DTownDave22

I am trying to place a sign (about the size of a letter sized computer paper, 11 x 8.5, somewhere on the rear of my bike, but I am not sure of simple accessories, and what types/model of those accessories would allow me to accomplish this.

Would a bike rack with a certain feature allow me this?


Note, if you're interested at all about why I want to do this, read ahead, if not, I'd appreciate some input from those more experienced than myself.






What Sign I Want to Put on My Bike

*Note* If you plan on lecturing to me about putting such a sign as this on my bike, might want to use your time on something else. It will only be wasted space/time and I probably won't read it. I mean, there's a chance, but I wouldn't hold my breath. (but I appreciate your thoughtfulness either way though).

I primarily ride for what I call casual fitness. I don't ride 30+ MPH, but I ride for enjoyment and exercise at about and average of 15-20 MPH, depending on the distance of course.

What I do get tired of, is in busier parts of my usual main road I ride on, and I ride primarily where there is light traffic and/or more room/lanes to ride, I will get people that more than just say once every five hours I'm in this type of riding condition, that honk at me and/or tell me to get on the sidewalk.

I am a little sensitive and biking is something I do to exercise, relax and enjoy myself. I don't really appreciate it and it frankly gets old and annoys me that people think they're entitled to the road. Drivers think they own the road; old news, right?

I came up with a little simple graphic to express a rule of the road that is not stressed to people in driver's training for the most part--nothing more, maybe they'll think twice before honking or telling me to get on the sidewalk:

BIKES HAVE RIGHTS
TO THE ROAD
Too

Depending on how clear it would be to a driver, I could make the "oo" in "Too" look like a simple picture of a cyclist riding a ribke with a grey background line for a road.

sggoodri

I had a Same Rights, Same Rules bumper sticker on my last car. Drivers would leave me notes under my windshield wiper explaining that I was all wrong and bikes had no business on the road.

I once bought a T-shirt that said Share The Road on the back. I never wore it cycling, however, because I worried that it would generate as much negative attention as it would defuse.

I've ultimately decided that when I'm on my bike, I don't want to look like I'm trying to send a message. I'd rather look like I'm just going somewhere on my bike. If somebody honks at me, ignoring them sends a more useful message than getting defensive. I'd rather see the government argue my road rights for me, through better education programs, or do it myself when I'm not out on the road.

My current car has a Share The Road plate. The NC state government (DMV) issued it, and so far no notes on my windshield.

squirtdad

You get get the coroboard (plastic cardboar) from a sign shop, and use zip ties to attach it to a rack.

But before you do that.....print up a sample on paper..... put it some place that you can drive by and check for readabiliyt...... I think you will find that unless you are stopped it won't be readable to a driver going 20- 30 mph.

ianbrettcooper

Requests or statements of rights can backfire. What always works is confusion. So...

If you're bothered by yelling and honking (heck, we all are), just wear a jacket with the word 'CYCLIST' or 'OFFICIAL' - or both - in big block capital letters on the back. From a distance, 'CYCLIST' can look like 'POLICE' (especially if you smudge out - or 'accidentally' remove- the C and add some strategic smudges to the Y, S and T) and 'OFFICIAL' looks like 'OFFICER'. Make it official-looking enough and this will confuse them enough so that they won't usually bother you. By the time they figure out that 'CYCLIST' (or 'YCLIST') or 'OFFICIAL' (or both) means nothing, they'll be well past you.

As Sun Tzu wrote:

"All war is based on deception." - make your enemy think you're something you're not
.
"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak. "

"To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

"In war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak." - his weakness lies in the fog of war - he doesn't know what you are and will fear what you 'might' be.

"He who only sees the obvious, wins his battles with difficulty; he who looks below the surface of things, wins with ease."

genec

Look below the surface... and pull the spark plug wires. LOL!

randya

signs like that can easily be mounted to a rear basket



Topeak rear basket

onyourback

I want a sign too but mine will say, "My other ride is your mom."

randya

"Ex-Wife Got the Car"

jfmckenna

I tend to agree with others that say in a way you are itchin for a fight doing this. A guy I know when i lived in Indiana took a sharp piece of rebar and painted it glow bright orange with the sharp tip in silver and placed it on his rack such that the sharp point was on the traffic side. It didn't stick out much further then the width of hisself on the bike but his theory was that drivers would be more concerned about getting the paint scraped on their precious automobiles then they would buzzing a cyclist and sending him off the road.

Not saying he wasn't nuts or anything but I just got a kick out of it.

Seattle Forrest

You can mount a sign to a rack pretty easily. There's a (bike friendly) restaurant that lets you order up front, then gives you these column things with a number at the top and a wide bottom to stand on; then they bring you your food and take the number back. That would be pretty easy, and secure with some duct tape. You definitely want the sign behind your back, partly to put it near eye-level for drivers, and partly so it doesn't become a sail or parachute, slowing you way down.

Use as much contrast as you can, like black text on white paper, because it's going to be difficult to read while you're moving, especially if the road isn't smooth.

I think there's a lot of wisdom in here. With a sign, you're going to engage people who want to "debate" the issue, and you're going to shield them from other cyclists. You'll be noticed more by cars who have a dislike for cyclists, in the ways that sggoodri pointed out. And, honestly, the people who are honking at you and telling you to get on the sidewalk ... probably aren't doing it because they're confused about the law. They've made up their mind that bikes don't belong on the street, laws be damned. We complain about the fanciful interpretation that "there aren't 'share the road' signs on this road, so I don't have to share it" which honestly isn't like the type of logic humans use in the rest of life. A sign on your bike that doesn't carry the weight of law, isn't any more likely to change peoples' minds.

But it won't get you shot on sight, so you might as well give it a try and let us know how it works for you.

DTownDave22

I don't really need/want anyone lecturing me about putting a sign on a bike. I'm just looking for some simple suggestions for putting a sign on a bike.

Thanks.

dougmc

As others have said, what any sort of sign like this is likely to do is to make those who were going to not honk at you think twice and decide to honk at you. If somebody disagrees with the sign, the sign may prompt them to buzz you or cut you off or corner you and debate the issue with you.

I believe that a sign like this will increase the negative attention paid to you, not decrease it. It all depends on what your goal is ...

Also, being 8.5x11, as already mentioned, it's going to be hard to read -- but if you make it bigger, its drag will slow you down significantly. Even at 8.5x11, it's going to slow you down somewhat. That is, if it's behind you. If it's in your bike's triangle, then it won't slow you down much, but will make you more vulnerable to crosswinds and it won't be so visible as your legs will be in the way.

randya

good luck with that

DTownDave22

I'll look into that.

A bit on the big side--dont' really need something quite that large, but thanks.

SCROUDS

I was thinking a full sized one of these attached to the back.



Anyone know where I can order one? Metal would be preferred.

tornado60

Couldn't a Iron on Transfer on Plain T-Shirt work just as well? I have my reflector mounted with l bracket. If the material was strong enough I should think this would work.

Perosnally I agree that this will only make things worse. You need to learn to let it go. There are always rude jerks out there. If they threaten you try to get the plate and call the cops. Otherwise I find the Big Grin and Wave is both theraputic and effective. They don't know how to react when you are nice to them, and that is really fun.

Seattle Forrest

So ... what results did he get?

Standalone 

Much better to order hundreds and install them on telephone poles everywhere...

or, in a more legal fashion, get a few dedicated cycling advocates to put up official looking posts on their property in several places around town.

coffeecake

Hi. Sign shop employee here. I'm going to sidestep the debate about installing a sign in the first place for a moment and offer you some input.

If you want to get this made somewhere, you have a couple of options - cheapest option would be coroplast (corrugated plastic cardboard) with adhesive vinyl lettering. This should last at least four or five years. You can attach it with zip ties to a rear rack. If you want something more professional, sign shops should have a lightweight aluminum composite board - two layers of aluminum with dense foam in the middle - that's a bit more durable and easy to drill holes into; it's called di-bond aluminum in these parts. Another thing you could use is some heavier plastic - sign shops, especially those that screenprint parking tags and small signs should have sintra or styrene available, which come in many thicknesses and varying rigidity. Other shops may have a flatbed digital printer that you can print directly onto whatever surface you like.

It may be difficult to find a shop that will do this for you. Many sign companies don't bother with small, one-off orders like these, or they may charge you more than you'd be willing to pay. I'm not sure of your budget, but where I work, it's around $60 -$80 an hour for labour, plus materials. You could also ask for coroplast offcuts - many shops will give these away for free, if they're decent. You can get pre-cut vinyl lettering from Walmart as well. If you have had an election in your area recently, election signs are a free source of material.

Readability: my chart that I use at work indicates 3" letters will be visible at a maximum distance of 100', with maximum impact topping off at 50'. This is for red or black on white background. I don't have any charts with speed factored in; but keeping it short will help.

As to whether or not this will provoke motorists, I find that in many places in North America, simply being on a bike will provoke their ire. Personally, I would not do it, but I do not like confrontations, unless there is a possibility of cake afterwards.

dobber

I'd probably pull over and explain to you that a bicycle, being inanimate objects, have no rights.

dogbitteneear

If you had long wheel based bike(aka recumbent) that would be very easy to do with corroplastic sheets much like a house roof/\ like squirt dad says try it.
Bob

dogbitteneear

P.S The vinyl lettering from sign shop comes also in reflectice colors.

DX-MAN

OP --

Just put a target on your bike -- same result.

LesterOfPuppets

I'd go for T-shirt if you're a casual rider. here's a link to one I see around town a lot.

If you want a couple week's worth of tees, I'd print up a dozen Safety Green tees with one color print for you for $8.00 each + shipping.

digger

This is true.
Cyclists Have Right to the Road Too would be better but too long to read.

If you do add such a sign, I would suggest that you follow those rights/laws...to the letter.