chrisx

Reflective paint. stickers? Anybody use them? I would like to know what kind of reflective paint the Germans use on their bike bags. Some reflective stickers are better than others. My latest attempt was not as good as the white tape on a traffic cone. I would like to find some amber reflective colored tape. Some have said they put reflective tape on their bags instead of their bike, for stealth camping purposes. Perhaps I should have labeled this the touring safety thread, instead of the Reflective paint thread. There are plenty of light threads out there, let us stick(er) to non battery powered things.

BikeliciousBabe

We've used Nikkalite before. It's not the cheapest but it's the best we've discovered Same stuff they use on road sings in places.

reflective sheeting, NCI (USA) Flex Engineering Grade

jefnvk

Get the DOT stuff that they use on commercial trucks. I just put it on my bike.

manapua_man

I've got a big roll of this white reflective tape from 3M that I got off amazon something like 5-6 years ago. I wrap it on my spokes and put small strips on my helmet/bags. It works pretty well as long as the tape doesn't get covered up. I had some red stuff on the back of my helmets but lost the roll somewhere but I've been too lazy to get another.

TimothyH

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...ectivenge.html


-Tim-

seeker333

3M makes the best retroreflective sheeting, which is used for road signs, LE & EMT vehicles, and slit into tape of all types (DOT conspicuity, etc).

It's sold on eBay, Amazon, etc. I've used it for several years on a few bikes. Fenders and main triangle tubes are good places to apply tape. White tape has the greatest reflection - colored tapes are a fraction of white. Many 3M tapes have a strong, gummy adhesive so be careful since it's hard to remove. I highly recommend supplementing reflectors with good taillights and headlights.

Tourist in MSN

The 3M amber or red reflective tape that I have bought in the past would likely not work too well on fabrics, it is best applied to a solid surface.

I know you wanted amber, but white reflective material might be available from marine stores. I have bought reflective tape to put on my kayak and kayak paddles from West Marine, but I am not sure how well that would work on fabric. I do not know if they sell the reflective patches separately like those that are sewn onto life jackets, those patches are flexible and would work on fabric like a pannier. You could send them an e-mail and ask.

I think the reflective material on my Ortlieb panniers was printed on with special paint.

KD5NRH

For fabrics, go with:
DIY Arrow Silver Reflective Warning Tape Iron On Width 1" for Clothes Pants | eBay

Not great on stretch fabrics (mainly because they can't take the heat to get a lasting attachment) or the nylon typically used on panniers and backpacks, (just falls off those in a matter of days) but at $12/10m or $40/50m, you can afford to reapply it from time to time. Works great on t-shirts and my regular cotton cargo shorts. Also have it on a couple of sweatshirts, some nylon rain gear, (tricky to find the right heat, and needs a quick touch up with the iron every now and then) gloves and the inside of my leather belts. (Turn the belt around and put it back on or wear it inside out across the chest and back if stuck out on foot after dark without lights and such.)

fietsbob

I expect it's a thermoplastic material, it's heated to activate the bonding to the fabric..

I have a Carhartt reflective striped parka, I wear in the winter and a Polyester sweatshirt from them,
with the reflective stripes bonded into the fabric..




I am seeing the highway department using a themo-setting material in replacing the 'Zebra stripe' crosswalks.

in this case they heat it into place with a gas torch flame.. rather than paint with the reflective glass pellets in it

and also sprinkled on the top while the paint is wet.. that's more for fog lines going for miles at the edges of the highways..






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fietsbob

There is an ' Illuminite' process added for reflective details, to other fabrics , And a 'Halo', powder coating product,
Your Powdercoater can buy.

Generally any color than white is a filter layer added, so only that color is reflected back, thru that , Is the single color.
with a resulting loss of brightness..




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