# The inner reflector debate, and looking for minimalist reflectors



## jswilson64 (May 20, 2008)

OK I have to preface this request:
Back in the day the first thing I would do when I got a bike would be rip the reflectors off and remove the pie plate from behind the freewheel. I was (well, still am for that matter) an adult and understood the risks involved.

Now I'm a grumpy older guy with a spankin' new road bike, and a teen age son who rides his mountain bike around the neighborhood to friends' houses. We are overprotective parents (according to his friends) and make him wear his helmet, and expect him to use his lights when he's coming home near dusk. And to his dismay I won't let him take the reflectors off his bike, because he spends too much time on the street at that time of the day.

So now I have a moral quandary: The inner 20-year-old says to rip those reflectors off there, I'm never out at night. The parent in me says I have to be a good example, so leave 'em on. The pragmatist says to pull the awful, gigantic, rattling wheel reflectors off there but leave the front and back markers, and hope he doesn't notice and call me on my hypocrisy.

But, if there were an alternative, I would definitely consider it. Does anyone know of a minimalist, discreet wheel reflector? I would think that something the size of a dime or maybe a quarter, coated with Scotch-Lite reflective material, would work. But then, I'd be paying money for reflectors, so that's a hard thing to get past. Google searches turn up nothing, but then what kind of market could there be for reflectors that someone would have to make an effort to buy? 

I know having them on there would ease my wife's worry, who has a hard enough time with me getting on a bike at all, what with the near-certainty of death involved  Never mind that almost all of my riding takes place during the middle of what some people call, "broad daylight."

And I'm not even getting into the helmet debate. If only my kid had been with me yesterday, he would have seen another old guy on a road bike, wearing a replica Saxo Bank jersey, not wearing a helmet! And to my abject amazement, the guy did not die from the lack thereof!


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## logbiter (Sep 14, 2005)

What about tire's with a reflective stripe? Might be hard to find in a knobby tire (assuming he's riding a mtn bike w/ 26" tires), but there's a few out there in slick form. I've got some schwalbe big apple's with the reflective stripe, quite shiny!

Otherwise, some SOLAS reflective tape. 

A couple of PB superflash type of blinky lights will make him much more visible!


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

IMHO, side-facing wheel reflectors are almost wholly useless. In the vast majority of situations where they would be visible to a driver (approaching broadside), they will be seen either too early or too late. That broadside approach happens when you cross in front of a car. If the car is on a collision course, you won't be in the headlight beam until seconds before impact.

So I'd say remove those. Front and rear reflectors are a whole different deal. A discreet, minimalist approach that I like is to put some stips of reflective tape on the inside of the rims (not the brake track, obviously). If you put a strip between every second or third set of spokes, a car approaching slightly off-angle from front or rear sees a rotating strobe effect that says "bicycle!" very loudly. Silver-colored tape is not very noticeable on the rims.

You can get reflective tape at any hardware store, but this is the brightest stuff available.
http://www.identi-tape.com/hi-intensity.htm


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## Becky (Jun 15, 2004)

Lightweights for the wheels, reflective tape from the auto parts store everywhere else.


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## jswilson64 (May 20, 2008)

Awesome replies! Thanks a ton for all the info. I think I may order a couple of sets of Lightweights for both our bikes and then we can have a reflector-stripping party!


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

One thing that wasn't said was that I think you need to set a good example and do the same thing (or equivalent) on your bike. Now if you have head lights and tail lights, I'm saying that's equal. I use flashing lights on my rain bike that screw onto the valve stems (need presta adapter) that flash with movement. They look great at night from the side and do provive some side markings, though again I really don't know how effective the side markings are. Headlights and taillights are important and most if not all taillights work as a reflector when not on also.
My thoughts are that the best you can do is lead by example and hopefully some of it rubs off. I think it's important to try to find some lights that he will think look cool, so he will use them and not just turn off as soon as he's out of sight of the house.


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## Synapse_Rider (May 13, 2015)

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread. I just finished removing the ridiculous amount of stickers off my new bike's wheels and removed those reflectors too. But I want to be safe too, and these are some great ideas to do just that!


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## PJay (May 28, 2004)

On my bike and the kids', I just put reflective stickers.
I am a Fred anyway, so who cares.
On the tubes, I put clear package tape around the sticker.

If you cut and trim and put these on with taste, they can actually be cool versus dork.


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## HyperCycle (Sep 5, 2012)

PJay said:


> On my bike and the kids', I just put reflective stickers.
> I am a *Fred* anyway, so who cares.
> On the tubes, I put clear package tape around the sticker.
> 
> If you cut and trim and put these on with taste, they can actually be cool versus dork.


I know this is old news.... but....

Just looked up the term "Fred" as it refers to cyclists... and laughed until I was almost in tears. 

I just came to realization that I am a Fred, through and through.... but not the poser type (type 2). I'm a "type 1" who disregards lycra and the proper road bike apparel.

Road bike... check
Mountain bike helmet.... check
Mountain bike clipless pedals... check
Mountain bike baggy shorts with chamois.... check
Comfort baggy bike jersey that hangs down past the waist.... check
Mountain bike shoes.... check

Yep. I'm a Fred.:thumbsup:


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## Drew Eckhardt (Nov 11, 2009)

jswilson64 said:


> But, if there were an alternative, I would definitely consider it. Does anyone know of a minimalist, discreet wheel reflector?


Velocity sells a few rims in 32 hole drillings (notably the 700C 25mm deep Fusion and 30mm Deep-V) with HALO retro-reflective powder coating.

Day:








Night (it's more striking when the light isn't hitting something behind it too):








From the Velocity website:


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## Randy99CL (Mar 27, 2013)

jswilson64 said:


> Does anyone know of a minimalist, discreet wheel reflector?


I've used Scotchlite on my stuff for years.
Amazon.com: 3M Scotchlite Reflective Tape, Silver, 2-Inch by 36-Inch: Home Improvement

Comes in different colors too.

I could see wrapping pieces between the spokes, from one side to the other, because it would light up from almost any direction. Highly visible to cars behind you.


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## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

I use scotchlite tape in strategic locations and put these Nathan snaplink bands around my ankles when I ride at night.I've seen them on other people and they are extremely bright at a pretty great distance.

Reflex Snap Bands | Nathan Sports

Note that the reflectivity of the colored reflective tape and snap-bands varies dramatically from color to color. The lighter/brighter (white/yellow) colors are much more reflective than darker colors (red/green/gray, etc...).

Helmets are also great places to put reflective strips.


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## bmach (Apr 13, 2011)

To me if you remove them from your bike you are not being a hypocrite. You said you don't ride at night but he does, fine he can remove his reflectors if he does not ride at night. That being said you must put yours on if you should ride at night. That is MHO


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