spry

Monday while riding on a local wooded bike trail in Ohio,a recumbent approached from the opposite direction,around a brush lined curve,in my lane.My lucky day,it missed me!This particular low-riding lawn chair seemed quite long and had trouble negotiating the curve on the 7-8ft.wide paved trail.
My point is,we cant see a recumbent in 4ft high brush on a sharp turn.Isn,t it sort of standard equipment to have the 6ft. fiberglass whip with the little orange flag on top or is this safety item considered out of fashion?

Shaman

Seems the two wheelers don't dig flags... It's the trikes that typically style them.

Wheelchairman

I run a big-arse flag on my trikes. The best piece of mind you can buy.

BlazingPedals

It sounds like the real problem wasn't his height but the fact he was where he didn't belong. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again - MUPs are linear parks, not travel corridors. They're great for kids, pets, and wobbly bikers, but if you want to go faster or expect rules-of-the-road to apply, you should hit the roads - people on MUPs are often there precisely because they can't handle the rules. I'm not saying that to excuse him or to fault you, just to point out that however frustrating it is, those kind of encounters are all too common on trails/paths.

karterjimm

What local bike trail in OH? I was out on Monday and I don't remember any close encounters!

25hz

Like the people (sheeple/cattle) on MUP's around here, it wouldn't matter what they were riding or how big of a flag they had (mind you the chance of maybe seeing it beforehand would be nice) but their inconcideration is the problem. I've been on MUP's that were lined, just like a road, yet it was apparently too obvious for most users to figure out that they simply operate on it the same way they do on a road. The nice thing about a bent, is that anyone doing anything foolish in front of me is likely going to be the worse for wear. I use flags on everything except my current high racer becuase I just haven't gotten around to putting the mount on yet, but it goes on first thing in the spring (I'm on rollers with it right now - don't need the flag). I see a lot of bent riders who say it causes too much drag, or it looks lame. For me though, any extra drag just makes me stronger - more fit, and looking lame is fine with me as I think I'd likely look more lame eating a grill or radiator.

BlazingPedals

My lowracer has well over 15,000 miles on it. My hybrid has somewhere between 1000 and 2000 miles on it. yet the hybrid has been hit 4 times one of which was when I was at a dead stop at a red light. The lowracer hasn't been hit at all. In spite of its larger profile, the upright seems to be much harder for car drivers to see, and I can only guess why. Flag? I only use a flag if it's mandated by the tour I'm doing.

bobkat

I usually fly a flag - a fairly big Stars and Stripes. I think it makes me more visible, and keeps the rednecks off me! Seriously - I've had people stop, remove their hats, and even salute when I go by! Maybe they think I'm a crippled vet in some sort of a wheelchair! Add drag - probably, but I'm no Lance anyway!

bobkat

I wonder if drivers "tune out" a regular bike more often than something unusual, like Blazin's lowracer. Being different it catches the eye and you tend to naturally follow it more.

bentrox!

Yes, novelty is likely to garner attention and maybe help prevent accidents resulting from the lack thereof. Accidents happen regardless, though - particularly where obstructed lines of vision are involved. Use a flag if the situation warrants, but even this won't prevent the "I-didn't-see-you" accident.