Reflectors - to keep or not to keep?

[Eden]

Oh, I should have been more clear. I was thinking reflective stickers on the seat stays...

Reflective sticker on the seat stays are *very* effective. One of the guys last year had orange reflective tape on his front fork and seat stays. He was probably the most visible thing all night. - Oh yeah, we also noticed that colored reflective tape was better than plain silver, which can just look like a reflection.

[kacie tri-ing]

I love those hokey spokes! Talk about visible! I showed my DH those, and he was ready to order me tons of them (I commute in the dark every morning).

Happy commutes!

[Aggie_Ama]

My husband thinks his commuter bike doesn't need anymore lights or reflectors. It is far from looking like a Christmas tree *sigh*. He can be such a PITA!!!!

[SadieKate]

That's why the reflective sidewalls are so nice. Stealth reflectors.

[kfergos]

How getting about getting really creative and using ultra reflective 3M "Diamond Grade" to make some reflective spoke cards. It comes in 4 or 5 colors and can be easily cut - in fact you can get precut reflective stickers right here on this web site.

Where can you get the uncut 3M reflective tape? My experience with pre-cut reflective stickers is that they just don't stick very well on rounded surfaces (such as bike tubes) or of course fabric. Is the 3M diamond grade stuff stickier than the pre-cut stuff, too?

[SadieKate]

Um, you know TE does sell stuff?

http://www.teamestrogen.com/product/...ter=price-desc

[Becky]

Um, you know TE does sell stuff?

http://www.teamestrogen.com/product/...ter=price-desc

Thoe Fun Reflectors stick quite well, almost too well! Clean the area first with something like isopropyl alcohol, and those things won't move!

[kfergos]

Um, you know TE does sell stuff?

http://www.teamestrogen.com/product/...ter=price-desc

Really?!!

Hehe seriously...they sell only stickers, not actual rolls of hard-core reflective tape like you see on semi trucks and so forth. Much as I'd like to put red reflective hearts on my bike, I think something more eye-catching might be good...

[BethG]

Reflectors may be brighter than a light, but they're only visible if light from something else hits it. At the right angle.

Not saying scrap them, but if you're on a road at night, lights/flashers are the way to go.

http://sheldonbrown.com/reflectors.html

[Flur]

After reading the posts in this thread and a number of others that came up in my search, I've concluded that to be seen it's good to have a lot of both. That's the route I'm going.

I know that 3 hokey spokes per wheel are needed to have consistent color all the way around the wheel, but I would think one is enough to been noticeable to drivers. Has anyone tried with just one per wheel?

[SadieKate]

Really?!!

Hehe seriously...they sell only stickers, not actual rolls of hard-core reflective tape like you see on semi trucks and so forth. Much as I'd like to put red reflective hearts on my bike, I think something more eye-catching might be good...

No, they don't. They sell long strips of 3M Tape under the Joglite brand. I know so. I've bought it from them and it's still listed on the website.

Try looking at "view all" or page 2.

[SadieKate]

Here: http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodJL_49040.html

And here: http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodJL_49060.html

[SadieKate]

After reading the posts in this thread and a number of others that came up in my search, I've concluded that to be seen it's good to have a lot of both. That's the route I'm going.

Except for hokey spokes, lights don't show very well from the side. I've seen riders that looked liked Xmas trees from front and rear from the lights, but turned to cross the road and disappeared. I agree, you need both.

I think you have to judge how much of each to place front/rear and on the sides based on your riding conditions. No street lights can mean fewer lights are needed but reflectors don't work. Lots of street lights may mean you need more of everything.

[Eden]

Reflectors may be brighter than a light, but they're only visible if light from something else hits it. At the right angle.

Not saying scrap them, but if you're on a road at night, lights/flashers are the way to go.

http://sheldonbrown.com/reflectors.html

I don't think anyone is saying go out without any flashers and while it is true that reflectors only work at a certain angle a number of reflectors at different places on a bike are WAY more effective than any flashing light I've ever seen. Flashers tend to only be very visible in no light situations. If you ride like me, mainly in city conditions with street lights and lots of cars, flashers tend to disappear - even the ultra bright one. And of course it also runs true that flashers are also only visible if they are placed well, not blocked and many are only viewable from certain angles.......the same as reflectors.

A bunch of us tested lots of our own different set ups last year, both in true dark (well as close as you can get in a city) and with car/suv headlights, with the headlights behind and from the side - many of us were quite concerned about being visible to cars not just from the front and rear, but especially from the side. We made some surprising observations. I'll tell you flashers alone really don't cut it. I was quite surprised at how dim my very bright flashies looked from even a modest distance (I have 4 - 2 Knogs on my messenger bag, a very bright taillight and Cateye led front flasher). Even the Planet Bike Superflash is nothing compared to well placed reflectors.

[Eden]

Where can you get the uncut 3M reflective tape? My experience with pre-cut reflective stickers is that they just don't stick very well on rounded surfaces (such as bike tubes) or of course fabric. Is the 3M diamond grade stuff stickier than the pre-cut stuff, too?

There are places online of course that sell it. I'm not sure the diamond grade comes as tape - it comes as sheets and pieces that are about 4x6 or maybe 3.5x5 (which is what made me think of spoke cards). My husband got some sheets at the hardware store in the mailbox/house number section. It is very sticky. He has some on the seat stays of his bike and it hasn't budged. I have some on my buddy flap and fender that has stuck for a whole year fine too.

We have a fabric store around here that sells technical fabrics. (like Cordura, nylon for making tents - Gortex type materials, neoprene) They also have a huge selection of reflective items. They have iron on, sew on and self stick tapes and sew in reflective piping.