Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - reflective tape adhesion

I bought some truck stop reflective tape (Covalence Adhesives) and it just has the worst adhesive properties I've ever seen! It's incredibly reflective, but I'm going to have to get out the Gorilla glue. Anybody else have this problem?
Though it's not a big item I'm actually thinking of writing the company. Maybe I got a defective batch.

One thing that helps is getting it warm when applying, a hairdryer works nicely.

If it is very thick, you may never get it to stick well. I got some 3M stuff that just will not stick to tight curves (seat stays). After that, I got some cheaper stuff that is just slightly less reflective, but still very good. Much thinner and wiling to conform to curves.

Didn't get it here, but this is it.

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/%28tfxxck55zjnmze45zjce1gbp%29/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=8108995

Cost $10 for 4 sections at Oreilley's auto parts.

Here are some pics of my project, though it has since changed

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=369102

wipe the surface down with alcohol hard before you apply the tape. should do it.

Deffinately wash the bike to get the oil and crud off, as nothing can stick to oil or dust. Some of the cheap reflective tape has about the holding power of a sticky-note, so you'll never get it to stay anyway, but others will pull steel off before the adhesive gives. :p Some of the cheap tape also tends to flake apart easily, whereas the better tape tends to be quite strong--stronger than any other tape I've seen yet. Finally, the cheap tape can sometimes seem translucent if you shine a light through it, but the better tape cannot be penetrated by light at all. Thing is, even the best tape won't stick if there's crud on the bike, and water will stop the stick too (so let it dry first!).

Quality tape helps. I got a roll of 3M tape, put it on with care, and it is holding on 15 years later. Even stuck to the seat stays.

I dunno on mine. It was cleaned well and even put it on with the heat and held it 'til cool. The ends would end up lifting. not a lot, but enough. It's actually still there, but the last 1/4" in or so where the ends would meet isn't stuck.

I guess time will tell how well the thinner stuff I used on the wheels works out.

The 3M adhesive is def hard core, but the stuff is so thick and stiff it didn't matter.

I washed the surface. Followed with alcohol. Shot it with a hairdryer when the adhesion proved poor. I think the tape was just defective. Then again, I learn now it's a TYCO product. Perhaps as great as their stock.

Most of the highly reflective tape seems to be made for flat surfaces.
When doing curves it helps to cut some small slits in the areas that need to bend.
I have reflective tape all over my mb.
Cars actually come to a stop when they first see me at night.
Great site for diffrent colors:
http://www.identi-tape.com/hi-intensity.htm

Use some ShoeGoo to seal it to whatever.

These can add to your nite visiblity.
http://www.night-gear.com/p/Reflective-Gear_Mens-Activewear_Gloves/89/Glo-Glov-Traffic-Control.htm

Regarding the reflective gloves, have you, or anyone else, tried them? I have found I am pretty picky about how my gloves fit for cycling.

I'm using a pair of "SafetyPro" orange gloves found at Home Depot. I have big hands and was able to try these on at the rack. Hey, they fit my big handlebar grabbers. I got them after a nasty fall from a right hooking pickup truck. It left my left knuckles with a lot of missing skin. I think I squicked a couple of my coworkers with my really bare knuckles afterwards.

What caught my eye at HD was the large amount of reflective material used across the back of the gloves.

They fit like, well, gloves! And the stench they developed after several months of sweaty riding is indescribable. It reminds me of a bluetick hound in late August after a bear hunt.

http://www.safetyproductsonline.com/products/ammexgloves.asp?fp=default.asp&pid=190&tid=27

TRUMPHENT, are those the gloves you have? If so, you may want to pay special attn. to the last line in the description lol. I might give them a try

The engineer grade tapes are flexible and the adhesive is strong but not as strong as the higher end tapes. Type 3, Type 8 and SOLAS tapes stick really well. The SOLAS is actually made for off shore applications so the adhesive on that tape is second to none. It will actually stick to fabric very well although it would not be able to handle a wash cycle. www.colebrothers.com/biketape (http://www.colebrothers.com/biketape) has the type 8 and SOLAS tapes.

. www.colebrothers.com/biketape (http://www.colebrothers.com/biketape) .

I couldn't help but notice your user name and the name of the company, any relationship?

I bought some truck stop reflective tape (Covalence Adhesives) and it just has the worst adhesive properties I've ever seen! It's incredibly reflective, but I'm going to have to get out the Gorilla glue. Anybody else have this problem?
Though it's not a big item I'm actually thinking of writing the company. Maybe I got a defective batch.

From product description; "3M® conspicuity marking tape tape is stiff, but flexible enough to wrap around diameters as small as 4-inches."

Based on this product description the tape will not work on a bicycle as the smallest diameter it will wrap around is 4".

I know yours is a different brad of tape, but since they both must meet DOT standards I bet they are very similar if not identical in construction/manufacturing.

There are plenty of DOT tapes that will wrap around tight curves. But don't expect the 3M diamond grade to do it well.

I've had really good luck with this stuff

http://www.pmlights.com/products.cfm?cId=6&fId=25&pId=1512

Very bright and a 4 pack will do a nice job dorking up a bike, it will even wrap tight to my rack's supports. It won't stick to itself though, so plan on getting pretty exact on measurements, clean with alc etc. Lowe's carries it around here, as does Oreilly's auto parts.

Regarding the reflective gloves, have you, or anyone else, tried them? I have found I am pretty picky about how my gloves fit for cycling.

I have a pair of the glo glov's referenced above. I wear them over my regular cycling gloves. Just remember you have them on because they are not as soft to wipe your nose on as the cloth patch on my cycling gloves.:eek: I mostly ride them in the winter as that is when I do my night riding. The extra layer of insulation keeps my hands a little warmer and the wind off a little better also.

They are highly reflective. My group complimented me on the first night ride that I wore them on. Others have even remarked about the gloves's high visibility on overcast daytime rides. I highly recommend them.:thumb:

http://www.bikerhiway.com/motorcycle-reflective-safety-tape-black-adhesive-p-79.html
I purchased this and put it on my black rims. It sticks well.

http://www.lightweights.org/store/home.php
This tape would work well also.

I couldn't help but notice your user name and the name of the company, any relationship?

I own www.colebrothers.com I have been experimenting with different tapes and reflective glass beads on helmets, frames and rims and in going through the forums on bike safey came across some questions that people have had that I knew the answer to. The problem I am working on now is why it takes a motorist so long to identify a bike on the road even when there is some reflective tape on the bike. My theory is that the human brain requires more data to identify something than what it is being given. In other words, in the daytime a bike is instantly recognized because you can see all of it and the shape is recognized. At night all you see sometimes are two dots in the distance. I am working on some ideas with reflective paint that make the entire bike visible. I have a picture of my last experiment at www.colebrothers.com/biketape at the bottom of the page. That is a picture of about three ounces of glass beads sprinkled over wet clear coat. You can see how much of a difference it makes. With the entire bike reflective and reflective tape on the helmet a motorist should be able to identify a bike at night as well as in the daytime.

I own www.colebrothers.com I have been experimenting with different tapes and reflective glass beads on helmets, frames and rims and in going through the forums on bike safey came across some questions that people have had that I knew the answer to. The problem I am working on now is why it takes a motorist so long to identify a bike on the road even when there is some reflective tape on the bike. My theory is that the human brain requires more data to identify something than what it is being given. In other words, in the daytime a bike is instantly recognized because you can see all of it and the shape is recognized. At night all you see sometimes are two dots in the distance. I am working on some ideas with reflective paint that make the entire bike visible. I have a picture of my last experiment at www.colebrothers.com/biketape at the bottom of the page. That is a picture of about three ounces of glass beads sprinkled over wet clear coat. You can see how much of a difference it makes. With the entire bike reflective and reflective tape on the helmet a motorist should be able to identify a bike at night as well as in the daytime.


That does make quite a difference. :thumb: