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Need a flag for Burley trailer

Old 10-03-11, 09:52 AM
  #1  
sebnukem
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Which flag for Burley trailer?

Hello everyone,

I just got a nice Burley D'Lite from Craigslist but it didn't come with a safety flag. The Burley flag on Amazon is $20, which I think is ridiculously expensive for an orange piece of plastic, not to mention the idiotic "i <3 My buRley" written on it.

Anyone here is using a cheap[er] flag on his/her Burley? If so which one/where did you get it from?

Thank you.

Last edited by sebnukem; 10-03-11 at 10:16 AM.
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Old 10-03-11, 11:39 AM
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the one thing that works about the flag is that it's made of fiberglass (or some other similarly solid synthetic), which makes it stiff enough to stand upright, but flex enough to bend in the wind or when it hits low hanging branches, etc. you probably could find some replacement rod material and make your own. and you're right---that flag with writing all over it is unnecessary promotion; isn't it enough that we've just forked over the cash?

i personally think the flag is mostly useless. in low light it's impossible to see, in daylight it's too small to be really useful on streets. i've found that mounting multiple good-quality blinking red LEDs on the rear is much better for safety. good LEDs are still noticeable in the daylight, and very (very!) noticeable in low light. sure batteries are required, but it's a small price to pay for being noticed. to that effect, avoid the cheap LEDs (low power LED light, poor lenses, poor strobing), and make sure the batteries are always strong enough to produce the required amount of light.

of course, two quality LEDs will cost you about $40, which is more than an OEM flag. but hey, it's safety, right? would you mount a flag on your car if your tail light burned out?
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Old 10-04-11, 01:12 PM
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I lost the flag on our Chariot at the beginning of this season. We still had the pole, so I tied and taped orange safety tape at varying heights of the pole. Not the prettiest thing on the road but at least it is visible. One of the complaints I got from another rider last year is that the flag was at the same height as my helmet (from her vantage point), making it very difficult to distinguish the flag.

I also use a LED on back of carrier to help drivers see us in low-level lighting.
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Old 10-04-11, 02:24 PM
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Many bike shops have safety flags for bikes and chariots.
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Old 10-04-11, 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by RonH
Many bike shops have safety flags for bikes and chariots.
Yes; any of those generic safety flags will work with the D'Lite, and they will be less expensive than the Burley brand. The only useful thing about the Burley flag was that it could be popped apart into two shorter pieces. There, now you won't be able to live without one.
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Old 10-04-11, 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted by sggoodri
Yes; any of those generic safety flags will work with the D'Lite, and they will be less expensive than the Burley brand.
Thank you!
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Old 10-05-11, 12:52 PM
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Originally Posted by sggoodri
Yes; any of those generic safety flags will work with the D'Lite, and they will be less expensive than the Burley brand. The only useful thing about the Burley flag was that it could be popped apart into two shorter pieces. There, now you won't be able to live without one.
and the funny thing is, my pop-apart flag has now fused together, so no more pop-apart. i suppose i could really wrestle with it, but it's just ironic to note that this useful feature isn't so useful anymore.
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Old 10-05-11, 08:20 PM
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I got one at my local LBS for about $12 and it comes apart. I attached it with a couple of metal hose clamps to the frame. Use the flag! I think it makes a big difference in visibility, especially above parked cars, etc. I'm thinking of putting one on my commuter bike, back to the 70s when most touring cyclists used them!
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Old 10-10-11, 12:29 PM
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The Burley D'Lite - at least the 2003 model that I have - has a small pocket on the inside of the fabric top in the cargo area near the back. The flag pole slips through a gap between the frame and the fabric, down into the pocket. No need for a clamp.
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Old 10-18-11, 01:47 AM
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Originally Posted by pwdeegan
and the funny thing is, my pop-apart flag has now fused together, so no more pop-apart. i suppose i could really wrestle with it, but it's just ironic to note that this useful feature isn't so useful anymore.
Same here, my two piece is jammed pretty well into a 1 piece

Originally Posted by sggoodri
Yes; any of those generic safety flags will work with the D'Lite, and they will be less expensive than the Burley brand. The only useful thing about the Burley flag was that it could be popped apart into two shorter pieces. There, now you won't be able to live without one.

I called around when I was looking for one. The closer shop had a flag for $15 and another that was only a little farther away had it for $5.
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Old 10-31-11, 09:35 AM
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lol, I think I wore out my original flag... I got another one but I don't bother with it anymore.
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Old 10-31-11, 10:06 AM
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$10 from Bikes at Work.
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Old 10-31-11, 11:15 AM
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We got ours from WalMart for only a few bucks. And I agree with Swen in that the lights dont do any good around parked cars or bushes so the flag is a must have. Well they are kinda complimetary, lights and flags, so having both is ideal =)
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Old 10-31-11, 12:16 PM
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These bike glow lights would be great for a trailer, though they're only really visible after dark.
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Old 10-31-11, 11:25 PM
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I prefer the flag over lights during the day time, though most of the time I use both. The flag moves with the wind and the movement is what catches peoples eyes...
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Old 04-29-18, 06:15 AM
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Most the cheaper ones sold online have iffy reviews. As with all things, you probably get what you pay for. For example, ever buy a cheap usb or HDMI cord online? Seems like with no moving parts and that a cord is a cord. Unfortunately it ain't true...the cheap ones will stop working....
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Old 04-29-18, 03:14 PM
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Cheap Tents use a fiberglass pole, find the poles from a cheap tent, sew your own flag. boom!
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Old 06-23-18, 05:44 PM
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Old 07-20-18, 05:08 PM
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Not that this help, but I insta ditched that flags and put red flashers on both sides and the back. Just seem safer in all regards.
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Old 07-20-18, 08:56 PM
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Zombie thread yet again

Wow, a zombie thread from 2011 resurrected from the dead. The advantage of a bike flag is visibility from all directions. I have several excellent 100 lumen USB rechargeable LED tail lights that were only $5 each and while they are more visible than the flag, they are a lot more directional. The field of view is much smaller. BTW, the one time I got hit by a distracted driver, I had both the flag and lights on my trike and was riding in a dedicated bike lane. I recently scavenged this flag from an old kite. I'll have to see how much drag it produces. It wouldn't stay upright with the flag holder that came with the trike but already made a DIY 2 point attachment flag holder that never loses a flag or drops down backwards in the wind.
The reason most online bike flags are so expensive is the shipping. It is very light but the dimensions are large. I looked at the Walmart site and they were quoting $20 for a Bell flag. I know the same store had the flag in stock at the store for around $6. I'd check there first before before buying one online.

Last edited by VegasTriker; 07-20-18 at 09:01 PM. Reason: local source for flag
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