Reflective Tape
 

In addition to the boot covers, my reflective tape arrived the other day. Tonight will be the first evening ride with the tape on my helmet and backpack. It will be interesting to see the results, if any.

I got one package of reflective strips and another 4 pack of yellow reflective tape from Lowe's for about $12

I am a big fan of reflective tape!

good luck! hope it stays on! last time I bought reflective tape for bike commuting I went w/ coast guard approved marine grade. 10 years later it's still there!

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b218ec17e4.jpg

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c2d506034d.jpg

sorry don't remember the brand, etc. but was easy to find some just now

https://www.identi-tape.com/USCGFP.htm

https://www.amazon.com/Reflective-SO.../dp/B00FEMK324

We'll see! Well, it just has to stay on for the winter, I'm short-term thinking about this winter, as I'm starting to save up for the next big automotive adventure

Wow, did you see how much the Coast Guard tape costs? $232 per 150 ft, plus shipping. That prices me out, I'm afraid.

oh I would never have paid that. I think I bought a 10 ft roll & I would not have spent more than $30 I probably have a BF thread from 2009 I can hunt for ...

I think I still have a few inches of it at home I can check the brand if I remember

here we go, see post #8

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...bike-rims.html

I guess the Brand is SOLAS?

https://shop.reflectivestore.com/pro...5?productId=21

You can google "3m reflecting tape" and get a bunch of hits. I did that perhaps 10 years ago. Bought 3" white tape suitable for fabrics and put a lot of it on the back, sides and bottom of my day pack. Haven't touched it since and it still works (very well) and looks good. The pack has seen a lot of use and the tape zero consideration. The company was an industrial supply outfit. My google showed a few. This one had the tape I wanted and an amount I could handle.

My searches have also come across a chart of colors vs % light reflected; ie how "bright" they are. White being the best and yellow very close. My rain bike got painted the standard sky blue powdercoat, The 3M blue is that exact color. I have 10' of 1" blue tape on the bike. (I didn't know how close the tape would be when I ordered. I was very pleasantly surprised. Daytime you can barely see it. At night, the bike is very visible. Not bright; it is the low reflecting blue, but there is so much the bike is very visible.

Ben

I did quite a few searches and kept getting directed to cheap-o products on Amazon.

I then perused the user comments of products available on Amazon. One didn't stick to metal. Another wasn't very bright. Another had ridiculous shipping costs. And yet another wasn't even tape, it was cloth "in a really bright color."

The product at Lowe's was available, affordable, and best yet, I could pick up at the store, thus avoiding the shipping fees and hassles I've been having with UPS (long story).

how'd it go? good ride?

Yeah, actually, a few cars behind me slowed down and a few cars ahead of me were waving me ahead, so I think they saw me at least.

I know this is off topic, but personally I almost never do this. On the bike...I feel safer behind cars than I do in front of them (day or night). And so, observing established traffic regulations and practices...if a car has the right of way, and they're politely yielding to me on the bike...I just stop and wait until they go. This has happened to me numerous times on narrow roads -- A driver signals for me to go ahead...then they're behind me without enough room to pass because of oncoming traffic. Now the driver that just politely yielded to me is pi$$ed off at me because I'm blocking them.

Dan

Hah, I get you, Dan. A few days ago a driver in the opposite direction motioned for me to take a left and suggested I hurry up. The only problem was that we were at a stop light and it was red.

I decided to put some reflective tape on all sides of my helmet, including the front. I put tape on the front because I figure in a snow storm an oncoming motorist might not be expecting a cyclist.

I agree, I try to cycle "behind" cars in my direction, primarily because when they sit behind me they can be in my blind spot. I feel like, with no evidence, that being in a cyclist's blind spot is much more dangerous than being in a motorist's (although it's still dangerous).

I don't care if they're irritated. Any time I become seriously worried about a situation and I can safely do so, I stop and get out of the way and wait for everyone to clear out.

Ooooh, reflective tape is fun! Any additional links to low-cost stuff that sticks to fabric or vinyl would be appreciated.

I bought some cheapo stuff at the X-mart to put on my messenger bag and it peeled right off. If I can stop being lazy, I might just try to find something at the Home Despot.

This is what I got: Reese Reflective Strips https://www.lowes.com/pd/Reese-Refle...trips/50437674

They are $8 and change at Lowe's. They are bigger than they look, I sliced them up with scissors and then applied.

I suggest reading the comments, they are fun!

I have no idea how well they work in the rain, snow, etc. Again, I am short-term thinking this winter, and we've got less than 70 days to go until the official end of this season[QUOTE]

Same here. I think that makes very good sense.

I have reflective tape called Lightweights that you iron onto clothing. It's flexible. It's not the durablest (to coin a word) but I'm still satisfied. Available on Amazon and at fine stores everywhere. ;)

+1 Lightweights

Love their spoke tape - (edit) BTW, I'm using the stealth black tape on the fork.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b83f45942e.jpg

I'm considering painting my velo orange, and using the reflective black tape to make it tiger striped. That would look pretty amazing at night, I think. :D

Good idea re: the spoke tape. I have Monkey-electric on the spokes and I find they are sufficient illumination on the spokes

My yellow reflective tape is already peeling off the fabric although it adhered well onto my vinyl helmet

& during the day! :thumb:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...89cb5a1924.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6c452811_c.jpgStratus XPC Planet Bike Grateful Red Serfas Stop Sign by andyXchrist, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...90959ab4_c.jpgRANS Stratus XPC Villsure Lumbar Support Pillow, Bamboo Charcoal Fiber by andyXchrist, on Flickr

Got these rolls of reflective tape from eBay in three different colors/patterns/widths to fit the indents on my kitty litter panniers. High-vis both day and night. It’s quite stiff so wouldn’t be great for clothes but sticks to smooth hard surfaces really well.

Previous owner of my RANS Stratus had inexpertly affixed some kind of hexagonal patterned reflective tape on the fork that was so rigid it couldn’t conform to the curves and stuck out all over but was so strongly adhesive I still haven’t been able to pry off every last bit. :mad:

This tape has worked great. Thin enough to bend around curves and irregular surfaces and wrap around things and will stay on for years. It doesn't have a hard plastic layer like most of the 3M variants that will curl eventually on anything not flat. I've never used it on clothes or material.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MUDQQ0H/

The other day I mentioned the Red and White Reese Reflective Strips from Lowes:

Reese Reflective Strips https://www.lowes.com/pd/Reese-Refle...trips/50437674

Well, it's been about 10 days of some cold weather and I can report that they are still adhering to fabric (my gym bag) and to my vinyl helmet