Originally Posted by
tarwheel
Agreed.
Reflective sidewall tires work great and can be seen at great distances. I have tested mine with an LED flashlight and they light up a long distance away. I've bought my Conti GP 4000s with reflective sidewalls for about $25 apiece when probikekit.com had them on sale. Worth every penny. Reflective ankle bands are an inexpensive way to add sideways (and rear) visibility. Not only do they light up well, but the motion catches peoples' eyes.
It's not a total absurd statement. It depends on the angle of incidence of the approaching vehicle as do all reflective surfaces. I can see many situations where a vehicle approaching from 90 degrees to the bicycle would not illuminate the reflective surfaces on a bike until the car was right on top of the bike. In many urban settings, with lots of shrubs, trees and other landscaping, a car could easily get within 20 feet of less before illuminating a bicycle's reflectors. This is one of the reasons that I don't rely on passive illumination, i.e. reflectors, and instead opt for active illumination, i.e. lights. A prudent rider uses both.