Not just hi-viz – tips for making yourself visible

Whether you're riding your bike in the dark, in heavy traffic or in poor conditions, making sure you're seen by other road users is important and definitely not an area to neglect.

Let's be honest, you've probably thought ‘I don’t want to dress in neon yellow or look like a Belisha beacon’, haven’t you? Well the good news is being visible doesn't always mean wrapping yourself head to toe in neon. There are plenty of other ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Rucksack covers

If you're commuting to work, chances are you'll have some light luggage with you – a change of clothes, sandwiches and a few other essential items. If you’re carrying these in a rucksack, a high-vis cover will not only protect your bag from the elements and ensure you have nice dry clothes to change into at the other end. It also doubles up as an unmistakeable attention-grabber to traffic approaching from behind.

Lights

This one goes without saying, doesn’t it? Whatever your budget, there's a set of lights to suit. From those bright enough to cut through the darkest of nights to flashing LEDs that clip on and off in seconds. There are lots of different bike lights on the market; here's our guide to choosing the right lights for you.

Gloves

Let’s face it, there’s little better than a warm pair of gloves when tackling the British winter on your bike. So why not maximise the visual impact of your digits by dressing them in a bright colour. Some cycling gloves come complete with reflective strips to help increase your visibility, especially when signalling.

Reflectors

By law, certain reflectors are essential. However, you can add always add more to your spokes, pedals or even add a reflective strip to your belt. If you don't fancy a super reflective belt, how about one of these nifty triangles on your back? Low cost and highly effective, reflectors will supplement your other kit to ensure you're catching vehicle headlights from all directions.

Little added extras

There are plenty more products on the market to help you stand out on your bike. Small and unobtrusive they may be, but they’ll certainly get you noticed. Also worth a try: LED arm strips, reflective slap bands, crossbar flares and light spurs.