New Light Tape for Bikes?
#1
Thread Starter
circus bear
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 642
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From: Austin
Bikes: 97(?) GT Richochet, 00 Schwinn SuperSport
New Light Tape for Bikes?
#4
Seņior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 13,748
Likes: 10
From: Michigan
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Not legal in the US, in all probability.
Myself and some of my friends have tritium-based glowies on our keychains. We were not able to get them in the US and the UK supplier said they were not allowed to export to the US. We had them "imported" by a friend visiting from europe.
We tested them and there's no detectable level of radioactivity from them (using pretty good detectors in a radiation safety lab). But you know the US, anything that an idiot would be scared of, we don't allow.
FWIW, these would be pretty useless on a bike anyway. The glow is very dim. I have one hanging on the butt of my bedside flashlight so I can easily find it in a blackout, and they're good for finding keys in a tent at night, but they're not nearly as bright as even a firefly.
Myself and some of my friends have tritium-based glowies on our keychains. We were not able to get them in the US and the UK supplier said they were not allowed to export to the US. We had them "imported" by a friend visiting from europe.
We tested them and there's no detectable level of radioactivity from them (using pretty good detectors in a radiation safety lab). But you know the US, anything that an idiot would be scared of, we don't allow.
FWIW, these would be pretty useless on a bike anyway. The glow is very dim. I have one hanging on the butt of my bedside flashlight so I can easily find it in a blackout, and they're good for finding keys in a tent at night, but they're not nearly as bright as even a firefly.
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#5
Thread Starter
circus bear
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
From: Austin
Bikes: 97(?) GT Richochet, 00 Schwinn SuperSport
FWIW, these would be pretty useless on a bike anyway. The glow is very dim. I have one hanging on the butt of my bedside flashlight so I can easily find it in a blackout, and they're good for finding keys in a tent at night, but they're not nearly as bright as even a firefly.
yeah, the US tends towards being a nation of SafetySallys. I thought it would be nice to put some on a bike for night time parking. Maybe they upped the output somehow? Maybe embed it in some 3M reflective?
who knows...
I also am still fascinated by glow in the dark stickers, so there you go...
#6
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 155
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From: a few miles from the W&OD Trail, Virginia
Bikes: 2007 Trek 1500, 2002 Trek 5200
Anyways.
I think it'd be nice to have some of this stuff to light up the tubes (i.e. fork, top-tube, down-tube, seat-tube, seat-stays, chain-stays) on my bike so that, even if I'm not blinding drivers with it, on my rides home in the evenings and at night I'll look like a bicycle, and not merely a headlight followed by a blinking tail light.
#7
Thread Killer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,845
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From: Marfan Syndrome-Clyde-DFW, TX
Bikes: Fuji Touring Xtracycle, Merlin Road, Bacchetta Giro 26 (Sold), Challenge Hurricane, Cruzbike Sofrider
You could get some el-wire.. I had some on my old bike and on my helmet even and it made it pretty obious what I was from the side.
I don't know about wrapping it like they did but here is what it is. Just uses AAs and lasted me a week between battery swaps.
I don't know about wrapping it like they did but here is what it is. Just uses AAs and lasted me a week between battery swaps.
#8
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 684
Likes: 0
I absolutely disagree. We're far too lax on dangerous chemicals and substances that we allow in from other places. Do you know that millions of Americans use imported Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) every year without knowing the risks? According to the Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division, these include:
# Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.
# Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
# Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects.
# DHMO is a major component of acid rain.
# Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
# Contributes to soil erosion.
# Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.
Our elected officials should ban this dangerous substance immediately! https://www.dhmo.org/
# Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.
# Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
# Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects.
# DHMO is a major component of acid rain.
# Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
# Contributes to soil erosion.
# Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.
Our elected officials should ban this dangerous substance immediately! https://www.dhmo.org/
#9
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,373
Likes: 8
From: Columbus, OH
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
Unless exposing it to a few minutes of incandescent light is a problem, you might want to try the 12 hour high-intensity photoluminescent tape available at Identi-Tape. 1" x 33' is on sale for $15.00 right now.
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#10
I don't know.

Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,370
Likes: 1,233
From: South Meriden, CT
Bikes: '90 B'stone RB-1, '92 B'stone RB-2, '89 SuperGo Access Comp, '03 Access 69er, '23 Trek 520, '14 Ritchey Road Logic, '09 Kestrel Evoke, '08 Windsor Tourist, '17 Surly Wednesday, '89 Centurion Accordo, '15 CruX, '17 Ridley X-Night, '89 Marinoni
there's a brand of diving watches that uses Tritium for the hands and numbers. Forget the name.
#12
Seņior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 13,748
Likes: 10
From: Michigan
Bikes: Windsor Fens, Giant Seek 0 (2014, Alfine 8 + discs)
Here's what appears to be the patent for this:
https://www.freepatentsonline.com/4889660.html
Sure, you could use it in conjunction with a reflector, but that just makes it be a reflector, it's not increasing the output. This is going to be not really even as bright as conventional glow-in-the-dark plastics just after you turn the lights out. Not sure what you mean about parking; this would certainly make it easy to find your bike in the dark, if that's what you mean, but it's not going to draw a driver's attention.
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Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
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