REVIEW of spoke-applied reflective 3M Tape

[Reid]

This is a video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV2RP2bUN70

Apologies to those who cannot yet view video because they are still
stuck with dial-up, as I was for so many years until recently.
Have been online, off and on, since 1983.

If embeds can be done here,
I would like have the video, just made,
play from this spot.

Admin will please advise me where best to place this sort of thing?

I will also describe soon, in still pictures (externally hosted, no cost to this forum),
how and why and whether (you will decide),

whether side-ward reflectors as are on nearly all regulation bikes,
whether those are good enough, and make fullest safety-sense for your needs and likes.

THERE, up above is the new video, part A.
Part B will show the finished result,
and, perhaps tomorrow, we'll try to illustrate the night-time
relative effect. BTW: "we" is just "me": sounds funny in its way, don't we? *laughs at self*

To come in night-vision test of video and still shots,
two wheels, one fitted with a regular reflector in its spokes;
front wheel fitted with these little, proprietary-made spoke-wrap-arounds
made from genuine 3M super-reflective material.

I do not know at this time of writing how well this future demo will turn out in practice.
I don't have a low-lux camera.

This "review" is only idea-fodder, and is not "directive".

You bike your way, and I'll crash my way;
YES, I have been T-boned at night.
It won't happen again. YES, I had full lighting and standard wheel-spoke reflectors.
And YES, I even waggled my 80 lumen hand-held briefly at the driver's eyes;
she saw me, but was ZONED OUT.
A ruined bike and a nearly-injured, me, resulted.

 

[Reid]

follow up #1

Night time is my "awake time".
Now I must snooze, am jobless and disabled...to an extent that
I cannot work a structured job anymore: never know how I'll be feeling.

OK! SO, if you are lucky enough (???) to have seen the little video,
well, that's as far as I got. Have yet to apply the little tape strips.

Thinking: must sleep now. And when we sleep, we hash-over our plans, right?

So, tonight (which is my "daytime" by necessity/can't go out in the light),
I will apply those half inch wide strips.

Wonder how I'll like 'em?
I see these as ADJUNCTS to "tireflies" type of FLASHING valve stem covers.
Why? Because the former is "passive": reflectors are just that.

Now, if you are riding a dark, rural road at night, by moonlight, and turn off your headlamp, and there are NO cars around, it's sort of fun to ride without a hand held or other front light.

BEWARE the cat or the opossum...they cannot see you, and often BOLT (well, possums amble).

But at the last second....streak! goes a scaredy-cat, in front of your bike at night.

Do you know, that this has actually caused a death?
Yes, I read in an 1898 cycling journal (online, free) of a youngster
on a country road of the day. A chicken panicked and crossed the road.
Into the front spokes of the boy's safety bike. Instant wheel lock up.
Boy thrown over the bars. Lands on head, dead.

NOW, the point of this is to "double whammy. I do not know of any cats or possums fitted with headlights.
But they DO see flashing, bright green LED valve cap covers, even if you are coasting in silence. They DO know then to keep well clear of this horrible unknown thing (your bike). And they DO wait until you are past, or they bolt well in advance.

SO the point is this: it seems obvious that wheel reflectors are a great thing.
I've avoided hitting many a black garbed black man with NO lights at night, because he's too poor to have such things on his fifth-hand-me-down bike.
INVISIBLE...thank goodness that almost all pedals have inbuilt reflectors!

ON the other front, ACTIVE LIGHTING makes for a double insurance:
the drunk driver who is cruising along weaving about, with headlights OFF,
can and will strike you dead. But crazy, GREEN (the most visible color of all) spinning blurs on your bike, make you cat, possum and drunk proof.

And reflectors? They are immensely valuable adjuncts, despite what some experts say: that reflectors are poor things at best. =that is not so=

I drive at night in my car. So often, it was the bike's reflectors that told me "whoa! that fool in the dark clothing, with NO lights, is about to get into my path"

Moral: no one should die. and, too, there are no guarantees in life, at all.

Tonight: we reflectorize the spokes! 360 degree, practically, passive reflection, moving light blurs, bright white in headlights!

I'm stoked! Of course, you all can buy a half inch wide roll of Scotchlite (tm) tape, and make your own (about 3/4" long pieces = easy to wrap on the cleaned spokes. Rubbing alcohol is a good, general cleaner for things you will be taping, and won't hurt paints, not likely.

The kit as shown comes with an extra "page" of round dots and ovals: perfect for your helmet, etc.

More video soon, I hope. I hope I can get some nice nighttime video with the poor little old casio.

Here's another video, pro-made, for and about an inexpensive passive reflector, no batteries, offered just for thought food:
http://tinyurl.com/ptx9xg
Looking at the list, find the one about the "Firestar".
it is clearly better than the flat ones we all know.
But is it what you want? It's your money, choice and...it appears to be
a very nice product.
I like the tape prospect, plus the dazzling blur of green LED valve caps, together,
but that is just my taste so far.

What do you like to do for your nite bike safety?