cncwhiz

I am starting a Build. I have a older road bike that I am building up. It will be ridden a lot. I live rural so bike paths are few and far between. I want my bike to be well seen by cars when I am riding at dusk. I have the frame stripped down to bare metal. Someone before me removed all the badges, stickers, sanded it and painted it with rattle can ugly. Has anybody used a reflective coating that did not look bad in the daytime. Was it in the base coat or painted on after the base coat was done. I want to be able to pick out any color and either make it reflective or put a reflective coating on after paint.

ShortLegCyclist

Paint is expensive to make look good and last on a bike, so I think most would just use reflective stickers.

Stickers can be a pain to remove later depending on the adhesive so multiple stickers may also serve as a theft deterrent, as the more easily identifiable a bike and the more of a pain it is to de-identify it, the better.

andr0id

If you really want to be seen, wrap your bike in 3M ScotchLite. It even comes in "black"!

KenshiBiker

That' what I did to my winter commuter - only I used blue, to better match the paint. It's not perfect, but then I don't need it to be.

ironwood

Maybe if you ask on the commuter forum you'll get more advice. I think there is a shop in the boston area that will paint a bike in reflective paint. There is also a forum about lighting that could be helpful.

fietsbob

Halo Powder coat is reflective HALO® Retro-Reflective Coatings, Anaheim CA, Crest Coating, Inc.

ask your favorite powdercoater what they charge .. My friend, out here, says the electricity to heat the Oven is what costs the most.

FRANK CANNON

^^Yup.

no1mad 

Note that if you're really wanting to be noticed at dusk, active lighting will probably be a safer bet. Reflectors require an active light source to be effective and there are some motorists out there that do drive without any lights on (for whatever reason).Check this thread for examples- https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...down-road.html

chaadster

Yeah, I think reflective glass beads can be added as a layer over any color, but the trick is to get the coating of beads even so it looks continous. I don't know how Halo does it, but that's how it should be done. You could sprinkle reflective beads on any wet paint, but the look can be choppy, rough, and subject to rapid wear.

Volvo sells, in some markets, a translucent, reflective, temporary paint called Volvo Cars Life Paint which lasts about a week, if not washed off. It may be an option worth considering, if as a supplement rather than a paint replacement.

I agree that the most sensible option, for a daily-use, any-weather bike, is reflective adhesive tape, like Scotchlite or Lightweights. Bikes see a lot of abuse out in the elements, and replacing sections seems more economical than full repaints, if durability is a concern (excepting VolvoLifePaint).