For a long time I have felt that it’s not super safe for me to be out and about mountain biking with others on the trail unaware that i’m visually impaired.
In the city, we have white canes, specifically Identity Canes that allow visually impaired people to identify ourselves as visually impaired, but what about on single-track mountain bike trails?
My thinking was this. I am not fast, the biggest danger is likely to be riders coming up behind me, especially if I hit a bright sun to shade patch where my eyes can’t adjust quickly to the change in lighting.
So, I need something that can grab people’s attention quickly, then communicates a message quickly.
After a few design ideas and concepts, my friends pointed out that i’m likely to be wearing a water-backpack at most events, so it’s effectively the space under the pack on my lower back that would be most visible.
A friend referred me to Champion System (thanks Sara) as a good company for getting custom athletic clothes made. Sure enough, after getting in touch with a company representative who also rides a Chromag MTB, and a few design edits, I am getting ready to have my final jersey put into production.
I’ll share more details on the final product, design concept, and design process later, I just had to share a preview for now.
*** update – the shirts are now in, check them out here
Riding Blind 