Bright bike

Michael Mandiberg's created a beautiful and beautifully simple way to be seen biking at night:

I wrapped up my bike in retroreflective vinyl. Retroreflective vinyl is like a big scotchlite sticker; scotchlite is that super-reflective stuff that is on running shoes, jackets, and night safety equipment.

Here's a video of the process and result:

And, an opportunity to make your own:

Everyone I show it to wants to wrap theirs SO on December 13 at the Eyebeam Holiday Hackshop we are wrapping Bright Bikes.


Check it out: http://theredproject.com/brightbike/

We have materials and space for 30 bikes. Bring your washed bike (and chain), and turn it into a Bright Bike. We will have black, white, red, blue and yellow, and maybe a surprise color. You can wrap the whole bike, or put stripes/bands on it, or just cover your most visible parts (the seat stays in the back, and the fork in the front.)

Signup is at the Eyebeam Bookstore, the day of the hackshop, and or you could stop by before. First come first served. We will have slots and material for 30 bikes. Running in two shifts, from 1-230 and 230-4. At 4pm we will go for a dusk ride to document our critically-reflective-mass.

And if you are not NYC based, DIY. I will be in LA the last week of Feb and first week of March, and I can run workshops then. I will be in SFO the last week of April. Or you could just order the materials and do it yourself! http://www.beacongraphics.com/supplies/3M/3m-580.html

The cost will be $30 for 6 feet of vinyl (that is at cost). If you are going for a partial wrapping, you can get 2 feet for $10. What a deal!

Wheelin' and Dealin' for bicycle safety.

DONT FORGET TO WASH YOUR BIKE and chain!!!


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Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: Phinch on December 4, 2008 at 10:31 AM

cheap reflective tape

They have cheap reflective tape at a store called Daiso. It's basically a Japanese Dollar store except everything is a dollar fifty.


Posted by: Anonymous Cow on December 4, 2008 at 12:48 PM

"Wheelin' and Dealin' for bicycle safety." ... so where's the helmet dude? :)


Posted by: norm on December 9, 2008 at 7:27 AM

safe?

and where are the lights? Reflective tape only works when you're in front of the headlights and about to get hit (it probably just gives the driver a quarter second to duck as you go through the windshield). As you can see he turns almost invisible head-on and from behind. Drivers on cross streets won't see him at all.

A friend's ex-boyfriend did the same thing to his bike a few years ago.


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