Reflective Tape on Gripsters

[Robert Harrison]

The one thing that folks have commented on with the Gripster Pedals is their lack of a reflective surface and is even mentioned in the online blurb (http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/pe4.htm):

"The thin-ness of the Thin Gripsters rules out mounting a pedal reflector, a minor bummer, because integral pedal reflectors are always on and they ID you as a bike rider at night. You CAN wear an ankle band, and we have the best one in the world. Or you can Just Ride in the day."

I ride a lot at night as I'm commuter and it gets dark early this time of year in Honolulu so…while I do have an ankle band and cannot restrict myself to riding only the day time I found some reflective tape (from Riv) I'd bought a while ago, the Reflexite Tape I believe (http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/re3.htm).

I had a couple of inches left so I added a bit to the small channel on each side of the pedal. The angle isn't 90 degrees to the ground but I suspect that 1) it's better than nothing, and 2) at some point during the stoke it's like to be seen. Next time I'm out at night with someone behind me I'll ask them to check. :-)

I'm not good with scissors so the cuts aren't quite straight, but isn't that really better anyway? :-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgps-bob/8170765295/in/photostream

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8059/8170765295_31191bfda5.jpg

I've got a lot of bright shiny things on when I ride at night so even if this doesn't add much to mix I'm not particularly concerned, but if it helps, it helps.

Aloha,

Bob

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Robert Harrison

Honolulu, HI

statrix.com

[Peter Morgano]

Wow, this is like Deja Vu all over again, I did the same exact Mod last night. I did it with an xacto knife and they arent 100% but I shined my bike light on it last night and they lit up nice. I am too lazy to take pics though. I wonder how long they will stay stuck on with wet feet?

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[Robert Harrison]

If you used the same tape I did it'll stick for quite some time as long as long as a corner doesn't get lifted up. I've got some my Quickbeam fenders that have been there for years. Good stuff.

Bob

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Robert Harrison

Honolulu, HI

statrix.com

[Michael]

Round off the corners to prevent them from peeling up.

[grant]

That looks fine, and a test-at-night with a driving friend will tell the tale. Also good to put a strip of the tape on lengthwise on the crank arm (Sheldon believed "crank" covered it, no  need for "arm," but he also lined his lugs using white-out). We have, and you can get elsewhere, silver tape. 3M --or maybe it's Reflexite--also make BLACK reflective tape---for black crankarms, but you won't find is stocking that anytime soon. I remember reading that the manufacturer whoever that might be says is isn't as good as the other colors. A duh moment, but still good to know it exists. If you're stuck somewhere and all you can get is black, I'd go for it in a millisecond.

In 1987 Bstone was the FIRST maker to offer Look pedals as original equiment on a bike, and they didn't come with the required CPSC-approved reflectors. The workaround was including some super-cheap compliant pedals -- reflective and not rubbery--as the official pedal of the bike, and then lo and behold the Looks were included in the box. But also as I recall, the Japanese Bstoners figured a way to put the reflectors on looks, and on the Grand Velo model bikes sold in Japan, that was the way they came.

[Liesl]

Holy moly, I am having deja vu already all over again too!  Spent a most pleasant time over the weekend cutting 3M reflective strips for those dreamy Thin Gripsters, which also don't have reflectors.  Works perfectly.  All the surfaces (sides, front/back) are flat and you can trim the 3M tape to really thin slivers, so you can really do a nice job.  Use a straight edge, a good cutting surface, and a really sharp straight edge.  Plus the matt surface of the metal with the silver tap--you don't even notice the tape if it's not sparklin'.

That 3M tape is a winner.  Poifect stocking stuffer.

Riv Chica Got-our-first-snow-and-the-roads-iced-up-bad Warrior in Minneapolis

[Eric Platt]

Have black tape on one of my bikes.  Think I got it on eBay and it was designed for motorcycles.  It is quite bright. The tape Rivendell sells is brighter.  But, man, the good black stuff is bright. 

Eric Platt
St. Paul, MN (on vacation in Baltimore)