I have noticed those pedal reflectors often too.

A little off topic - will reflective tape on rims downgrade braking performance? How about when it is wet?

You don't put it on the braking surface...

don't put the tape on the braking section of the rim where the brake pads touch.
same idea with not having paint on the braking section of the rim.:)

Don't trust em.. I 've had them. Pay close attention. I've seen them come loose and start flopping about on the spoke. Turning the wheel on the road, and its a good way to screw up a wheel. I suggest, seeking out tires with a reflective circular stripe about the tire itself.

Prefer reflective tape on the rims and/or reflective side wall tires to spoke reflectors. Tape on the frame is good, but it doesn't have the strobe effect of the wheel reflector. AFAIK some type of reflector is required on the wheels in the US. Apparently in the EU orange reflectors are a requirement? Every bike I have purchased or seen from their has orange wheel reflectors. I see plenty of the ninja cyclists and usually it is the pedal reflectors or wheel reflectors that I see first, depending on where they are riding and the angle.

As far as wheel balance...maybe. I have wheels with out reflectors and they have a tendency to stop valve stem down...so much for a perfectly balanced wheel.:lol:

Lights are a requirement for night riding where I live, but I have never known it to be enforced unless they were wanting to stop you for some other reason.

Aaron:)

FWIW, they're required by law. If you get into an accident in the dark and you don't have every bit of visibility equipment required by law, you're not going to do well if it comes to settlements.

As far as unbalancing the wheels, maybe my wheels are heavier than most but I haven't noticed any unbalancing up to about 45 MPH which is as fast as I've been on this bike. Of course, that depends on the size of the reflector. There are some pretty huge ones, and some smaller ones. I think the smaller ones probably weigh about 2x what a valve stem does, so without the reflector you've got an unbalanced tire due to the weight of a valve stem on one side. With a 2x as heavy reflector on the opposite side, you've got exactly the same amount of unbalance, just on the other side.

It is true that you have to actually check them and make sure they're actually mounted correctly. I don't know, I've only got 16000 miles, 1/2 over rough gravel roads, with 6 different wheels, and none of my reflectors have budged an inch.

If they're mounted right, they're pushed all the way to the outside, wedged between three spokes, THEN clamped in place with the mounting screw, and the centrifugal force of the spinning wheel holds them in place even tighter. There's no way a properly mounted reflector will come loose unless someone messes with it. Even if it does, I don't think it'd do any harm, it'd snap in an instant if it got wedged somewhere.

I prefer tires with reflective sidewalls, no unbalancing, less dorky looking, and they don't seem to affected by getting wet. The reflective sidewalls seem to have a larger angular range over which they are effective and a much larger total surface area than the standard spoke reflectors, I witnessed this a few months ago seeing two bikes crossing the road head of me on with spoke reflectors only, and the other with reflex tires, the difference was startling, they should be mandatory on all new cycle tires. As to the problem of moisture and reflex tapes, the vehicular grade reflective tapes have a smooth finish which encapsulates the reflective material and are largely unaffected by moisture, the tape that lose their reflectivity tend to be the sew on types for clothing etc. which don't encapsulate the reflectors.

Definitely reflective sidewalls are at least as good. No disagreement there, and in Michigan they specifically list reflective sidewalls as an acceptable alternative to spoke reflectors in the law.

Tires with reflective sidewalls are in the minority however. I will be mounting my new Marathon Winters in a few weeks when the snow comes, and I might decide to lose the reflectors for the winter at that point. But it's hardly worth it for weight/time purposes - I'm a total overweight slug all winter. And reducing the dorkiness of my ride is like taking a cup of water out of the ocean.

They probably don't do much but as with your province, they are required in my state. They are probably required in all of the US under the uniform vehicle code. Colorado law states that a bicycle must have a white light in front, reflectors capable of being seen at 500 feet on the wheels and a red rear reflector. Although I think that active lighting is far better than passive lighting, i.e. reflectors, I still run them. I don't want some lawyer getting his client off by claiming that I wasn't in compliance with the law and therefore responsible for my own injuries.

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... not to mention that the reflector is a useful fallback, should the batteries fail unexpectedly. The cost was approximately $15, IIRC.

Mind you, it's not my only rear light. Everything to excess... except for moderation! :p

Edit: Obviously, this only applies to the rear reflector. I'm not aware of anything similar for spoke reflectors.

They do!

http://www.rivbike.com/products/list...product=31-371

The big advantage of something on the wheel rather than the frame is that is moves very quickly, drawing attention.

Reflectors are better than nothing. If states require them, use them. However, I don't think most states specify what type of reflectors: CPSC, DOT, or tape. There are arguments that CPSC reflectors suck (I agree) and you are better off using DOT grade reflectors.

My state requires a front light, and a rear red light or reflectors. And also reflectors on the pedals unless they are on shoes or ankles.

I've taken off the sucky CPSC reflectors and have reflective tape everywhere on my bike: frame, cranks, wheels (not on the brake rim surface). Of course, I have front and rear lights with my reflectors on my shoes.

I don't think they're made like that anymore. The ones I have in my spokes are all clear, hard plastic, and are only about 3/4" wide. They'd snap like a pencil if they got in the spokes, no question in my mind.

OTOH, I have an old 70's 10-speed, and the reflectors in its steel wheels are huge and I wouldn't want to get them wedged.

IF you are a commuter, spoke reflectors and reflective tape do work. It's a supplement to your front and rear lighting system to give or make your side more easily visible to cross traffic at night. Dawn and Dusk conditions are the most difficult to see and very dangerous times and you would need to use a powered lighting system, like the led spoke lights, and orange reflector tape (CalTrans workers wear reflective orange vests during dawn/dusk and reflective yellow for most other lighting conditions and many commuters are starting to wear reflective safety vests/jackets). You can't be riding under perfect sunlit and clear visibilty conditions year around or at all times of the day/night, where cars/trucks can see you are there or ride in a group to your destination. Even for cars/trucks, certain paint colors blend in with the background in dawn/dusk lighting conditions and drivers won't notice you until they are virtually on top of you.

Aesthetics or function is often in conflict with the individual cyclist, esp when it comes to safety items or add-ons. What you can add to your bike or wear to be safer on your commute while maintaining the "proper look" is something nobody really knows nor is it standarized. But the locals or posters in this forum will be quick to offer their opinions.

this type of spoke reflector is a bit more secure than single spoke reflectors.

I fashioned my own from reflective tape and industrial sticky back velcro

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/IMG_0090.jpg

They can be made any length you want or need and don't leave any nasty residue on the rims;)

ah, innovative, no hard plastic to jam your wheel up :D

I'm surprised no one has mentioned these yet:

http://store.monkeylectric.com/Produ...ductCode=m133s

That is so cool! Probably unbalances the wheel a tad more than ordinary reflectors... but so cool!:thumb:

FWIW, anything that can make me be seen is GOOD.

My bent came without reflectors and I added them on. But I also have blinkies mounted on the side for my night/dark rides. I have them mounted on the seat tube as that is the closest in diameter to a handlebar.

I've heard a number of comments at work from people. Generally, something like "did you see that weird bike with all those lights on it?" (I run of 3 rear blinkies - when I don't use the panniers and 5 when I do use them - each on a different blinking mode.) And usually after they find out it was me, I learn they'd seen the bike from over 1/2 mile away. Security at work can see me in the cameras from over a mile away..... makes it kinda hard to sneak in/out of work when it is dark out.

As far as the law goes, Pennsylvania requires front, rear and side reflectors. It specifies minimum distance that they can be seen from. But all of them can be replaced/substituted with appropriate colored lights as long as they meet the visibility standards.

This thread has raised some very valid points. Much of my riding is on MUP's but like all of us I do cross streets on a regular basis.

I've always removed my plastic reflectors and for a lot of the reasons noted here about them possibly working loose I sure don't intend to replace them. However as I was reading this I was thinking about the colored reflective tape sold down at my local outdoor store (MEC as it turns out) and I think I'll be doing the same adhesive soft spoke reflector trick that was shown a few posts above this. Most of my rims are flat box section types so I have my doubts about rim mounted patches being that visible from the side. On the disc brake rims this isn't an issue and a couple of swatches of adhesive reflector is on the shopping list.

Thinking back to my driving I do remember seeing those two "rolling" reflections coming back at me and there's no doubt that they really stand out.

In New York you are required to have front, back and a reflector on each wheel.

And then there are these from REI...
http://www.rei.com/product/774213

Holy S***! You guys are advanced.

I like the soft reflector idea from rivendell. Thank you GV27

You're probably right itsjustme. The one I had was a brick.

AEO: I dont think that would come off

Every post here is good. Thank you all I'll go and replace that tape on the spokes. Probably that soft reflector/velcro idea. hmmm.

Spoke reflectors definitely trump reflective tape on the frame as, though the tape may be brighter, the unique circular motion of the spoke reflectors really draws attention from drivers (at least that's my experience driving), and from angles where spoke reflectors are visible it's almost always the first thing I notice about a cyclist... the light moving around in such an exotic pattern is hard to not pay attention to, and that's a good thing.

That said, I might take the liberty of some reflective tape on my rim (disc)... that might work better.

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:

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.

A problem I have with tape on the rims and with tires with reflective sidewalls is that they don't have the apparent motion that a spoke reflector does. they just look like circles. a spoke reflector is moving, and is clearly moving. That attracts a whole lot more attention.

I've kept them on or added them to bikes I have. I figure the more visibility, the better.

A while back, I was assisting at a 48-hour bike race, and that included driving the sag wagon the opposite direction from which all the racers were going. One thing I was surprosed at was how non-distinctive a bike headlight is. I'd see a bike headlight off in the distance and see it for several seconds before realizing it was a headlight of any kind. They're not the same size as car headlights, and not paired like car headlights. Anyway, the more light you reflect, the better.

This is why I only put reflective tape on part of my rim. The theory is that it hopefully provides that same on/off effect that the spoke reflector does. That in conjunction with spoke lights, reflective tape all over my frame and other parts and I'm hoping I'm covered. I know, it's dorky, but that's ok with me. :)