Reflectors- Yea or Nay?
 

I just purchased a GF Wahoo.
I do not like reflectors.
My parents do.
Do you use or do not use reflectors, and do you feel they are a significant safety benefit? (Any riding at night would be due to a "miscalculation")
Thanks for any help!

I use them because I still ride my beast on the road and at night. If you don't do those things, I would definitely take them off. Other than that they really are safety conscience but you can always just take them off and wear an orange vest or get a light...just a thought.

You'll be glad they're there if you end up riding on the road at night.

If you're riding at night, they might be worth keeping, but I'd go for decent lights instead.

The first thing to come off any new bike I buy is the reflectors. There are no lights at all on my MTB - it's only ridden on trails. The roadie has a rear blinkie for the odd time I misjudge and the sunlight starts fading, and I have a blinkie I can throw on the front if I ever plan to need it. The commuter has two rear blinkies, a front blinkie, and a front halogen.

I use reflective tape on my frame in various places, different possible angles.
I do have a red reflector on the seatpost, more a 'traffic requirement' than something I feel I need.
The tape weighs nothing, I put it around the tubes in 2's like race stripes.

Use something.

Nay

They ruin the look of my bike and I don't ride at night on the road.

As soon as I got my bike home last saturday, the first thing I did was take them off. Looks so much better with them off.

Your only as cool as your reflectors.

Thats the first thing I take off, even before I set of my bars and levers! Just take them off and dont tell your parents. Thats what you should have done in the first place. Gaurenteed if they are like most parents they would have never known.

i do not use reflectors. I never do and will not ride at night, unless im caught in a very unusual circumstance. If i rode at all at night or in low light conditions at that, i would put reflector tape on my helmet and rims.

looks so much better laying in the hospital .freaking morons!!!!!
hey look at me i am so cool in my new wheelchair.
ok i don'yt use the reflectors that come stock ether ,but a good alternative is scoth extra bright reflector tape.looks better and works just as good.you can get on ebay for a few bucks .you can glue pieces on your rims and some around you seatpost ,handlebars or somewhere on the fork and you are set .if you are creative it doesn't look bad ,just don't just take pieces that are to small ,if my bike wouldn't be in a box next to me i would post some pictures.

Reflectors reflect your noobness to riding bikes. If you arent riding at night, take em off. If you ride at night get the reflective strips, a headlight, and a F/R blinker. I find that sometimes I dont notice bikes coming towards me when they have a solid headlight for some reason.

This is where I put the tape, done deal. Safe and sporty.

Using a safety feature like a reflector cannot be though of as dumb, wheel spoke ones are not so hot.
$4 worth of tape and you have a safety system.

Or ride on the sidewalk at night. :rolleyes: O.k if you bmx.
The double white stripes are reflecto.

"Just take them off and dont tell your parents. Thats what you should have done in the first place. Gaurenteed if they are like most parents they would have never known."


Ridehard, They are not like most parents.
To be perfectly frank I have pure contempt for people who give such "advice" and make such assumtions, and I don't give a **** if I get flamed for saying it.
Unlike some (Presumably) I enjoy myself most when riding with my father.

OK, Back on subject.
Mr. Williams and the rest, Thank you very much for bringing reflective tape to the forefront of my mind. I'll talk to them about it in the morning and see what they say.
Since I don't ride at night unless extenuating circumstances prevail, I think that will be sufficient and will mostly alleviate the "Uncoolness" and hassle of reflectors.
If not, I'll check back with you folks.
Thanks again!!
Brad

Too true! If you only ever ride in blazing sunshine then fine can the reflectors. If there is any chance you will be on the road at night then you need some form of reflective device as a bare minimum. The tape idea is a good one. Use it in all the places the plastic reflectors were. I ride a lot at night and I also drive my car at night and what I've noticed is that the pedal reflectors are always the first thing I see when there's a bike ahead on the road then I'll pickup the red blinkie at the back. Moral? if you run no other reflector at least run some on your pedals, tape or plastic. Its hard to look cool in plaster.

The pedal reflectors don't bug me too much.
"It's hard to look cool in plaster"
Oh yeah! That my friend is a instant classic.
I forsee using it a lot!

my pedal reflectors were gone magically in about the first week.:D

He speaks all truth. GOod post.
I think also a good spot to put them is the heel of your shoes (many already have reflectors in already there)
but also a strip on the very end of the crankarm. I was riding with my mom in the car last week one night and i saw this little luminescence move up and down and it drove me nuts trying to figure it out! But it turned out it was reflector tape.

It's pretty simple.

If you ride on the roads at night you need SOME way to ensure cars will see you. You have several options:

Lights (front and rear)
Reflectors
Reflective tape

You definitely need SOMETHING if you're going to ride the roads at night. If you are sure you will never do that, then don't worry about it.

Take Them Off.

The tape is a nice option, you definately need something on it in case you are riding in the night. I am going to assume you will use this for your primary tanspo, in this case use reflection of some sort as there will be times you are caught after dark. Got a Wahoo for my wife and it runs great - good selection.

I never ride in the city at night (or anywhere, for that matter) so I took my spoke reflectors off, they were just going to litter the trail. Miscalculations DO happen so I have a front and rear blinkies in my bag if I ever have to ride home through the city at night.
I'd say if you want to be lit up, use lights and reflective tape.

Man I really think he got his answer and got it beat in. Has anyone tried putting the reflective tape on the spokes themselves? If so did it stay on?

Haven't tried it but I can imagine it whistling while speeding along if it comes loose slightly. ;)