Road Cycling - Wheel Reflectors

Forgive the newbie question but what do I do with the reflectors that are mounted in the spokes. Seems to me they a)would throw the balance of the wheel off, b)add weight.Should I remove them?

wheel reflectors have no significant effect on wheel balancing or weight. They DO however have an important effect on safety since they help you to be seen. In some places they are also a legal requirement. I would personally leave them on.

I took mine off, but i left the red one on under the seat, and i have oldschool pedals with reflectors. PLUS i dont ride at night very much at all

Many on the forum state they take them off. I would guess that in the event of an injury where you were hit by a car at night or dusk, and the reflectors had been removed, and visibility was one of the factors in the accident, that, despite the auto drivers perhaps being at fault, failure to have the reflectors may negate a person's financial claim against the driver.

If you have low spoke count wheels (ie, so that the reflector is supported by only one spoke), they can potentially spin on the spoke, catch the fork, and break the spoke.

i've never had reflectors on my wheels. i guess the guys who built my open pro wheels, my old ambrosio wheels, and campagnolo, who built my protons, don't care about my safety.

i've never had reflectors on my wheels. i guess the guys who built my open pro wheels, my old ambrosio wheels, and campagnolo, who built my protons, don't care about my safety.

read all about reflectors (and a lot of other stuff)

http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsumbicycles.pdf

It seems that custom wheels may be excepted.

And in Aussie Land, they fine the manufacturer

http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/322903/fromItemId/378008

POSTMANSI..... Safety issues aside, I know deep inside, you want those darn things removed off of your brand spankin' new bike. I know they look ugly. You can use two pairs of pliers and CAREFULLY break bits and pieces off. Careful with the spokes! Or you can simply drill thru those one way plastic fastners.
While you're at it, you can also nibble away at that silly round plastic spoke protector sandwiched between the cassette and spokes... needlenosed pliers work well for that. Again, be very careful with the spokes. Good luck and be sure to post photos of your new, clean bike.

George

whats so ugly about them? As I said, safety issues aside, they are ugly. Why do most people who buy racing bikes remove them? And more than 99% of them don't even race. I don't think they're idiots.

George

TOURDECOMP.....


Forgive the newbie question but what do I do with the reflectors that are mounted in the spokes. Seems to me they a)would throw the balance of the wheel off, b)add weight.Should I remove them?

Again, safety issues aside, it seemed like POSTMANSI, with his brand new racing Trek, was looking for directions in removing those ugly reflectors. If he had safety concerns, he would have started a thread under 'Safety & Advocacy'.

George

the side of emergency department mishaps no one wants to look at. they all think it cant happen to them. You could be the next one to get a first hand experience in neglect. These things are designed for WHAT ? Mr Bigshot. You may need to talk to your road traffic authority and change legislation. You fall into the category of FOOL.

As your name suggests you are the FIXER well then you should become a doctor and join the team and fix those road accidents that happen with bike riders. These are not a pretty scene Mr Fixer MD Surgeon Phd

Decaf. ;)

I've had wheel reflectors go sideways on me causing me to crash. That was 15 years ago and I haven't ridden with them since. I feel they're fairly useless for roadbikes and for MTBs they are just future trail-litter. For safety, I feel that there are other ways to satisfy safety considerations without resorting to wheel reflectors. TireFlys (http://www.tireflys.com/products/bicycles.asp) are a better solution. If you intend to ride at night, wear reflective clothing and use real lighting equipment. CPSC reflectors are a joke, IMHO.

POSTMANSI...... How are things coming along?

George

They should not be removed no matter how. It is in fact illegal no matter what the case. Of course u can ignore this and use very simple techniques to remove them But as already mentioned YOU HAVE NO LEGAL THIRD PARTY CLAIM AND MAY BE REFUTED IN A COURT OF LAW. Legaslation clause passed by Transport act in your Traffic operations group. To advise someone to the contrary you are in fact an accessory to performing an illegal act. If you like to further this please visit the transport authority in your State or a Police dept that has juristdiction to fine you in the first place after inspecting your illegal bike. Please dont be silly and not put them back before you visit them.

Take them off around the corner (they are easy if you like) but again you are illegal.

Care to quote the law stating that wheel reflectors are required to be legal? Remember that things are different everywhere. Here's my state's law...


Revised Code of Washington State
46.61.780 Lamps and other equipment on bicycles.
(1) every bicycle when in use during the hours of darkness as defined in RCW 46.37.020 shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the state patrol which shall be visible from all distances from one hundred feet to six hundred feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.
(2) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
[1978 c 330 ss 746; 1975 c 62 ss 39; 1965 ex.s. c 155 ss 85.]


I see no mention of wheel reflectors.

FWIW, when I ride at night, I wear reflective clothing and use actual lighting equipment as opposed to just reflectors. I have a 32W dual-beam up front and red blinkies in the rear. This setup satisfies my legal responsibilities. As a matter of fact, someone riding with just reflectors is considered illegal thus almost all bikes sold are not legal for nighttime riding in my state regardless of wheel reflectors.

So then you are exempt from side impact collisions in America. Damn you are a lucky people. Perfect world there hey?

Wheel reflectors are not the only side visibility enhancement device nor are they the most effective. Additionally, having side reflectors does not guarantee someone from being hit.

A few nites ago, while driving home from work, and saw a bike coming toward me. The light from its headlight looked pretty good. I'd been thinking about getting headlight/tail light myself. Then as I passed the bike, I realized it was a reflector and not a light. I quess I had forgotten how effective they were.

So then you are exempt from side impact collisions in America. Damn you are a lucky people. Perfect world there hey?

Tough crowd, a fair amount of misinformation and some outright nonsense.

Are you going to ride at night or during dusk?

If no, you don't need the reflectors. If you decide to take them off, you might check first to see whether there is a state or local ordinance where you ride on point.

If you ride at night or during dusk or in other low-light conditions, you need to be very visible. Check what the requirements are in your area for riding at night with a bicycle and comply with them. See if they require reflectors. If not, you can decide whether the added visibility provided by the reflectors is worth it to you. Be visible (however you choose to do it) and be sensible.

Perhaps people posting references to the CPSC should go find out whether the CPSC rules apply to sellers of goods or to buyers/end users and let us know. :rolleyes: And please note that the requirements cited require a manual attached to the frame. You ride with the manual dangling from the frame, right? :eek:

Like Khuon, I'll be interested to see the support posted for the all-encompassing laws requiring spoke reflectors and the full assumption of risk asserted for failure to have them.

I removed them from my road bike that is almost always ridden in the daylight. I have them on my commuter/run around bike, because it is subject to being ridden at all hours of the night and day!

I also think the look silly. I have a LED flasher front and rear on the road bike, just in case I get caught out in the dusk.

Well, in Colorado, you must have side reflectors of some sort.

http://www.tosv.com/2001/Forms/BicycleTipsandLaws.htm


6. If you ride after dark you must have a headlight that is visible to vehicles 500 feet in front of you. You must have side and rear reflectors that are visible from 50 feet away.

Well, in Colorado, you must have side reflectors of some sort.

http://www.tosv.com/2001/Forms/BicycleTipsandLaws.htm



Does reflective piping on clothing count? Would the reflective strips on shoes count? Would the wrap-around reflective strip on my saddlebag count?

Can you imagine showing up at a race with reflectors on your bike??

LOL

Wheel reflectors are rotational weight.. on my old bike, you could notice a definate influence to wheel spin if you just spin the wheel and let it slow. Oddly enough, I left them on.

I took it off the BACK of my bike due to lack of room with my saddle bag... BUT, the bag has reflective materials.

I do NOT ride at night.. but in the winter months, I'm often stuck squeezing in a ride before dusk. I'll wear something that can be seen(such as a refelctive jersey).

POSTMANSI...... How are things coming along?

George

Wow! I didn't realize this was such a contoversial topic! I do ride frequently at night but I am a real light show. I use a headlight, a blinking taillight, and I have reflective tape on my helmet and shoes and the streets i usually ride are well lit. If they cant see me its because they choose not to.

Wow! I didn't realize this was such a contoversial topic! I do ride frequently at night but I am a real light show. I use a headlight, a blinking taillight, and I have reflective tape on my helmet and shoes and the streets i usually ride are well lit. If they cant see me its because they choose not to.

:D :D :D :D....

By all means remove those reflectors!!! A blinking tailight and a headlight is enough... heck, i don't even have a tailight and a headlight.. the only reflective part of me is the backside of my cycling shoes... :D
I wear bright jerseys though for visibility purposes, not to attract the opposite sex -- as some of the other forum members purposly do. :D (jst kidding, but its true! :D)

I mainly ride in the afternoon, but there are times I still out when the sun comes down...

Even in CA requires side reflectors, although reflectorized tires can fill the bill!

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist9/bicycle/Bike_Laws.html#equipment



Lights and Reflectors
Every bicycle operated upon any highway during darkness shall be equipped as follows: (1) with a lamp emitting a white light which, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle (or a lamp or lamp combination meeting the same requirements may be attached to the operator); (2) with a red reflector of a type approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles on the rear which shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beam of headlamp on a motor vehicle; (3) with a white or yellow reflector, of a type approved by the Department on each pedal visible from the front and rear of the bicycle, and with a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except those bicycles which are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors (Ref Sec 21201(d&e))

Perhaps people posting references to the CPSC should go find out whether the CPSC rules apply to sellers of goods or to buyers/end users and let us know.



If you are so interested, go and check the rules yourself. All it takes is a Google search. Why should others do your work?

Does reflective piping on clothing count? Would the reflective strips on shoes count? Would the wrap-around reflective strip on my saddlebag count?

New York State Laws - WAIT THE LBS FORGOT TO GIVE ME MY BELL! :D

Section 1236. Lamps and other equipment on bicycles.
(a) Every bicycle when in use during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible during hours of darkness from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and with a red light visible to the rear for three hundred feet. Effective July first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, at least one of these lights shall be visible for two hundred feet from each side.
(b) No person shall operate a bicycle unless it is equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least one hundred feet, except that a bicycle shall not be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a bicycle any siren or whistle.
(c) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(d) Every new bicycle shall be equipped with reflective tires or, alternately, a reflex reflector mounted on the spokes of each wheel, said tires and reflectors to be of types approved by the commissioner. The reflex reflector mounted on the front wheel shall be colorless or amber, and the reflex reflector mounted on the rear wheel shall be colorless or red.
(e) Every bicycle when in use during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall be equipped with reflective devices or material meeting the standards established by rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner; provided, however, that such standards shall not be inconsistent with or otherwise conflict with the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (d) of this Section.

ROAD CYCLING-

This is one cool legal bike and serious at that. Tell these GUYS to remove the reflectors. PLEASE!

http://www.cityofmarshall.com/safety/police/bikes.htm

http://web.utk.edu/~utpolice/newframe26.html

Again, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but those reflectors on those 'cool legal bikes' are still ugly. I can even bet you, chances are, if these patrolmen who ride these bikes owned racing bikes, you won't see them reflectors on them.

George

Edit: On second thought, maybe those reflectors should stay on patrol bikes as they represent safety and the law.

Again, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but those reflectors on those 'cool legal bikes' are still ugly.
George

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. I think they look cool, especially when I see a bike at night in my headlights with those wheels with the reflector whipping around in a spooky progressing spiral/circle!

(d) Every new bicycle shall be equipped with reflective tires or, alternately, a reflex reflector mounted on the spokes of each wheel, said tires and reflectors to be of types approved by the commissioner. The reflex reflector mounted on the front wheel shall be colorless or amber, and the reflex reflector mounted on the rear wheel shall be colorless or red.

I guess I'm glad I don't live in NY. If I'm already sporting visibility enhancement that goes above and beyond spoke/wheel reflectors, then why should I put myself in jeopardy by installing something on my wheels that can cause me to crash? If it were me, I'd ask for that law to be more lenient in wording so as to express the spirit of it more adequately. I wonder if reflective tape on the spokes or rim would be an okay substitute.

the side of emergency department mishaps no one wants to look at. they all think it cant happen to them. You could be the next one to get a first hand experience in neglect. These things are designed for WHAT ? Mr Bigshot. You may need to talk to your road traffic authority and change legislation. You fall into the category of FOOL.

As your name suggests you are the FIXER well then you should become a doctor and join the team and fix those road accidents that happen with bike riders. These are not a pretty scene Mr Fixer MD Surgeon Phd

Ya know,, I think they have pills that would help you ..............holy $hit!

They should not be removed no matter how. It is in fact illegal no matter what the case. Of course u can ignore this and use very simple techniques to remove them But as already mentioned YOU HAVE NO LEGAL THIRD PARTY CLAIM AND MAY BE REFUTED IN A COURT OF LAW. Legaslation clause passed by Transport act in your Traffic operations group. To advise someone to the contrary you are in fact an accessory to performing an illegal act. If you like to further this please visit the transport authority in your State or a Police dept that has juristdiction to fine you in the first place after inspecting your illegal bike. Please dont be silly and not put them back before you visit them.

Take them off around the corner (they are easy if you like) but again you are illegal.

In Texas, you are only required to have a headlight and rear reflector or light for riding at night. No side reflectors are required.

I suspect that Federal law requires all bicycles sold to be equipped with wheel reflectors, but what you do with them afterward is your business.

I suspect that Federal law requires all bicycles sold to be equipped with wheel reflectors, but what you do with them afterward is your business.

And here I thought we all had to live in fear that the guys in the ninja suits and night-vision goggles will come rappelling down from black helicopters to crash through our windows in the middle of the night with the express purpose of detaining us because we've removed the tags from our mattresses. :D

TOURDECOMP.....



Again, safety issues aside, it seemed like POSTMANSI, with his brand new racing Trek, was looking for directions in removing those ugly reflectors. If he had safety concerns, he would have started a thread under 'Safety & Advocacy'.

George

I have the reflectors on my commute bike, the ones with the small plastic screw thingy that holds it on the spoke. It is harder than unscrewing a normal screw, but with care the poster should be able to unscrew it and take it off the spoke. Just make sure it's a large flat bladed screwdriver so it makes good contact with the entire plastic piece. The ones with the metal piece that grabs the spoke have a regular metal screw that can be loosened. In California, the Vehicle Code specifies two reflectors that can be seen from each side of the bike. Last time I checked it, some of the reflective sidewalls on tires might qualify. Some of the reflective tape might do the trick also. My Lemond Zurich has no reflectors since I only ride it in the daylight.

I took the reflectors off my road bike, but left them on my hybrid. I'm also toying with the idea of removing the tag from my matress. :eek:

Illegal (ill eagle): sick bird!

Gee, I ride at night A LOT, and love it; have a good Light&Motion head light and multi-led flashing tail light,, now I'm starting to think about finding those frekin reflectors, you guys are bummin me out :( ! Ewww Ksyrium's and reflectors? oh Yuck! :eek: Come to think of it I dont think the wheel set came with them. Can they fit on those kind of spokes anyhow? they arent round.

I also find it interesting that I couldnt find any pictures of bikes with reflectors on any of the major manufacturers websites.

I only ride my road bike during the day, so I took the reflectors off the wheels. The massive plastic things on my 16/20 spoke wheels were hideous. I left them on my mountain bike that I ride frequently after dark, but one broke off.

I find a wide-mouth beer bottle opener (the ones that acutally encircle the top) work well to remove the 'unscrewable' screws

I took them off my wheels. I also took the New Material tag off my mattress.

What a rebel I just hope the BIKE and BED department don't do a surprise inspection.

Take them off.

Well what can i say......I achieved what I set out to achieve,,,,,,,,,,,These little reflectors sure are a hot topic LOL

So did you remove them or not? That's the bottom line :D

To the guy who asked about Ksyriums and reflector.. if they come with the bike, they're installed. BUT, they are attached by a screw in the middle and plactic ties on the end.. otherwide they WOULD rotate and become a hazard.

i've talked about this many times.... at high speed (45 mph or so) the wheel reflectors can cause the bike to start shaking. if you're gonna ride at night, leave the reflectors on. if you never ride at night, take em off.

What about having 6 evenly spaced reflectors on every wheel? :p

Well thank you guys, you've convinced me to put reflectors back on my commuter mtb.. for liability purposes...

More talk, less information above than I would have thought for an important topic. Here's my thoughts.

First, are wheel reflectors required by law? In the United States, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, (the CSPC, which regulates bicycles and other consumer products) requires that bicycles sold include the reflectors. The CSPC does not and can not require that the reflectors be used because that is part of state traffic law. I am not aware of any state (but I could be wrong) which requires the use of wheel reflectors.

Second, and more importantly, do wheel reflectors add to safety? To answer the question, you have to look at how they work. The reflectors make a bicycle visible to a car driver when the car’s headlights are shining on them. That is, when the bicycle is perpendicular to the car.

If the bicycle is far from the car, and traveling at roughly right angles to each other, the reflectors are highly visible, but irrelevant; the bicycle and the car aren’t going to intersect anyway. If you drive a car and you have seen wheel reflectors, that’s probably when you have seen them. You notice how bright and visible they are, but they don’t contribute to safety.

If the bicycle is close to the car, the reflectors are not going to enter the beam of the headlights until the car is about to hit the bicycle.

Read Effective Cycling (Amazon) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0262560704/103-5330302-9898268?v=glance) to see the whole story.

All that being said, all of my bikes are highly visible with effective reflective tape. I have wheel reflectors on my commuter which is regularly ridden at night, because when properly installed and maintained, they can’t hurt and they just might help.

The CSPC does not and can not require that the reflectors be used because that is part of state traffic law. I am not aware of any state (but I could be wrong) which requires the use of wheel reflectors.

I would suggest reading the posts in this thread, quite a few states mandate reflectors in the wheels between the spokes. And like others have said, keep em on at night not for the sake of safety but rather to give blood sucking lawyers one less excuse to not pay up in the event you do have an accident.

I am not aware of any state (but I could be wrong) which requires the use of wheel reflectors.

You must not have read the posts in the thread.

A number of states in the USA require some sort of side reflector, others require specific wheel mounted reflectors, and some none at all.

I can absolutely guarantee you that in a lawsuit. if having no reflectors was a part of the cause of an accident, and the reflectors had been removed by the person riding the bike, that the CPSC regulations would become a significant portion of the standard for judgment of liabiity in the absence of state law to the contrary (i.e., a state law stating that wheel reflectors are NOT required).

how about a compromise? You can put reflective tape on your rims (high visibility/low rotational weight/zero maintenence) or I've seen a courier who put reflective tape on an alleycat card and shoved 'em in his spokes (all the above plus the potential for stealth!) jeff

Who needs reflectors when you can get HOKEY SPOKES and use your PDA to type in different designs and messages in your spokes! Woot! ;)

If I raced, I'd totally show with reflectors, a bell and maybe even streamers... but that's because I know I'd lose and I'd just add to the absurdist quotient.

First thing i did was take the crap off.