Ways to make bicycle quick release part more visible at night?

[Morsty88]

Afternoon everyone,

I used my bicycle trailer last week to take some scuba diving kit to the pool and to cut the story short, one of the springs and quick release bolts shot out as I tried to reattach my bicycle trailer at night (as I had to undo it to lock it up with the bike). I couldn't see the spring amongst the pavement so I was stranded (and it didnt help the locking bolt fell into a nearby drain!).

So I was wondering if I can do anything to make these parts visible at night in the even something similar happens again? I was thinking about painting it but I presume it would eventually come off from the friction generated by attaching and removing the bicycle trailer.

I now keep spare parts in my rucksack if need be as a precaution.

Thanks for your help,

Samuel

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Have you perhaps considered that the solution to a problem is sometimes not within the parameters of your original envisaged solution?

 

[Tin Pot]

Use a torch.

 

[jay clock]

you can live without the spring. Locking nut more of a challenge!

 

[Deleted member 35268]

The springs are a nice to have, but not essential.

 

[jefmcg]

Can I be meta here? You need to actually define the problem correctly. The actual problem is that you need a way to detach and attach the trailer without getting stranded. One solution to that would be glow-in-the-dark springs, but there may be a better solution that doesn't involve springs flying through the air in the first place.

(Edit: OK, so you don't have a problem at all. Phew!)

 

[Katherine]

Take a small torch. Also a telescopic magnet for rolling over the ground and between cracks. They're in the useful £1 shelves in Tesco, near the light bulbs and stuff. Put a piece of white paper or plastic under the area where you are working to catch anything that you drop. Practice unlocking it in the dark at home.

 

[jay clock]

Take a small torch. Also a telescopic magnet for rolling over the ground and between cracks. They're in the useful £1 shelves in Tesco, near the light bulbs and stuff. Put a piece of white paper or plastic under the area where you are working to catch anything that you drop. Practice unlocking it in the dark at home.

You need

a) generator
b) floodlights
c) large white groundsheet
d) 3 or 4 helpers

 

[Katherine]

You need

a) generator
b) floodlights
c) large white groundsheet
d) 3 or 4 helpers

 

[steveindenmark]

Use flourescent tape if you dont want to carry a torch.

Attach a frog torch to your helmet. You wont know its there until you need it.

 

[ufkacbln]

Appease the parts Fairy

 

[classic33]

What about a thin cable(off-cut off gear cable?) through all parts bar the nut.

 

[Illaveago]

I have used Halfords glow in the dark aerosol paint on a test sample and have found still glowing 3 hours later. That was the yellow colour. You would probably need to use an etch primer before painting. If I remember correctly that there is a recess on the small end which might allow the paint to stay on longer. On the skewer end it may last longer where the makers name is.
If you set out in daylight the paint would charge up, but if you set off in the dark a quick blast with a torch should put enough charge to enable it to be seen if it rolled off into the grass.

 

[Smokin Joe]

No quick release spring or half of a powerlink can ever be found until at least six months have elapsed since the day they were lost. It is enshrined in the law of physics.

 

[Pikey]

I have used Halfords glow in the dark aerosol paint on a test sample and have found still glowing 3 hours later. That was the yellow colour. You would probably need to use an etch primer before painting. If I remember correctly that there is a recess on the small end which might allow the paint to stay on longer. On the skewer end it may last longer where the makers name is.
If you set out in daylight the paint would charge up, but if you set off in the dark a quick blast with a torch should put enough charge to enable it to be seen if it rolled off into the grass.

^^^^^ This.

I've used the Halfords glow in the dark paint in blue, in the distant past and in another life on blank firing training grenades. The little reusable b*stards, being matt black were really difficult to find at night after you had lobbed them into a building, but the paint was the nuts and glowed for about 4 hours after 'charging' from an LED torch.

Don't ask...