Armadillo Reflect Tires
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Armadillo Reflect Tires
Does anyone have these tires? How do they look at night? It sounds like a great idea to me.
LINK : https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=13236
LINK : https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=13236
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You just HAD to ask, didn't you**********???? I got some Shwalbe Marathon Slicks today for my portable easy chair, and they have a reflective stripe on each side. It's about 1/4" wide. I just took it into the back yard and leaned it up against something with the yard spotlights on. I saw a nice silver/white circle lit up fairly well. I like Armadillos for puncture resistance, so having the stripe would only be a plus. I'll be leaving my spoke reflectors on the commuter, though.
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The ones with the reflective sidewalls have the flak jacket construction in them. I don't know if this is on par with something like the all-weather Armadillos construction for flat resistance.
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I have reflective side stripes on the commuter tires. I don't know if it really makes a difference, but it makes me feel safer. I also have two lights at the back and one at the front, and reflective stripes on courier bag and wind jacket. I nearly bought a bright yellow reflective vest at a street market in Britain last week, but it was so truly hideous that I thought I would probably do without.
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See if you can find a local store selling the Armadillos. The 700X25's I had were bigger than some 700X28's.
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Originally Posted by Dchiefransom
I'll be leaving my spoke reflectors on the commuter, though.
It utilizes commonly available reflective tape, is visible from multiple angles and provides a LOT more reflective surface than a common CSPC reflector.
I've been pushing this system more in the dual purpose MTB / Commuter crowd as you're not going to shatter a piece of tape creating trail litter.
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Raiyn - I really like that. I've been trying to figure out a better way to make myself more visible. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Only thing I hate about Armadillos is that they're super hard to put on...
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Originally Posted by aadhils
Only thing I hate about Armadillos is that they're super hard to put on...
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Originally Posted by Raiyn
Too much added weight for minimal gain in my opinion. I've been advocating a system like this:
It utilizes commonly available reflective tape, is visible from multiple angles and provides a LOT more reflective surface than a common CSPC reflector.
I've been pushing this system more in the dual purpose MTB / Commuter crowd as you're not going to shatter a piece of tape creating trail litter.
It utilizes commonly available reflective tape, is visible from multiple angles and provides a LOT more reflective surface than a common CSPC reflector.
I've been pushing this system more in the dual purpose MTB / Commuter crowd as you're not going to shatter a piece of tape creating trail litter.
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Originally Posted by Savas
With the flat resistance, you won't have to go through this often, though.
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Originally Posted by Raiyn
Too much added weight for minimal gain in my opinion. I've been advocating a system like this:
<pic of shiny wheels>
It utilizes commonly available reflective tape, is visible from multiple angles and provides a LOT more reflective surface than a common CSPC reflector.
I've been pushing this system more in the dual purpose MTB / Commuter crowd as you're not going to shatter a piece of tape creating trail litter.
<pic of shiny wheels>
It utilizes commonly available reflective tape, is visible from multiple angles and provides a LOT more reflective surface than a common CSPC reflector.
I've been pushing this system more in the dual purpose MTB / Commuter crowd as you're not going to shatter a piece of tape creating trail litter.
That'd be just the thing for the "stealth" fixie I'm building. It's going to be all flat-black, with the exception of some parts I already have that I don't want to spend money for new black ones (seatpost, stem).
Would still like to be visible at night though.
-Trevor
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Raiyn, I love that idea. I'm totally going to try that. It's subtle enough in daylight, but at dark, with headlights or something shining at it, it's brilliant!
I'm planning to barber-pole the seatstays on my old Schwinn one of these days. Visibility and funktacular styling! How could I go wrong?
I'm planning to barber-pole the seatstays on my old Schwinn one of these days. Visibility and funktacular styling! How could I go wrong?
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Originally Posted by TrevorInSoCal
Does that tape come in black? Something that would be reflective at night, but virtually invisible on black rims in daylight?
bk
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I put some black reflective on the black fenders of my Jamis, in addition to a portion of my carbon fork. Photos show the result during the light and during the dark.
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The all condition with flack jacket are really easy to put on compared to regular armadillo's. I can get them on and seated and pumped up in about 10 minutes. I have the real armadillos on my hybrid and they are a s.o.b. to put on.
It took around 45 minutes to put them on because I would get them on and one side of the bead wasnt in right and the tire was out of shape like an egg. Then I would take them back off and the other side was screwed up.
The Flack jackets are nowhere near as thick on the sidewalls or stiff as the armadillos so I imagine that they are a good bit less flat resistant than the pure armadillos. We have around a 1000 miles and counting on the armadillos and have had 1 flat from a piece of glass.
We got a pair of road bikes and I was gonna get another set of all conditions for my wifes but I saw the reflective ones and was gonna get her a set of them instead of the non-reflective.
Patch29 the Schwalbes look nice! I might have to look into a set of them instead or else go with rim reflective tape like Raiyn showed. Or maybe both since every bit helps when riding at night.
It took around 45 minutes to put them on because I would get them on and one side of the bead wasnt in right and the tire was out of shape like an egg. Then I would take them back off and the other side was screwed up.
The Flack jackets are nowhere near as thick on the sidewalls or stiff as the armadillos so I imagine that they are a good bit less flat resistant than the pure armadillos. We have around a 1000 miles and counting on the armadillos and have had 1 flat from a piece of glass.
We got a pair of road bikes and I was gonna get another set of all conditions for my wifes but I saw the reflective ones and was gonna get her a set of them instead of the non-reflective.
Patch29 the Schwalbes look nice! I might have to look into a set of them instead or else go with rim reflective tape like Raiyn showed. Or maybe both since every bit helps when riding at night.
Last edited by Bikeguy1; 10-08-05 at 04:11 PM.
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Originally Posted by Bikeguy1
Patch29 the Schwalbes look nice! I might have to look into a set of them instead or else go with rim reflective tape like Raiyn showed. Or maybe both since every bit helps when riding at night.
Thanks, I have a bunch of DOT reflective tape, red, white and yellow. I might add a few pieces and mix the colors just to add some variety, maybe then drivers won't miss me. I hope.
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Good for you all to realize that reflective stripes on bicycle tyres are compulsary by law in the Netherlands.
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Indeed the armadillos are MAJOR pain in the ass to put on. Takes me atleast 25 mins for 1 freaking tire. Not to mention I broke a tire lever the last time I changed it. But I havent had a flat in like 4 months so its all good now.
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Originally Posted by Savas
I put some black reflective on the black fenders of my Jamis, in addition to a portion of my carbon fork. Photos show the result during the light and during the dark.
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