The reflector debate

2

Comments

  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    I will be wearing my usual "High Visibility" gear for my trips up and down Maryhill Road, do you think I might be visible enough for cars to avoid me?

    tim2.jpg
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/index.php?cPath=25 :D
    4537512329_a78cc710e6_o.gif4537512331_ec1ef42fea_o.gif
  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=72

    YES!!! :D
    Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    irideredthebike wrote:
    I am not sure why you would remove reflectors unless it is to make room for lights

    Aesthetics, amirite?
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • moonio
    moonio Posts: 802
    I buy all my relective gear from beseenonabike they are great!
    I recently got some marine grade relective tape which I'm gonna fix to my pedals or crank arms. 8)
  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    moonio wrote:
    I buy all my relective gear from beseenonabike they are great!

    Ooh, they've some cool stuff. I'm particularly digging the solar-powered ankle lights. :D
    MTB commuter / 531c commuter / CR1 Team 2009 / RockHopper Pro Disc / 10 mile PB: 25:52 (Jun 2014)
  • the_hundredth_idiot
    the_hundredth_idiot Posts: 813
    will3 wrote:
    The Hundredth Idiot wrote:
    Have you tried buying reflectors, though? My bike came without them and I meant to put some on last winter - I asked in several bike shops and they looked at me as if I was a bit odd. :?

    Even places like wiggle and Evans don't seem to stock them even though they have a massive range of lights. I have found some reflectors online at Discount Bicycles - and, handily, they seemed to be based very near where I live - I think I'll pop in to stock up! :lol:

    My LBS gives them away, as does the local halfords

    Really? Well, I'm all for free stuff so will pop down to the local Halfords at the weekend.

    (And perhaps get some of those beads from beseenonabike for my son's Ridgeback Scoot! :lol: )
    Never be tempted to race against a Barclays Cycle Hire bike. If you do, there are only two outcomes. Of these, by far the better is that you now have the scalp of a Boris Bike.
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    The Hundredth Idiot wrote:
    will3 wrote:
    The Hundredth Idiot wrote:
    Have you tried buying reflectors, though? My bike came without them and I meant to put some on last winter - I asked in several bike shops and they looked at me as if I was a bit odd. :?

    Even places like wiggle and Evans don't seem to stock them even though they have a massive range of lights. I have found some reflectors online at Discount Bicycles - and, handily, they seemed to be based very near where I live - I think I'll pop in to stock up! :lol:

    My LBS gives them away, as does the local halfords

    Really? Well, I'm all for free stuff so will pop down to the local Halfords at the weekend.

    (And perhaps get some of those beads from beseenonabike for my son's Ridgeback Scoot! :lol: )

    Can't guarantee yours will, of course, but I approached it in a "where can I buy this" kind of way, and the chap brought out a great box full.
  • jimmypippa
    jimmypippa Posts: 1,712
    alfablue wrote:
    Hi Viz is really for daylight, Reflective for night time, they don't really work outside of these parameters, so ideally you have both.

    I always think day-glo is most useful in dusk, early evening, where it is dark enough that cars should have lights to be seen, but not dark enough that they need lights to see by.

    fluro-yellow works pretty well then.

    I do have a pretty rural part of my commute, including about a half-mile without street lighting. 6:30 am at the moment is when I feel that fluro-yellow is good.
    http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=6404
  • yesiamtom
    yesiamtom Posts: 11
    Is it possible to get reflective paint which is either Invisible or is a normal colour in the daylight?

    Id like to increase the visibility of my bike obviously but i dont really want to make it look cluttered and horrible, it is a fixie after all.
  • irideredthebike
    irideredthebike Posts: 21
    TheStone wrote:
    Reflectors on wheels seem pointless. When lit, they're great, but due to the angle the driver would see them it's unlikely that they'd avoid a crash.

    If you are crossing a side street on the far side of the road from a car, they will see you very well and very early with side reflectors and not enter the intersection, saving your life in the process.
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    yesiamtom wrote:
    Is it possible to get reflective paint which is either Invisible or is a normal colour in the daylight?

    Id like to increase the visibility of my bike obviously but i dont really want to make it look cluttered and horrible, it is a fixie after all.

    A bit like this?
    http://theredproject.com/brightbike/

    IIRC, the guy who did this originally tried with the reflective paint first, but found it was rubbish.

    I keep meaning to buy a sheet of the black stuff, you can get an A4 sheet of it for about a tenner, marketed by Respro as Black Diamond. It's actually 3M Scotchlite 680.

    Oh, or in tape form, here: http://www.beseenonabike.com/shopuk/pro ... cts_id=448
    4537512329_a78cc710e6_o.gif4537512331_ec1ef42fea_o.gif
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    irideredthebike wrote:
    TheStone wrote:
    Reflectors on wheels seem pointless. When lit, they're great, but due to the angle the driver would see them it's unlikely that they'd avoid a crash.

    If you are crossing a side street on the far side of the road from a car, they will see you very well and very early with side reflectors and not enter the intersection, saving your life in the process.
    Aye, I'm looking to get another to replace the one that's broken off - mainly because of how bright and obvious they looked on a cyclist that passed me the other day.
    4537512329_a78cc710e6_o.gif4537512331_ec1ef42fea_o.gif
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    I dug out the rear reflector that came with my P7 last night and fitted it onto the seat post. Next I'll order some stealth black reflective tape and stick some around the forks, the seat stays and the crank arms.

    Also want to get a reflective back pack cover but I read some poor reviews over the durability of the Hump ones so any recommendations appreciated.

    Will probably get some more lighting too - more to be seen than to see. Might even put the wheel reflectors on though maybe not too necessary on my route. Or maybe just reflective tape on the rims which would look cooler :lol:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    Hmm - I'm thinking repaint the Pompino in white (they look lovely on the On-One website), then tape it up with this to give a realistic zebra pattern - and at night, in headlights, it should invert!

    Sweet!
    Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...
  • R_T_A
    R_T_A Posts: 488
    Rolf F wrote:
    Also want to get a reflective back pack cover but I read some poor reviews over the durability of the Hump ones so any recommendations appreciated.

    I've got a Hump waterproof and been using it for over a year, 5 days a week. Although it's got some wear & tear (the 3M peeling a bit), it's still in pretty good nick.
    Giant Escape R1
    FCN 8
    "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
    - Terry Pratchett.
  • fury21
    fury21 Posts: 71
    sarajoy wrote:
    I keep meaning to buy a sheet of the black stuff, you can get an A4 sheet of it for about a tenner, marketed by Respro as Black Diamond. It's actually 3M Scotchlite 680
    You could try ebay.

    I got some sheets of black and blue reflective tape for just a a couple of quid. Cut some of it into small squares and voilà!

    3896024029_81edc9e16a_m.jpg


    [too much ambient light in that photo to get the full effect, but you get the idea]
    itsnotarace.org - SCR Rules & FCN Calculator
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    R_T_A wrote:
    I've got a Hump waterproof and been using it for over a year, 5 days a week. Although it's got some wear & tear (the 3M peeling a bit), it's still in pretty good nick.

    Would the peeling glue back? I'm pretty careful with my stuff so might be OK. You haven't been flattened by anything since you've been using the Hump??!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    Rolf F wrote:
    R_T_A wrote:
    You haven't been flattened by anything since you've been using the Hump??!

    Yeah - he has to type through a convoluted series of blinks and cheek-sucks now!!! :lol:
    Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...
  • choirboy
    choirboy Posts: 132
    sarajoy wrote:
    irideredthebike wrote:
    TheStone wrote:
    Reflectors on wheels seem pointless. When lit, they're great, but due to the angle the driver would see them it's unlikely that they'd avoid a crash.

    If you are crossing a side street on the far side of the road from a car, they will see you very well and very early with side reflectors and not enter the intersection, saving your life in the process.
    Aye, I'm looking to get another to replace the one that's broken off - mainly because of how bright and obvious they looked on a cyclist that passed me the other day.

    Not according to the Cyclecraft bible which basically says that if a car is close enough to see your wheel reflectors and it hasn't already stopped, you're toast.... On that basis mine are staying in the bin.

    Have however, ordered some nice "black in the day, white at night" sticker material to apply to my black chainstays, seatpost and forks.
  • tebbit
    tebbit Posts: 604
    Someone once smidsy'd a bus once!
  • fury21
    fury21 Posts: 71
    http://www.bikeglow.com/

    :lol:
    itsnotarace.org - SCR Rules & FCN Calculator
  • Coriander
    Coriander Posts: 1,326
    TommyEss wrote:
    Hmm - I'm thinking repaint the Pompino in white (they look lovely on the On-One website), then tape it up with this to give a realistic zebra pattern - and at night, in headlights, it should invert!

    Sweet!

    Is Pompino the style of bike? An Italian brand??????
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Coriander wrote:
    TommyEss wrote:
    Hmm - I'm thinking repaint the Pompino in white (they look lovely on the On-One website), then tape it up with this to give a realistic zebra pattern - and at night, in headlights, it should invert!

    Sweet!

    Is Pompino the style of bike? An Italian brand??????


    http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/?page_id=591

    you cunning linguist you :lol:
  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    To give it it's full title, it's an On-One Il Pompino - On-One is the manufacturer, and Il Pompino is the hilariously rude Italian model name... (google it with caution - it's basically Italian for fellatio - still, it's a helluva lot more subtle than Cove's Handjob and Stiffee)

    And now that you know that, your post takes on a whole new meaning...! :P
    Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    irideredthebike wrote:
    TheStone wrote:
    Reflectors on wheels seem pointless. When lit, they're great, but due to the angle the driver would see them it's unlikely that they'd avoid a crash.

    If you are crossing a side street on the far side of the road from a car, they will see you very well and very early with side reflectors and not enter the intersection, saving your life in the process.

    I agree, reflectors illuminate from a long way off and a driver's lights will pick out a cyclist's wheel reflectors from the side long before they reach the edge of a junction and if it's particularly dark, well before their lights can pick you out without reflectors. They look a bit dorky but they have their uses.
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • cee
    cee Posts: 4,553
    i like the look of that black tape that reflects white at night...

    seems to be the best of both worlds.....can't see it during the day....can see it at night! brilliant.
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    choirboy wrote:
    sarajoy wrote:
    irideredthebike wrote:
    TheStone wrote:
    Reflectors on wheels seem pointless. When lit, they're great, but due to the angle the driver would see them it's unlikely that they'd avoid a crash.

    If you are crossing a side street on the far side of the road from a car, they will see you very well and very early with side reflectors and not enter the intersection, saving your life in the process.
    Aye, I'm looking to get another to replace the one that's broken off - mainly because of how bright and obvious they looked on a cyclist that passed me the other day.

    Not according to the Cyclecraft bible which basically says that if a car is close enough to see your wheel reflectors and it hasn't already stopped, you're toast.... On that basis mine are staying in the bin.

    Have however, ordered some nice "black in the day, white at night" sticker material to apply to my black chainstays, seatpost and forks.

    Well that sounds like complete rubbish, for a start it would very much depend on the speed the driver was travelling at. Clean/shiny wheel reflectors illuminate very brightly from about 20-30 metres away, unless the vehicle was travelling at high speed, that's easily enough distance to stop or at least slow down.
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • TheStone
    TheStone Posts: 2,291
    Headhuunter wrote:
    choirboy wrote:
    sarajoy wrote:
    irideredthebike wrote:
    TheStone wrote:
    Reflectors on wheels seem pointless. When lit, they're great, but due to the angle the driver would see them it's unlikely that they'd avoid a crash.

    If you are crossing a side street on the far side of the road from a car, they will see you very well and very early with side reflectors and not enter the intersection, saving your life in the process.
    Aye, I'm looking to get another to replace the one that's broken off - mainly because of how bright and obvious they looked on a cyclist that passed me the other day.

    Not according to the Cyclecraft bible which basically says that if a car is close enough to see your wheel reflectors and it hasn't already stopped, you're toast.... On that basis mine are staying in the bin.

    Have however, ordered some nice "black in the day, white at night" sticker material to apply to my black chainstays, seatpost and forks.

    Well that sounds like complete rubbish, for a start it would very much depend on the speed the driver was travelling at. Clean/shiny wheel reflectors illuminate very brightly from about 20-30 metres away, unless the vehicle was travelling at high speed, that's easily enough distance to stop or at least slow down.

    But how slow would you need to be riding for it to make a difference? Once the car sees your reflectors, you're almost directly in front. If the car is 5m away you're dead. If the car is further away, you'd have ridden past directly in front so wouldn't get hit.
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  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Only circumstances I imagine wheel reflectors are useful is if you pull out in front of an approaching car. Possibly why they're not required by law.

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