Lightweights for clothing by night
Lightweights reflective clothing dots are a relatively inexpensive and very effective way of jazzing up bags, gloves, arm warmers, overshoes and old race capes straight from the packet. However, for best results plan ahead and more delicate fabrics may not take kindly to ironing and therefore adhesion will prove less permanent. That said, ours have shown little sign of this despite several weeks and repeated machine washing.
Nothing particularly earth shattering about their composition. They’re common or garden 3M stickers that adhere to pretty much any fabric/surface you’d care to mention and work brilliantly. Despite having lived in London’s East End for nigh on a decade, I’ve never aspired to joining the pearly kings and queens so took the safe lids, gloves and overshoes route.
Joking aside, this was perhaps a missed opportunity-a wet afternoon, some tailors chalk and under the tutelage of a bored but imaginative seven year old we could’ve transformed a dowdy old training jacket or two no end. The principle’s identical whichever route you choose. Tear open the packet, lay your chosen garments on the ironing board or similar flat surface-keep a set of tweezers handy too if you’re constructing something ornate. Peel the lightweight from the clear plastic backing, position and seal with a thumb’s caress. Quick reactions and an iron’s steam setting will lift the adhesive in the event of a mistake but this needs to be both localised and skilful.
It will come as little surprise to discover these are incredibly effective at the first hint of headlights and even some street lighting too. Gloves and overshoes typically employ some Scotchlite seams/similar detailing but positioning then on the fingers and across the backs really accentuates hand signals, seeing most drivers slow and wait more patiently for turns and similar manoeuvres-especially at mini/roundabouts. On a clear night, friends and family suggest I’m blindingly obvious from about three to four hundred metres- more so wearing overshoes with the lightweights congregating around the heel and toe box.
Verdict
Clever sticker set but requires forward planning for best results.
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Lightweights reflective clothing dots
Size tested: n/a
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Generally, yes
About the tester
Age: 37 Height: 1m 81 Weight: 70 kilos
I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)
1 comments
Non-standard lighting and illumination (of increased lumens) increases subjective safety but may also decrease the safety of other cyclists (and pedestrians), both in immediate proximity and in general (as drivers become used to and except them to be brighter than what is required by law -- and of course pedestrians are required to wear nothing beyond normal clothing.
I write about this in my Blog, here: http://greenideafactory.blogspot.com/2010/09/dont-believe-hyper-illumina...
It is hard enough to get people to follow the regulations for basic lighting and reflectors... I would suggest we focus on that. Rather than buy more stuff for yourself, treat a friend - or a stranger - to at least some cheap blinkies! Or help them repair their broken lights.