Visible reflective strips

[SadieKate]

Perhaps, Mr. T could do a controlled environment shoot like the bike lights. That site is one of the best I know for really getting a comparison.

[SadieKate]

I'm bumping this thread because 1) I was making more observations last night and 2) it complements Denise's recent great thread about dusk/night visibility.

Watching Bubba last night, I noticed that the white reflective tape which appears to have the reflective material sprayed on such as this stuff from 3M is far more visible than the tapes (of any color) which look more like gel coating. My guess is that the 3M coating is really a bunch of little beads that catch light from all angles where the gel-type tapes require directly light from almost straight on. The reflective edges to zippers on tights and pipings on jackets seem to be very similar. The white spray-type tape just leapt out no matter what the light conditions while the gel-tapes came and went from sight.

[Bikingmomof3]

I checked other: White/Silver. Check for tape made from 3M scotchlite, it is wonderful.

[LBTC]

My commute is a 2.5km walk, completely in the dark in the winter. I cover whatever I'm wearing with my yellow goretex jacket from MEC that has the 3m Scotchlite strips all over it.

I was stopped once in my old town during my commute through a mill log yard. The guy in the truck stopped me, not to tell me I shouldn't be in there, but to tell me that my jacket was great - I lit up like a christmas tree! That jacket was the best birthday gift from my DH in a few years...

Happy night riding!
~T~

[HipGnosis6]

OK, for the record there are two different kinds of reflective material. There's the shiny kind and the usually-grey kind that's dull but lights up when hit the right way with light. The shiny kind (called open lens - it works just like the tiny parabolic dishes that form the reflectors on your wheels) tends to crack an be a bit stiff, but it's widely available as stickers and has a higher candle output than the other type.

The other type is glass-bead reflector. It's made of extremely small glass beads bonded onto a cloth backing. This is the ubiquitous ScotchLITE by 3M that you are all familiar with; it can be printed and is the basis for IllumiNITE as well, although instead of being glass beads, IlluminNITE is created with micropartles of mica. BEWARE - this type of reflector does not work when wet!!!!! A coating of water will stop the refraction properties of the glass beads. However, it's available as tape strip by the yard at most fabric stores and is easy to sew or glue on and is more flexible than the vinyl type. I've even bought reflectorized ripstop nylon at Seattle Fabrics. It's fun stuff.

I just found a site for a company that specializes in this stuff.... it's industrial (as in for manufacturers) but that's cool. They have reflective piping and elastic. AWESOME!!!

[jobob]

Watching Bubba last night, I noticed that the white reflective tape which appears to have the reflective material sprayed on such as this stuff from 3M is far more visible than the tapes (of any color) which look more like gel coating.

I just recently bought some of that same tape from TE, but in the pinstripe version. I put some on the front & back of Pokey's crankarms, on his fenders, & wrapped some on the fender stays. Looks good when I shine a light on it in the darkened garage but I haven't had a chance to go out on a night ride this week.

hmm, comparing the pictures of the 2 packages on the TE site, maybe that's not the same material. Oh well. Still seems pretty good.

[pll]

I have been looking for some good reflective tape, too, and in another forum I found a mention to 3M's "SOLAS" (Safety Of Life At Sea) tape. It is used in jackets, lifejackets, rafts, etc. There is also a version that can sowed on clothing. I am really curious about it. Anyone has tried it?