6 Amazing Pieces of High Visibility Cycling Gear

Refresh your grip on visibility by wrapping this neon-yellow tape around your bars—it’s hand-stitched, with a layer of shock-absorbing EVA foam. Your hands will love the ride, and most importantly, you won’t go unnoticed on the road.

Price: $40
Info: supacaz.com

With their unique oversized design, POC Octal helmets are hard to miss. Add into the mix this ‘Zink Orange’ color palette, and you’ll be rolling with what looks like the flaming tip of a matchstick on your head.

The Octal’s striking orange color is the basis of POC’s AVIP collection. The company’s research has shown that fluorescent orange (as part of a color palate that also includes ‘optic white’ and ‘navy black’) is the most effective color for catching the attention of approaching motorists, by optimizing visibility and contrast in both natural and urban environments.

Price: $320 at Competitive Cyclist
Info: pocsports.com

The Reflect360 marries form and function, offering a technical cycling vest with a twist. While featuring all the usual benefits (a wind-proof front panel to block cold air, a perforated rear panel to exhaust hot air, as well as zippered storage pockets), its stand-out feature is the ability to change from a matte gray color in daylight to an astonishingly bright silver when caught in a car’s headlights at night. The Reflect360 material uses millions of minuscule but highly reflective glass beads to maximize reflectivity.

Also available in the Proviz range is the Switch gilet  ($99), which is reversible, offering fluoro yellow on one side for daytime visibility and Reflect360 material on the other for after-dark awareness.

Price: $95 at Amazon
Info: provizsports.com

When we think of visibility, often we focus only on catching the attention of drivers approaching from the front and rear. What about cars closing in from the side?

Specialized’s commuter bike models—Sirrus for men, and Vita for women—are all fitted with 700x32c Specialized Nimbus reflective tires, with a band of reflective material that runs the full diameter. The aim is for drivers’ headlights to illuminate the tires at intersections.

Specialized also makes the Infinity Armadillo Reflect tire ($50), which also features a reflective band. But conveniently, it’s compatible with 29er rims, making it an excellent slick tire for your mountain bike.

Price: $30
Info: specialized.com

For mountain bikers looking to be seen, CamelBak produces three hydration packs—the HydroBak, Classic, and Rogue—in an attention-grabbing lime-green color palette.

It’s an ideal color to have on your back when an approaching motorist needs help seeing you riding on or alongside the asphalt. Like all CamelBaks, the Rogue pack featured here sports reflective strips that sparkle in front of headlights.

Buy it Now: Hydrobak, $48.95 at Competitive Cyclist; Classic, $58.95 at Competitive Cyclist; Rogue, $69.95 at Competitive Cyclist
Info: camelbak.com

DeFeet, best known for its dizzyingly broad range of socks, also offers a host of super-bright, eye-catching, fluoro-colored arm warmers, gloves, and shoe covers that truly stand out on the road.

They may not match any of your cycling outfits—but in fact, that’s exactly the point: Their loudness creates contrast between you and your surroundings to maximize your visibility.

         RELATED: 5 More Pieces of High-Vis Gear We’re Not Embarrassed to Wear

Buy it Now: $12.99 at Competitive Cyclist
Info: defeet.com

This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of Bicycling in South Africa.