Recumbent - How do I make my trike visible?

There's a wealth of options available for making my new trike visible - rear flashers, rear reflectors, flags, horns, front lights, side reflectors, etc.

Of the available options, which are prudent for daytime riding along less to moderately traveled roads? I'm more interested in maximum safety than minimum weight. My wife will freak when she sees the trike, thinking that, being so close to the road, I'm sure to be unseen by drivers and promptly squashed. I'd like to forestall her arguments by being "lighted up."

Your suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

On my Dad's Greenspeed, he uses a flag, blinking tailight and blinking headlight.
He's 85 and I still worry.

Flag is #1 to buy if one doesn't come with it. Tail lights, blinkers and bold are for driving into the shade where people can loose view of you for a moment, and THIS (http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=983911118) on your rack trunk.

http://www.hostelshoppe.com/images/products/la_03aar_yield.jpg

Cut the flag a little shorter than stock as you want the flag to be at window hieght, not over the roof. You are not much lower than you would be in a sports car. My flag is at my eye level and I'm 6'2" [when standing, of course].

When being seen is not enough and you want to heard, use THIS (http://www.hostelshoppe.com/cgi-bin/readitem.pl?Accessory=1015625493).

http://www.hostelshoppe.com/images/products/la_02airzound.jpg :eek:

I use a big Australian flag instead of the orange flag, it probably is worse visibilty wise cause it doesn't stand out as much, but looks much better. Although a guy who's riding around Australia on a trike has two flag poles. One with two orange flags. One with one Aussie flag and one orange flag. I can imagine cars behind him would have their vision full of orange and blue so they'd be sure to notice him. I reckon if you're gonna be riding on the road often, have two flag poles, one with an orange flag, one with your countries flag.

I have ridden many thousands of klm's on the road, in the daytime a flag is all I have ever used and I have never had a visibility issue other than the normal bike stuff. It's different, it will be noticed, the flag is good for carparks and riding along a row of parked cars.
I have a mate who was talking to a couple of customers and they were saying how they had seen this trike that was low to the ground and hard to see and proceeded to give a very detailed description of my trike, it makes the hard to see claim seem a bit ridiculous.

While some here will disagree the best (IMO) is to install a
farm implement "Safety Triangle" sign on the rear of the
trike to signal that you are a 'slow moving vehicle' along
with a bike safety flag (or two).

The SMV sign is a requirement for all vehicles that can not
travel at minumim posted road speed in most states. While
many cyclist don't like it , or don't know, CYCLES ARE ALL
CLASSED AS SMV. The dinky assed cloth trangles are worthless
for real safety but make the weight weenies happy.

I've got a proper SMV triangle and a flag on my trike and cars
go WAAAAAAY out around me. :D :D

Tightwad: which REAL SMV triangle do you use? I've got the cloth one, which has great visibility from the reflective tape but is kinda' small...

those triangles seem like a good idea, they scream out NERD! But since when has being a nerd in this life been a bad thing.

There's a wealth of options available for making my new trike visible - rear flashers, rear reflectors, flags, horns, front lights, side reflectors, etc.

Of the available options, which are prudent for daytime riding along less to moderately traveled roads? I'm more interested in maximum safety than minimum weight. My wife will freak when she sees the trike, thinking that, being so close to the road, I'm sure to be unseen by drivers and promptly squashed. I'd like to forestall her arguments by being "lighted up."

Your suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
Here are some flags that will get you noticed: http://cjschip.smugmug.com/gallery/385391

Chip
recumbenttrikestore.com

Tightwad: which REAL SMV triangle do you use? I've got the cloth one, which has great visibility from the reflective tape but is kinda' small...

SMV signs are available at most , if not all, FARM IMPLEMENT DEALERS or farm supply stores. I buy
mine at the local John Deere dealer.

As far a looking nerdy........
I say stuff that where the sun don't shine. I don't wanna get hit and if I do I can sue for bunches 'cause
my trike is equipped to state code for SMV's.


http://www.pmlights.com/products.cfm?cId=7&fId=31&pId=963

The Gee Whiz factor can make a trike a lot more visible than other bikes. A 4 or 5 foot fiberglass rod with the strobe bulb from a commercial grade strobe unit at its tip can get some serious attention day or night. Might be too bright to have other cyclists near you. Having a full fairing can get you so much attention people will pull over to get a closer look.

Get some surveyors tape from Home Depot, multi colors. Cut off a bunch of strips and tie them to a flag pole sans the flag. The strips fly around all over and offer very little wind resistance. After a week at high speed, they might need replacing as they do snap off in little bits.

I've had three people so far yell out the window of their car, that I should get a flag for my trike.

Straight from the cager's mouths, a flag must be all you need. ;)

The SMV sign is a requirement for all vehicles that can not
travel at minumim posted road speed in most states. While
many cyclist don't like it , or don't know, CYCLES ARE ALL
CLASSED AS SMV. The dinky assed cloth trangles are worthless
for real safety but make the weight weenies happy.



The only place we have posted minimum road speeds in the states around here are the interstates. And around here bikes aren't allowed on them.

I use an orange flag. If it's cloudy I put on my rear taillight so it flashes. I get plenty of space from cars. Sometimes they won't even pass me.

The SMV sign is a requirement for all vehicles that can not
travel at minumim posted road speed in most states.

That's not quite true. It's primarily meant for farm implements on roads, since farm implements don't meet car's standards for safety/visibility equipment (brake lights, turn signals, etc.) Here's the Michigan vehicle code:


MCLA 257.688(g)

Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblems and additional reflectors are required on any implement of husbandry, farm tractor, special mobile equipment, and every vehicle with a maximum speed potential of 25 miles an hour operated on public highways.


I'm not a farm implement, or "special mobile equipment" - i.e. backhoe, bobcat, etc - and I often exceed 25 mph, so I don't meet the definition. So use them if you wish. There's no prohibition on using them if you don't meet the criteria, but it's not required.

While some here will disagree the best (IMO) is to install a
farm implement "Safety Triangle" sign on the rear of the
trike to signal that you are a 'slow moving vehicle' along
with a bike safety flag (or two).

The SMV sign is a requirement for all vehicles that can not
travel at minumim posted road speed in most states. While
many cyclist don't like it , or don't know, CYCLES ARE ALL
CLASSED AS SMV. The dinky assed cloth trangles are worthless
for real safety but make the weight weenies happy.

I've got a proper SMV triangle and a flag on my trike and cars
go WAAAAAAY out around me. :D :D


You said: "the dinky assed cloth triangles are worthless for real safety but make the weight weenies happy."
Well Tightwad, you're the idiot....as it's obvious that you don't know about the "Jogalite reflective international yield symbol". I have one tied to the back of my trike, and I've had people tell me that this symbol can be seen from great distances in both daylight and night time. With this and my flag, cars go w-a-a-y, around me also.... Check it out, it beats the old metal ones any day.

Get some surveyors tape from Home Depot, multi colors. Cut off a bunch of strips and tie them to a flag pole.

Don't get all the colors of the rainbow or you might just send the wrong message.:D

-S

Don't get all the colors of the rainbow or you might just send the wrong message.:D

-S

I have a multi colored kite spinner with streamers on my flagpole. GREAT for being seen, but I have been questioned about my orientation by some rather norrow minded folks on several occasions.
They then climb into the cab of their oversized crew cab 3/4 ton pickup and drive off.
But at least we both left LAUGHING!:D

I recommend adopting whatever measures the LaDOTD use to make their highway workers visible.

How 'bout a picture of the trike with a sign that large on the back? I doubt one would even fit on mine....

Click on the link below... I never have close calls... I have to worry whether the cars behind me will head on the on coming traffic while rubber necking and eyeballing my rig wondering what they have come upon day and night....