Cool reflective gear, gadgets and clothing

[Unventor]

After debate in other threads I thought this would be a great topic for people posting suggestions and tip if you come across items of threads title.

So again @houseofjob inspired me, to the point I had to ditch out some more money. At 1/3 of the year I risk to ride in dusk or dark hours, so this is why I finnaly found and bought a new reflective backpack. They make jackets too. And it is just a matter of time before I buy one of these too.

As for the brand have a look at their website. 

https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/new

I kinda like this one as it good traffic colour in daytime too. 

https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/nightrider-mens-cycling-jacket-2-0.html

 

[Unventor]

Another product I have tested is reflective "clear" spray. I can say though I forgot the tips people give on you type to how to apply this, so my result is kinda mixed  but works.

The blue and red bag below is save form factor, but I treated the black stripes on the blue. The surface is kinda rubber or t-shirt print in surface. Both bags are hard shells like a travel trolley or suitcase.

Photo at entrance to my work/office.

 

Photo in my hallway with no light beside my Magicshine frontlight of 1600 lumen 😁, so much for no lights I guess. The wheel have 2 white reflective stickers on front and same in red on rear direction.

I will edit this post as I find a website with the spray coating paint. 

EDIT: It is called Albedo100, a Swedish company that made it

https://www.albedo100.se

You can find it on Amazon. They have a new roll on application to textiles. Rain resistant, but when washed with with ehhh soap the glue resolves. They have now 4 different product depending on what glue type they use and what that are there too. One for animal application like dogs, horses and maybe even @Hunka Hunka Burning Love 😉

[travsformation]

Totally agree about reflective gear. When I first got my V8, and before I bought a clip-on red light for the back (the case covers the rear light, which isn't particularly bright anyway), I went for a ride and it got dark on me; on my way home, my girlfriend just happened to be on her way back from work and ended up driving behind me, and told me how impressed she was with the V8 case's reflective outline; said she could spot me clearly from a fair distance. I still bought the rear light for extra safety, but I think reflective gear is a very important feature that should be present on the rider too (backpack, jacket, helmet).

I bought some 3M reflective tape and put strips on the rear of my backpack and rear and sides of my helmet. Yellow is the most visible in my opinion, but the black ones that turn white when light hits them are also a great option, especially if you don't want them to show on black gear except when needed). I think that having several vertically aligned reflecting elements (as in wheel, backpack, head) makes cars much more aware of your presence.

Another reason for wearing reflective gear on one's person (whether its a DIY solution or an awesome backpack like @houseofjob's or @Unventor's) is that, should you have to bail, or if you fall, it's important for the RIDER to be seen when NOT on the wheel. 

[Unventor]

9 minutes ago, travsformation said:

Another reason for wearing reflective gear on one's person (whether its a DIY solution or an awesome backpack like @houseofjob's or @Unventor's) is that, should you have to bail, or if you fall, it's important for the RIDER to be seen when NOT on the wheel. 

A really good point i had not thought about. But I really want people to see the wheel too so they don't hit it if it settles in the road after a bailout.

[travsformation]

1 minute ago, Unventor said:

A really good point i had not thought about. But I really want people to see the wheel too so they don't hit it if it settles in the road after a bailout.

Reflective gear and/or LEDs on every rider and every wheel, me-says! 

[travsformation]

An interesting option if you're not wearing a backpack and don't mind looking like a moving Xmas tree/Disco Stu (from the Simpsons) 

Update: Just checked a few Amazon reviews: you can choose a solid color as well as the multicolor disco light options. 

 

 

[Unventor]

22 hours ago, travsformation said:

An interesting option if you're not wearing a backpack and don't mind looking like a moving Xmas tree/Disco Stu (from the Simpsons) 

Update: Just checked a few Amazon reviews: you can choose a solid color as well as the multicolor disco light options. 

 

 

In general I dislike rainbow light shifting patterns. And for me a backpack is almost always a necessity when on my EUC so I have place to store my gear.

I guess the plus side, is it don't seems to take up much space.

But good thing we all think different and are allowed to do so. 

[ED209]

28 minutes ago, Unventor said:

In general I dislike rainbow light shifting patterns

Not even for the Festive Season? You can now choose one solid colour, instead of the multi-colour disco lights.😊

[LanghamP]

A downward pointing flashlight, worn on your belt, makes you highly visible. Be sure not to point it into your wheels ambient light sensor.

[travsformation]

2 hours ago, Unventor said:

for me a backpack is almost always a necessity when on my EUC so I have place to store my gear.

Same here. I'm one of those people who tends to overpack to always be prepared for anything (for the zombie Apocalypse, as my friends like to say), so my backpack contains everything from a small bicycle pump and pressure gauge, to a Leatherman multifunction tool, a change of clothes, a portable battery pack, my ebook, a toothbrush and change of clothes...you name it. Ya never know.... 

I suggested the option above because I think LEDs are also an interesting option, but it's not something I'd buy either. I think it would be tedious to have an extra thing to put on every time I go for a ride (as if all the protective gear weren't enough).The ideal would be to have a jacket and/or backpack with reflective material/LEDs built in, but I bought a brand new winter jacket, AND a new backpack, about a month before I bought my wheel, so it looks like it's going to have to be some form of DIY solution. So far, I have a reflective material on the sides and rear of my helmet, and a compact bike light on the rear. I have a strip of yellow adhesive tape on the rear of my backpack, and am waiting for my black 3M adhesive tape (the kind that turns white when hit by a light source) to arrive, as both my jacket and backpack are black. I'll probably add a few strips of black tape to the sides of the backpack, and a few to the bottom hem (rear and sides) of my jacket, as well as the cuffs (for better lateral visibility and so turning signals are easier to see). Hopefully, it won't stick out too much and ruin the look of the jacket. The other concern is how long the adhesive will last on fabric...I'm guessing it might be fairly short-lived...

@LanghamP Hadn't thought of the downward pointing flashlight, might give that a shot 

[Unventor]

Well after consideringback and forth I added 1 more (2 in total this week) to my EUC gear. 

1st off, new backpack 

https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/reflect360-cycling-backpack.html

2nd off, I added one of their cycling jackets too. I just hope I can fit my POC DH jacked underneath it.

https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/reflect360-crs-plus-mens-cycling-jacket.html

I went for the red version. Red by daylight, white by night due to reflective material

At first I didn't this the jacket was needed since I use backpack 98% of my rides. However i thought the jacket doubles as raincoat and due to daylight colour as my normal jacket. So this worked too when using my car for shopping, eq. More visual in parking lots walking from or to the car.

I guess late Christmas gifts.

I guess I am moving in opposite directions as @Marty Backe. Black might look cool, but it is not a good choice for dusk/night ridges in traffic. To difficult to spot in the dark especially if you don't expect to be something to on the lookout for.

Here in Sweden, most car drives do they realize too late that you can come fast despite not having any bodymotion. And they are still getting used to have more bikes in traffic landscape too.

[Marty Backe]

4 hours ago, Unventor said:

Well after consideringback and forth I added 1 more (2 in total this week) to my EUC gear. 

1st off, new backpack 

https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/reflect360-cycling-backpack.html

 

2nd off, I added one of their cycling jackets too. I just hope I can fit my POC DH jacked underneath it.

https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/reflect360-crs-plus-mens-cycling-jacket.html

I went for the red version. Red by daylight, white by night due to reflective material

 

At first I didn't this the jacket was needed since I use backpack 98% of my rides. However i thought the jacket doubles as raincoat and due to daylight colour as my normal jacket. So this worked too when using my car for shopping, eq. More visual in parking lots walking from or to the car.

I guess late Christmas gifts.

I guess I am moving in opposite directions as @Marty Backe. Black might look cool, but it is not a good choice for dusk/night ridges in traffic. To difficult to spot in the dark especially if you don't expect to be something to on the lookout for.

Here in Sweden, most car drives do they realize too late that you can come fast despite not having any bodymotion. And they are still getting used to have more bikes in traffic landscape too.

Nice choices. Isn't it fun buying new riding gear 

The gear that I'm now wearing matches the kind of riding that I do. Because of the extensive network (hundreds of miles) of local trails that I have access to, 95+ percent of the time I have zero interactions with any traffic. And I don't ride at night. So low-visibility black works just fine for me.

Enjoy your Christmas gifts 

[Unventor]

9 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Nice choices. Isn't it fun buying new riding gear 

The gear that I'm now wearing matches the kind of riding that I do. Because of the extensive network (hundreds of miles) of local trails that I have access to, 95+ percent of the time I have zero interactions with any traffic. And I don't ride at night. So low-visibility black works just fine for me.

Enjoy your Christmas gifts 

Feels great to be different doesn't it?  Different uses different choices 

The only thing is now I have to get a new matching helmet Black/Red...considering another TSG Pass carbon like this, if I can find a deal and reasonable price. 

[z3n]

I go this way. 

[The Fat Unicyclist]

8 hours ago, z3n said:

I go this way. 

Are you having a stroke???

[z3n]

5 hours ago, The Fat Unicyclist said:

Are you having a stroke???

Nah... I'm just being static reflected!  

[LanghamP]

On 1/1/2019 at 9:44 AM, Marty Backe said:

Nice choices. Isn't it fun buying new riding gear 

The gear that I'm now wearing matches the kind of riding that I do. Because of the extensive network (hundreds of miles) of local trails that I have access to, 95+ percent of the time I have zero interactions with any traffic. And I don't ride at night. So low-visibility black works just fine for me.

Enjoy your Christmas gifts 

Reflective safety gear is entirely devoted to the premise of being seen by drivers before they run you over. No drivers means no need for reflective safety gear.

It's ludicrous that we've managed to fence off roads to other traffic, corralled pedestrians into these tiny zebra stripes at intersections, and still manage to kill people at extraordinarily high rates.

[Unventor]

18 hours ago, The Fat Unicyclist said:

Are you having a stroke???

I am stoked and I cannot lie 😉

I am so looking forward to get my new backpack and reflective jacket and test out my lights I finally got mounted on my helmet.

Only sad thing is weather is not making it happen right now. Winter storms and temperature around freezing makes it very righ risk to tide EUCs at my place. Last night state and weather forecasters adviced against all unnecessary traveling by any means unless lifedepending.😒 And now it seems the colder part of wi ter is slowly setting in as surrounding seas get cooler. All we really need is snow to really mess up EUC riding chances.

[Marty Backe]

33 minutes ago, Unventor said:

I am stoked and I cannot lie 😉

I am so looking forward to get my new backpack and reflective jacket and test out my lights I finally got mounted on my helmet.

Only sad thing is weather is not making it happen right now. Winter storms and temperature around freezing makes it very righ risk to tide EUCs at my place. Last night state and weather forecasters adviced against all unnecessary traveling by any means unless lifedepending.😒 And now it seems the colder part of wi ter is slowly setting in as surrounding seas get cooler. All we really need is snow to really mess up EUC riding chances.

Winter has set in here too. A high of only 66-degrees (19 Celsius) today 

[Unventor]

5 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Winter has set in here too. A high of only 66-degrees (19 Celsius) today 

But here we are racing polar bears at red lights 😉

If I were to guest ride with you at some point I had to climatize 6 months training in a sauna, to be able to join you for dusk ride 😎

[The Fat Unicyclist]

2 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Winter has set in here too. A high of only 66-degrees (19 Celsius) today 

You poor thing! Have you tried these... https://www.ventureheat.com/12-base-layer-heated-pants.html (you could charge them from your wheel while you ride even).

[RoadRunner]

Found a good page where they sell reflective gear at verry good prices. They ship within the EU.

 

[Unventor]

Well weather here in Gothenburg is not directly rookie EUC friendly. So I have only used this on a very few rides. 

But I feel much more confident in this than my old ttaffic yellow mc jacket. 

The pictures were taken by a work colleague. Two inside with and without flash to simulate car headlights, and outside fully geared up.

The picture outside was taken when it was as dark as seen in the picture.

[Lutalo]

19 minutes ago, Unventor said:

Well weather here in Gothenburg is not directly rookie EUC friendly. So I have only used this on a very few rides. 

But I feel much more confident in this than my old ttaffic yellow mc jacket. 

The pictures were taken by a work colleague. Two inside with and without flash to simulate car headlights, and outside fully geared up.

The picture outside was taken when it was as dark as seen in the picture.

Nice. 👍

[Kristof Willen]

On 12/29/2018 at 9:23 PM, travsformation said:

An interesting option if you're not wearing a backpack and don't mind looking like a moving Xmas tree/Disco Stu (from the Simpsons) 

Update: Just checked a few Amazon reviews: you can choose a solid color as well as the multicolor disco light options. 

 

 

I recently bought this and I'm using it since last week.  You have indeed the option for different styles of light effects : flashing multicolor, or steady single-color.  I prefer the single-color options (yellow or red).  The flashing effect makes me feel too much like a disco ball or a christmas tree.  I wear a backpack, and have no problem wearing the Noxgear over it (just order the XL size).  

 

I must say that if you don't like to stand out in the traffic, this thing isn't for you.  I frequently have cars slowing down to check out what's riding next to them on the bike lane.  Using the side LEDs as well on my Inmotion V10  adds to the overall futuristic effect. 

Overall, I'm very happy with this : on some parts of my commute the bike lane is nothing more than a thin paint stripe, where I'm less than 1m from the cars whizzing by at 70km/h.  Riding in the dark under such circumstances, the back light of my EUC isn't sufficient to ride safely.  With the Tracer360, I'm confident to be seen at all times.