend towards dark colours

The designers of cycling clothing for autumn and winter also make use of the findings from the professional world. For example, Gorewear states that the new "Signal Designs" collection was inspired by and created on the basis of the Battenberg scheme. Casper von Sijl, product manager at clothing manufacturer Agu, also uses the above examples as a working basis for designing weather clothing, but draws a sobering conclusion about sales success and answers the question of which colour sells best for rain jackets: "Black."

Incidentally, this trend towards dark colours is confirmed by all manufacturers of cycling clothing when asked about customers' colour preferences for functional clothing for autumn and winter. Fashion tastes can hardly be changed, but an appeal to common sense and for more courage to wear colour in cycling clothing, especially in the dark season, cannot be repeated often enough.

Cycling at dusk - See

The question of the best lens colour for training days with poor visibility is quickly answered: The orange lens improves and supports sharp vision in all weather conditions, even when the sun briefly peeks through the clouds. The clear lens is particularly good in the dark.

Orange is the best choice

Yellow and orange discs are a good choice when visibility is poor. The best choice is the orange lens. It absorbs most of the blue rays and lets green and red light through. The red-green channel in the eye is responsible for brightness, the contrasts appear brighter and the edges sharper. This works in a similar way with yellow lenses, although the visual impression becomes very harsh as soon as the sun comes through.

• ExampleUvex Sportstyle 204
• Price: 25 Euro >> available here

Clear windscreen, clear view

Although a clear lens has no contrast-enhancing effect, it allows much more light through than, for example, self-tinting lenses. This is because UV radiation causes them to darken even when the sky is cloudy, which can be dangerous on forest trails due to the weak residual light. For winter cyclists who train with light at dusk and in the evening, there is no alternative to the clear lens.

• Example100 per cent S3
• Price: 209 Euro >> available here

Cycling at dusk - Interview

Jens Heymer is a sports optician, lecturer, active cyclist and has been advising cyclists on good vision for many years. He knows all about the right choice of filter for poor vision, the phenomenon of glare and "Night blindness"and gives tips on glasses care.

The Interview was led by Matthias Borchers

TOUR: There are many different filter colours for spectacle lenses - which one gives me the best view in rain, fog and at dusk?

Jens Heymer: The doctrine says that yellow and orange filters are best in bad weather with poor visibility. Yellow is good in drizzle or snow, but when the sun does come out, it quickly becomes too bright and is straining on the eyes in the long run. My personal favourite is orange. It reduces the amount of blue in daylight and therefore the blurring in the eye. At the same time, more yellow and orange colours come through, which helps with orientation when driving through wooded areas. Orange also stimulates the body and makes you feel fitter. Orange is like doping, but legal!

TOUR: Why do you feel blinded and what is actually "Night blindness"? What can I do about it?

Jens Heymer: Glare sensitivity is more common in older people than in younger people. Roughly explained, the lens in the eye becomes less elastic and cloudy with age. In short: it ages. As a result, light passes through less easily and the image changes, appearing less sharp. If you wear glasses and have poorer vision at dusk and in the dark, you should definitely go to an ophthalmologist or optician to have this checked. This is actually about twilight vision. Special equipment is required to create the environment in which this effect occurs. If it turns out that your vision changes in the dark, you may need special night glasses to correct it. For healthy eyes, a light yellow filter could help against the blue component, as already mentioned.

Orange is doping for the eyes and puts you in a good mood!

TOUR: How do I clean my glasses while travelling? Is there anything I can do to prevent my glasses from fogging up?

Jens Heymer: If there is dust or grains of sand on the glasses, do not clean them dry if possible. One tip is to rinse the glasses with water from the drinking bottle and then dab them with a cloth. Do not wipe, as this will scratch the glass like sandpaper. To prevent annoying fogging of the lenses, I recommend adjusting the nosepiece so that the glasses are further away from the forehead, allowing the sweat vapour to escape upwards. The optician will be happy to help with this. Incidentally, I am not a fan of rubbing the lenses with spit, as divers do to prevent fogging. This creates annoying streaks that cloud the view.

>> Cycling in winter: Twelve warm helmet caps put to the test

Cycling at dusk - Being seen

Bright, flashy colours and reflective material are the key to good visibility in all weathers and difficult lighting conditions. Clothing manufacturer Agu has the "We ride in the dark" collection in its range for this purpose. On behalf of many other brands, we are showing two sets from the Dutch company to equip you for the coming autumn and winter season.

..... when it's dry

Helmet

• ModelVigarous
• Price: 110 Euro >> available here
• SizesS/M, L/LX

Jersey

• ModelReflective jersey Essential
• Price: 90 Euro >> available here
• SizesS to XXXL

waistcoat

• ModelWind Vest II Essential
• Price: 80 Euro >> available here
• SizesS to XXXL

Gloves

• ModelStretch gloves
• Price: 25 Euro >> available here
• SizesXS to XXXL

Trousers

• ModelRain bib shorts Premium
• Price: 130 Euro
• SizesS to XXXL

Leg warmers

• ModelLight leg warmers
• Price: 45 Euro >> available here
• SizesS to XXL

Oversocks

• ModelCoversocks
• Price: 30 Euro >> available here
• SizesSizes, 40 to 46

.....when it rains

Helmet

• ModelVigarous
• Price: 110 Euro >> available here
• SizesS/M, L/LX

Jacket

• ModelHiVis Jacket Essential
• Price 120 Euro >> available here
• SizesS to XXXL

Gloves

• ModelTech rain gloves Commuter Hi-Vis
• Price: 45 Euro >> available here
• SizesXS to XXXL

Rain trousers

• ModelTech rain trousers Commuter Hi-Vis & Reflection
• Price: 155 Euro >> available here
• SizesS to XXL

Overshoes

• ModelRainproof overshoes
• Price: 50 Euro >> available here
• Sizes: 5 sizes, 40 to 47

Interview "Yellow is the most recognisable"

Casper van Sijl is product manager at Agu, the outfitter of Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard. The Dutchman says that his compatriots are bigger yellow grouches than the Germans.

The Interview was led by Matthias Borchers

TOUR: When did Agu launch the collection? "We ride in the dark"?

Casper van Sijl: This collection has been around for a few years now, and the demand for bright and eye-catching cycling clothing has increased significantly during Corona. However, Agu also has models with a highly reflective effect for short summer jerseys and shorts. We use small glass beads that reflect light in all directions.

TOUR: What is the colour and reflective design of Hi-Viz clothing based on?

Casper van Sijl: In the first design step, we follow the EN ISO 20471 standard, using the same colours and adding reflective material. The colour yellow is the most visible, followed by orange and green.

TOUR: Many clothing manufacturers report that discreet outfits sell better than bright and eye-catching clothing. What are the figures like at Agu?

Casper van Sijl: That's right! We sell significantly more black rain jackets than those in yellow or orange. That's a matter of taste.

TOUR: Are there country-specific differences? Are Dutch people more likely to buy visible clothing than Germans, for example?

Casper van Sijl: According to our figures, Germans and Belgians buy more hi-viz clothing than the Dutch. There may be two reasons for this: Dutch people think they can cycle better than the others. A second reason may be that cycling in the Netherlands is not as dangerous as in Germany due to more considerate car drivers and a better cycle path network.