Trail marking arrows

[F5 Dave]

To event organisers

This is a bit of a request as I can't think of where else to do it.

a week back I did the

St Terresa school charity South Wairarapa

run by the school I think with some support from a bike club I assume, but not obvious who that club was.


Anywhoo, it was a great ride & well run, but the trail arrows were Red. About 8% of males are colour blind to some extent. That means in a ride of 300 people about 24 of us are missing the arrows unless you chance upon them. I virtually couldn't see them until I almost hit them & nearly ran a bunch over. And I'm only 'to some extent'.

A bit of paint on the arrows in, any-other-colour, say Yellow, or orange, or maybe Blue, that would be good, nothing natural is Blue.

Anyone know which club ran that event (or supplied the arrows?). I should have found someone afterwards but only saw people helping on the stalls so no point mentioning it to them.

[FlangMasterJ]

How about braille?

[takitimu]

When we were doing events we ran red arrows, but tried to always have them sticking away from whatever they were attached to. Blue doesn't work to good if the background is sky.

I do think arrowing is a bit of an art, one of the reasons why I like Waitemata/Endless events & the Enduro series vs Trail rides up here ( some like Mike J's & Gary Sands are great, but it's the exception ).

[F5 Dave]

How about braille?
So by making fun of my disability you are insinuating that my eyesight is bad? Is that the joke? <_<

With my contacts on its better than 20/20.

and you're a twat.

[takitimu]

F5, Question, how easy to follow the arrows if they are red & you can see the shapes ? or to your point would a different coloured spot from a aerosol can in the middle of the arrow be significantly better ?.

[F5 Dave]

A spot of non natural colour would be good.

Most colour blind people have red-green issues, thus red arrows blend into green backgrounds, like grass, so it doesn't matter what shape they are they blend into the background & there's a lot of grass. If it was red or green & attached to a tree we would see it just fine.

An interesting fact I've recently learnt; there is evidence some colour blind people see better in the dark and/or can spot certain camo patterns from the background better. odd.

[scott411]

always used orange arrows anyway, and i have to admit dazzle painted orange arrows are easier to see than orange coloured flutboard ones, i always painted ones i thought where important, or where in the shade when marking rides,

[FlangMasterJ]

So by making fun of my disability you are insinuating that my eyesight is bad? Is that the joke? <_<

With my contacts on its better than 20/20.

and you're a twat.

It was a joke.

[FlangMasterJ]

Okay a serious response. Why not just have a black arrow on a square white background?

Different shape background for degree of difficulty.


Much cheaper to produce than a die cut arrow.

[Blagger]

+1 for orange flouro - I went to the Ruby Red Ride at Orongorongo Station and their arrows were easy to see

The upside-down marking flouro paint sprayed on the odd intruding branch and stump has saved my ass a few times.

Given that red-green colourblindness mostly affects males and given that most rides I've seen are %80 + sausage parties it's a reasonable issue

[CHOPPA]

I dont understand colour blindness so this may sound ignorant.... (whats new)

Is red always the colour that is effected?

If something is red can you not see it or is it just another colour?

[Ocean1]

Is red always the colour that is effected?

No, but it's the most common one. Can't see much difference between red and green is common, unfortunately.

[Fryin Finn]

Hey Dave do you want to come and paint yellow bits on our red arrows for the next moonshine ride

[scott411]

Okay a serious response. Why not just have a black arrow on a square white background?

Different shape background for degree of difficulty.


Much cheaper to produce than a die cut arrow.

i have never heard of any club die cutting arrows, stanley knife works as good as anything, to cut up a sheet of flute board is not that hard and they are waterproof, we got given some cardbaord arrows once but they did not handle the wind that well, and did not stand out like flute board did,

we never really used red arrows, and this is the first i have heard it brought up about colour blindness, something to think about tho

[F5 Dave]

Hey Dave do you want to come and paint yellow bits on our red arrows for the next moonshine ride
Well I would if I wanted to ride Moonshine, but I don't.

[Flicks]

Orange would be the best colour. I work with a guy who is colour blind and he cant tell the difference between pink and green timber in building.
He said most of the time he cant see red/pink.