Is there a legal limit for how wide rear bike reflectors should be?

[I893469365902345609348566]

I'm thinking of making very wide reflectors to keep cars from passing so close, because yet another Uber driver whizzed by too close to me last night. Does anyone know how wide is too wide for rear bike reflectors? How wide is illegal? I'm going to have to make them, because these lollipop style things can't be vertical on my bike, and they're not wide enough anyway

 

[Andy-Mat]

I'm thinking of making very wide reflectors to keep cars from passing so close, because yet another Uber driver whizzed by too close to me last night. Does anyone know how wide is too wide for rear bike reflectors? How wide is illegal? I'm going to have to make them, because these lollipop style things can't be vertical on my bike, and they're not wide enough anyway

I don't know the Bristish name for them, but here is one, there are many on Ebay Germany. Maybe this will help you further:-

Busch + Müller Abstandshalter mit Reflektor 317 Fahrrad | eBay

ABSTANDSHALTER Spezifikation: mit Reflektor.

www.ebay.de

Luckily I found one on ebay UK:-

Pardon our interruption...

regards
Andy

 

[soundwave]

waste of time just ride in the middle of the road then they cant overtake you

i had some guy and his 5 year old kid try racing me on fkn electric skateboards today guy seen me behind him so turned up the power to the max kid went one way and he tried to race me under the underpass was like a toy vs a f1 car.

tho have seen some that can do 25mph, $hit round here is going crazy they just dont look where there going and all over the place esp the kids there a fkn pita on bikes and scooters as on the phone 247.

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

I don't know the Bristish name for them, but here is one 8there are many!) on Ebay Germany. Maybe this will help you further:-

Busch + Müller Abstandshalter mit Reflektor 317 Fahrrad | eBay

ABSTANDSHALTER Spezifikation: mit Reflektor.

www.ebay.de

Luckily i found one on ebay UK:-

Pardon our interruption...

regards
Andy

Thank you Andy for taking the time to find and upload those links. Do you know if the reflector angle can be adjusted on those products? Or do they have to be secured to a vertical bike frame part? The trouble is I don't have 90 degree frame parts relative to the ground, to attach them to. I need reflectors which reflect at drivers as directly as possible.

This was another Uber passing too close, sneaking forward when he really didn't have to. He could have chosen to wait and allowed me space, instead of saving a few seconds before he was stopped at the next set of lights anyway. I'm really starting to hate drivers.

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

waste of time just ride in the middle of the road then they cant overtake you

I'd love to but on busy roads it isn't always practical. I'd get done for holding up traffic or knocked off the road by an Uber or White Van Man

 

[Andy-Mat]

Thank you Andy for taking the time to find and upload those links. Do you know if the reflector angle can be adjusted on those products? Or do they have to be secured to a vertical bike frame part? The trouble is I don't have 90 degree frame parts relative to the ground, to attach them to. I need reflectors which reflect at drivers as directly as possible.

This was another Uber passing too close, sneaking forward when he really didn't have to. He could have chosen to wait and allowed me space, instead of saving a few seconds before he was stopped at the next set of lights anyway. I'm really starting to hate drivers.

Th eone I have, has a flexible joint near where it fasten it to the bike, so the bike "part" may be at any angle, and you just twist the arm till the reflector is vertical and facing the traffic to the rear.
I am a believer as I haven't had any "near misses" since I mounted it on my bike, though that is not a guarantee of course.
Someone here on Pedelec made one that was even longer, maybe a year or so ago, but anything that keeps the dummies at bay would appear too be a good idea....
regards
Andy

 

[soundwave]

but he is on the white line and the car behind was to close to change lanes so gave as much room as they could.

just ride on the pavement lol

 

[Andy-Mat]

If you make your own, make sure that there is a screw at the farthest point from the bike, that will make a little "reminder" in the paint for any car coming too close! Also, mount using a spring, so that you do not get any twisting from close contact. Both of these are sadly missing on my commercial version.
regards
Andy

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

Th eone I have, has a flexible joint near where it fasten it to the bike, so the bike "part" may be at any angle, and you just twist the arm till the reflector is vertical and facing the traffic to the rear.
I am a believer as I haven't had any "near misses" since I mounted it on my bike, though that is not a guarantee of course.
Someone here on Pedelec made one that was even longer, maybe a year or so ago, but anything that keeps the dummies at bay would appear too be a good idea....
regards
Andy

Thanks for the rotating clamp information Andy. I did this one on amazon, which reviewers complained didn't have a rotating clamp and assumed they were all the same.

Oxford Fold Out Safety Reflector - Red : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

Shop Oxford Fold Out Safety Reflector - Red. Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Does this one look like it has a similar rotating arm to yours?

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fKcAAOSwXPNaMVkW/s-l1600.jpg

BIKE SAFETY ARM REFLECTOR VELOX FRAME FLAG BICYCLE ADULT CHILDREN MTB ROAD | eBay

Bike safety arm with reflector Bike safety arm with reflector ;. EU safety standard;. All fittings included ;.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

just ride on the pavement lol

It's too bumpy on the pavement and around here it's full of pedestrians and dogs. Much faster direct journeys by road, but the potholes are killers

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

If you make your own, make sure that there is a screw at the farthest point from the bike, that will make a little "reminder" in the paint for any car coming too close!

Wow that's nasty! I like it! Like the chariots on Ben Hur

Also, mount using a spring, so that you do not get any twisting from close contact. Both of these are sadly missing on my commercial version.
regards
Andy

That's a very good idea. I'd make it 2m wide if it was legal to do so.

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

but he is on the white line and the car behind was to close to change lanes so gave as much room as they could.

He could have waited a bit before overtaking, having seen the white car... if he had been looking. Nobody else overtook like that Uber idiot. It's nearly always taxis which do this.

 

[Andy-Mat]

Thanks for the rotating clamp information Andy. I did this one on amazon, which reviewers complained didn't have a rotating clamp and assumed they were all the same.

Oxford Fold Out Safety Reflector - Red : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

Shop Oxford Fold Out Safety Reflector - Red. Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Does this one look like it has a similar rotating arm to yours?

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fKcAAOSwXPNaMVkW/s-l1600.jpg

BIKE SAFETY ARM REFLECTOR VELOX FRAME FLAG BICYCLE ADULT CHILDREN MTB ROAD | eBay

Bike safety arm with reflector Bike safety arm with reflector ;. EU safety standard;. All fittings included ;.

www.ebay.co.uk

I cannot say for 100% certain, but it does appear to be "flexible" as I mentioned.
Even if it is not, a hair dryer on hot in the middle of the arm, then when its soft, twist it to suit. Hoöd it with pegs till it is hard again.
If it is hard set plastic (heat will not soften it, but there are good glues available for hard set plastic!), cut it somewhere and either use a hose clamp, or hard plastic glue to put it back together...maybe adding an extension to make it even longer, plastic or metal tube, and a plstic/metal glue. Spray red or orange.
When glueing, always clean well with Meths (do not drink ), and do not touch with bare fingers where you want to glue, wear throwaway gloves!
regards
Andy

 

[Andy-Mat]

Wow that's nasty! I like it! Like the chariots on Ben Hur



That's a very good idea. I'd make it 2m wide if it was legal to do so.

If he complains about a scratch, even the police will know he was too close!!!
regards
Andy

 

[guerney]

This item did seem to work well for me, purchased from bankrupt_bike_parts. Until it broke - it lasted a few months and the plastic which looked weak, snapped at the arms.

I measured the plastic, and have ordered some 1/4 inch alumimium round bar (33cm) to replace the part of the plastic inside one side of the springs, I'll adapt the bracket to fit. I prefer this spring type reflector design. I knew it was useless plastic...


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[soundwave]

 

[Ocsid]

If he complains about a scratch, even the police will know he was too close!!!
regards
Andy

Okay they might, but in that case the OP would in the UK be wide open themselves to a charge for doing actual "Criminal damage", and here their concern was with the minor issue of the legal reach of these flags.

To address the actual problem, it might be a better solution if instead of a screw mounted to inflict damage, and most likely not plainly visible before the event, something like a flashing tail light LED unit was used to very visibly warn, rather than deliberately do damage.

 

[guerney]

Okay they might, but in that case the OP would in the UK be wide open themselves to a charge for doing actual "Criminal damage", and here their concern was with the minor issue of the legal reach of these flags.

To address the actual problem, it might be a better solution if instead of a screw mounted to inflict damage, and most likely not plainly visible before the event, something like a flashing tail light LED unit was used to very visibly warn, rather than deliberately do damage.

Drivers do see my flashing tail light, GPS tracker red light and wired-into the ebike battery tail light, but they still pass too close. The wide reflectors did make a difference. After I repair them, I may look into wiring flashers onto each arm reflector, they'd be about 50cm to 60cm wide in total.

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

Okay they might, but in that case the OP would in the UK be wide open themselves to a charge for doing actual "Criminal damage", and here their concern was with the minor issue of the legal reach of these flags.

To address the actual problem, it might be a better solution if instead of a screw mounted to inflict damage, and most likely not plainly visible before the event, something like a flashing tail light LED unit was used to very visibly warn, rather than deliberately do damage.

My two flashers don't stop motorists passing too close. At least it wasn't as bad as a couple of weeks ago. In addition, I wear a flashing red LED sash on my back

 

[I893469365902345609348566]

Drivers do see my flashing tail light, GPS tracker red light and wired-into the ebike battery tail light, but they still pass too close. The wide reflectors did make a difference. After I repair them, I may look into wiring flashers onto each arm reflector, they'd be about 50cm to 60cm wide in total.

Would 1m wide be too wide for the law? I don't see anything in the highway code about reflector width. Maybe it's down to traffic cop discretion?