To Reflector or not to Reflector that is the question.

In Texas (like most states) a bicycle is considered a vehicle and as such is
supposed to carry the approrpriate reflectors (White up front, Red rear,
white in the spokes, amber on back of pedals); however, from what I've seen
the custom is as sooin as a new bike leaves the shop the reflectors are
pulled. My question is manyfold. One if by law we're supposed to be
carrying reflector why do most of us cyclist ditch the reflectors. I know
most would say weight savings (even if we're talking a couple ounces.), but
is there any real safety in keeping the refelctors? Lately I've been doing
alot of communting/vehicular cycling and I've got lights front and rear as
well as tireflys on my valve stems, but I'm wondering if it would be
worthwhile to restore all the apropriate reflecors.

Read Effective cycling by John Forester. He went so far as to compare the
effectiveness of SAE vs. CPSC reflectors that are required on bicycles. SAE
is better.


"John L. Lucci" wrote in message
...
In Texas (like most states) a bicycle is considered a vehicle and as such
is supposed to carry the approrpriate reflectors (White up front, Red
rear, white in the spokes, amber on back of pedals); however, from what
I've seen the custom is as sooin as a new bike leaves the shop the
reflectors are pulled. My question is manyfold. One if by law we're
supposed to be carrying reflector why do most of us cyclist ditch the
reflectors. I know most would say weight savings (even if we're talking a
couple ounces.), but is there any real safety in keeping the refelctors?
Lately I've been doing alot of communting/vehicular cycling and I've got
lights front and rear as well as tireflys on my valve stems, but I'm
wondering if it would be worthwhile to restore all the apropriate
reflecors.

if you have lights on the front and rear, then you still need wheel
reflectors. There is absolutely NO SUBSTITUTE for the strange
patterns that these reflectors make when passing 500 ft in front of an
oncoming car.

I think there are a bunch of dead cyclists who wish they hadn't been
obsessed with being "cool". When I look into the eyes of my twin
3-year old sons, I think that being "alive" is much hipper than being
"cool".

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

I think there are a bunch of dead cyclists that wish that they'd not
been so obsessed with being "cool". There is ABSOLUTELY NO SUBSTITUTE
for the strange patterns made by 2 wheel reflectors that makes your
bike visible from an oncoming car 500 feet away.

When I look into the eyes of my twin 3 year-old sons, I think that
it's much hipper to be "alive" than to be "cool" and I check my
reflectors every day before I commute.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

"John L. Lucci" wrote in message
...
In Texas (like most states) a bicycle is considered a vehicle and as such
is
supposed to carry the approrpriate reflectors (White up front, Red rear,
white in the spokes, amber on back of pedals); however, from what I've
seen
the custom is as sooin as a new bike leaves the shop the reflectors are
pulled. My question is manyfold. One if by law we're supposed to be
carrying reflector why do most of us cyclist ditch the reflectors. I know
most would say weight savings (even if we're talking a couple ounces.),
but
is there any real safety in keeping the refelctors? Lately I've been
doing
alot of communting/vehicular cycling and I've got lights front and rear as
well as tireflys on my valve stems, but I'm wondering if it would be
worthwhile to restore all the apropriate reflecors.






If you're riding at night, reflectors are a good idea (in addition to
lighting). The spoke reflectors will help you be seen by cross-traffic.
Pedal reflectors, or reflective tape applied to the crank arms, provide for
a very noticeable left-right "flash" visible to overtaking traffic - this
also helps identify you as a bicycle (as opposed to a reflector on a
stationary object). When I used to commute by bike, I also put some
reflective tape on the back of my helmet. IMO, if you're riding at night,
it's next to impossible to have too many lights and reflectors.

GG

go for dayglo poster paper at the superduper-Publix in fla/ga/ark/?
carries yellow dayglo on one side blaze orange the other-yellow dark
orange day. can laminate.
cut 2-3 strips and magic tape to spokes for a solid wheel effect.

reflectors don't reflect. take a look. put ur cibies on one+zeroooo!

I understand Texas law requires headlights and taillights at night.
As far as I can tell here in Texas, nobody really cares about
reflectors OR lights during the daytime.
I agree, keeping reflectors of any type on the bike are worthwhile.

Donald Gillies wrote:

if you have lights on the front and rear, then you still need wheel
reflectors. There is absolutely NO SUBSTITUTE for the strange
patterns that these reflectors make when passing 500 ft in front of an
oncoming car.

This is an illusion.

If you're crossing 500 feet in front of an oncoming car, you'll be
across the intersection long before the car crosses your path.

On the other hand, if you're on an collision course with another
vehicle, your wheel reflectors won't enter the headlight beams until
it's too late to do you any good.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/reflectors

Sheldon "LIGHTS! LIGHTS! LIGHTS!" Brown
+-----------------------------------------+
| If a fool would persist in his folly, |
| he would become wise. |
| --William Blake |
+-----------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

deer sheldon
try the poster paper on the spokes and night test it.

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 18:09:14 GMT, "John L. Lucci"
may have said:

In Texas (like most states) a bicycle is considered a vehicle and as such is
supposed to carry the approrpriate reflectors (White up front, Red rear,
white in the spokes, amber on back of pedals);

TTBOMK only the red and white reflectors (front and rear) are a legal
requirement, and then the requirement merely precludes operation at
night if they are absent; no side-visible reflector or pedal-mounted
is apparently required by state statute here in any event, and no
reflectors or lights are required at all for operation in daylight.
See Texas Statutes 551.104 at
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/tn.toc.htm

however, from what I've seen
the custom is as sooin as a new bike leaves the shop the reflectors are
pulled. My question is manyfold. One if by law we're supposed to be
carrying reflector why do most of us cyclist ditch the reflectors.

Well, I have to question your assertion about "most". From what I see
in my NW Houston neighborhood, most of the bikes not only have their
original reflectors in place, but some additional safety lighting or
other visibility items. OTOH, the majority of the roadies I see out
in the hinterlands are not equipped with reflectors or lights, but
they're also riding in daylight...and therefore they have no
obligation to be so equipped.

I know
most would say weight savings (even if we're talking a couple ounces.), but
is there any real safety in keeping the refelctors?

In daylight, I can't see that reflectors have any impact on safety,
and apparently the Texas legislature has the same opinion. At night,
I'm not convoinced that mere reflectors are adequate...but they would
seem better than nothing.

Lately I've been doing
alot of communting/vehicular cycling and I've got lights front and rear as
well as tireflys on my valve stems, but I'm wondering if it would be
worthwhile to restore all the apropriate reflecors.

If your lights are functioning, you're probably in compliance with the
regs now. The only advantage to having both lights and reflectors
would be the backup *compliance* they provide in the event that you
have a light failure while out in darkness. I doubt that front and
rear reflectors would add anything significant in the presence of good
lighting.


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