http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html

An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's speed to 
other road users.

The high visibility Speed Vest is aimed at increasing road safety.

US inventor Brady Clark said it would boost safety by making motorists more 
aware of bikes.

The vest displays the wearer's speed on their backs in large, lighted 
numerals.

It uses a sensor on the wheel to send a signal to a microcontroller that 
calculates the speed and turns the numbers on and off on the vest.

The battery-operated vest can display a top speed of 70 miles per hour.

Mr Clark said: "The Speed Vest was invented because we were curious to know 
if putting more information in front of drivers might change their awareness 
of bicyclists.

"We suspect a lot of people don't realise that an average person can bike 
10-15 mph."

He said he thought the vest could encourage motorists to take up cycling if 
they realised they could pedal at relatively high speeds.

Mykle Hansen, who engineered the vest, said: "Interestingly, we've been 
contacted by runners who want to wear the vest in races. How we do the 
speedometer for that, I don't yet know, but it's great that people see this 
invention and come up with uses we couldn't have predicted."

The Speed Vest is currently only used to teach children about road safety 
but could be available to buy early next year.

Graham Harrison wrote:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html 
> 
> 
> An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's speed 
> to other road users.
[...]
> The battery-operated vest can display a top speed of 70 miles per hour.

I guess Sam Wittingham won't be buying one then.

Colin

Graham Harrison wrote:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html
>
> An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's
> speed to other road users.
>
> The high visibility Speed Vest is aimed at increasing road safety.
>
> US inventor Brady Clark said it would boost safety by making
> motorists more aware of bikes.
>
> The vest displays the wearer's speed on their backs in large, lighted
> numerals.

It would be interesting to see if it had any effect on motorists when you 
are cycling 20 mph in a 20 zone.

~PB

"Graham Harrison"  writes:

> An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's
> speed to other road users.

An interesting idea, and actually looks rather less dorky in the
picture than I was expecting from the article.  Kind of geek chic.

I have a vague concern that if most people don't know how far a mile
is ("zomg you cycled FIVE MILES??!!") they're unlikely to be able to
make any judgement about speeds either.  If the average safe(sic)speeders 
is unable to judge even their _own_ speed without continuously
watching the speedo, what hope do they have of assessing relative
speeds and whether it's safe to make a manoeuvre?  It'll  be "23?
that's less than 30, my divine right to overtake still applies and
this pinch point is just the place to do it".  One part of me says
that if it's uncertainty holding them back from doing something
potentially stupid I'd rather they were kept in the dark.

Plus I'd want mine in km/h so the numbers look bigger ;-)

-dan

On 17 Sep, 10:13, Daniel Barlow  wrote:
> "Graham Harrison"  writes:
> > An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's
> > speed to other road users.
>
> An interesting idea, and actually looks rather less dorky in the
> picture than I was expecting from the article.  Kind of geek chic.
>
> I have a vague concern that if most people don't know how far a mile
> is ("zomg you cycled FIVE MILES??!!") they're unlikely to be able to
> make any judgement about speeds either.  If the average safe(sic)speeders
> is unable to judge even their _own_ speed without continuously
> watching the speedo, what hope do they have of assessing relative
> speeds and whether it's safe to make a manoeuvre?  It'll  be "23?
> that's less than 30, my divine right to overtake still applies and
> this pinch point is just the place to do it".  One part of me says
> that if it's uncertainty holding them back from doing something
> potentially stupid I'd rather they were kept in the dark.
>
> Plus I'd want mine in km/h so the numbers look bigger ;-)
>
> -dan

It would be better fitted to an elastic back pack cover.

Sniper8052

On Sep 17, 10:13 am, Daniel Barlow  wrote:
> One part of me says
> that if it's uncertainty holding them back from doing something
> potentially stupid I'd rather they were kept in the dark.


I tend to find that the most stupid/careless road users (of all types)
are not those behind, but those in front ("oh, it's 'only' a bike,
I'll pull out of the side road not in front of it").  If I had this
clothing item, I'd have to wear it back to front!

PhilD

--
<><

Graham Harrison wrote, On 17/09/2008 09:32:
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html 
> 
> 
> An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's speed 
> to other road users.


It would be more useful to have these on the backs of motor vehicles, 
then we can easily spot which drivers are breaking the law.

LN

PhilD  writes:

> I tend to find that the most stupid/careless road users (of all types)
> are not those behind, but those in front ("oh, it's 'only' a bike,
> I'll pull out of the side road not in front of it").  If I had this
> clothing item, I'd have to wear it back to front!

I had that thought too, but then it occured to me that "overtake too
close" and the classic "left hook" were both counterexamples - or at
least examples of careless road users who _started_ their manoeuvre
when still behind me, so it might do some good.  I remain sceptical,
of course

I don't think a clueless road user waiting at a side road is going to
look at your jersey for long enough to read the number - if he did
wait that long, he'd have a fairly good qualitative idea of how fast
you were approaching.  It's the ones who just see the silhouette and
think "only a cyclist, not a threat" who do the silly things.  No kind
of numerology is going to fix that.


-dan

"lardyninja"  wrote in message 
news:gaqkeb$hob$1@aioe.org...
> Graham Harrison wrote, On 17/09/2008 09:32:
>> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html 
>> An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's speed 
>> to other road users.
>
>
> It would be more useful to have these on the backs of motor vehicles, then 
> we can easily spot which drivers are breaking the law.
>
> LN
>
>


Whether someone is "breaking the law" is of no importance. What matters is 
whether they pose a threat or hazard to others. (I presume you can 
distinguish the two.)

Light of Aria wrote:
> Whether someone is "breaking the law" is of no importance.

IANAL, but that doesn't sound quite right to me...

Bob

In article <87fxnzks83.fsf@toy.config>, Daniel Barlow wrote:
>PhilD  writes:
>
>> I tend to find that the most stupid/careless road users (of all types)
>> are not those behind, but those in front ("oh, it's 'only' a bike,
>> I'll pull out of the side road not in front of it").  If I had this
>> clothing item, I'd have to wear it back to front!
>
>I had that thought too, but then it occured to me that "overtake too
>close" and the classic "left hook" were both counterexamples - or at
>least examples of careless road users who _started_ their manoeuvre
>when still behind me, so it might do some good.  I remain sceptical,
>of course

It would also be interesting to see if it had any effect on the number 
of people prepared to cross double white lines to overtake a cyclist 
doing more than 10mph.  I too remain sceptical.

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:04:48 +0100, "Light of Aria"
 said in
<gaqkl7$kb4$1@energise.enta.net>:

>Whether someone is "breaking the law" is of no importance. What matters is 
>whether they pose a threat or hazard to others. (I presume you can 
>distinguish the two.)

No importance?  None at all?  Welcome to the anarchist utopia...

Guy
-- 
May contain traces of irony.  Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:04:48 +0100
"Light of Aria"  wrote:

> 
> "lardyninja"  wrote in message 
> news:gaqkeb$hob$1@aioe.org...
> > Graham Harrison wrote, On 17/09/2008 09:32:
> >> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html 
> >> An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's
> >> speed to other road users.
> >
> >
> > It would be more useful to have these on the backs of motor
> > vehicles, then we can easily spot which drivers are breaking the
> > law.
> 
> Whether someone is "breaking the law" is of no importance. What
> matters is whether they pose a threat or hazard to others. (I presume
> you can distinguish the two.)
> 
> 
Anyone driving above the speed limit poses a hazard to other road
users, who have every right to expect not to encounter a motor vehicle
travelling at that speed unless it's showing flashing blue lights and
sounding a two-tone horn.

Pete Biggs wrote:
> Graham Harrison wrote:

> > The vest displays the wearer's speed on their backs in large, lighted
> > numerals.
>
> It would be interesting to see if it had any effect on motorists when you
> are cycling 20 mph in a 20 zone.

Don't be silly. The big flashing "Slow Down" sign doesn't, so why
should a cyclist's vest?

--
Dave...

Daniel Barlow wrote:

> It'll  be "23? that's less than 30, my divine right to overtake still
> applies and this pinch point is just the place to do it".

The thought process is less complicated than that, and relative speed
has nothing to do with it. A driver finding himself behind a cyclist
must overtake immediately regardless of other considerations. This
applies even when the cyclist is part of a line of slow moving
traffic. See "Golden Rule".

--
Dave...

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008, Robert Johnstone wrote:

> Light of Aria wrote:
>> Whether someone is "breaking the law" is of no importance.
>
> IANAL, but that doesn't sound quite right to me...

Well, quite. If you *were* a lawyer, you'd know full well it was true!

tom

-- 
inspired by forty-rod whiskey

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:32:43 +0100, Graham Harrison wrote:

> "We suspect a lot of people don't realise that an average person can bike 
> 10-15 mph."

And many cruise at double that speed.  Agree completely that many other
people have no idea how fast you are going (be that on a bike or when
driving a car) but also it's at least as much of a problem with oncoming
traffic.

Nifty gadget though.

peter

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:32:43 +0100
"Graham Harrison"  wrote:

> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html

 
> The battery-operated vest can display a top speed of 70 miles per
> hour.

<old joak>
So Alan Holmes will be sending his back then.
</old joak>


-- 
Mark, UK

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:13:45 +0100
Daniel Barlow  wrote:

> Plus I'd want mine in km/h so the numbers look bigger ;-)

Just put another sensor on the wheel.  :-D

-- 
Mark, UK

"Pete Biggs"  wrote in 
message news:6jbvgaF2f1vuU1@mid.individual.net...
> Graham Harrison wrote:
>> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2969296/Cycling-vest-shows-how-fast-you-are-pedalling.html
>>
>> An inventor has created a cycling vest that displays its wearer's
>> speed to other road users.
>>
>> The high visibility Speed Vest is aimed at increasing road safety.
>>
>> US inventor Brady Clark said it would boost safety by making
>> motorists more aware of bikes.
>>
>> The vest displays the wearer's speed on their backs in large, lighted
>> numerals.
>
> It would be interesting to see if it had any effect on motorists when you 
> are cycling 20 mph in a 20 zone.
>
> ~PB
>

I wondered if people exceeding, say, 20 in a 20 zone, would then be the 
target of "stop speeding" epithets.

On Sep 17, 11:46 am, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
 wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:04:48 퍝, "Light of Aria"
>  said in
> <gaqkl7$kb...@energise.enta.net>:
>
> >Whether someone is "breaking the law" is of no importance. What matters is
> >whether they pose a threat or hazard to others. (I presume you can
> >distinguish the two.)
>
> No importance?  None at all?  Welcome to the anarchist utopia...

FUCKWIT

naked_draughtsman  wrote:

> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:32:43 +0100, Graham Harrison wrote:
> 
> > "We suspect a lot of people don't realise that an average person can bike
> > 10-15 mph."
> 
> And many cruise at double that speed.  Agree completely that many other
> people have no idea how fast you are going (be that on a bike or when
> driving a car) but also it's at least as much of a problem with oncoming
> traffic.
> 
well quite, on the flat, or if one is feeling frisky even on the heavy
town bike i can be going around the 20 mph mark

> Nifty gadget though.
> 
> peter

roger
-- 
www.rogermerriman.com