Products literally shone and sparkled at Seattle Bike Expo 2011. Reflective wear can minimize the dangers of night-riding and dark winter riding’s poor visibilty. Poor visibility is further exacerbated by Seattle’s long periods of cloud cover and rain. The products presented at this year’s expo create options for those not wishing to “dress up like a traffic cone” as expressed by the Lazy Radonneur. Commuters who prefer not to wear “screaming” yellow can take heart that they have increased options for enhancing visibility.
Light & Motion - Located in Monterey, California offers an array of bicycle or multi-sport lights. From their top-of-the-line, Seca through the Vis models are both light weight and bright. The Seca offers 1400 lumens while the commuter-focused Vis is helmet-mounted and is USB chargeable. Light & Motion lights are not cheap, but you would be hard-pressed to find both the quality of light combined with their extremely light-weight models.
Bike Wrappers - Presents a creative way to both dress up your bike and enhance night-riding visibility. Double-sided fabric is designed to wrap around bike frame tubes. The machine-washable spandex nylon fits various tube diameters as well as accommodates bottle cages. Amazingly, these can be seen for a quarter of a mile, but do not interfere with rider’s own vision.
Cyclelogical - Awarded Seattle’s Best by People's Choice at the Bike Expo 2011, Cyclelogical gear is designed for the commuter. Reflective and functional is the operative word whether the variety of packs or their Chopspokes. These 2” spoke covers come 8 per pack lighting up your wheels from all directions. Cyclelogical’s Urban Gaiters keep pant legs both dry and safe from chains. The additional benefit of visibility as well as the nifty pocket that can even hold a cell phone will make them a much-valued accessory.
Fun Reflector - Light On! LLC - These easy to stick-on decals come in a variety of designs and colors and offer a creative option for cyclists. Apply to helmets, packs, clothing or frames to show style and personality by decorating bikes or gear with the practical outcome of increasing visibility.
Rainy Day Biking - Be seen as well as prevent the mud spatter with these high visibility mud flaps. Made from prismatic reflective polycarbonate, these mud flaps are durable and easily reflective at 100 yards according to BikeCommuters.com.
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