should i bother with spoke/wheel lights?

[Melonfish]

front and back are covered, i've got a cateye flashing on front and a head torch on, cateye on seat post, another larger 7 led one on my rack, another small led flashing on my pannier and the back of my headtorch too.
i wear high vis tops but i'm wondering if i need to put anything on my wheels to be seen from the side?

those lightweight reflectors/led's look ok, are they worth it you reckon?
pete

 

[Chilternrides]

I don't know about that but you might need to discuss your carbon credits with the Government!

 

[Matthew_T]

Would this be what you are looking for?:

They are spoke reflectors and you can get them from Halfords for £7.99. They go on every other spoke and will be much brighter than above when a cars lights go on them.
You need to remember to clean them though because they do get very dirty.

 

[doog]

edit..just re read your post

 

[daSmirnov]

Spoke reflectors work well as long as people have their lights on. This picture doesn't do them justice as there isn't much of a light source behind me in this photo. I'd be concerned about lights attached to the wheels being too bulky and potentially coming off and causing damage.

Loads of videos on YouTube of these sort of spoke reflectors, Halfords and Lidl sell em.

They're also good for visibility all around as they reflect in all directions, so as long as the driver seat isn't right behind your tyre it will be noticeable if they're looking.

I am thinking of getting some more so I can double them up, and try out some new funky patterns.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

cheapest source of spoke reflectors at the mo is 3M secuclips on the rose bikes website iirc.

 

[Cyclopathic]

I'm surprised you're not already listed along side the Great Wall of China as one of those objects visible from space.

I think you should get the spoke reflectors though. I've been meaning to get some myself for ages but it means a trip to Halfords which can be depressing.

 

[Melonfish]

I'm surprised you're not already listed along side the Great Wall of China as one of those objects visible from space.

I think you should get the spoke reflectors though. I've been meaning to get some myself for ages but it means a trip to Halfords which can be depressing.

LMFAO! you know i do wonder myself, my actual comment when i get a Smidsy is "YOU CAN SEE ME FROM SPACE!!"
i like to think its true

and to all, yeah, spoke reflectors on the cards now, basically the routes i take are all pitch black for some bits so i like to be super seen, cycle like everyone else is blind

 

[wakou]

Aldi or Lidl (I can never tell the diff) do these.
As a bonus extra, my new secondhand bike came with this fitted:

It really does work, and is according to my local top-of-the-wallet LBS is a very good bomb-proof tyre as well.

 

[snorri]

It seems cycling lighting has become an art form.

 

[rusky]

You need this
View: http://youtu.be/mT13ZcpwYtA

 

[Melonfish]

You need this
View: http://youtu.be/mT13ZcpwYtA

that is just epic!
tho i'd prolly cause a few crashes heh.

 

[snailracer]

...i'm wondering if i need to put anything on my wheels to be seen from the side?

those lightweight reflectors/led's look ok, are they worth it you reckon?
pete

Side reflectors are of limited effectiveness - headlights will only briefly illuminate side reflectors because you are on intersecting (i.e. not parallel) courses. That said, it won't hurt, and spoke reflectors are also visible from the rear and front.

 

[potsy]

I do like the reflective sidewalls of the Marathons, but they get grubby very quickly.
Saw a bloke with some spoke light/reflector thingymebob on his front wheel the other morning, very eye catching as it flashed and changed colour, don't know what it was as he turned off just before I was about to catch him and ask.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Aldi or Lidl (I can never tell the diff) do these.
As a bonus extra, my new secondhand bike came with this fitted:

It really does work, and is according to my local top-of-the-wallet LBS is a very good bomb-proof tyre as well.

I too inherited a bike with Marathon+ and they do seem quite good. A bloke at my lbs recommended them to me once and I think he said that they were virtualy impervious to unscheduled deflation by breach of integrety.