bmthom.gis

depends on the bike. road and mountain bikes get stripped of all unnecessary junk. The bikes I have for just cruising around, meh. I even have 4 bikes with kickstands! (okay, 1 of them it is impossible to remove, and the other 3 already had them installed when I got them, and they are strictly for cruising around, maybe up to the pool, or running an errand)

caloso

MagicShine knockoff: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's not as bright or as long running as advertised, but it's pretty dang bright and lasts more than long enough for my commute. Heckuva a deal for $20.

emptym

Interesting discussion about reflectors causing or preventing wheel imbalance. Love the humorous ones too.

There are a few companies that make wheel reflectors with LEDs in them.

It might be... A friend who owns a major forum told me that in general on forums, something like 98% of posts are made by 2% of the members. Most people who register make no posts or maybe a handful.

jefnvk

Depends on the bike. Some bikes have them purposefully removed (generally my road bike), some I don't care about either way (they stay however they came), some I purposefully install them on (generally my commonly ridden ones).

As others have mentioned, if I am out at night, I don't bother with front/rear reflectors, get lights.

Here's the one I use on all my bikes that have them:

MikeyMK

Ditto. It's on the satin black forks and textured black rear battery, can see them in this pic. I've laid translucent amber over them now, still as discrete but light up orange.



The wheels are the place to do them, as your video shows, but with the tyres already having a reflective stripe it must be quite a sight for motorists already.

AlmostTrick

I've often (but not always) found the same, and also that even inner tube patches can effect where the wheel stops. When using wheel reflectors, I always place 'em opposite the valve... just like all the manufactures and bike shops do.

PdalPowr

I am not saying its true on all wheels but I have watched a bike in a repair stand having the rear wheel spun. The stand shakes when there is no reflector on there but hardly moves when the reflector is replaced.

odiolalluvia

It depends on how you are using your bike. My husband has a kickstand on his bike and that's helpful for where we need to store it in the apartment. At the shop we recommend kickstands to anyone who uses their bike for any kind of cargo, even if it's just grocery runs. Sometimes it can be easier to load up your bike if you've got a kickstand. Chain guards are great on commuter bikes. Keeps your pants clean. Get rid of your reflectors. They're basically worthless. Replace them with some really nice lights.

Drew Eckhardt 

No. I built my bike from a frame and it didn't come with reflectors, kickstand, or chain guard.

OTOH, when I built a new wheelset I used Velocity HALO retro-reflective powder coated rims.

Once I was riding more without sunlight, I upgraded to a dynamo front hub powering a matching fork crown mounted headlamp and taillight including a German Z-mark reflector. I also have reflective ankle bands and harness with far more reflective area than stock bikes.

John Redcorn

I bought my oldest daughter her 1st real LBS bike for Christmas (Fuji Silhouette) LBS installed a kickstand. I took it off because I didn't want her relying on it and the expensive (to us) bike comes crashing to the ground if bumped or strong wind, better to have it already on the ground if not being ridden imo.

Lucky I took it off for 1 because the way they installed it was pinching the FD cable and 2 I heard her mention something to my youngest daughter (who's not into cycling) about her huffy: "only normie bikes have kickstands"

CliffordK

Most of my bikes have been assembled from parts, or otherwise didn't come with reflectors, kickstands, or chainguards.

If I'm working on a bike for a friend or family member, I tend to leave the equipment on it that it came with. However, if a reflector is broken so it is merely a mount, it comes off. Also, many of the wheel reflectors are designed so they get in the way of doing wheel maintenance, and they break when one attempts to remove them then re-install.

Chainstay kickstands are also notorious for damaging one's bicycle.

I have considered adding bashguards to some of my bikes, but it hasn't been a high priority. It is easy enough to keep pants and etc from getting into the chain. I did make a "bashguard" for a tandem project I was building in which the captain's chainring was such that the spider could possibly snag clothing, and it was better to protect it.

As others have mentioned, I use active lighting. I choose bright clothing, and try to find clothing with reflective components.

Slightspeed

Last time my bike had all that stuff, I was in 5th grade, long time ago, on my Reynal "English Racer" 3 speed. I still have a few reflectors here and there, kickstands and chain guards, even fenders, uh .... no.

CliffordK

My new cassette arrived today

Will I be given a free pass if I remove the spoke protector before installing it?

NewCassette.jpg

Oh, by the way, is the best way to remove the things to torch them off?

https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...heel-fire.html

Gresp15C

I wonder why they don't just make dork discs look like an extra cog. It would solve two problems. First, it would eliminate the shame factor. Second, you could be the first kid on the block with a 3x13.

CliffordK

Truthfully... if I ever need to drop down to 30 x 42.... I'll be REALLY HURTING.

So, perhaps I could just block it off.

Gresp15C

It's a beauty, especially seeing how much detail has gone into the shape of the gears since my first ten-speed with plain cogs in the late 70s.

T Stew

No.
At least not everyone. Some people apparently obsess about looks and fashion, some could care less. If I was building a bike up I probably would not include those items, but it they came on my bike like most of my bikes have I leave them alone.
Except kickstands, I will add those on some bikes... especially on touring or otherwise loaded bikes. There will not always be something to lean a bike up against and I really don't want to lay a bike down or risk it falling down with it full of gear, groceries, expensive camera equipment, etc. Heck I think its not respectful to lay down any bike on the ground unless its truly a beater.

rydabent

I take the reflectors off the bike spokes. I leave the reflectors front and rear on the bike and trike if they are not in the way. Most bikes have not had chain guards for years, and my trike didnt come with a kick stand.

Sy Reene

Just make sure your bike is built to withstand a kickstand or you install the correct type:
https://surlybikes.com/info_hole/spe..._haul_truckers

caloso

Some of us race our bikes. A kickstand on a race bike isn’t just useless, it’s potentially hazardous. So it’s not just about looks or fashion.

JohnDThompson 

Easily done. Just get one of the Shimano "MegaRange" clusters and adjust the derailleur to not use the largest cog.

JohnDThompson 

For a utility bike, kickstands, chain guards, and reflectors can be useful, as noted elsewhere above.

For performance-oriented bikes, not only do people remove kickstands, chain guards, and reflectors, but also (don't tell anyone!) they sometimes ride without underwear!

T Stew

Yes by all means make sure you know what you're doing when adding any equipment, especially kickstands. This brings up a sore point why a simple kickstand plate is not standard on touring bikes when its so easy to damage the chainstays, but this thread is more about their removal.

Very true I forgot the racer angle.

Rollfast

They knew you from the day it came to you, don't worry, the day will come

Rollfast

They DID leave it at the 'no bikes' sign at least.