Waterdawg

Now that I'm using a trailer, I am wanting to add something to make me more visible since the trailer blocks my light.

What do you put on your trailers?

Lights

Flag

Slow Moving Vehicle sign


I'm leaning toward the sign, but if I do, it would be a reflective cloth or plastic version. The metal is a bit heavy

fietsbob

American Youth Hostels had a Slow Moving Vehicle Triangle with a waist cord You could tie On Yourself..
2 stiffeners, none across the Bottom, so It Rolled Up.

You a DIY Maker or just a Shopper?

Waterdawg

DIY most of the time

fietsbob

I expect others will like to see the finished product when you have made it

Reynolds 

Big reflector strip, blinkie, flag.

burnfatburn

I saw a video about a guy using something called swimming pool bar,(I cant recall the name) it is the foam bar used to divide line in swimming pool. He put the bar in on the rear rack, about 50 cm to the side to let drivers know how close they can be to him, 'marking the safe area'.

I wonder if I can get similar foam but fluorescent for my cargo bike

fourknees

Is this what you saw: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/10/18/cyclist-says-his-pool-noodle-makes-toronto-streets-safer-for-him.html?campaign_id=A100

They come in many colors and can be obtained in the summer at least at the dollar store. I've thought about this too.

burnfatburn

yes thats it, thanks

euh... I have no summer here, because its already 360 days of summer well I think I have to find some pool equipment store here, might be later

Waterdawg

Hey, that is a great idea. I don't know if any states have a distance rule here, but that sure would help. Of course this won't help them see you, just judge distance.

Ridefreemc

i find them on the street on Saturdays. Must be flying out of the boats going to the marina. I have a bunch of them now for ... the pool. Cool idea though.

steve-in-kville 

My BOB has the original flag, plus I mounted a tail light. I commute at 4am and I need all the attention I can muster!

I used a piece of EMT conduit and some hangers to make a "light pole" of sorts:

fietsbob

Mobile billboard Extrawheel It?s an creative advertising! the purpose of the trailer is carrying the sign.

Waterdawg

Love the Bob and how you set up the light.

Waterdawg

I remembered I had this flag I used on my kayak when in transport. I tried it on the trailer. It's light weight and I'd say - stands out. I also got a second mount for my tail light and added it to the trailer so I can switch it back and forth between the bike and trailer.

This is me on the D&H Rail Trail Saturday biking 25 miles (round trip) to drop off my garbage at the town transfer station and then head to the grocery store. It was 57 degrees. The following day this would be covered in 10" of snow.

Gareth

I found these very bright 1" diameter LED lights on Ebay They are currently GBP£1.29, which at today's exchange rate is US$1.62

So far I have fitted them to my utility hybrid and my personal trailer, and three of them will be going onto the rear of the tadpole trike I am presently building, and I will probably be fitting them on to any other complete bikes & trikes I may build in the future.

They have 3 modes; steady light, fast flash and slow flash. They can easily been seen out to 85 metres in all modes and they are waterproof .... I can vouch for that because here in the UK it is almost always very wet.

They have an anodized aluminium body of about 1" diameter and are available in 4 colours, with "O"ring seals between the sections and fix in place with a single M5 X 0.8 Set screw or with the supplied rubber band. I have used an M5X 0.8 A4 stainless steel button head hex set screw for permanent fixing onto my bike and trailer, and I will also use the same on the trike.

Waterdawg

Nice, what's the story behind the blue circle with the light? In the US, that makes me think Handicapped Access. I guess because our permits for Handicap Parking are Blue and White.

Gareth

https://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/Im...ndmarkings.jpgMost UK advisory road signs have a blue background; compulsory road signs have a red border.

2 of those small Blue reflective bicycle signs were "liberated" from the scrapped wooden posts of the cycle stands at a local beauty spot and view point when they were changed out for Stainless Steel Sheffield style stands ... ... ... well, I just couldn't allow them to go on to the rubbish pile and into landfill now, could I.




https://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/Im...ndmarkings.jpg

steve-in-kville 

I'm tempted to mount one of these on my trailer... that'll keep the cars away from me! (bet the state police would have something to say about it, though!)

Gareth

Many tadpole trike riders here in the UK have a small windsock on 2 metre long fibreglass poles.

I have even seen several very colourful birds, fish and Dragon style windsocks flown from tadpole trikes.

But I am tempted to fly a 1.2m/4 ft wing span Hawk style bird scarer kite behind my next tadpole trike

Kaze6

Flags induce a MASSIVE amount of drag.

I think that a good blinky light and reflective tape will be the most effective. Mount the light at the farthest point outside the centerline (maybe a fender), and it will make people notice the trailer and its extra width.

jung

@ Gareth, how long do the batteries last in those little 1" LEDs? Thanks!

keg61

don't do the explosive placard, i was a truck driver for 22 years you CAN and i would guess will be fined for that

Gareth

Over 30 hours of operation in slow flashing mode, and in all weathers from -0.6*C frost to pouring rain so far and I've only had them for 3 weeks. The light is still flashing brightly and I expect it to go to at least 100 hours on a set of batteries.

I have got some more of the same blinkys on order as I would like to put a white one on the front of my hybrid bike, my crossover and red ones on the rear of my trike and its trailer.

https://scontent.flhr3-2.fna.fbcdn.n...16&oe=58F957D7

I had one of these arrive today and I intend to have it fitted to my hybrid for the weekend so that I can see if it is suitable to have a pair of them fixed on my trike as the front lights. I only use my trike from the spring until the autumn but I have two long trips planned for it next June which will include riding about 95 miles through the night from the International Cargo Bike Festival in Nijmegen to Rotterdam to catch the morning ferry, and then when the ferry docks ride 60 miles through the night again from Harwich back home to Norwich before resting for two days and then setting out on the 190 mile ride over 2 nights to the International Pedal Powered Convention in York. Then a month later I just may ride the trike in the 100 mile over night Dunwich Dynamo.

This light is also about 1" diameter, has 6 LEDS with a steady and quick flashing mode and is powered by 2 X CR2032 batteries I have tried out in the dark already this evening, albeit not fitted to the bike yet and it throws out enough illumination to ride on unlit roads OK.

1Mule

I use a Bell fluorescence flag and fiberglass pole that I purchased at Fred Meyer and a blinky light on my BOB yak trailer. I've also added a small pirate flag below the fluorescence because ARRRRRGGHH!

CriticalThought

Hey @Waterdawg I'm in the same boat. I have a BOB Ibex and I really worry about being seen, especially when riding in the woods & mountains at night on roads that are poorly lit with lots of curves & hills. If the trailer is fully loaded with camping gear the gear often blocks the light on the rear of the bike. So I've taken to putting a light as high as possible on whatever I have piled on the trailer.

But my latest quest is to find a decent flag as I'm not such a huge fan of the plain yellow BOB branded one. Most pennants I've found are either too large, too small, or unappealing to my aesthetic.

I also clip a fairly bright light to either the back of my helmet or my stoker's helmet if I'm on the tandem at night.

I'm thinking it wouldn't hurt to get one of those reflective 'Slow Vehicle' triangles as well... but I end up passing a lot of cars when going downhill on mountain roads (on the tandem sans trailer) so that might not be entirely appropriate.