The greatest hazard of winter roads ....

Just been out for a modest (two and a half hour) ride on the moors.
More on-road than my usual, because I don't want to do trails that'll
suffer damage from my wheels after the recent rain.

First hazard was the wind, which was strong enough to need pedalling
in a middling gear even on the first short-but-steep downhill on the
(on-road) route. Scariest moment was a people-carrier which, having
slowed right down behind me, passed too close and caused the kind of
disturbance usually reserved for HGVs going at speed.

But the greater hazard is the low winter sun. Riding home into the
setting sun, I could see clearly the outline of large objects like
trees silhouetted on the skyline, but the track in front of me
was virtually impossible to see: worse than night-riding with only a
£2 LED in front (which I've found myself doing when the dynamo died).

OK, I can and did deal with that by slowing right down when necessary.
But BTDT tells me that visibility is even worse through a car windscreen,
especially one that's been splashed a bit from a dirty road. Some of
these drivers are relying on the merest outline vision of where the
road is, with local knowledge of where features (like bends) are.
I stuck to offroad for the homeward (westward) leg of the ride.

--
Nick Kew

Nick Kew composed the following ...

But BTDT tells me that visibility is even worse through a car windscreen,
especially one that's been splashed a bit from a dirty road. Some of
these drivers are relying on the merest outline vision of where the
road is, with local knowledge of where features (like bends) are.

You've not heard of tinted windows, sunscreens, sunglasses and the like
then?

Unless the sun is extremely low in the sky I don't see it in my Landrover.
the roof line is horizontal to my eyeline, so the sun has to be almost set
before it becomes a problem, then I drop the sunscreen. If the sun isn't
directly in my eyes I can see perfectly well.

Similar to riding with a peak on a cycling cap or helmet ..

--
Paul ...
http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php
(8(!) Homer Rules ...
"A tosser is a tosser, no matter what mode of transport they're using."

Paul - xxx wrote:
Nick Kew composed the following ...


But BTDT tells me that visibility is even worse through a car windscreen,
especially one that's been splashed a bit from a dirty road. Some of
these drivers are relying on the merest outline vision of where the
road is, with local knowledge of where features (like bends) are.


You've not heard of tinted windows, sunscreens, sunglasses and the like
then?

Unless the sun is extremely low in the sky I don't see it in my Landrover.
the roof line is horizontal to my eyeline, so the sun has to be almost set
before it becomes a problem, then I drop the sunscreen. If the sun isn't
directly in my eyes I can see perfectly well.

Similar to riding with a peak on a cycling cap or helmet ..


Judging by the number of prangs heading East on the M27 in the mornings
and the number of warnings the local radio station puts out about "low
sun", lots of drivers *haven't* heard of these innovations. Or the
radical idea of slowing down if they can't see where they're going.

In article ,
"Paul - xxx" writes:
Nick Kew composed the following ...

But BTDT tells me that visibility is even worse through a car windscreen,
especially one that's been splashed a bit from a dirty road. Some of
these drivers are relying on the merest outline vision of where the
road is, with local knowledge of where features (like bends) are.

You've not heard of tinted windows, sunscreens, sunglasses and the like
then?

What part of "Some of these drivers" do you have a problem with?

Unless the sun is extremely low in the sky

As is usual in mid-December.

I don't see it in my Landrover.
the roof line is horizontal to my eyeline, so the sun has to be almost set

As it was when I got home at about 3:55 p.m.

before it becomes a problem, then I drop the sunscreen. If the sun isn't
directly in my eyes I can see perfectly well.

Around here we have things called bends and hills, so it comes at you
from different angles. And the glare from wet roads is often worse
than the original.

--
Nick Kew

"Nick Kew" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Paul - xxx" writes:
Nick Kew composed the following ...

But BTDT tells me that visibility is even worse through a car
windscreen,
especially one that's been splashed a bit from a dirty road. Some of
these drivers are relying on the merest outline vision of where the
road is, with local knowledge of where features (like bends) are.

You've not heard of tinted windows, sunscreens, sunglasses and the like
then?

What part of "Some of these drivers" do you have a problem with?

Yep. Sadly the kind of mildly derogatory unnecessary comment by Paul-xxx
seems all too prevalent in Usenet these days.

Nick Kew composed the following ...
In article ,
"Paul - xxx" writes:
Nick Kew composed the following ...

But BTDT tells me that visibility is even worse through a car

What's BTDT ?

windscreen, especially one that's been splashed a bit from a dirty
road. Some of these drivers are relying on the merest outline vision
of where the
road is, with local knowledge of where features (like bends) are.

You've not heard of tinted windows, sunscreens, sunglasses and the like
then?

What part of "Some of these drivers" do you have a problem with?

None really, only with those who drive inappropriately. I guess I
mis-understood what you were saying. I apologise.

--
Paul ...
http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php
(8(!) Homer Rules ...
"A tosser is a tosser, no matter what mode of transport they're using."

Nick Kew wrote:
And the glare from wet roads is often worse than the original.

Although polarised sunglasses are very effective in reducing that
kind of glare, if people thought to wear them.

My biggest problem on the ride in this morning wasn't so much
the low sun as the fact my sunglasses steamed up completely every
time I stopped at traffic lights.....

Pete.

In article ,
(Pete Bentley) writes:

My biggest problem on the ride in this morning wasn't so much
the low sun as the fact my sunglasses steamed up completely every
time I stopped at traffic lights.....

I sense an altogether different environment. Nearest traffic lights
to here are in Tavistock, and that's not somewhere I normally go on
a purely-for-pleasure ride.

--
Nick Kew

On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 21:21:21 -0000, Paul - xxx wrote:

Nick Kew composed the following ...
In article ,
"Paul - xxx" writes:
Nick Kew composed the following ...

But BTDT tells me that visibility is even worse through a car

What's BTDT ?

Ishould think it's "been there done that," a shorter version of
BTDTBTTS

The best sun visor is a baseball cap - worn the right way round of
course. It goes where you look and never lets the sun in through the
gap where the rear view mirror is. Works equally well on bikes and
cars. The only problem is that it can sometimes make traffic lights
hard to see.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook composed the following ...
On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 21:21:21 -0000, Paul - xxx wrote:

Nick Kew composed the following ...
In article ,
"Paul - xxx" writes:
Nick Kew composed the following ...

But BTDT tells me that visibility is even worse through a car

What's BTDT ?

Ishould think it's "been there done that," a shorter version of
BTDTBTTS

Thanks.

The best sun visor is a baseball cap - worn the right way round of
course. It goes where you look and never lets the sun in through the
gap where the rear view mirror is. Works equally well on bikes and
cars. The only problem is that it can sometimes make traffic lights
hard to see.

Heheheh, any excuse ..


--
Paul ...
http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php
(8(!) Homer Rules ...
"A tosser is a tosser, no matter what mode of transport they're using."