JohnBrooking

As promised:

2manybikes

Thanks for the good photos John. It really does give you a LOT more side visibility! It's better than I thought. I bet even from a distance it's easy to see. I hope the batteries last a decent amount of time.
That looks like reflective tape on the front fender too. Good idea.

Nice bike too. I would have to cover it with the tarp.

Ron Kopald

I just bought a set of the Down Low Glow lights from Fossil Fool. They're great for side visibility.
I payed the extra Ten bucks and got Green for the back and Blue up front. Besides they're just so damn fly! Haven't been hassled by the cops. Yet. If I do I'll let everyone know.

JohnBrooking

Yes, the reflective tape on the front fender I just added, too. Would have put one on the back fender too, but the store only had one 21" roll, so I had to economize. The back fender faces up more than out, so I figured the front would be better if I could only do one. I did, however, apply the rest to the left sleeve of my coat, and got reflective velcro strips for my pant legs. So if they can't see me now, they shouldn't be driving!

My ultimate lighting plans are to replace the front lamp with a CatEye EL500 and the back with a LD1000, with one row blinking and one row steady. Maybe a set of TireFly's too. But this will certainly do for now.

genec

What if your shoes have reflectors? I would think that would be enough.

bostontrevor

Mass law allows the use of reflective ankle straps in place of pedal reflectors.

socalrider

I have an HID headlight, good tailiight and small flashing helmet light, I use a Princeton Tec Aurora affixed with velcro straps. The flashing light is just for being seen. This helps quite a bit at night especially when you look at someone they will stop..

The light is up high and has slow and fast flashing modes.. The great thing is that it works on 3aaa batteries and is very lightweight and will run for 40 hours in flashing mode.. You hardly notice it's there but the drivers always stop when looked at..

gritface

Allow me to amaze you then!

The strange thing is that my MTB pedals came with them, my road pedals did not. The chances of needing them on the road would seem to be higher than in the mountains...

cyclezealot

So Cal..I was out riding last night...The Aurora light fits under my helmet..Pretty bright light for its' size...I use it for a second light in addition to the one on my handlebar..I find the original strap fits snugly under my helmet and about the back of my head.
I think that Aurora light moving about gives you added vision to look in different directions and hope has a real impact on motorists.

socalrider

Cyclezelot,

If you get a velcro strap with a loop, a pump strap will work fine or you can get the velcro straps at rei.. You have the cut the strap off the aurora for it to work.. You can loop the strap through the 2 holes on the aurora and then run the velcro straps through your helmet and it works so well.. It lightweight and can work well as a being seen light and in a pinch can be used as a headlight.. I primarily use it in fast flashing mode for being seen..

Here is a pic: https://www.geocities.com/mar10stuff/...metwaurora.jpg

JohnBrooking

So, 2manybikes sent me his Christmas lights, and I am using them proudly. The other night, I was parked outside the grocery store, picking up some stuff on the way home, when a 10-year-old (or so) boy came out of the store with his mother and saw my bike. He said, "Wow, cool! Look, mom! He's got Christmas lights on his bike. That is so cool!"

Nice to be cool sometimes, even (especially?) to a 10-year-old boy.

operator

Lollercakes.

JohnBrooking

Sorry, meaning?

Nightshade

Do what you will, mate but gobs of reflective tape & a vest are the
most effective less costly way to markedly increase your visiblity.
Why on earth do people have to buy every battery sucking device
ever made for bicycles?? Batteries have a way of dying on you
when you need them the most.

bostontrevor

JB, humor, irony, something like that.



Tightwad, I wish it were true. The most effective way to improve your visibility is active lighting. There's just no substitute. Ideally this is supplemented by reflectors which can work better under direct lighting but require that someone first be close to you before you become visible. This is based both on my own personal experience coming up on unlighted but reflecterized cyclists as well as "expert" opinion.

https://homepage.mac.com/bicycle_driv...toAlbum78.html
https://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/reflectors/index.htm
https://www.bikexprt.com/witness/fabric/warning.htm

A cheap set of ultrabright LED lights are adequate for being seen, relatively cheap (at least as cheap as gearing up in a bunch of reflective clothing) and have superlative battery life with very acceptable failure modes. They gradual dim as the batteries die rather than just going dark. This gives you plenty of advanced warning to replace/recharge the batteries.

operator

Same as lol, but more intense lol. What bostontrevor said

Dchiefransom

I have snap in reflectors for two sided SPD MTB pedals.

JohnBrooking

I do wear a reflective vest, although it's a bit awkward with a backpack - either I have to put it on over the backpack, which is a pain and looks odd, but I normally do it anyway, or if it's under the backpack, the back of it is hidden so what's the point? I recently put a reflective strip down the left arm of my jacket, and on my front fender. I have a headlight and taillight, but my main concern, which started this thread, was being seen from the side.

vrkelley

hmmm...Frustrating is it? Motorcycle and car companies seem to have it figured out. Why the bike companies can't standardize front, side and tail lights is beyond me. Bike mfgs could sell light assembly packages could be an accessory.

Standardized lights would help identify bikes to motorists more readily.

bostontrevor

Yeah, right. That'd require taking bicycles seriously as transportation, both by the manufacturers and the purchasing public.

As it stands, the CPSC requires a standard reflector kit. This requirement was strongly supported by the bike industry who felt that the additional cost of active lighting would negatively impact sales. They may be right.

Oh, sure, I hear the reasonable people saying, they could just sell them with the standard mounts and you could purchase the lights aftermarket. Yeah right, I still say. In this age when even a fender or rack eyelet is too much something to put on the latest and greatest (or even the cheapest and nastiest) bike, what makes you think they'll put on light mounts?