Advocacy & Safety - Anyone else use 3M reflective tape?

I got a friend that works for a sign company. He gave a scrap sheet of blue 3m reflective tape. It was scrap from making decals for police cars. I put it on my bike, and it works better than the reflectors that come on bikes. I was only wondering if anyone else uses this stuff to see how long it kept on their bike.

I work for a 3M distributor and I use 3M reflective tape on all of my bikes.

It's great stuff for that use. There are many colors so it won't be so obvious to everyone that you have -gasp!- reflectors on your bike. The red is almost an exact match the Cannondale viper red. If you didn't look close, you wouln't know it was there.

The best was when I got a roll of black reflective tape and wrapped my entire frame with it. It reflects silver and at night it would just light up like crazy when hit with headlights. The guys at the shop loved it so I got some for them too.

Try a local auto parts or auto paint store, they can get it for you.

I have used it for many years. I am partial to the red-and-white striped pattern.

So, yall have had little problems with it staying?

No problems so far with sticking, even after extensive washing. I couldn't get the cheap yellow reflective tape I picked up from the bikeshop to stick, but the stuff from the car parts store works well.

Richard

Thanks for the tip. :beer: I'll have to stop by the auto parts store and check it out.


I've always used the yellow stuff that you get at bike shops. It doesn't stick very well and starts peeling in cold weather and when wet. I even tried heating it with a hair dryer to make the adhesive a little stickier.

This thread caught my curiosity so a quick search resulted in

Cyberglow (http://www.cyberglow.co.uk)

I wonder if they can make a Bike Forums design or least a design for cyclists

You know the stuff is good and I work for a 3M distributor but man that stuff is expensive you can fing products that are just as good for a lot less dough

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17469&highlight=reflective+Tape

Years from now, some bicycle collector is going to cursing as he works with hair dryers and solvents to get that old tape off.:D

Originally posted by mike
Years from now, some bicycle collector is going to cursing as he works with hair dryers and solvents to get that old tape off.:D
That's why the first place I put it is the vertical supports of my rear rack. I also like to put it on cranks and pedals.

Originally posted by John E

That's why the first place I put it is the vertical supports of my rear rack. I also like to put it on cranks and pedals.

Sadly, the next guy to get the bikes probably won't notice that there is not any reflective tape and think, "God bless that previous owner who did not put on reflector tape and who DID grease the seat post and stem".

Anybody remember "hot dots?"

Whatever happened to those?

John

I found these DOT approved stick on reflectors at Walmart. They're for trailers and what not. They're kind of stiff and do not conform to curves. So I had to get creative with them. I put some 3M reflective tape on my old bike and It was a pain to remove when I sold the bike. This stuff comes off easier, as it has a hard backing on it. here's a photo I took to get an idea of how I look to motorists.

I've put the 3M tape all over the bike and racks. Makes it very visible and adds a certain amount of ugliness that makes the thing less attractive to thieves.

Hmmmm, auto shop, never thought of that. I've been looking for something just like this. Since I do most of my riding too and from work after dark, I want my bike to light up like a friggin' christmas tree! :)

Personally I'd be shocked if anyone would want my clunky $100 bike once I'm done with it. (years from now hopefull)

To add a twist to this thread, to be seen at night I wear a vest that has reflective tape all over it that can be worn over anything..
:beer:

I second the reflective vest. I wear one that is CalTrans issue for the people that work on our roads.

I will have to check out some other reflective tape though, I just have what I got from the bike shop. I have not had any issues with it yet, although it has only been on there for a few months.

Can anyone post a link where I might be able to buy this stuff onlinr?

For reflective vests, I wear Illuminite from Performance. WOW

Lou

Originally posted by amerpie
For reflective vests, I wear Illuminite from Performance. WOW

Some of that sew on reflective cloth is amazing. When I was in the Air Force they started making everybody working on the flight line sew the stuff on all their jackets and such. Then somebody pointed out what a great target it made. After that they changed the directive so the stuff was applied with velcro so it could easily be moved if troops had to deploy to a "forward area."

I can remember driving around the flightline and seeing guys a hundred yards or more away light up like a Christmas tree when the headlights hit them.

John