My Taillight Setup.
 

I just wanted to show everyone my new Taillight setup. Does anyone use a setup like this? The outside distance across my mirrors is 33" and the outside distance across the taillight setup is 34" this lets drivers know how much space I take up. I used 1/2" sch 40 pvc and sanded with 120 grit sandpaper and painted it black with Krylon Fusion for plastic paint. The white that you see is 3M reflective tape. I got all this from Home Depot. The lights are Planet Bike 5 Led. It is held on with a small bungee cord and can be removed and put on in just about a minute, this makes it easy for me to get in and out the back door. I might get some red reflective tape and add that also. Let me know what you think?

When I ride on the street I take the lane and this should help me to get the clearance that I need, hopefully..I did use just the flag but wanted some lights as I ride home at 11:00 PM at least two nights a week. Hopefully this also will give others an idea for setting theirs up if they use anything like this. I'll let you know how it works..Cheers..:D

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...h/S5000002.jpg..and..http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...h/S5000005.jpg..http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...h/S5000008.jpg

Words fail me at a time like this.

I like it. Nothing better than the thought of having their side panel scratch if motorist pass by real close. I do have one suggestion though, you might want to consider some kind of breakaway safety thing if the lights ever do get caught up on a vehicle or anything. It may catch on something and knock ya off your bike. Perhaps maybe cutting the pipe and joining them back with a spring insert or round cylindrical shape cork slipped inside the cutted piece so it can snap when it get snag.

Actually, not a bad idea ... much like a motorcycle from behind.

I thought about that but if they get that close they will take out my handlebars also as the bar and lights are only about 1" longer than the handlebars. And if their car gets scratched and they complain then that will prove that they were closer than the required three feet..The bar will turn to the side if it does get hit and snap back due to the bungee cord. But hopefully that will never happen. I'll try the setup this week and if it is to wide then I'll shorten it just a little bit.

In this area I seen two bicyclists that got hit and there has been three that got killed all within the last two months. I'm just trying to do what I can to keep me off that list. And this is just my commuting bike and I don't ride on the sidewalks, streets only, so snagging on anything should not be a problem. If this many accidents happen here I can only imagine what it is like in other cities and these are just a few of the bicycle accidents that I have seen or heard about..

Time will tell..Cheers :D

That setup is crazy... I actually like it.

Groovy! I made a very similar taillight set up using PVC pipe to strap to my canoe when towing at night. The only differences are I didn't paint the PVC and used fewer and wider pieces of red DOT C2 reflective tape; and I'm using Cateye TL-LD500 taillights.

Wowsers - that is cra-zee! ! I'm sure you'll still get a knucklehead who says i didn't see you!

Amazing, one could probably even mistake you for a car at distance and at night.

I've been thinking that I want to mount turn signals out there... but running lights there are a good idea too... thanks! :)

In a word . . . overkill.

I wouldn't be able to ride a mile without hitting someone or something with those outriggers.

Whiskey
Tango
Foxtrot.

Chad

Any trouble locking up the bike?

Airport just called. Want to know if they can have their runway beacons back.....

You've done a very nice job!

No problems
 

No problems with locking it up. We have two racks to secure our bikes to and usually just two bikes parked there at anytime. I don't ride it to any stores or go inside anyplace and leave it outside, basically it is just to commute to work Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 miles one way..Sometimes I just take it out for a spin now and then.. I have Pitlocks on both wheels, seatpost, and the head and at work I use "The Club Junior". I don't really need this setup going to work but it should be nice going home with it after dark. What problems should I have? I can just remove the assembly and lay it on the ground, or lean it against the bike. And with the pitlocks I can just lock the front wheel to the rack if I needed to.

I might mount an eGear Guardian Dual Function Signal Light, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product at the end on each side as strobe lights just in case a plane does want to land..LOL..Just Kidding..Cheers..:D

My other ride..A 2009 Trek 1.2 This is the one that I ride the neighborhood with..Notice the Unicycle in the background, a one wheel wonder. The one on the right is a Torker single speed setup as a fixed gear. If you haven't ridden a fixed gear you need to try one, I love it... PlanetBike on all, if you hadn't noticed.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...h/S5000013.jpg

wow thats ****ed

just got off the phone with a friend who laughed at me because I told him I have 2 sometimes even three taillights. I gotta show him your setup.

What's the monstrosity you have in the center on your rack, is that some time of reflector?

If they cannot see you now, they shouldn't be driving.

Would love to see video of this setup in action.

Good idea and very neatly done.

It almost seems like there might be a reason to fear motorist confusion. But it's very clean, nice job.

As far as the width goes, I occasionally ride with a frame strapped cross-wise to my rear rack. I find that motorists stay wide when I do that.

I might run a set up like that next time I tour. Good job.

So what's the story? Have you been hit or something?

You forgot the "Wide Load" sign.

Is your flag reflective? Instead of hanging it there you could get those triangle reflectors that are on the back of tractors. One on each side would be cool

I like it.. I might do that, only a little narrower. The hanging flags / triangle would be my real motivation. I don't think I need more than one taillight.

Gotta agree, the flag will be useless when you are moving, and especially at night. You need something reflective and more likely to hang down to catch headlights.

Since you've gone to this extreme... I have one more suggestion... something I saw one time that really made an impression on me... a light shining on your back. I ride this arterial road with a speed limit of 50MPH, and one night I saw a cyclist ahead of me that instantly said "cyclist." He had a light on his back rack, aimed at his back... there was no question about what he was, there was no mistaking him for a motorcycle or any other object on the road.

At the time I was using a triple belt beacon (incandescent bright random flashing) setup with a red led flashy, so I felt pretty good... but when I saw his setup, I realized he had trumped me.

FoxFire
 

A FoxFire Commuter bike light. http://www.ledsafetylights.com/safet...p?ProductID=85 I bought a red one and an amber one.

I would rather be a live chicken than a dead turkey. It might be overkill but if someone ever does hit me and if I survive when it goes to court and they see pictures of my setup I or my family shouldn't have any problems winning my case. Helen Keller could see me. The law in Florida says for night time riding that a headlight and a taillight is required but additional lighting is suggested. I won't use this all the time just when I am going to work or coming home from work. That's why I have it quick release.

My workmates say that I look like a Christmas Tree going down the road without the bar. At least I get noticed..:D If people run into the back of a City Bus this setup is no guarantee that I won't ever get hit, but it should help to keep from getting run over..Cheers

Thanks for the that. The FoxFire looks huge!!!

Will I survive?
 

That sound like a neat idea but I went with this instead..http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...14_3659953.gif..I seen several other bikers at night wearing these (Diehard Bikers) and I seen the vest before I even saw their flashing lights. ANSI Class 3 level 2 vests are designed for high traffic areas over 55 mph and that is what I encounter at night. Got it from Alertshirt..http://alertshirt.com/wiraja.html

The flag is basically for day time use but I have put some reflective tape on it but I have to try it to see if it stays on, if not I'll get a reflective flag or use something else. On my ankles I use the reflective snap bracelets because I also noticed that the pedals going around is usually about the first thing you see of a bicyclists at night due to the reflectors on the pedals.

Trial and error with this setup will help me decide to keep it or lose it but from what I see now is that it might and should work..And the idea for the center FoxFire commuter light I got from another poster in these forums...Cheers

Fred all the way...Where's Fred?