Commuting - Uglify a commuter

I've heard of the term 'uglify' used for the changing of a name brand bicycle into a commuter. I understand that this is so that it will not be stolen. What are your preferred ways to do this? A separate question: why does handlebar tape not come in reflective style? For that matter, why are bicycles not entirely painted with a reflective top coat?

Idle curiosity is all I have until I get a new bicycle.

-john

By the time you add on all the junk you want to have for commuting (lights, racks, fenders, panniers, etc.) and ride in the rain a couple of times, most bikes already look ugly. (dirty helps). I have a black bike that looks really crappy when it's dirty (it usually is this time of year), so I don't have to take any further uglification steps. I lock it when I park it in public, anyways.

Originally posted by Ceiliazul
....massive snip.... For that matter, why are bicycles not entirely painted with a reflective top coat?



-john Something I've often wondered myself.

My primary commuters right now are a '70s era Trek converted to fixed gear and an early-'80s Schwinn Voyageur converted to single speed freewheel. Time took care of the uglification before they came into my hands. I keep thinking about painting the Trek, but it just looks so urban funky right now I hate to pretty it up.

Originally posted by Ceiliazul
A separate question: why does handlebar tape not come in reflective style?

I recently retaped the bar on my road bike or I wouldn't know this, but Cinelli makes something called Lux tape which incorporates reflective material into the cork. The webpage is http://www.cinelli.it/eng/bici/original/LUX.html

Here I am trying to post a link and then it doesn't even work. :(

Actually it is just because I put a period at the end. If you erase the final period, it should work. Sorry about that.

astrale: There's a link on your first post down on the lower right hand corner that says edit. You can use that link to remove the period.

Thanks for posting the info on the LUX tape. I'll be putting some fo that one my commuting bike for sure.

Zack

I rode w/ someone last year who bought a new lemond, then covered the tubes w/ 3M reflective tape. The cool thing was that the tape perfectly matched the stock red paint, so unless one looked closely the tape was invisible.

I like the idea, but whenever I see a bike around town w/ the badges and labels taped over I look closely to see what it actually is. I suppose the professional bike thief does the same thing.

I'm not sure I'd like reflective handlebar tape. Some sections would quickly loose their reflective power -- those where sweaty hands sit most of the time --, and the reflective beads might not be that efficient. Besides, street lights would reflect on the top of the bars into your eyes, which is something I want to avoid at all costs.

As for reflective paint, most don't look good, and it would improve only side visibility. In practical terms and provincial/state laws notwhitstanding, reflectors and reflective material:
- has almost no use in front (unless you ride facing traffic or on a contra-flow bike lane;
- has little use on the sides;
- is very efficient on the rear end, because that's where powerful car headlights are shining.

Using reflective paint or tape on the rear part of the bike would help, providing the painted surfaces are nearly vertical.

Regards,

regarding reflectivity...

I get a LOT of comments as to my albedo when I'm commuting...two vista lights on the bike, two on my fanny pack, lights on my helmet (front & back) and usually at least two (front hub dynamo & mega Night Rider light) front lights.

Back when I was a bike wrench, and had more time, I had two bikes...one zebra (black with white reflector tape) and one tiger (orange with black reflector tape) The tiger turned into a zebra at night. :D

Now I just up my wattage to be seen.

happy trails,
Tom

Tom,

I agree with you. In fact, you are stressing similar points than I do. Headlights and taillights, as well as reflective material on the rear (and even on the front) are the most effective because that's where other traffic is.

My Commuter bike has:

- Front: Lumotec, which has a built-in white reflector. The fact it stops when I stop is not a problem for the rides I do with this bike, but I could use a Lumotec Plus or another flasher if it were a problem.
- Sides : Minimalist spoke reflectors.
- Rear : Red-and-white reflectorised stip on the read fender, a pair of Vistalite Eclipse, 1 standard 3-panel red bike reflector, 1 red SAE automotive reflector (2 1/2 x 5"), 1 amber SAE automotive reflector.
I find the reflectorized stip mostly useful in low-visibility situations.

My touring bike has similar equipement, except geared for longer distances, places where cars go faster and need to see me from further away. So, besides what the commuter has, it has:

- Front : A Vistalite Eclipse flasher (green): not great, but I had it, and it's effective for pedestrian on busy commercial streets full of lights.
- Rear : 2 large amber reflectors instead of 1.


Regards,

Re reflective bar tape: I have it on my commuter. The reflective stuff does rub off, but it only from where you usually keep your hands, which is covered by your hands. It doesn't reflect back in your eyes and the spiral pattern is quite eye-catching and unusual. I recommend it for anybody who rides at night.

Thanks for the comment, Caloso. I once rode a bike (not mine) with a front reflector angled upwards and didn't like how lamposts reflected into them. Guess that reflective tape is a bit different.

Regards,

In the winter, I have illuminite gloves (http://www.illuminite.com/access_detail.asp?Style=7061). Wear them to make a turn signal and baffle a motorist. ;)

My commuter is an old steel Trek MTB that I bought at a pawn shop for $29. With my take-off parts from other projects and a new seat, grips and tires... I have a little more than $150 in it, tho it looks like less.

The frame was already uglified by a previous owner with three cans of spray paint (black, green and blue in decreasing order of coverage). Since it started out yellow and a bit of it shows where I removed the non-functioning front derailleur... it is easily one of the ugliest rides in any bike rack.

IMHO, stickers and tape don't fool anybody, but they might prevent paint chips when leaning the frame against stuff.

I have found that buying a little bottle of auto paint primer and painting over chips/rust spots with just that and nothing more does a wonderful job of uglifying a bike. My main beater right now is an old UO-10 I bought at a thrift store; it looks ugly and rides great. Also, I've let the cloth bar tape get a bit raggy.

I'm using two bikes to commute at the moment and my city bike is a Pacific toy bike. I've put black tape around it but the new paint job stills shows through. The good news is that it's a Pacific. The label practically wards off many theives itself because you would have to be NUTS to steal any of the parts on my toy bike.

The word Pacific is ugly enough! Now I just have to worry about vandalism! :mad:

HOw about this, get that clear contact paper (like for kitchen drawers). Now cover the tubes with that.. then get a can of the cheapest spray paint you can find, and paint it :) That would uglify it.. just cover up the good parts that you don't want paint ..