| |
Main
Date: 24 Jan 2006 08:31:09
From: Ken M
Subject: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
kind of bike / trike.
Ken
--
You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles
Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
|
|
| |
Date: 23 Mar 2006 04:50:08
From: K4GPB
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
I once saw a wedgie with a horizontally mounted piece of (3 feet?) rod
that looked like a piece of fiberglass fishing pole.
It was painted day-glow orange. The end closest to passing cars was
painted with silver paint, to look like "metal".
Cars gave him very wide berth, for fear of getting their car
"scratched."
I saw the DF bike parked later at at a biker bar....and had to check
out this thing that looked like a metal hunting arrow from a distance!
Suspect he was a DUI/DWI dude that lost his drivers license, but still
had to get out to see his friends.
OT: I read somewhere that the biggest ket for mopeds is for drunks
that lost their licenses.
Gary
|
| | |
Date: 23 Mar 2006 13:43:06
From: SMS
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
K4GPB wrote:
> I once saw a wedgie with a horizontally mounted piece of (3 feet?) rod
> that looked like a piece of fiberglass fishing pole.
> It was painted day-glow orange. The end closest to passing cars was
> painted with silver paint, to look like "metal".
See "http://www.flashback.ca/products/accessories.html" but they are out
of them. I used to sell these, but until they start back up in
manufacturing I can't get any.
I use them on most of my bikes. It does cause vehicles to make a fairly
wide arc around me.
|
| | | |
Date: 23 Mar 2006 16:56:16
From: JKimmel
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
SMS wrote:
> K4GPB wrote:
>
>> I once saw a wedgie with a horizontally mounted piece of (3 feet?) rod
>> that looked like a piece of fiberglass fishing pole.
>> It was painted day-glow orange. The end closest to passing cars was
>> painted with silver paint, to look like "metal".
>
>
> See "http://www.flashback.ca/products/accessories.html" but they are out
> of them. I used to sell these, but until they start back up in
> manufacturing I can't get any.
>
> I use them on most of my bikes. It does cause vehicles to make a fairly
> wide arc around me.
I've been told by more than one motorist that I am invisible on my
recumbent bike--except for the flag. Mine is a cheap bike flag attached
to the bike with Eldon clamps. I wrapped the shaft with red and white
reflective tape. Another recumbent bike rider I know put a small kite
on top of his flag pole. It makes him more visible because it jumps
around more than a flag.
Speaking of invisibility, black is a really bad color to use if you want
to be seen. Unfortunately it's a really popular color for bike
accessories like bags and seat fabric. Has anyone ever heard of a
recumbent bike with other than black fabric on the seat?
--
J Kimmel
myname@whereIwork.com
www.metalinnovations.com
"Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum." - When you have
their full attention in your grip, their hearts and minds will follow.
|
| | |
Date: 23 Mar 2006 20:23:34
From: Lorenzo L. Love
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
On Thu, 23 2006 04:50:08 -0800, K4GPB <GaryK4GPB@gmail.com > wrote:
> I once saw a wedgie with a horizontally mounted piece of (3 feet?) rod
> that looked like a piece of fiberglass fishing pole.
> It was painted day-glow orange. The end closest to passing cars was
> painted with silver paint, to look like "metal".
>
> Cars gave him very wide berth, for fear of getting their car
> "scratched."
>
> I saw the DF bike parked later at at a biker bar....and had to check
> out this thing that looked like a metal hunting arrow from a distance!
> Suspect he was a DUI/DWI dude that lost his drivers license, but still
> had to get out to see his friends.
>
> OT: I read somewhere that the biggest ket for mopeds is for drunks
> that lost their licenses.
>
> Gary
>
See:
http://home.thegrid.net/~lllove/bikes.htm
about a quarter of the way down.
It works very well. I wouldn't use fiberglass or metal as I can see me
being impaled on it in a crash. I use plastic tubing intended for the
potable water system in a RV. Most hardware stores carry it. The tip is
plastic painted silver so it looks like a metal spike.
Lorenzo L. Love
http://home.thegrid.net/~lllove
"Americans are broad-minded people. They'll accept the fact that a person
can be an alcoholic, a dope fiend, a wife beater, and even a newspaperman,
but if a man doesn't drive there's something wrong with him."
Art Buchwald
|
| |
Date: 25 Jan 2006 16:47:02
From: Johnny Sunset
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
gotbent wrote:
>
> From some of the accidents I've read about it seems some drivers are
> attracted to what they are looking at. Why else would people drive into
> large objects like trees, cars, busses, houses? Instead of a flag that wo=
uld
> attract a drivers gaze and possibly his car, I wonder how a black arrow
> pointing into the lane, surrounded by a bright field would work? A bright
> thing to get attention and the arrow causing a reflexive avoidance
> maneouver.
Rear-ending stationary of police cars (with flashing blue and red
lights) by other motorists is surprisingly common. Newer light bars use
"moving" [1] yellow flashing lights to indicate to approaching traffic
which side to go to. I have not seen statistics to indicate if this is
effective or not.
I slowly overtook a tadpole trike on a set of short rolling hills. The
rider's head was about 3=BD feet/0.9-meter above the ground and the flag
was about 7 feet/2.1-meter from the ground. There was a visual
disconnect between the two, and they appeared to be at different
distances away until I was close enough to see the flag pole.
[1] Stationary lights that are sequenced to provide the illusion of
movement.
--=20
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley
|
| |
Date: 25 Jan 2006 15:29:27
From: Fritz M
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
Violet Tigress wrote:
> I got me a pirate flag,
Cool idea.
I've used the orange flag with my DF bike. Pole mount goes on the rear
through the QR skewer. Around U.S. Independence Day I put a U.S. flag
on the pole.
It's been a couple of years since I've used that setup. I have no idea
if it's beneficial or not.
RFM
http://www.cyclelicio.us/
|
| |
Date: 25 Jan 2006 13:39:02
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
Ken M wrote:
> I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
> I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
> kind of bike / trike.
>
> Ken
> --
> You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
> having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles
>
> Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
I will be -- and I'd like to know if anyone's got any experience
customizing theirs.
I want to put up all kinds of funny or odd stuff, from the obvious like
skull and bones and lightning to a baby bottle or a carrot or a middle
finger....
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2006 11:32:04
From: Dave Larrington
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
In article <1138225142.678940.50710@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com >, NYC
XYZ (jack_foreigner@yahoo.com) wrote:
>
> Ken M wrote:
> > I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
> > I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
> > kind of bike / trike.
> >
> > Ken
> > --
> > You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
> > having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles
> >
> > Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
>
>
> I will be -- and I'd like to know if anyone's got any experience
> customizing theirs.
>
> I want to put up all kinds of funny or odd stuff, from the obvious like
> skull and bones and lightning to a baby bottle or a carrot or a middle
> finger....
Back in the Elder Days, the works Wincheetah gang eschewed those foam
practice tennis balls which were at the time the most common Things On
Poles, in favour of plastic fruit.
Latterly, my grate frend gNick intended to go one better with his fully-
faired machine. Obtaining the cable drive from an old Huret mechanical
speedometer, it was proposed to run this vertically from the rear wheel
and through the top of the fairing, there to cause to revolve an example
of the large plastic lobsters so beloved of the BRITONS' fishmongers.
Alas, no fishmonger was prepared to sell him a plastic lobster and in
those pre-Internet days, tracking down a supplier was an Herculean task.
So - no lobster. Bah!
--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/ >
My other motto is in Latin.
|
| | | |
Date: 26 Jan 2006 11:51:02
From: oldslowbenter
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
"Dave Larrington" <smert.spamionam@privacy.net > wrote in message
news:MPG.1e42b4ea84f0f95c98984d@news.individual.net...
> In article <1138225142.678940.50710@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>, NYC
> XYZ (jack_foreigner@yahoo.com) wrote:
> Latterly, my grate frend gNick intended to go one better with his fully-
> faired machine. Obtaining the cable drive from an old Huret mechanical
> speedometer, it was proposed to run this vertically from the rear wheel
> and through the top of the fairing, there to cause to revolve an example
> of the large plastic lobsters so beloved of the BRITONS' fishmongers.
> Alas, no fishmonger was prepared to sell him a plastic lobster and in
> those pre-Internet days, tracking down a supplier was an Herculean task.
> So - no lobster. Bah!
>
> --
> Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
> My other motto is in Latin.
>
Dave, take a look here for plastic lobsters:
http://www.nauticalsupplyshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=N&Product_Code=N305
OTOH, if you want a ROCK LOBSTER, you need to buy the B52's album.
Google, baby, Google.
----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----
|
| | | | |
Date: 22 Mar 2006 10:04:34
From: Joel
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
oldslowbenter wrote:
> "Dave Larrington" <smert.spamionam@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:MPG.1e42b4ea84f0f95c98984d@news.individual.net...
>> In article <1138225142.678940.50710@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>, NYC
>> XYZ (jack_foreigner@yahoo.com) wrote:
>> Latterly, my grate frend gNick intended to go one better with his fully-
>> faired machine. Obtaining the cable drive from an old Huret mechanical
>> speedometer, it was proposed to run this vertically from the rear wheel
>> and through the top of the fairing, there to cause to revolve an example
>> of the large plastic lobsters so beloved of the BRITONS' fishmongers.
>> Alas, no fishmonger was prepared to sell him a plastic lobster and in
>> those pre-Internet days, tracking down a supplier was an Herculean task.
>> So - no lobster. Bah!
>>
>> --
>> Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
>> My other motto is in Latin.
>>
>
> Dave, take a look here for plastic lobsters:
> http://www.nauticalsupplyshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=N&Product_Code=N305
>
> OTOH, if you want a ROCK LOBSTER, you need to buy the B52's album.
>
> Google, baby, Google.
>
>
>
> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
> ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----
I always fly my flag, and I just bought new flags and mast for
www.wheelerwhip.com. I ordered a florescent orange and orange checkered
flag on a black mast.
|
| | | |
Date: 26 Jan 2006 06:48:26
From: Ken M
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
Dave Larrington wrote:
> In article <1138225142.678940.50710@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>, NYC
> XYZ (jack_foreigner@yahoo.com) wrote:
>
>>Ken M wrote:
>>
>>>I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
>>>I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
>>>kind of bike / trike.
>>>
>>>Ken
>>>--
>>>You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
>>>having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles
>>>
>>>Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
>>
>>
>>I will be -- and I'd like to know if anyone's got any experience
>>customizing theirs.
>>
>>I want to put up all kinds of funny or odd stuff, from the obvious like
>>skull and bones and lightning to a baby bottle or a carrot or a middle
>>finger....
>
>
> Back in the Elder Days, the works Wincheetah gang eschewed those foam
> practice tennis balls which were at the time the most common Things On
> Poles, in favour of plastic fruit.
>
> Latterly, my grate frend gNick intended to go one better with his fully-
> faired machine. Obtaining the cable drive from an old Huret mechanical
> speedometer, it was proposed to run this vertically from the rear wheel
> and through the top of the fairing, there to cause to revolve an example
> of the large plastic lobsters so beloved of the BRITONS' fishmongers.
> Alas, no fishmonger was prepared to sell him a plastic lobster and in
> those pre-Internet days, tracking down a supplier was an Herculean task.
> So - no lobster. Bah!
>
Yet another example of Brit humor. I laughed.
Ken
--
You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles
Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
|
| | |
Date: 26 Jan 2006 08:37:40
From: wafflycat
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1138225142.678940.50710@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>
>
> I will be -- and I'd like to know if anyone's got any experience
> customizing theirs.
>
> I want to put up all kinds of funny or odd stuff, from the obvious like
> skull and bones and lightning to a baby bottle or a carrot or a middle
> finger....
>
Well apart from the standard flourescent yellow & retroreflective flag for
my trice, I have a windsurfer.... Not a picture on a flag, but a miniature
windsurfer on a miniature board... I save it for use on summer days. Gets
noticed for some reason ;-)
Cheers, helen s
|
| | |
Date: 25 Jan 2006 16:50:13
From: Violet Tigress
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
In article <1138225142.678940.50710@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com >,
"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote:
> I will be -- and I'd like to know if anyone's got any experience
> customizing theirs.
********
Customizing the dorky orange flag or using the pole to put up something
else? I juust cut it off the pole & attatatched a cheap little pirate
flag with electrical tape. I need to replace the flag soon though
because it's torn. You can also just tie on those flags that are made to
hang outside....a little more expensive but they seem durable. A
windsock would be cool but might create too much drag.
The token tricyclist
http://community.livejournal.com/tricycles_unite/
|
| | |
Date: 25 Jan 2006 23:05:36
From: Mike Rice
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
On 25 Jan 2006 13:39:02 -0800, "NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com >
wrote:
>
>Ken M wrote:
>> I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
>> I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
>> kind of bike / trike.
>>
>> Ken
>> --
>> You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
>> having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles
>>
>> Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
>
>
>I will be -- and I'd like to know if anyone's got any experience
>customizing theirs.
>
>I want to put up all kinds of funny or odd stuff, from the obvious like
>skull and bones and lightning to a baby bottle or a carrot or a middle
>finger....
Here's what I use:
http://stores.musictoday.com/store/product.asp?band_id=2&dept_id=55&pf_id=BFAM01HIPPO&sfid=2
It's a six inch tall stuffed hippo doll, bright red and wearing a
beret. I keep one zip-tied to the handle strap of my seat bag on my
Tour Easy recumbent. The bright red is similar i color to a stop sign,
and my hope is it will help alert the drivers to my presence.
Indiana Mike
|
| | | |
Date: 25 Jan 2006 17:27:55
From: gotbent
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
"Mike Rice" <jodymike@gte.net > wrote in message
news:pa0gt1hu3kpimllhihqqjavok04g0jv5e9@4ax.com...
> On 25 Jan 2006 13:39:02 -0800, "NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>Ken M wrote:
>>> I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
>>> I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
>>> kind of bike / trike.
>>>
>>> Ken
>>> --
>>> You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
>>> having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles
>>>
>>> Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
>>
>>
>>I will be -- and I'd like to know if anyone's got any experience
>>customizing theirs.
>>
>>I want to put up all kinds of funny or odd stuff, from the obvious like
>>skull and bones and lightning to a baby bottle or a carrot or a middle
>>finger....
>
> Here's what I use:
>
> http://stores.musictoday.com/store/product.asp?band_id=2&dept_id=55&pf_id=BFAM01HIPPO&sfid=2
>
> It's a six inch tall stuffed hippo doll, bright red and wearing a
> beret. I keep one zip-tied to the handle strap of my seat bag on my
> Tour Easy recumbent. The bright red is similar i color to a stop sign,
> and my hope is it will help alert the drivers to my presence.
>
> Indiana Mike
>
>
From some of the accidents I've read about it seems some drivers are
attracted to what they are looking at. Why else would people drive into
large objects like trees, cars, busses, houses? Instead of a flag that would
attract a drivers gaze and possibly his car, I wonder how a black arrow
pointing into the lane, surrounded by a bright field would work? A bright
thing to get attention and the arrow causing a reflexive avoidance
maneouver.
----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----
|
| |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 22:27:51
From: HarryB
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 08:31:09 -0500, Ken M <kencmjr@netzero.net > wrote:
>I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
>I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
>kind of bike / trike.
>
>Ken
I just put one on our newly acquired Screamer. I am not too concerned
about our visibility when we ride our upright tandem because we wear
high visibility jerseys. However, on the Screamer my stoker's back is
completely hidden by the black seat and only her arms and helmet are
visible from behind.
If we rode mainly in town I might feel differently, but most of our
riding is done on country roads. Traffic usually approaches us from
the rear at a high rate of speed and I wish to draw attention to our
presence on the road as early as possible.
Harry
|
| |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 18:53:04
From: mort
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
Ken M wrote:
> I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. >
I prefer to wear one of these:
http://www.alertshirt.com/higvisshirfo.html
and if it's cold one of these:
http://www.alertshirt.com/wiflli.html
which seem to work just as well as a flag, but are maybe a teeny tiny
bit less dorky. Maybe.
Mort
|
| |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 06:47:59
From:
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
Ooops, don't know how this got here - meant to post to
rec.bicycles.misc - Sorry!
D'ohBoy
|
| |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 06:42:45
From: D'ohBoy
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
Ken -
Organized multi-day rides in MI require these flags. At least the one
I was thinking about going on.
Put me off the whole deal. I'm not about to strap one of those fredly
flags on my ride!
Trikes, benties, ok, they NEED flags for safety, but I'm as tall on my
bike as standing. Plus, since I ascribe to the "louder is better"
clothing theory, I'm that much harder to miss!
D'ohBoy
|
| |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 06:42:44
From: SMS
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
Ken M wrote:
> I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
> I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
> kind of bike / trike.
>
> Ken
There are two kinds of safety flags. The one at
"http://www.flashback.ca/products/accessories.html" is very useful for
non-recumbents.
|
| |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 13:46:39
From: Ian Smith
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
["Followup-To:" header set to alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent.]
On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 08:31:09 -0500, Ken M <kencmjr@netzero.net > wrote:
>
> I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I
> think I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and
> on what kind of bike / trike.
I use one on a low recumbent trike, but mainly to address one
particular location on my commute.
At this location, two one-way lanes of traffic come alongside each
other for a while, but with a long raised kerb between them, so
traffic from one can't cross to the other lane. After a while, the
raised kerb stops and traffic merges from one to the other. I think
the plan is that the traffic streams do their lining up and matching
speed while they can't merge, then merge once that's all sorted out.
The problem is, lots of drivers don't really look before doing the
merge - they've just established out of the corner of their eye that
there isn't something alongside, and drift across. My trike is lower
than window height, and if I were alongside, I might not get noticed.
So I have a flag at just above eye level.
Occasionally, I forget it, and I don't feel less noticeable without it
- though I might be a bit more cautious at that one junction.
regards, Ian SMith
--
|
| |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 08:45:11
From: Ken M
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
Ken M wrote:
> I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
> I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
> kind of bike / trike.
>
> Ken
Okay REALLY bad typo in OP. First sentence should be "I have seen some
riders use them, but most do not."
Ken
--
You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles
Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/
|
| | |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 10:59:38
From: Violet Tigress
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
In article <wbadnXgeyob2skvenZ2dnUVZ_tWdnZ2d@giganews.com >,
Ken M <kencmjr@netzero.net > wrote:
> Okay REALLY bad typo in OP. First sentence should be "I have seen some
> riders use them, but most do not."
**********
I've never seen one on a bike that wasn't ridden by a small child.
Allmost all of the (very few) trikes I have seen have them. One even had
2.
The token tricyclist
http://community.livejournal.com/tricycles_unite/
|
| | |
Date: 24 Jan 2006 10:46:29
From: Violet Tigress
Subject: Re: Safety flags? Who uses them?
|
In article <wbadnXgeyob2skvenZ2dnUVZ_tWdnZ2d@giganews.com >,
Ken M <kencmjr@netzero.net > wrote:
> Ken M wrote:
> > I have seen them used on some riders use them, but most do not. I think
> > I will probably use one on my recumbent. So who uses them and on what
> > kind of bike / trike.
**********
I cut that dumb orange safety flag off the pole. I got me a pirate flag,
baby!
Interestingly enough it gets far more attention.
|
|
