illuminating event

IN SEATTLE TONIGHT!!!

"Reflect-a-Thon"
November 9, 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Meet @ Cascade Bicycle Club Office-- 7400 Sand Point Way NE Seattle Wa 98115

Participants meet at the Cascade Bicycle Club offices, at 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, from 7pm to 8:30pm for another Reflect-a-Thon. Come and test your visibility gear, compare it to the lights and reflectors that other cyclists are using, and get ideas and feedback on how you can be safer at night.

At the Reflect-a-thon, volunteers will wear your outerwear and helmet, and ride your bike to show you what you look like from the perspective of a car. Reflective tape pieces will be provided for participants who need additional visibility.

Contact Robin Randels
Classes Coordinator
206 446 7457
206 390 3945
cascadebicycleclub.org

Our Mayor responds to the tragedy on the CRT

The Mayor of Renton has responded to the tragic accident on the Cedar River Trail.

David Hiller, of Cascade Bicycle Club, has a post on his blog about this incident. He offers the following suggestions to cyclists to be safer.

Simply put, there are things that bicyclists can do to minimize the potential for and severity of collisions:

1) Slow when others are present — you can’t know how other trail users will react when you’re overtaking. Going slower gives you more time to react AND will minimize the severity of a collision should one occur. No one’s heart-rate or wattage is worth endangering others. If you “need to go full-out”, do it on the road, on rollers, or on your trainer — not on a trail.

2) Use bell or voice when passing — just like the ubiquitous signs say. If you’re concerned that there’s confusion among pedestrians as to what “on your left” means, try something else like “passing.”

3) Pass safely. It sounds like a no-brainer, but I see bicyclists passing into oncoming traffic, passing two-abreast, and passing too closely daily. Pass single file. Wait for oncoming traffic to pass before pulling around slower trail users. Works best when combined with 1 & 2.

4) Ride single file when others are present and stay as far to the right as is safe to facilitate overtaking. If you travel at a speed below the posted limit on our regional trails, make it safer and easier for faster riders to pass.

product review: GloGlov

To enhance my visibility to drivers while doing low light bicycle commuting, this past fall I bought a pair of reflective gloves manufactured by the GLO GLOV company. Also, it seemed most of my cycling jackets did not have a lot of reflectivity or visibility to motorists when I was signaling to make a turn.

I purchased the regular "original" version, designed more for traffic cops or construction flaggers, and it cost me about $20 for the pair. [I'd figured if these were bright enough for cop to direct traffic with, they'd be suited for me making my intentions known to drivers]. I found them at a shop which specializes in police and medic uniforms and gear. A friend who rides motorcycles also told me he has a pair of these when he's out riding in similar low light conditions.

Me sporting the Glo Glovs before a ride...


As the manufacturers' web site details, these gloves are "USA-made retro-reflective glove for multiple uses." The product has shown it is "breathable and lightweight" and it does "stretch... for wearing over most gloves". That's the biggest issue to get around for me. The style I bought has a big stop sign in the palm which can hamper your ability to grasp handlebars or braking/shifting controls and this might be even more pronounced if the wearer's hands are smaller. However, the enhanced visibility offered by the reflective material surpasses the potential bulkiness of the palm. Worst case, someone could in theory remove the palm reflective piece.

The Glo Glov people must have had similar comments from other cyclists, as they have a different product with a padded palm and no reflective piece on the palm. It's the Sport Glo Glov. It is described as a "specially designed USA-made cycling glove for outdoor sports with an added sure-grip palm." With short fingers, it is designed to fit over a thinner cycling glove if necessary. At sbout $23, I likely would have bought this product instead of the original Glo Glov, had I known it was available.

Note: I am not sponsored by or otherwise affiliated with the manufacturers or marketers of this product.

Added note 3-3-10: from the manufacturer of GloGlov "the Original GloGlov has the triangle palm and not the Stop Sign, which is for police,etc traffic control. I wasn't aware of it slipping if they are worn over other gloves. The reflective is not only sewn on but is strongly adhesived to the material, like you said it would be better to use the Sport for serious riding."

my Bike BrightZ (flashing LED lights) demo

Here's a video I shot to show the effectiveness of the Bike BrightZ at night. Watch it and judge for yourself.



Just for clarification, I mounted two lights on the bike in the video, one on the left and one on the right of my rear rack, pointed at an angle to the rear. If I was to do this permanently, I think I would have used two of the Bike BrightZ red flashing LEDS rather than a yellow and green as shown in the video.

Bike BrightZ can be ordered online for $19.99 each with free shipping in US and Canada.

Here's what I found from my testing evaluation on adult and kids' bicycles (note: Bike BrightZ provided me with samples for my testing and evaluation - I did not purchase these nor receive compensation for this review)...

PROS:
Fairly easy to install.
Reasonably-priced.
Package comes complete with batteries.
Easy to operate.
Different LED colors available.
Multiple flashing patterns (or steady).
Kids love them - it's easy to get them to use them.

CONS:
The unit can rub against down tubes and scratch paint when grit gets between unit and the bicycle tubes.
Since it mounts low, it could be obscured by mud/muck/sand/grit/grime.
It might not fit flush on more radical designed frames or curvy frames or smaller kids' bikes.

BOTTOM LINE:
I am of the opinion that any visual enhancement in low light or dark conditions, especially as a bicycle commuter, is a good thing. This said, this product would be a good thing to consider in your "visibility toolbox" along with a headlight and flashing rear red LED or reflector (per many states' laws). Additional reflectors and/or lights are also beneficial. I would avoid the colors other than red, and especially not combine the red and blue Bike BrightZ, as to avoid drivers thinking you're posing as a cop.

As for kids' use of this product, there is a coolness factor that they really enjoy which makes it easier to get them to turn them on. (Note: the kids sampling this were 5-7 years-old and were not actually riding in the streets at night).

follow-up post --> installing Bike Brightz

I recently mentioned I received a package from a company that makes and markets Bike Brightz to have me and my kids install them on our bikes, test out, and review the product.

I installed the lights this week and shot some photos of the process.

Here's a photo of the Bike Brightz packaging. I liked the fact it is easy to open - something rare in this day and age when you find a product that isn't either completely encased in a near bulletproof plastic or boxed up in a styrofoam cocoon.


What's included in the Bike Brightz package... two AAA batteries, two zip ties, a protective rubber "gasket" (to fit between the light and the bike frame to protect the bike paint), and the lighting unit.


Installing onto the downtube of a kids' bike with the supplied zip ties (bike pictured upside down). If you can fasten a zip tie, you can install this light unit. Not pictured was me slipping the batteries into the unit just prior to this shot.


The installed product... turns on with a simple push of a button on the unit. It cycles through steady or multiple speeds of flashing.


Here's another I mounted to the downtube on my Cannondale road bike.


One issue I had with one of the kids' bikes related to the downtube installation location. Since her chainstays (another manufacturer's recommended installation location) were short and/or cluttered with a chain/chainguard, I only really could install the light on the downtube. Her downtube is curved a bit allowing for a gap between the frame and the light unit as in the photo. I am sure I can fashion something a bit thicker to pad the area (like a piece of old/extra thinner helmet padding) and keep the unit from slipping around - however, with the zip ties tightened, it is still pretty secure as-is.


Next and final installment: riding impressions.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Bike Brightz company in any way. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review from BB or anyone else. I did, however, receive this product for testing purposes at no cost to me.

new lighting product: my first review pending

I received my first item from a manufacturer for real-world product testing and review. Bike Brightz sent me a few samples (red, green, yellow, and blue) of their flashing LED lights to test out with the kids and on my commuter bike.



They are able to be zip-tied to the bicycle frame, such as the down tube or chain stays, and run off of two AAA batteries (included). The lights are activated by button and have a steady or a variety of flashing modes (generally varies by speed of the flashing). The affect appears to be similar to the Down Low Glow but for a lot less coin (BBz are about $20 + shipping). I am not certain whether the Bike Brightz offers the same level of lighting as the DLG, since I don't have any for side-by-side comparison. Plus, the installation is super easy and easy to transfer to a different bike, since re-usable zip ties are provided with the Bike Brightz kits. Note: I have not used the DTG lights but have only checked out other web pages about them.

I will post pics (day and night) from my kids' bikes and my commuter soon and give a fuller review after I have a few commutes (including some rain commute days to test for water resistance) with them installed.

Disclaimer: these products were provided to me from the Bike Brightz company for testing and review at no cost to me.