Reflective Paint

[galaxy1]

Recently during these winter months I find myself getting more and more angry at motorists who take liberties and then say that they didn't see me .I've almost been hit a few times which is quite disheartening and I was wearing a high viz vest and sporting some pretty bright lights.
Anyway ,I've been thinking about painting my bike...with reflective paint!!! Hopefully this will make my bike light up every time a car aproaches.Has anyone tryed this and is there a paint that will effectively do this?

 

[domtyler]

Hi Galaxy 1, you might be able to get this although I haven't seen it myself. you can definitely buy an A4 sticky sheet that you can cut to your own shapes or designs.

Can you tell me where about's in the road you tend to cycle?

 

[biking_fox]

I'm afraid if you've got hi vis and decent lights on, no amount of additional visiability will help if the motorist doesn't look properly in the first place. However as dom's about to hint, riding wider so that you are in their line of sight when they flick a gaze briefly looking for headlights, might.

 

[Tynan]

there's hi viz and high viz

ad positioning of lights

sounds like something is wrong somewhere

 

[fossyant]

Can you tell me where about's in the road you tend to cycle?

On it I hope.........

Other than watching your position and maybe adding reflective stickers and anti vehicle missiles.....you are stuffed...good brakes help....and ESP ........ extra sensory powers not Electronic Stability Program

 

[Iceniner]

3M do reflective tape, ive ordered my self some of their grey looking reflective tape to stick around the frame of my bike, hopefully that will help with side visibility a bit, but im not relying on it.

 

[galaxy1]

I ride from York to just outside of it via Stockton Lane which is 8 or 9 miles each way. I do usually tend to ride somewhere near the middle of my side of the road so I should be seen .ESP or heightened awareness at junctions can help a little but it never ceases to amaze me how stupid and unaware some people can be when they're in control of a motorised vehicle.
I had a look on tinterweb and it seems there is reflective paint available but its quite expensive.Maybe tape is a more cost effective option.I like the idea of my whole bike glowing brightly like something out of close encounters

 

[Iceniner]

You could always try and put some LED tubes in your wheels and under you bottom tube of your bike neon bikes! Ive seen some people on youtube showing these off, they look pretty nice at night, your wheel basically becomes a disc of light.

or maybe you could ask the big fella upstairs to put a spot light on you when you cycle so people can spot you

 

[threefingerjoe]

I've added 3M "Conspicuity Tape" to various parts of my bike. This is the red and white alternating bars tape that is used for visibility on heavy vehicles. I cut it into pieces, and put some of the red on my rear mudguard and around the rear rack supports. I put bands of the white around the front fork, stem, and down-tube. One guy at work thinks I'm crazy for doing this...says it's "overkill." But, I had to ask him, "At what point does the bike become TOO visible? What parts of the bike do you think should be invisible in the dark?" I just want to LIVE. My next tyres will have the reflective sidewalls, that are now available.

Joe

 

[bianco]

I've added 3M "Conspicuity Tape" to various parts of my bike. This is the red and white alternating bars tape that is used for visibility on heavy vehicles. I cut it into pieces, and put some of the red on my rear mudguard and around the rear rack supports. I put bands of the white around the front fork, stem, and down-tube. One guy at work thinks I'm crazy for doing this...says it's "overkill." But, I had to ask him, "At what point does the bike become TOO visible? What parts of the bike do you think should be invisible in the dark?" I just want to LIVE. My next tyres will have the reflective sidewalls, that are now available.

Joe

I bought a vintage carlton that somebody had done this to. Upon removing because it had faded it left the paint in a miserable state

My advice is to remove unless you want a shoddy paint job.

 

[BentMikey]

This sort of topic is one reason why I have a problem with HiViz. There will always be people who see you and go anyway because you're just a bloody pushbike (sic), and people who just don't look at all and go anyway, even in front of a bus. HiViz isn't going to change their actions.

The remainder, the majority luckily, are people who look, see you, and stop because it's right. HiViz isn't going to change their actions.

 

[andygates]

Black Diamond is available from bike shops, it's blacky-grey and reflects white. Nice for rims or people with any sense of taste. Otherwise tape is the way to go. Reflective paint does exist, but it's pretty niche and not necessarily good on bikes.

http://www.komatsuprocess.co.jp/en/product/coat/01/index.html

 

[Morrisette]

I've just bought some reflective stars from Wiggle. Not sure what they'll be like. They are more to put on my bags etc than the actual bike itself, though. Hopefully they will look cool

 

[Arch]

I bought a vintage carlton that somebody had done this to. Upon removing because it had faded it left the paint in a miserable state

My advice is to remove unless you want a shoddy paint job.

Maybe joe cares more about his safety than the paint on his bike? I think I would. Unless it's a vintage museum piece, a bike is there to be useful, not pretty. If it can be both, fine, but if you have to choose, I think useful wins out....

Mikey, I appreciate that there are some drivers who just don't give a shoot. But there's not harm in extra hi-vis as long as you continue to cycle in the most aware and sensible way you can. Sounds like galaxy1 has good road positioning and ESP, and will still do so after putting the tape on his bike...

Hey Galaxy, where in York are you? Do you have to negociate that really stupid roundabout on Stockton Lane (I think it's there), the one with the crazy painted cyclelanes all round the edge? I must say, Stockton Lane is probably not one of my favourite roads, but then I don't use it much, so I'm not so familiar with it.

In the latest Velovision, there's a review of some clip on spoke reflectors you might like - little tubes of scotchlight that clip around your spokes. They light up very effectively in headlights and so on - not so much from in front or behind of course, but good at catching oblique lights.

Link here to a German site, I'll have to look up in the mag for UK dealers.
http://www.roseversand.de/output/controller.aspx?cid=156&detail=10&detail2=10181

You get 72 in a pack, and although they recommend one on each spoke, in fact you get a good effect with half or a third of that number....

 

[BentMikey]

There is, however, potential harm in wearing HiViz when so many cyclists clearly expect it to make them visible to drivers, and are shocked/surprised when not all drivers see them. This topic is a classic example of that.