Originally Posted by
landstander
I had the same concerns, and addressed them with a
Cateye TL-LD500 taillight. It's got an integrated CPSC-approved reflector, which keeps me legally compliant while still providing the benefits of active lighting.
In point of fact, CPSC approval only means it's legal to
sell the bike. It doesn't mean you've got a reflector that necessarily meets your legal obligations for actual road use. In my state, the actual minimum legal requirement is:
(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 up to six hundred feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle.
The thing that will matter, is whether it's visible from all distances up to 600 feet when directly in front of low-beam headlights. CSPC, DOT, whatever, it must meet that real-world performance test. Obviously, keeping the reflectors clean is a key aspect here
Regarding the topic of wheel reflectors:
As an LBS mechanic, I haven't seen any reason to worry about them affecting the wheels, unless you have one swing sideways and hit the frame, in which case it wasn't installed correctly. I've used wheel reflectors on light wheels at up to 57mph without a problem, although I did lose one (they were the end-clip type, not the center-locking variety). Try to stay below 55mph, OK?
For visibility, although wheel reflectors only show up in certain circumstances, they do scream "BICYCLE" and attract the eye when they show at all, so why not
I also like reflective-sidewall tires and reflective tape betwen the spoke holes of the rim. For active lighting that shows up from the sides, those Nite-Ize SpokeLits and the
eGear Guardian amber blinkies are worth looking at, too (I have the Guardians zip-tied to the fork legs facing sideways). Flat-bar bikes can also get some side visibility from the Trek "Beacon" bar-end blinkies, which primarily aim rearward but are also visible from the side.