mexredknee

Earlier this week I was at Panera Bread restaurant when I saw an older gentleman, admitted to being in his 60s, who had a bike with a curious red and white pole extending from the end of his left handlebar. After striking up a conversation he told me it helped drivers to see him and keep a recommended distance when they passed. The pole was a pipe of about 1" dia. and almost two feet long. I wish I had a picture.

My question to all here is do you think that this could aid in less car/bike accidents?

Do you think that this is something that you would travel with if it proved to save lives?

He told me he had been riding all his life and that in that time he had four major car/bike accidents, one of which gave him a bad hip.

His bike had several homemade devices: flashlight taped to the front for nighttime riding and a large basket on the back with two wheels to carry home groceries. The handlebar extension was another homemade device.

Forgive me if this is already out.
Thanks for your input.

barba

A two foot pole extending into traffic or waiting to snag something doesn't sound all that safe to me.

noisebeam

Especially if attached to handlebars. Crazy. Stupid.

The only somewhat acceptable would be attached to rear frame of bike (behind rider) and spring loaded with only enough tension to resist wind. It also must break away in case of snagging on something.

Al

ivegotabike

Noisebeam has it right, something realy flexible might not be too bad an idea

tomg

there have been approx 2 foot long fiberglass poles that held "slow" triangles on them (mounted from rear rack). good idea, but i had also heard that it made a targeted distance and drivers actually passed closer to the flag, closer to the bicycle driver.
i think this was presented in the early to mid 1980s...
be seen!

John E

I have thought about something similar, but it would have to be very flexible and attached to the rear rack, rather than to the handlebar, which as Al notes is just plain stupid.