# Share your "to be seen" ie - visibility tactics for commuting



## MJCBH (Nov 25, 2002)

Hey fellow commuters,
Now that the days are getting shorter my commute is getting darker and I've found myself pulling the old lights again. I'm just wondering what you guys have found effective for dusk/night-time riding, as there seems to be a lot of options for reflective clothing, lights, etc. I currently have a few different lights that I use (mostly a blinkie and small chain stay light on the rear as well as front light. I've been thinking about buying an illuminite jacket but seems like the reviews are mixed on how well they really work.


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## lalahsghost (Aug 27, 2007)

I bought a can of GLO PAINT for my current road bike that is soon to be my beater bike when I finish up buying my new road bike.

I saw this on youtube and it inspired me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwTTSFBvxWs








" Each time the item you have painted is exposed to light for 15 minutes the item will Glow-In-The-Dark." - I think the glow effects last several hours. I'm pretty stoked.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

My bike has fenders, rack, and bag. The rear fender is covered with yellow hiviz reflective stickers. I have a jogger belt around my bag, reflective stickers on my helmet, showers pass jacket with reflective trim, and yellow hiviz reflective stickers on my bar plugs. I have two taillights and a HID headlight. 

My best tactic is assuming that I am invisible to drivers and must take action to be seen.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Front:
Some sorta cluster-f**k made-in-China 700 lumen LED (1.2A draw @ 12W) on a 555 timer IC blinker circuit (current regulated to 1000mA with a BuckPuck), three Luxeon K2s running on a 1000mA BuckPuck (both front lights have their own 14.8V 4400mAh rechargeable battery pack).

Back:
I have two custom-hacked flashing LED units, each started life as those $5 5-LED blinkers (that Performance sells for $15). The details are that each runs on two AA batteries, yet a MOSFET-regulated and 555 timer IC circuit was made, and feeds to three 190 lumen (at max current of 700mA, if my memory serves me correctly) red-orange Luxeon V LEDs on each unit. On my helmet I have an unmodified rear generic made-in-China (isn’t everything???) 5-LED with the 7 selectable blinking patterns (I use the basic flash pattern).

Miscellaneous:
I have a 1A-rated momentary switch on the handlebars which pipes one of the 14.8V rechargeable battery packs to an automobile horn, which is tucked horizontally under the stem, and is hard to notice.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

lalahsghost said:


> I bought a can of GLO PAINT for my current road bike that is soon to be my beater bike when I finish up buying my new road bike.
> 
> I saw this on youtube and it inspired me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwTTSFBvxWs
> 
> ...


Glow in the dark paint isn’t going to really gain you any visibility unless the cars are driving with their lights off, and there are no streetlights (or other ambient lights) around.


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## kk4df (Aug 5, 2006)

Lights on front bar, helmet, and rear angling sharply down toward rear fender and road. Reflective tape on rear fender. Ortlieb panniers with reflective panel. Reflective ankle bands. Schwalbe Marathon tires with reflective strip around tire circumference. Reflective vest on my vest/back. Planetbike Superflash rear blinkie.

Some of my friends tell me I look like a space ship or UFO.


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## slowrider (Mar 12, 2004)

I wear a reflective vest with leg bands. Front light, rear blinking light, combine with all of the reflective tape on my bike and rack, you can see me from miles away. 

Funny that I'm writing this because I ran out the house without my vest this morning. I commute from 5:30am-6:30am. I think the vest makes a big difference.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

I try not to ride in darkness if I can help it, but I do come close. I have all the usual stuff (front and rear blinkie lights, reflectors, illuminite vest), but another thing I've been doing lately is wearing my day glo jerseys. I have a yellow and an orange one. They are pretty loud, but that's the point. When I'm riding in low light (near dusk or dawn) or on an overcast morning where everything is gray, I think it enhances my visibility. Of course, it's still "warm" enough to go without a vest or jacket where I live, but that will change soon.

If you want a review, the illuminite vest really works. It's hard for you to tell how much it lights up while wearing it, so have someone else put it on and walk down the street a bit. Then hit them with a flashlight or car headlights.


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## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

I use:


A white handle bar mounted light. Nothing fancy, less than $30.00 triple AAA cheapy. I run it steady on but it will flash it I click it another time.
A a 4 inch red light mounted on my back rack. I run it in slow flash mode.
A micro white light mounted to the top of my helmet. I run it in flash mode and use as the equivalent of eye contact in dark conditions. When I approach an intersection, a look directly at the driver most likely to compete for my right of way and then proceed. It seems to make a difference (or it's just my imagination).

Scot


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Scot_Gore said:


> I use:
> 
> 
> A white handle bar mounted light. Nothing fancy, less than $30.00 triple AAA cheapy. I run it steady on but it will flash it I click it another time.
> ...


I pretty much run the same thing..The only addition is reflective sidewalls on my tires


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

Hub generator front light, rear light in solid mode, reflective tape on my helmet, bags, fenders, crank arms (front/rear edges to flash to the rear with each pedal stroke) - and bright-colored clothing.


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## singlecross (Nov 1, 2006)

Here's what I run...

White handlebar mounted front light
White helmet mounted front light
Red blinky rear light
Orange reflective "yield" triangle on my fannypack (all the time, not just dark/winter)
Orange windbreaker w/ reflective trim all over (when cold enough)
Reflective tape on forks (white) and rear seatstays (red) and rear rim (red)

I've been told that the rear yield triangle on my fannypack is the most effective as it looks like a sign delineating the end of a guardrail, and no one wants to hit one of those.

Orange windbreaker works well too as I pull it out right about hunting season up here and every Bubba in the state respects orange in November...

singlecross


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## Pscyclepath (May 22, 2008)

1. *Roadway positioning*. Be out there where drivers are looking for other traffic, and don't put myself into places where they aren't looking for anyone to be.

2. *Lights*. Two Cateye blinky lights on the back of the bike -- one bolted to the end of the cargo rack, and another on the back of the rack trunk. Two Cateye EL-520s on the handlebars, with a Knog white blinky on the front for a little extra activity. For many night rides, I add a green DownLow Glow rig (see http://rockthebike.com).

3. *Reflectors*. Four sizable strips of red 3M ScotchLite reflective tabe on the back of the rack struts. Reflective ankle bands, tights with large reflective or Illuminite patches front and rear. Reflective or Illuminite vest, very much brighter than the stuff the highway workers wear. More Scotchlite 3M reflective tape on front, sides, and rear of the helmet. Reflective "Glo-Gloves" over my riding gloves to allow for visible turn and stop signals. Plus, reflective stripes on the rack trunk and panniers, if I've got those mounted.


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## brujenn (Nov 26, 2007)

*Report back, please*



lalahsghost said:


> I bought a can of GLO PAINT for my current road bike that is soon to be my beater bike when I finish up buying my new road bike.
> 
> I saw this on youtube and it inspired me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwTTSFBvxWs
> 
> ...


Let us know how it works, eh?


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## zpl (May 7, 2007)

A summary of my night riding setup:

* DiNotte 200L on my handlebars
* Fenix L2D on my helmet
* 2 PB SuperFlashes at the top of my seat stays - one on blink, the other on steady
* Red rear reflector on the seatpost
* Wheel reflectors
* Reflective material already on my shoes and hi-viz jacket
* Xinglet reflective harness/vest thing
* Reflective bracelets added to my ankles and wrists
* Riding glasses with clear lenses and my Take A Look mirror
* Cell phone, Road ID, and the typical stuff to fix a flat.

I'm not sure I like the xinglet. I have a long torso and it rides up on me. However I'm going to keep using it until I find something better.


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## khill (Mar 4, 2004)

I have:

- Light & Motion HID mounted to handlebars
- Blackburn Mars taillight

In darker months, it's colder and I also wear a hi-viz PI jacket. I'm thinking about adding another taillight or maybe some reflective tape.


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## MJCBH (Nov 25, 2002)

*reflective tape*

Seems like lots of you use reflective tape. Is there a specific type that works best or will any old "reflective tape" do? Where would I find some?


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

MJCBH said:


> Seems like lots of you use reflective tape. Is there a specific type that works best or will any old "reflective tape" do? Where would I find some?


I've had good luck getting reflective tape from these guys:

http://www.identi-tape.com/reflective_gateway.htm

I haven't used it, but the High INtensity stuff looks pretty good"
1" High-Intensity Retro-Reflective (Conspicuity) Tape - available in 8 colors. Reflexite's V92 & V97 Daybright reflective tapes utilize internal cube-corner microprisms to provide a brilliant reflection. It provides exceptional brightness even when viewed at angles low to its surface. Daybright has a distinctive triangular weld pattern and is tough, yet flexible enough to wrap around bicycle tubing. Thickness is 5-mils for standard colors and 18-mils for fluorescent. It is highly adhesive, weatherproof, carries a 3-year warranty, and is also fire resistant - meeting NFPA standards for fire resistance (500ºF for 5 minutes without melting, dripping, or igniting), *Its brightness, depending on color, ranges from 2.7 to 4.4 times brighter than typical engineering grade material.*


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

Tires with a reflective strip in the sidewall -- These are by Panaracer.


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## Pscyclepath (May 22, 2008)

MJCBH said:


> Seems like lots of you use reflective tape. Is there a specific type that works best or will any old "reflective tape" do? Where would I find some?


It's sold as Nathan's 3M Scotchlite reflective tape... comes in silvery white, hi-vis green, and red. Lots of bike shops carry it, or you might try one of the on-line vendors like Performance.

http://www.rei.com/product/634417

or 

http://www.night-gear.com/p/Manufacturers_Nathan/257/Reflective-Tape-by-Nathan.htm


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

Slim Again said:


> Tires with a reflective strip in the sidewall -- These are by Panaracer.


Tires with a *clean* reflective strip in the sidewall. My sidewalls are never that clean during our soggy Portland winters. I have some like that, but I prefer geeky, old spoke-mounted reflectors.


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## PaulRivers (Sep 11, 2006)

I saw someone a few weeks ago with red reflective tape going down each rear stay (the part of the frame between the seatpost and the rear wheel). It was really effective - I knew it was a biker, and where they were right away.

On my higher end road bike I'm hesitant to put on reflective tape, even though I use it almost exclusively for commuting across town (only 10% of that is actually on roads, though, we have some great bike trails in Minnesota). I'm considering it for the rear stays, but I'm already using a Dinotte 140L as my tail light:
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/Lights/TAIL_2_large.jpg

If a driver doesn't see that in the dark, I think at that point it's safe to say there's nothing I can do.  It's a pretty broad beam, so I imagine it would light up my bike even better if I had those reflective strips on my rear stays. 

I think there's a limit on how reflective I want to be, frankly. I've actually seen some school buses and semi trucks with reflective tape so bright I swear it's hurting my night vision...I'm never sure where exactly where they are because they're so bright (think of a ufo movie where it's dark and there's a bright light coming down from the sky).


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

DISCLAIMER: The only time I seem to have to take photos is at night, and my piece of crap camera likes to put itself out of focus no matter what setting I have it on.

So, here are pictures of my setup:

First picture is pretty much self-explanatory:









The single Luxeon K2 is housed in one of these overpriced pieces of crap that Performance sells for too much (obviously I modified the crap out of it) — a stock one appears at the far left of the above photograph:









Now with all the lights on, one can clearly see which light gets the most attention:









The prominent light is (once again) three Luxeon K2s run through a 1000mA BuckPuck controller and the power comes from a 14.8V rechargeable battery pack.

At the rear of the bike, I have two of these $3 a piece units:









Which are highly modified from stock to use a 555 IC timer (blinker) circuit with a MOSFET for power regulation, and each LED unit is a Luxeon LXHL-LH3C (outputs 190 lumens each @ greater than 800mA):
























Here is a picture of some of the readily available high-output LED modules:









Here is the latest experimental unit I am working on, which uses one of the “no name” made-in-China 10W 700 lumen LED modules hooked up to a 555 timer IC circuit and power fed through a 1000mA BuckPuck (juice comes from a 14.8V rechargeable battery pack):









Hard to tell just how bright the tail lights are, since (a) my camera is a piece of crap, and (b) did I mention my camera sucks?????








Trust me, with new batteries these suckers give you blind spots for several minutes if you look at them for more than just a couple seconds.

Another “beauty” shot (no camera flash, but instead out of focus with the crappy-ass 2000-era digital camera):









Yes, yes indeed it is late at night and my patience and attention span are both seeing a deficit. Enjoy in the meantime. I could, possibly, if bribed, make some of these light modules for others if an interest is determined.

Oh yeah, and the car horn is a f**king kick in the pants. Really startles the crap out of motorists.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I am a huge proponent of visibility. My position is that if drivers can see you, most of them won't hit you. The ones that would hit you anyway you can't do much about. Here's my system:

Clothes: I always wear brightly colored jerseys while commuting, preferably with lots of yellow for riding in the dark. Neon green is best, and yellow is better than orange, which is better than red. I have a neon green vest and jacket that I wear when the weather starts getting colder.

Lights: I've got a Fenix L2D Premium light in the front, which is very bright. In the back, I use a PB Superflash plus two other less expensive tail-lights that are not as bright but I already had them.

Reflectivity: I have added reflective tape to my helmet and a few spots on my bike. (My bike has a nice paint job, however, and I don't want to screw that up.) I wear reflective bands around my ankles, and my wheels have Continental GP 4000s with reflective sidewalls. The sidewalls are VERY bright but only effective when cars are approaching you from a 90-degree angle and close to it.

Other: Defensive driving/riding goes a long way. Watch out for drivers pulling out of side streets or backing out of driveways. Don't run red lights. Take enough of the lane that drivers will see you. Pay attention.


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## Jeff G (Jul 22, 2005)

*Quite the handyman*

Leo,
From your pictures it looks like the (3) Luxeon K2 setup is much brighter then my Light & Motion Solo headlight. Just wondering the cost and time involved to make that particular unit?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

PdxMark said:


> I've had good luck getting reflective tape from these guys:
> 
> http://www.identi-tape.com/reflective_gateway.htm
> 
> ...


Yeah, it works. I have lots of that Reflexite stuff on my commuter, including strips on the inside of the rims, creating a rotating strobe effect when cars are approaching at an angle from the back, and lots of it on the fenders. It is extremely reflective.

For flexible surfaces, I use the SOLAS tape (Identitape sells it, too) made for life jackets and similar uses. I have it on my panniers, fanny pack, and back of the shoes. On my jacket (back and sleeves) I use sew-on reflective tape, as the adhesive stuff loosens with repeated washings.

Like Scott Gore, I use a white blinky on the front of the helmet to get the attention of drivers approaching from the side. I'm convinced it works. I also have multiple red lights spaced out on the back: rack, seatbag, fannypack and helmet; some blinking, some steady.


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> DISCLAIMER: The only time I seem to have to take photos is at night, and my piece of crap camera likes to put itself out of focus no matter what setting I have it on.


I think I saw that bike on Close Encounters of the Third Kind...



PS. I some some other riders who do it but never understood ... why have much-less-bright lights along with the bright ones? When I see other cyclists do it, I barely notice the dimmer ones, whether steady or flashing.


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## bsaunder (Oct 27, 2004)

hi vis or reflective clothing - at least a vest if not illuminite arm warmers, jacket and/or over pants 

lots o lights

I just changed my setup some so this is what i currently use...

front:
HID headlight on bars
Dinotte 200L headlight/tail light on helmet
white reflective strip on front of fork (wraps around a bit so it can be seen from side too.

rear:
dinotte 140L tail light
planet bike super flash and left pannier
fender and rack have red reflective tape
bar end blinkies

Misc:
I put some orange reflective tape on my chain stays (matches the color of bike)
tires have reflective sidewalls
I usually run a couple of the strap on cheap blinkies wrapped around seat post or other spots on bike, or attached to panniers
Panniers have multiple reflective strips
put reflective tape on pedals (use the shimano spd/platform commuter pedals)
Thinking about adding reflective strips on rims too (disk brake rims, so I have a lot of surface I could use)
reflective tape on helmet


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## lalahsghost (Aug 27, 2007)

brujenn said:


> Let us know how it works, eh?


Sure. I decided to do it on my fixed gear trash-find, instead of my current road bike. I'll most def have a post about once it's done.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Quantity.

Lots of lights, reflectors, reflective tape and blinkies.

White clothing is good too! :thumbsup:


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

*Holy sh*te...*



Leopold Porkstacker said:


> DISCLAIMER: The only time I seem to have to take photos is at night, and my piece of crap camera likes to put itself out of focus no matter what setting I have it on.
> 
> So, here are pictures of my setup:
> 
> ...


I thought I had seen it all. :yikes:


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## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

By far, I think the best thing to do for night riding/walking is to wear white clothes.


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## Saving Hawaii (Oct 2, 2008)

Has another cyclist ever swung a u-lock at you for blinding them so badly with that light arrangement? Just wondering. I know I get pretty verbally belligerent when somebody fries my retinas.


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## twblalock (Sep 15, 2008)

Saving Hawaii said:


> Has another cyclist ever swung a u-lock at you for blinding them so badly with that light arrangement? Just wondering. I know I get pretty verbally belligerent when somebody fries my retinas.


I have a Fenix headlight, and I one night I was riding home and a "ninja" biker (someone who rides the wrong way at night with no lights) came around a corner towards me. He screamed "Oh f*** my eyes!" and ended up swerving into someone's driveway to get out of the way.

Given the circumstances, I don't feel the least bit bad about that.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

twblalock said:


> I have a Fenix headlight, and I one night I was riding home and a "ninja" biker (someone who rides the wrong way at night with no lights) came around a corner towards me. He screamed "Oh f*** my eyes!" and ended up swerving into someone's driveway to get out of the way.
> 
> Given the circumstances, I don't feel the least bit bad about that.



I don't begrudge any cyclist who has a bright light riding towards me. I can look away. I do get pissed at cyclists who have helmet mounted lights and feel the need to look at me. It's hard to look away when the light is in your face. A helmet light is a superpower not to be abused.


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## twblalock (Sep 15, 2008)

I have mine on my handlebars. It illuminates surface irregularities a bit better that way due to the angle.


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## lx93 (Jun 14, 2007)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> the car horn Really startles the crap out of motorists.


This would be worth an entire thread in itself. I might even be interested in buying such a contraption.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

twblalock said:


> I have a Fenix headlight, and I one night I was riding home and a "ninja" biker (someone who rides the wrong way at night with no lights) came around a corner towards me. He screamed "Oh f*** my eyes!" and ended up swerving into someone's driveway to get out of the way.
> 
> Given the circumstances, I don't feel the least bit bad about that.


That is hilarious. Serves him right!


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Jeff G said:


> Leo,
> From your pictures it looks like the (3) Luxeon K2 setup is much brighter then my Light & Motion Solo headlight. Just wondering the cost and time involved to make that particular unit?


Well, the stickler is the rechargeable battery pack (from AllBattery.com) which I believe was $85.00. Otherwise the total cost (minus battery pack) was around $80.00.

Meanwhile, the “experimental” single-LED (the “crazy-ass-made-in-China” 700lm LED unit) unit has seen a few days of commute credibility testing, and for sure is the brightest, even brighter than the three Luxeon K2 LEDs. I had to put it on a blinker circuit though, since having it constantly on (even with the beefy-ass heatsink/optic mount unit) made the unit too hot to touch, and since the LED itself was $22 (whoa Nellie!!!) I don’t want it to burn out soon… but folks, we’re talking this damn thing is putting out the same amount of light as an automobile headlight.

Anyhow, I strongly encourage anyone interested in building their own setup (saving money in the process, and honing up on their god-given garage fabrication skills) to give it a go if you have at least a 50% self-confidence level with these sorts of projects. Each one you build will be better than the previous version.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

twblalock said:


> I have a Fenix headlight, and I one night I was riding home and a "ninja" biker (someone who rides the wrong way at night with no lights) came around a corner towards me. He screamed "Oh f*** my eyes!" and ended up swerving into someone's driveway to get out of the way.
> 
> Given the circumstances, I don't feel the least bit bad about that.


Ditto that. If you’re riding the WRONG F****NG WAY you deserve what fate has in store for you.


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## WrongBikeFred (Oct 19, 2005)

Does dressing like Freddie Mercury count?


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## PaulRivers (Sep 11, 2006)

Leopold Porkstacker said:


> ...Meanwhile, the “experimental” single-LED (the “crazy-ass-made-in-China” 700lm LED unit) unit has seen a few days of commute credibility testing, and for sure is the brightest, even brighter than the three Luxeon K2 LEDs. I had to put it on a blinker circuit though...


I would strongly encourage anyone who's thinking of building their own setup to NOT do it and build something prebuilt if the result of custom build is a really bright front like that's constantly on blink mode. Ouch.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

MB1 said:


> Quantity.
> 
> Lots of lights, reflectors, reflective tape and blinkies.
> 
> White clothing is good too! :thumbsup:


+1...on my cruiser tandem I run 2 lights up front, I have 4 strands of LEDs on my frame (2 blue and 2 white), 6 Hokey spokes in the front wheel, 2 Tirefly lights on the rear wheel, A red LED blinky on the back seat. If you can't see me coming down the road you're blind.


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## lalahsghost (Aug 27, 2007)

brujenn said:


> Let us know how it works, eh?


I just got my spray can of glopaint, and put it on the frame. [email protected]$$ can though... $8.99 + $3.99 shipping, and shipping exponentiates with the more cans you have, so buy multiple seperately. seriously. I think it will take 3 cans to cover my frame. I'll take pics of it tonight.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*lots of lights*

Headlights -- Dinotte 600L and L&M HID -- both at once, run in day and night
Tail light -- Dinotte 200L (this thing is super duper bright)
Helmet -- flashing Cateye front and red blinkie on back

tons of reflective tape
reflective sidewall Armidillos in winter
always high vis yellow or orange jersey, jacket, and/or vest

Helmet light good for looking at drivers about to turn in front of me

always use mirror to check what's coming from behind, and react accordingly


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