Commuting - Visablity at night from the side...

My daughter just got a new road bike for her commute, a OCR 1. She loves it! She ride in an urban area about 12 miles each way. She has a head light, tail light but with fall coming soon she is concerned with being visible from the side. Any recommendations reflectors, spoke lights or other lighting systems. Weight is not a big issue the bike already has rack, fenders and panniers.

You could put reflective tape on all over the frame. If your concerned about not matching the colour of the bike you can get tape that is a particular colour (i have some refective black tape, as my bike is black) but reflects light when shined upon it

shwalbe marathons have a reflective strip running down the edge of the tire next to the rim. something like that would be good.

Frog lights pointing to the side.

As a year round commuter, here's what I use:

Silver reflective conspicuity tape on the crank arms.

Reflective sidewall tires (e.g., Schwalbe Marathons).

Class II ANSI vest.

A headlamp or helmet-mounted light for aiming at side street traffic.

I wonder if this would mount on a frame: http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3010.html

Has the advantage of using 1 AAA battery. So you can _probably_ use rechargeables. Many of the other small lights use expensive ($5 each) CMOS batteries.

I might consider this for later this fall. If only they weren't $23 each.

The old version ($13)? http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/LS400A40-Planet+Bike+Blinky+Led+Taillight.aspx

I jerry-rigged a simple version of one of these.

weighs/costs next to nothing

with a couple electronics parts, leds, batteries

I use small bits of reflective tape on the rims themselves in addition to the reflective sidewall tires. They used to sell kits just for the wheels but I haven't seen them in a while. You can get some of the DOT conspicuity tape and cut it to fit. If you put about 6 pieces on the wheel it will give you a strobe effect.

Aaron:)

I would worry less about the sides and more about in front of and behind.
If you want side conspicuity, how about spoke-mounted reflectors? Remember those? Haven't had one on a bike for decades. It's been said that they work well for using a bike as a traffic barricade but don't do much for making you safer.

I am have been suggesting a passive (more light weight)system like reflective tape. So far she has been talking about a active system like lights on her down tube. Has anyone used anything like that?
Any pictures of your lighting setups would be appreciated, thanks....

I'd look at a Down Low Glow: http://www.rockthebike.com/lights/downlowglow

A reflective vest is an AWESOME improvement from all sides. Harbor Freight sells a great one for $4. I reviewed one with pictures:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=378850

+1 on the Down Low Glow. One of the BF members (BAH) has a blog showing off his bikes (http://www.bikerubbish.com/) with the DLG. I also go with tires with reflective sidewalls and reflective tape (a good balance of active and passive). ;)

Here's what I did with some white reflective tape, and I'm waiting for a couple more rolls I've ordered to be delivered before I finish taping it up. The two big blobs in the middle are bands I made out of reflective cloth. They're wrapped around the frame with velcro so I can take them off and use them as arm cuffs if I want to.

Here's my bike:
http://jt.f0e.net/bike/bikelight1.jpg

$12.95 from lightweights.org (I found them at my LBS)

Batteries die. I actually carry a spare head light and spare batteries. Go with reflectors for the side where you don't need to provide light to see by.

The below picture is taken from over 75ft. Wife didn't let the camera focus so a little fuzzy.

Nathan vest (Its light weight for summer but as it gets colder I'll be getting a looser fit one from Harbor Freight (http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=vest&Submit=Go)

I have a Topeak MTX trunk bag on the back that has reflective side accents.

DOT REQUIRED spoke reflectors (Yes all bikes are suppose to come with them as well as front and rear and pedal reflectors. Electric head light and tail light are required equipment in many places for night riding).

I also added some reflective tape on the front wheel. Going to double it up and do the back wheel as well to increase visibility at an angle.

In the Safety advocacy forum is a few post on the subject including some links to colored reflective tape that will blend in some with the bikes color during the day but give good visibility at night. I'm looking for some since I drive a black bike with black accessories with black backed with black printing back lit with black light.

I would use reflective as my primary and add the lights. The passive reflective tape is always there and requires minimal maintenance...basically keep it clean. Active battery powered lighting is a PITA to keep maintained, I am a firm believer in the KISS principle. The bikes I ride most at night have generator hubs, head lights, tail lights and one PB Superflash mounted on the rear. I use LED lights as much as possible due to their longevity and gentle use of batteries.

Aaron:)

Thanks guys Ill show her the pics. If you have any more it will be of great help.

Teach her not to ride in front of cars.Don't put yourself into places where you need reflectors,the idiots/drunks will run you down,reflectors and all.

The big downfall of passive stuff, is that it doesn't work if the viewer hasn't turned on his/her headlights yet. Reflective stuff also doesn't work nearly as well if the vehicle's driver-side headlight is burned out, since the other headlight is not as closely aligned with the driver's line of sight.

I agree with everyone suggesting reflective tires, reflective tape, reflective legbands (they move and catch the viewer's eye), and a hi-vis reflective vest, but active lighting is still going to be worthwhile for that reason. As the days get shorter, I see about ten motorists per day who need to turn on their d*** headlights sooner.

Here's some suggestions to look at.

Planet Bike BRT-STRAP (http://ecom1.planetbike.com/3030.html) is a LED-illuminated reflective legband. Set it for blink mode, and now you got a blinkie strap going in circles on your ankle, visible from any direction :) The motion should attract the viewer's eye. And it's modestly reflective too. They have long runtime on a single CR2032 coin battery, and in my experience, they're reliable. You may need to safety-pin the strap so it doesn't creep loose.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/brt-strap.gif
Planet Bike BRT-STRAP. The actual flashing rate is faster than this.

eGear Guardian (http://www.batteryjunction.com/a52-000.html) is a quality LED light that takes two CR2032s and clips onto stuff. I haven't tried these yet, but the amber one looks great for a side light if you have somewhere to attach them. Maybe zip-tie one of them onto each fork blade, aimed sideways? And/or one clipped to the side of each pannier.

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/theshorelinemarket_2014_584018
eGear Guardian

I've also used Planet Bike's BRT-3F amber front blinkie on the fork blade before, but it looks like they discontinued it.


Thanks guys Ill show her the pics. If you have any more it will be of great help.

Here's one from a bike I don't have anymore.

http://www.mechbgon.com/visibility/cue_sheet.gif

This pic was shot with a small flashlight and a long exposure time, not a camera flash. Things to notice:

(1) the reflective tape reflects from severe angles of approach. The plastic reflectors do not, because of the limitations of their method of reflection.

(2) fenders give you tons of surface to stick reflective tap onto :)

(3) from this angle, even the very good Planet Bike SuperFlash doesn't look that bright. Blinkies generally have a very narrow focus, and it's critical to aim the blinkies dead-level and straight back. A bike came into the shop yesterday with the binkie aiming straight down! :(

(4) the reflective tape on the rims doesn't make a complete circle, so reflective tires would've been cool here.

(5) reflective tape on the frame would've helped define the bike's shape better, too.


The Nova BULL is a high-output LED strobe usually found on the mirror pod of a Ford Crown Victoria police car :) That level of output is also available with the DiNotte 140-series taillights, if she's interested. They're a great visibility enhancement in daylight, not just at night.

Wow is she smart. Roughly 80% of accidents are from the side. The safest approach is a combo of passive and active visibility aids:

passive:
1. reflective tape on helmet: white, stealth black, or 3m diamond
2. reflective sidewalls
3. reflective tape on wheel rims
4. reflective tape on side of bike frame
5. reflective gloves
6. reflective strip on bike bag
7. reflective windbreaker/jacket


active
1. front fork lights put on the side, such as
http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/319
2. tail light with side view, such as cateye tl1100
3. possible handle bar flash back lights, but I'm not as positive of them as used to be, they don't last long and use expensive batteries
4. a good strong headlight

The Cateye TL-1100 taillight has decent side visibility.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f183/mindspark/discobike.jpg

Plaster bike with reflective tape and reflective sidewall tires. Make the bike look like a glowing bike from the side. The lights are just overkill to be seen but work well too.

My daughter just got a new road bike for her commute, a OCR 1. She loves it! She ride in an urban area about 12 miles each way. She has a head light, tail light but with fall coming soon she is concerned with being visible from the side. Any recommendations reflectors, spoke lights or other lighting systems. Weight is not a big issue the bike already has rack, fenders and panniers.

I would suggest a helmet light... light shines wherever you look which can be off to the side...

Pedal Lites (http://www.pedalite.com/)

http://www.pedalite.com/images/KPL200.gif

I would suggest a helmet light... light shines wherever you look which can be off to the side...

Yup. A reflector of any kind is useless unless light hits it. Active lighting...and an active brain;)...are the best ways to avoid getting hit. Put as much light on the bike - fore and aft - as you can and use a helmet light to flash at drivers who are inattentive. And use multiple sources. Relying on one lamp is just plain dumb. Relying on 2 lamps is smarter and 3 is just about enough as long as you have a backup in a bag somewhere.

I do have a red reflector and wheel reflectors on my bike but that is only because they are required by state law. Everything else has a switch on it.

I appreciated this query because I pass a lot of sidedrives and side street with obstucted views, quite frequently in the in the dark, and even in daylight I'm concerned about drivers pulling out. Because we're more inconspicuous than cars, we may at anytime likely be missed by cagers' cursory glances . So I think that anticipation and awareness of such intersections is the best defense, and eye contact is the best proof that you are seen.

I was also gratified by the comments about reflective vs active lighting systems. An adage that runs through my mind when riding at night, especially when passing an intersection quickly, is "look for cars, not just headlights," for my own self-protection, besides the fact that the driver won't see any reflective items, and such drivers may be inattentive anyways.

I have on occasion used a flickering light that attaches to the valve stem of the tube and is activated by a motion sensor when the wheel is rotating, called "Tireflies." They are fairly attention getting, but obviously ride low on the bike. Also they have no on-off switch for daylight riding and the batteries don't last too long. They were discussed on BF in 2004: http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-59118.html

http://www.identi-tape.com/

Every kind of reflective tape you could want. You can even color-coordinate.

PS to my recent reply.

I also have a Cateye handlebar light that has a circumferential clear plastic strip in the housing that illuminates from the side, as well as forward. I personally think that if there is enough street illumination to see the road, it's more attention-getting to use the lamp in the flashing rather than than the steady mode.

Yup. A reflector of any kind is useless unless light hits it. Active lighting...and an active brain;)...are the best ways to avoid getting hit. Put as much light on the bike - fore and aft - as you can and use a helmet light to flash at drivers who are inattentive. And use multiple sources. Relying on one lamp is just plain dumb. Relying on 2 lamps is smarter and 3 is just about enough as long as you have a backup in a bag somewhere.

I do have a red reflector and wheel reflectors on my bike but that is only because they are required by state law. Everything else has a switch on it.

And this coming from a man with an insane lighting system (homemade). :thumb: I'm surprised he hasn't been mistaken for a UFO or a low flying meteor. :lol:

And this coming from a man with an insane lighting system (homemade). :thumb: I'm surprised he hasn't been mistaken for a UFO or a low flying meteor. :lol:

I've been mistaken for a UFO. Cyccommute probably gets mistaken for that light you see when you die.

I've been mistaken for a UFO. Cyccommute probably gets mistaken for that light you see when you die.

Or a freight train.

I jerry-rigged a simple version of one of these.

weighs/costs next to nothing

with a couple electronics parts, leds, batteries

Dude...that's cool.

As to the OP's question. Tireflys?

http://www.tireflys.com/

One more thing if she is looking at putting things on her down tube (hmm that came out differently than i wanted) spray a coat of glow in the dark paint on it. They make ones that are totally clear in the day time, but glow at night so you can see the original paint through the glow in the dark stuff when it is light out.

All the benefits of the passive stuff (no batteries) and the active (no need for the driver to supply the light)

I just ordered a couple of set of tireflies. Can't wait to check them out.
thanks

Remember bakaster we are talking about my daughter here none of that "downtube" talk. :lol: Since she got her road bike I talked her into joining BF. She out there somewhere (aka ffosti). She's a 12 mo/5 day a week Oregon commuter.

In that case, active is most important and carrying a set of spare batteries.

Wow is she smart. Roughly 80% of accidents are from the side. The safest approach is a combo of passive and active visibility aids:

While most accidents occur at intersections, I would argue that unless you are going to sit on your bike in the middle of an intersection, lighting from the side will do NO good at all. By the time someone can see the lights from the side that is on a collision impact with you they will not have time to react to you. Better to have a GOOD headlight that casts as long a forward beam as possible. Obviously defensive riding skills are in order as well to scan intersections for someone that just doesn't see you and pulls out.

Really impressed with pedal lites in response number 25 but doubt they can be applied to Look style pedals. I wear reflectizered ankle straps, I have reflective tape about my helmet, and on my night bike, the tires have a reflective trim about the sidewalls.

Really impressed with pedal lites in response number 25 but doubt they can be applied to Look style pedals. I wear reflectizered ankle straps, I have reflective tape about my helmet, and on my night bike, the tires have a reflective trim about the sidewalls.

Yeah, that is the only way they come (platform). I ride to work in hiking boots in the Maine winters so isn't a problem for me. They do make a toeclip for the front (which I forgo). I haven't used them at night yet, but can report that they are very bright even during the day.

I've been mistaken for a UFO. Cyccommute probably gets mistaken for that light you see when you die.

Man, I hate running over those people who think they've just died:rolleyes: "Hey, bud! Aunt Ethyl ain't here!" :D

Bakaster- Where did you get the lights to do that Pac-man ghost on your wheels? That is awesome, I'm jealous. Also, I've looked a bit for glow in the dark paint. Most is brush-on, which I suppose might work if I had an airbrush.... which I don't. Do you know of a specific brand or product of spray-on glow paint? I'm likely going to use reflective tape on my frame, but spray paint that was clear in the day and glowed in the dark would keep me from looking like more of a dork than I already do. :)

I thought tireflys might work. However I've seen older posts about them breaking. Has anyone had first hand experience with them. Also do they work on presta. She does have two Blackburn Mars 3.0 on her helmet. Which I think is quite effective.

Bakaster- Where did you get the lights to do that Pac-man ghost on your wheels? That is awesome, I'm jealous. Also, I've looked a bit for glow in the dark paint. Most is brush-on, which I suppose might work if I had an airbrush.... which I don't. Do you know of a specific brand or product of spray-on glow paint? I'm likely going to use reflective tape on my frame, but spray paint that was clear in the day and glowed in the dark would keep me from looking like more of a dork than I already do. :)

Yea, that Pac-Man chasing the blue ghost is epic awesome! :thumb:

As for paint, Krylon makes "Glowz" spray-paint. There is also Krylon's "Reflect-A-Lite" reflective clear-coat. RustOleum also has a reflective clear-coat. These should be obtainable from any major home-improvement type of store. I've never used any of these products, because it never dawned on me to try them, but I'm going shopping tomorrow, so in a few days I'll let you all know!

I didn't do that one, i have to admit mine were not quite so complicated, but i think that there is a product out there that will let you do it. The problem with these is unless you use something to count the rotation speed of the wheels, you cant make a complicated image work at anything but one speed. mine are somewhat customizable, but not quite that cool (i am working on trying to build up something of that scale, but not there yet) The pac man one is from this kit http://www.ladyada.net/make/spokepov/index.html
but being the silly person that i am, i am trying to build one from scratch myself of similar quality

There is also always the classic ones that write words out as you bike
http://www.everythingusb.com/digital_cowboys_lex_13629.html

I thought tireflys might work. However I've seen older posts about them breaking. Has anyone had first hand experience with them. Also do they work on presta. She does have two Blackburn Mars 3.0 on her helmet. Which I think is quite effective.

See my post to this thread about tireflies, #27. You have to use Presta valve adapters to put them on since they are made for Schraeder valves.

You could put reflective tape on all over the frame. If your concerned about not matching the colour of the bike you can get tape that is a particular colour (i have some refective black tape, as my bike is black) but reflects light when shined upon it

+1

anything that increases visibility even if it detracts from the frame's beauty is a plus. a twisted hunk of bike frame never looks good.

There is at least one light that has side lights as well. Look at the cateye LD1100. It's one of the brightest lights out there that is reasonably priced ~$40. It has 8 rear facing leds and 2 more on each side. great light, very durable and very visible.

You can also put reflective tape on the rims.

There are tires that have a reflective trim (looks like a whitewall car tire) as well.

Helmet should have reflective tape. You can pinstripe it for appearance's sake and still have good visibility.

You might also look into a jacket from illuminite. www.illumite.com. I love mine and in the fall winter spring, never commute without it.

Monkey electric lights (http://www.monkeylectric.com/index.htm)

http://www.monkeylectric.com/products/m132s_gal/m132s_live1.jpg

Those Monkey Electric and SpokePOV lights are AWESOME! If I hadn't just spent all my disposable income on a new bike I would be buying one now. I guess I'll just have to wait.

Does anyone have a vendor handy for black reflective tape, my bike is black. I've found just about every other color but black. I understand that black won't be as reflective as white, but I'll make up for that with quantity of tape. :)