# what's the point of bike reflectors?



## Randombiker9 (14 Nov 2017)

So me and one of my friends who also cycles to college. We were taking about how my friend had reflectors on the bike. But he doesn't see the point of them as they never work. (i've never bothered to put reflectors on my bike) even though we do have them but like above they don't work either. I just have a white front light and red rear light. (i do have amber pedal reflectors but like above i don't see the point)
So what is the point of reflectors?


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## Fab Foodie (14 Nov 2017)

Is this a trick question?


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## Slick (14 Nov 2017)

They're a legal must on pedals apparently, but even cars have reflectors. Just another tool in the box I reckon, especially side on.


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## screenman (14 Nov 2017)

Front reflectors are for training as they add increased wind resistance, take them off and you will really fly, Obree did it before eating Marmalade sandwiches.


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## steveindenmark (14 Nov 2017)

Yes you are correct. They often dont work. But you need to keep the power supply topped up and make sure you know where the on - off buttons are. You and your friend need to go over each others bikes and make sure the reflectors operate correctly.


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## winjim (14 Nov 2017)

Oooh, I love reflectors, me. When I'm in charge I shall remove the requirement for bikes to have lights, we'll all just have lovely lovely reflectors and the roads will be a much nicer place for it.


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## Banjo (14 Nov 2017)

You dont see reflectors working from on the bike you only see the reflected light coming back at you.

Try parking your bike somewhere dark and shine a torch at it from different angles.


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## screenman (14 Nov 2017)

Banjo said:


> You dont see reflectors working from on the bike you only see the reflected light coming back at you.
> 
> Try parking your bike somewhere dark and shine a torch at it from different angles.



Spoil sport.


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## Ian H (14 Nov 2017)

Pedal reflectors are excellent. I only wish there was a reliable way of attaching them to decent pedals. But then, most shoes and overshoes have rear-facing reflective patches.


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## booze and cake (14 Nov 2017)

The point of them is to take them off, throw them in the parts box, where over time they sink to the bottom and gather fluff and dust like a forgotten boiled sweet in a jacket pocket, only to be found years later when I think what the hell did I bother keeping them for


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## Heltor Chasca (14 Nov 2017)

My bike reflectors are now on a concrete post on the edge of my drive so I don’t reverse into it. Never hit the post. Not once.

When they were on my bike I got hit by 3 cars. Not at the same time thankfully. True story.


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## winjim (14 Nov 2017)

See if you can spot the difference between these two photos.


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## Randombiker9 (14 Nov 2017)

User said:


> Have you ever driven (or ridden) in the dark behind a cyclist with pedal reflectors?


Don't most bikes have amber pedal reflectors as it's part of the law unless your bike was made before 01/10/85 .



steveindenmark said:


> Yes you are correct. They often dont work. But you need to keep the power supply topped up and make sure you know where the on - off buttons are. You and your friend need to go over each others bikes and make sure the reflectors operate correctly.


Reflectors don't always have a on-off button. But with the Highway code why does it state you should have a red rear reflector if they don't work well? But unless your police department is strict as long as you have a front light and red rear light. I doubt you would get pulled over. Correct me if i'm wrong.



winjim said:


> Oooh, I love reflectors, me. When I'm in charge I shall remove the requirement for bikes to have lights, we'll all just have lovely lovely reflectors and the roads will be a much nicer place for it.


I think that's a bad idea



Heltor Chasca said:


> My bike reflectors are now on a concrete post on the edge of my drive so I don’t reverse into it. Never hit the post. Not once.
> 
> When they were on my bike I got hit by 3 cars. Not at the same time thankfully. True story.


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## Randombiker9 (14 Nov 2017)

winjim said:


> See if you can spot the difference between these two photos.
> View attachment 383162
> 
> View attachment 383163


The brown pot is not in first picture anyway what that got to do with anything?


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## winjim (14 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> The brown pot is not in first picture anyway what that got to do with anything?


In one of the photos the rear light is lit. I'm buggered if I can remember which one though. The point is, reflectors are great. The way they interact with the light source makes them much more dynamic than lights, which just disappear into the background noise of bright flashy horribleness. And I like the idea of reflectors as a passive method of illumination, it's so much friendlier than shining bright lights into everybody's faces all the time.

BTW, if I had my way it wouldn't just be bikes with less active lighting. I'd get rid of DRLs and allow nothing more than sidelights in built up areas. And as for those new fangled directional turny looking round cornery type lights...


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## glasgowcyclist (14 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> . But with the Highway code why does it state you should have a red rear reflector if they don't work well?



They are a failsafe for when your lights fail. All motor vehicles need them too, not just bicycles at night.

What do you mean by don't work well?


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## Drago (14 Nov 2017)

Reflecting upon the meaningfulness of reflectors. Deep man, deep.


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## tyred (14 Nov 2017)

I do think there is a point to having reflectors on a bike. They are a potentially useful failsafe and as mentioned car lights hit them they do add something different. Unfortunately I see so many bikes which have badly fitted reflectors which are pointing in all directions and may be of benefit to help the pilot of a low-flying 747 to see you but aren't much use to other road vehicles.


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## Ajax Bay (14 Nov 2017)

winjim said:


> See if you can spot the difference between these two photos.


The second photo is taken with the lens slightly higher. It was a still night.


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## Nigeyy (14 Nov 2017)

I definitely think of them as something extra and most certainly as a backup for if your rear light fails or drops off. Chances are you will never know if this happens until you get home.

I think reflectors get a bad rap; I recall reading a MTB magazine saying you look stupid with them. Well at least you can be pretty cool after a vehicle has hit you. Pays your money, takes your choice. I always have them don't care if they look a bit nerdly.




glasgowcyclist said:


> They are a failsafe for when your lights fail. All motor vehicles need them too, not just bicycles at night.
> 
> What do you mean by don't work well?


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## winjim (14 Nov 2017)

User said:


> In the second one you’ve eaten the fig roll you had secreted in the right hand pocket of your saddlebag?


Good god no. Hateful things.



Ajax Bay said:


> The second photo is taken with the lens slightly higher. It was a still night.


It was a clear black night, a clear white moon.


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## Profpointy (14 Nov 2017)

tyred said:


> I do think there is a point to having reflectors on a bike. They are a potentially useful failsafe and as mentioned car lights hit them they do add something different. Unfortunately I see so many bikes which have badly fitted reflectors which are pointing in all directions and may be of benefit to help the pilot of a low-flying 747 to see you but aren't much use to other road vehicles.



You've misunderstood how reflectors work. The reflecty bits have 90 degree internal facets (aka corner reflectors) so light from any direction is reflected back where it came from. Same principle for a radar reflector on a boat, or even the reflector on the moon lander to reflect radar (or was it a a laser) back to earth


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## Randombiker9 (14 Nov 2017)

glasgowcyclist said:


> They are a failsafe for when your lights fail. All motor vehicles need them too, not just bicycles at night.


But don’t motor vehicles have reflectors in case there brake lights fail? Bicycles don’t have brake lights. Also not many people lights would fail if they carry spare batteries or USB cord


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## Tim Hall (15 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> But don’t motor vehicles have reflectors in case there brake lights fail?


No.


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## Randombiker9 (15 Nov 2017)

Tim Hall said:


> No.


I don’t drive so why then?


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## snorri (15 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> Also not many people lights would fail if they carry spare batteries or USB cord


I haven't carried spare batteries for many years, not since getting a dynamo from Santa, and wouldn't know what to do with a USB cord on a bicycle, but I check the presence and positioning of my reflectors regularly.


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## Ajax Bay (15 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> But don’t motor vehicles have reflectors in case there brake lights fail?





Randombiker9 said:


> I don’t drive so why then?


I suspect that the most useful function of reflectors on motor vehicles is when they are stationary at night on the road, without their lights operating. Parked vehicles in the dark will thus be more visible to road users than if they did not have reflectors fitted.
Since cycles are rarely 'parked' on the road this is not a function required of a cycle reflector. The usefulness of reflectors on bicycles has been well covered above.
Please could you (OP) suggest/explain how a "USB cord" carried by a rider would prevent a light failing (I'm judging you are too young to yet have fitted a hub dynamo with a USB socket).


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## MontyVeda (15 Nov 2017)

My bike doesn't have any reflectors fitted... but my pannier does have a big reflective patch, and my ankle strap is also reflective. Without those, i'd certainly be fitting reflectors to my pedals at very least. They certainly show up on unlit country lanes, from a good distance too.


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## Low Gear Guy (15 Nov 2017)

I always thought that car reflectors were there to stop you driving or cycling into parked cars at night.


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## Drago (15 Nov 2017)

Which is great, except many folk park unlawfully facing into the traffic flow.


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## MontyVeda (15 Nov 2017)

Drago said:


> Which is great, except many folk park unlawfully facing into the traffic flow.


it maybe unlawful, but can't be much of problem otherwise it'd be tackled.


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## lutonloony (15 Nov 2017)

My biggest concern is that the OP started with "So".


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## EasyPeez (15 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> But he doesn't see the point of them as they never work.


Reflectors are dead good. In what way do his not work? I assume he did perform the usual incantations to ensure the blessing of the prismatic gods?



winjim said:


> It was a clear black night, a clear white moon.



I trust you thought of better things than some horny tricks.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Nov 2017)

To reflect or not reflect that is the question.


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## glasgowcyclist (15 Nov 2017)

YukonBoy said:


> To reflect or not reflect that is the question.



Do you need an answer now, or can I reflect on it?


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## Profpointy (15 Nov 2017)

lutonloony said:


> My biggest concern is that the OP started with "So".



"So, the Spear-Danes in days gone by
Led by their Kings had courage and greatness"

What a crap way to start a story


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## Ajax Bay (16 Nov 2017)

Profpointy said:


> What a crap way to start a story


Yes, because the story was not written with the first word as "So".
The use of “hwæt” has been mistranslated (Grimm through to Heaney's latest magnificent 2000 translation's flawed use of "So!"). NB your quote inserts a comma whereas Heaney used an exclamation mark. He was using 'So!' in the 'Listen in!' sense.
The original (OE) doesn’t try to say `Oi you, listen to this!’: “hwæt” invites the listeners to think 'how' (as in 'we have, haven't we?') they have heard of kings' greatness and courage in the past.
So, another misuse of 'so', and of considerable concern: I'm with the bloke from Luton here. @lutonloony


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## Profpointy (16 Nov 2017)

Ajax Bay said:


> Yes, because the story was not written with the first word as "So".
> The use of “hwæt” has been mistranslated (Grimm through to Heaney's latest magnificent 2000 translation's flawed use of "So!"). NB your quote inserts a comma whereas Heaney used an exclamation mark. He was using 'So!' in the 'Listen in!' sense.
> The original (OE) doesn’t try to say `Oi you, listen to this!’: “hwæt” invites the listeners to think 'how' (as in 'we have, haven't we?') they have heard of kings' greatness and courage in the past.
> So, another misuse of 'so', and of considerable concern: I'm with the bloke from Luton here. @lutonloony



If Heaney was from Lancashire he'd doubtless translated it as "Now then!"

A former colleague always began with
"what it is, right.... " - or should that be
"hwæt it is right" ?


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## Ajax Bay (16 Nov 2017)

Well if you choose "hwæt" in your recitations, remember it rhymes with 'twat'.


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## Apollonius (17 Nov 2017)

Delightful though it is to have an esoteric discussion on the finer points of Anglo-Saxon, I understand that the most effective form of visibility is that which is moving i.e.pedals. Unfortunately, with the design of pedals being what it is, this is hard to achieve. Personally, I always try to use white shoes with reflectors as much as possible, particularly if the day is like today, with a low sun giving stark shadows. All this assumes, of course, that the mass-killers in the powered vehicles have any interest in looking where they are going. My wife has just spent the afternoon with a farrier shoeing her horses, whose house has just been hit for the third time this year by a car which failed to notice it. Reflectors are not yet compulsory on houses.


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## MontyVeda (17 Nov 2017)

Apollonius said:


> ... I understand that the most effective form of visibility is that which is moving i.e.pedals. Unfortunately, with the design of pedals being what it is, this is hard to achieve. ...


Are you specifically talking clipless type pedals here?


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## Apollonius (17 Nov 2017)

I am.


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## Ajax Bay (17 Nov 2017)

Apollonius said:


> My wife has just spent the afternoon with a farrier shoeing her horses, whose house has just been hit for the third time this year by a car which failed to notice it. Reflectors are not yet compulsory on houses.


Is this a link to the thread on charging lithium-ion batteries? Would a reflector on your farrier's house make it less likely to be hit by a motor vehicle?


classic33 said:


> No guarantee, a house, 50 yards from the road, nearly had a car come through a bedroom(first floor) via the roof.


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## Randy Butternubs (17 Nov 2017)

winjim said:


> BTW, if I had my way it wouldn't just be bikes with less active lighting. I'd get rid of DRLs and allow nothing more than sidelights in built up areas. And as for those new fangled directional turny looking round cornery type lights...



I've often wondered if cyclists and pedestrians would be safer at night if cars didn't have rear/brake lights. As it is nobody seems to drive slow enough to be able to stop in the distance they can see to be clear.


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## jefmcg (17 Nov 2017)

Ajax Bay said:


> Yes, because the story was not written with the first word as "So".
> The use of “hwæt” has been mistranslated (Grimm through to Heaney's latest magnificent 2000 translation's flawed use of "So!"). NB your quote inserts a comma whereas Heaney used an exclamation mark. He was using 'So!' in the 'Listen in!' sense.
> The original (OE) doesn’t try to say `Oi you, listen to this!’: “hwæt” invites the listeners to think 'how' (as in 'we have, haven't we?') they have heard of kings' greatness and courage in the past.
> So, another misuse of 'so', and of considerable concern: I'm with the bloke from Luton here. @lutonloony


So?


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## mustang1 (17 Nov 2017)

Fab Foodie said:


> Is this a trick question?



"So me and one of my friends who also cycles to college"

Don't think so.


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## winjim (17 Nov 2017)

Randy Butternubs said:


> I've often wondered if cyclists and pedestrians would be safer at night if cars didn't have rear/brake lights. As it is nobody seems to drive slow enough to be able to stop in the distance they can see to be clear.


A pox on those who sit in queues with their foot on the brake, shining bright red light straight at the occupants of the car behind.

I think brake lights are useful, but in a well lit built up area I don't think other lights are really necessary. It's all just contributing to a big bright confusing dazzling mess where anything unlit like a pedestrian just gets lost in the blur.

I think of bicycle reflectors like jiu-jitsu, using the superior strength of one's opponent against them. Motor vehicles are aggressive, both in the danger they pose and the amount of light they emit. So I like the idea of passively reflecting their own light pollution back at them in order to become visible. It also fits with my nice idealistic vision of cycling as a benign and benevolent mode of transport. A cyclist shouldn't, as a vulnerable party, be forced to carry loads of fancy bright lights, with horrible complicated polluting batteries when the responsibility should be with the drivers of the already polluting and dangerous motor vehicles to make sure they can drive them in a safe manner; a simple set of reflectors can provide enough illumination for them to be able to do that.


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## freiston (18 Nov 2017)

Randy Butternubs said:


> I've often wondered if cyclists and pedestrians would be safer at night if cars didn't have rear/brake lights. As it is nobody seems to drive slow enough to be able to stop in the distance they can see to be clear.


Originally there wasn't a requirement for rear lights - the CTC campaigned against mandatory rear bicycle lights for night-riding for the same reason.


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## freiston (18 Nov 2017)

My reflectors work fine. I have been cycling down unlit country lanes and my first awareness of unlit cyclists in front of me has been their rear reflectors or their pedal reflectors. I've had even more cyclists in front of me whose rear reflector was brighter to me than their rear light. My front light is a German dynamo lamp rated at 80 lux. My opinion is that rear reflectors are as important as, if not more important than, rear lights.


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## Ajax Bay (18 Nov 2017)

freiston said:


> I have been cycling down unlit country lanes and my first awareness of unlit cyclists in front of me has been their rear reflectors or their pedal reflectors. . . .My opinion is that rear reflectors are as important as, if not more important than, rear lights.


Presume this is in the dark. Say it was a pedestrian in front of you, without reflectors or a rear light; or a horse. Would that have been an issue? If it wouldn't then why does what first got your attention matter? If if it would, I suggest you would need to slow down until you could see far enough in front, with your 80 lux light. Your closing speed with a (n unlit/no reflector) pedestrian or a horse would be greater.


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## freiston (18 Nov 2017)

Ajax Bay said:


> Presume this is in the dark. Say it was a pedestrian in front of you, without reflectors or a rear light; or a horse. Would that have been an issue? If it wouldn't then why does what first got your attention matter? If if it would, I suggest you would need to slow down until you could see far enough in front, with your 80 lux light. Your closing speed with a (n unlit/no reflector) pedestrian or a horse would be greater.


Where are you coming from? I'm just saying how reflectors have worked and assisted visibility in my experience and how I rate them above rear lights in importance. Nowhere did I say anything was an issue - that is something that came out of your mind - not from what I wrote.

In respect of the issues that you have raised, I believe that the Highway Code contains night-time advice and rules not only for motorists and cyclists, but also for pedestrians and horse riders. Lights and reflectors are required for horse riders and reflective materials are recommended for pedestrians. Of course it shouldn't need to be said but none of this reduces the need to drive or ride safely and the Highway Code has plenty in respect of that too.


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## Ming the Merciless (18 Nov 2017)

glasgowcyclist said:


> Do you need an answer now, or can I reflect on it?



Just be careful you do not get stuck in an infinite reflection and cannot get back to reality.


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## Thorn Sherpa (22 Nov 2017)

I didn't realise how effective reflective strips could be till I started working at my current place, the Scotchlite strips on our work gear are very effective. For the cooler darker nights and mornings I wear my works fleece to commute, hi viz and Scotchlite cant go wrong imo


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## Randombiker9 (23 Nov 2017)

Ajax Bay said:


> I suspect that the most useful function of reflectors on motor vehicles is when they are stationary at night on the road, without their lights operating. Parked vehicles in the dark will thus be more visible to road users than if they did not have reflectors fitted.
> Since cycles are rarely 'parked' on the road this is not a function required of a cycle reflector. The usefulness of reflectors on bicycles has been well covered above.
> Please could you (OP) suggest/explain how a "USB cord" carried by a rider would prevent a light failing (I'm judging you are too young to yet have fitted a hub dynamo with a USB socket).


With veichlea what other reflectors are yo talking about as I thought the only relflectors were on the number plates and therefor doesn’t apply to bicycles. 
Interest and my lights are by batteries I just changed the batteries to rechargeble batteries. One of the reasons I don’t use usb is because you can easily forget the cable and it’s more expensive even if the cyclist carries the cable lights can still fail for example if the cable breaks/becomes frayed/just stops working etc... Also if you have a charging socket fitted on your bike isn’t there a possible risk of fire as if it overheats? And I don’t want to risk that.


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## jefmcg (23 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> With veichlea what other reflectors are yo talking about as I thought the only relflectors were on the number plates and therefor doesn’t apply to bicycles.
> Interest and my lights are by batteries I just changed the batteries to rechargeble batteries. One of the reasons I don’t use usb is because you can easily forget the cable and it’s more expensive even if the cyclist carries the cable lights can still fail for example if the cable breaks/becomes frayed/just stops working etc... Also if you have a charging socket fitted on your bike isn’t there a possible risk of fire as if it overheats? And I don’t want to risk that.


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## Ajax Bay (24 Nov 2017)

I blame auto-correct.


Randombiker9 said:


> With veichlea what other reflectors are yo talking about as I thought the only relflectors were on the number plates and therefor doesn’t apply to bicycles.
> Interest and my lights are by batteries I just changed the batteries to rechargeble batteries. One of the reasons


Responding in the spirit of 'chat'.
Motor vehicles have red reflectors as part (normally) of their rear light cluster. The OP can discover this, in the dark, by directing her cycle front light at the rear of an unlit car. Number plates are a bit reflective but the rear one is required by law, to be lit (normally by a small bulb) - take a closer look at the rear number plate of a car with its lights on (suggest easiest while both you and the car are stationary). The OP is right: this does not apply to bikes, for existential reasons.
OP earlier suggested that "not many people lights would fail if they carry spare batteries or USB cord", hence my question about utility of a USB cord, and then said "I don’t use usb [] because you can easily forget the cable and it’s more expensive even if the cyclist carries the cable lights can still fail for example if the cable breaks/becomes frayed/just stops working etc... Also if you have a charging socket fitted on your bike isn’t there a possible risk of fire as if it overheats? And I don’t want to risk that."
How do you charge your phone? With a USB cable? Do you "easily forget the cable"? Does your (phone charging) USB cable "fail for example if the cable breaks/becomes frayed/just stops working etc..."? No.
I think the chance of (ie risk of) causing a battery in a front light to overheat by being charged via a USB cable connected to a dynamo (or a powerbank) is close to zero. The power available through a USB socket is limited, constrained by the voltage (?5v max).
Personally, on longer rides which may go towards dusk, I carry spare batteries for my rear lights, and mount a spare front light, in case my main one fails. It was very cheap, has 3 modes, takes C2032 batteries and lasts a very, very long time (on low). 3000 lumens! Ha! Ha!


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## I like Skol (24 Nov 2017)

I think the OP needs to have a really good think about the differences between;

reflectors
lights/driving lights
brake lights

The difference in purpose of a tail light and a brake light is huge but seemingly lost on the OP? I am just guessing here but I have a suspicion the OP isn't a resident of the UK and quite probably is an American so it might just be the language barrier that is causing the confusion but here in Britain a reflector is most certainly NOT a light and the humorous posts about on/off switches and control apps for reflectors have perhaps not been understood by the OP?


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## Randombiker9 (24 Nov 2017)

Ajax Bay said:


> I blame auto-correct.
> 
> Responding in the spirit of 'chat'.
> Motor vehicles have red reflectors as part (normally) of their rear light cluster. The OP can discover this, in the dark, by directing her cycle front light at the rear of an unlit car. Number plates are a bit reflective but the rear one is required by law, to be lit (normally by a small bulb) - take a closer look at the rear number plate of a car with its lights on (suggest easiest while both you and the car are stationary). The OP is right: this does not apply to bikes, for existential reasons.
> ...


ok thanks and yeah my previous post i was messaging on my mobile (autocorrect is annoying sometimes) not macbook.



I like Skol said:


> I think the OP needs to have a really good think about the differences between;
> 
> reflectors
> lights/driving lights
> ...



I am a resident of the England which is in the UK. Have been since 2010. I'm not American however my brother is half American and half English. I'm half Dutch and half English. I was born in Netherlands moved to Singapore moved to Spain and moved to England. I thought a reflector is technically a light because when you shine light on it it lights up.


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## Ming the Merciless (24 Nov 2017)

When you shine a light on me I light up, but I am neither a reflector nor light.


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## jefmcg (24 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> when you shine light on it it lights up.



And that is the point of bike reflectors.


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## winjim (24 Nov 2017)

User said:


> You are a reflector. Not a particularly good one but one nevertheless.


Even Vantablack is a reflector. OK at 0.036% of visible light it's an even poorer one than @YukonBoy but still...


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## Levo-Lon (24 Nov 2017)

User said:


> At the risk of sounding rude here, is there anyone who might help you translate this into English?





jefmcg said:


>



I must admit ,this post made me feel like Stephen Hawking


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## Randombiker9 (24 Nov 2017)

YukonBoy said:


> When you shine a light on me I light up, but I am neither a reflector nor light.


yeah but most people where a hi-vis/reflective jacket when you cycle.


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## Apollonius (24 Nov 2017)

No, we do not.


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## winjim (24 Nov 2017)

Nope.

Well, maybe just a little reflective detailing...


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## Ming the Merciless (24 Nov 2017)

No they do not


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## I like Skol (24 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> yeah but most people where a hi-vis/reflective jacket when you cycle.


No. Mostly black clothing for me.


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## Ming the Merciless (24 Nov 2017)

winjim said:


> Even Vantablack is a reflector. OK at 0.036% of visible light it's an even poorer one than @YukonBoy but still...
> 
> View attachment 384488



Apparently the new Team Sky kit will use that black


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## gaijintendo (26 Nov 2017)

I read this thread, and last night I was reminded of it whilst driving. the only clue there was a bike out there was the pedal reflectors - so probably just as well they come with them...


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## classic33 (26 Nov 2017)

gaijintendo said:


> I read this thread, and last night I was reminded of it whilst driving. the only clue there was a bike out there was the pedal reflectors - so probably just as well they come with them...


No rider?


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## gaijintendo (26 Nov 2017)

classic33 said:


> No rider?


Hehe. I imagine there was, the pedals were turning at the time...

Oh, and whilst I'm here and nobody asked, the Kaffenback 2 has a nice feature. There are glass bead details on the frame which really pop out in the dark. It's a completely unadvertised feature.


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## Randombiker9 (27 Nov 2017)

jefmcg said:


> And that is the point of bike reflectors.


I suppose I guess the best use of them are like for if your main lights fail but how come in the HC it states u must have a white front light, red rear light and a red rear reflector etc...but there’s no requirement for white reflector on the front?


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## Tim Hall (27 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> I suppose I guess the best use of them are like for if your main lights fail but how come in the HC it states u must have a white front light, red rear light and a red rear reflector etc...but there’s no requirement for white reflector on the front?


At a guess because cars coming towards you will hopefully be on the other side of the road.


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## Ajax Bay (28 Nov 2017)

Randombiker9 said:


> but there’s no requirement for white reflector on the front?


Perhaps because it would, like, beg the question: "Why is there no requirement for white reflector on the front of motor vehicles?"
And also because the perception is that a cyclist needs to be seen particularly from the rear (by traffic catching them up).


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