Commuting - Reflective tape

I'm no fan of plastic reflectors (they break get lost etc) I was just wondering if any of the rest of you use any kind of reflective tape and if so what kind? I found some at Radio Shack (of all places) that's pretty darn nice. It's Hi-Viz Orange and reflects mostly white light. Its a LOT brighter than any other tape that I've seen. Stock number is 64-2357 sells for $0.97 but is discontinued so if you find it buy it! there won't be more.http://www.deltars.com.eg/ProductCatalog/ProductImage/64/6402357.jpg

A good place to put this tape is between the spokes on the rim. Only cover one side of the rim for best results. I believe i picked up this trick on the forums, i have sense added some red tape to my commuter bike. It works wonders! I feel alot more safe riding my bike with the tape. Even if it does look a little dorky! ;)

I tried some tape from the bikeshop with little effect, but following a previous thread on here I got some far better stuff from my local auto parts store, both in white and red.

Shows up great under headlights, but I wouldn't ride without full lights as well.


Richard

i have used reflective tape for various parts for bicycling... the most common i think is putting it on fenders, the seat post and my backpacks. i have reflective tape all over all of my backpacks as well as my helmet.

i use a combination of mostly reflective tape (sometimes sewn on pinned on), velcro reflective bands (like the ones that also keep your jeans our of the chain) and lights with very few normal reflectors.

I hven't done it yet. But, a friend of mine uses reflective tape around the heel of his shoes. Since his feet move while pedaling and the tape wraps around the heel it can be seen easily from front and rear as well as on the sides. Seems like a good idea.

When I last had my bike in the shop, I had them put on reflective bar tape. I notice that the reflective stuff has rubbed off fairly quickly near the hoods where I normally rest my hands, but the rest of it looks great. Plus the stripey pattern is eye-catching.

I also found a pair of gloves with illuminite backs, good for making hand signals at night.

Plus the light and a blinky on my back pack. Seems like the more I commute, the more reflective/shiny stuff I put on.

I don't currently have any reflective anything on the front of my bike. I do have a 32w light system, so I think that takes care of most of it.

As for the rear, I currently have a 6 LED blinking red light (I'm waiting for my 19 led NR taillight to come in), some white reflective tape on my helmet and some white tape on my rear fender. Also, one reflector in each wheel.

I plan to add that NR taillight, a real rear reflector, and I like that idea about the tape inside the wheel.

Originally posted by Joe Gardner
A good place to put this tape is between the spokes on the rim. Only cover one side of the rim for best results.

Thanks for the tip. I hate the plastic reflectors. I will try this the next chance I get.:D

Originally posted by Joe Gardner
A good place to put this tape is between the spokes on the rim. Only cover one side of the rim for best results. I believe i picked up this trick on the forums, i have sense added some red tape to my commuter bike. It works wonders! I feel alot more safe riding my bike with the tape. Even if it does look a little dorky! ;) Just to clarify a little you mean on the slightly peaked area between the spokes not overlapping onto the braking surface. Another technique for this is to put four or five evenly spaced sections on that surface.

Hey guys! Been lurking in your forum for a little while now. I've been pondering the commute thing and still working out how I want to tackle it, but I'm rambling....

I wanted to post about the reflective stuff. In case you don't know (and from reading some of the posts, I'm thinking some don't), what you want is retroreflective stuff, not reflective. We talk about this in motorcycle safety classes I teach. The retroreflective material is designed to send almost all incoming light right back to the source. Obviously when the source is headlights, you want the light reflected back at them (duh!). Reflective material behaves more like a mirror, in that the light is reflected at an angle that is equal to angle at which it strikes the surface (angle of incidence). Although some will go back towards the vehicle, it'll never come even close to retroreflective. Just my $0.02

As I stated in some other threads, I have a eternaLight with 4 white LEDs set to blink mode for my forward attention grabber. For the folks who approach me from the rear, my Burley trailer has a wide silver reflective strip, I hang two automobile yellow reflectors from the back flap, I have two red 7-LEDs set to blink on the rear bumper of the trailer and to cap it off, I just added an eternaLight Raven to my helmet. It is rear facing and I set it to a wild blink mode. A picture of this light is shown below. Friends who have recently passed me on dark sections of road said I look like a freaking accident from a distance with all these lights.

Following recent posts on this subject I bought a 40" strip of white reflective tape. I cut it into 2" strips and put 9 on each wheel between the spokes. Since I have fairly deep section rims, this provides reflection to both the back and the sides. This makes me feel more secure now that I have to ride home in the dark. I have blinkies front and back and a low power light at the front.

I notice that pedal reflectors are very visible, but none of the clipless pedals seem to make any provision for reflectors. Perhaps reflective tape on the cranks would have the same effect.

Originally posted by KleinRider
Hey guys! Been lurking in your forum for a little while now. I've been pondering the commute thing and still working out how I want to tackle it, but I'm rambling....

I wanted to post about the reflective stuff. In case you don't know (and from reading some of the posts, I'm thinking some don't), what you want is retroreflective stuff, not reflective. We talk about this in motorcycle safety classes I teach. The retroreflective material is designed to send almost all incoming light right back to the source. Obviously when the source is headlights, you want the light reflected back at them (duh!). Reflective material behaves more like a mirror, in that the light is reflected at an angle that is equal to angle at which it strikes the surface (angle of incidence). Although some will go back towards the vehicle, it'll never come even close to retroreflective. Just my $0.02 Duly noted and assimilated. The stuff in my first post is retro reflective as it's packaging states that it performs the function defined above. :crash:

Hello all,

Hello all,
I work in a truck equipment shop (real job, to pay the bills) The best tape is the red and white tape required on the backs of trucks and trailers. Its not cheap around four bucks a foot. But I pick up the scrap pieces and save them. I have covered entire bike frames with the stuff, it cheapper then repainting! You can do a really cool candy cane effect with the stuff. I use it on my better bikes. On the fenders and seat struts on the bents. I also have an older helmut thats covered with this stuff. Only draw back is once you stick it on the bike thats it...its stuck. It also make a great paint protector, put it under the cables to keep them from rubbing off the paint.

Lights, reflectors and horn! Still some brain dead dink will look right though you....

Reflective tape! (http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/9.19.html)

Originally posted by bentbaggerlen
.... The best tape is the red and white tape required on the backs of trucks and trailers. ....


This is basically what I have installed on my rear fender. Instead of 6"-long sections, I have cut it in 3"-long sections alternating red and white. It improves a bit nighttime visibility, but it is quite effective on dark days. My 2 large SAE amber reflectors and my large red SEA reflector do more for nighttime visibility.

Of course, when I ride at night, I also have front and rear lights.

Originally posted by tchazzard
As I stated in some other threads, I have a eternaLight with 4 white LEDs set to blink mode for my forward attention grabber.

That is a cool light. I just gotta know where you got it.

I place reflective tape everywhere possible.. I have reflective straps about my ankles. My bike shoes have a reflective strip about the heel..
Those who know me say they have seen me for about a mile down the road and say the circling motion of the feet is a real eye catcher.. I put reflective straps about my wrists and helmet.. I wear a reflective fest over my jacket, just like motor cyclists wear.
I have a small reflective blinking light that attaches to my helmet.. Plus I have a reflective light attached to my wear rack on my oldest road bike.. In addition of course as required I have a dual beam headlight, both 10 w bulbs that can last for five hours on a full charge. I think you can't be bright enough at night..

I have purchased all of my ethernaLights from the LED Associates. Their web site is:

http://www.theledlight.com/

The folks who make the eternaLights are Technology Associates. They can be found at:

http://www.techass.com/

These are truly incredible lights. They do not have focused beams, so not good for seeing far out in front. But they use microprocessors to strobe the LEDs, allowing for very birght light, while allowing for very efficient use of batteries.

Enjoy!

:thumbup: Holy crap,A taillight that plays 12 diffrent games cool light.

Hi,
I have a big order coming from these guys...
http://www.glowdog.com/reflect.htm
The t-shirts in the outlet store look like a great buy; and for $22 the chest reflector looks like it would work better than most (and could simply be left in the pannier for when you need it).

I wear reflective ankle bands, have reflective patches on the heels of my shoes, reflective dangly bits on my Timbuk2 bag, a reflective vest, and the legally required reflectors on my wheels, back and front (not on the pedals - I use spd). I also have two rear lights, (one flashing, one steady) and two front lights (same arrangement). The things around my ankles are the things that make me feel safest. When I'm driving that's what really catches my eye on other cyclists.

Ellie