If you have ever been driving and have come up on a bicycle with little or no reflective markings then you know how dangerous not being seen can be. There are several types of tape that can be used for bicycles. Flexibility is important due to the small tubes, however, the general rule is the brighter the better. Sight distance is critical so that approaching cars have time to avoid a collision. If you look at different reflective tapes to the left you will see that some tapes are brighter than others, and some have more flexibility and conformability. This is because there are different grades of reflective tape. In other words, all reflective tapes are not created equal.
Of the tapes that will work on a bicycle, Type 5 (comes in colors) or SOLAS (comes in white/silver) reflective tapes are the brightest available. They both reflect light via small prisms in the tape itself. When light hits the prisms they reflect back a large portion of that light to the source. Tapes like Type 5 V82 are around 10 times brighter than standard reflective tapes. These types of reflective tapes are called prismatic grade reflective tapes, and because they are so much brighter they can be seen from very far away. It is because of this fact that we recommend these tapes for bicycles. Type 5 and SOLAS reflective tapes are also very thin and flexible, making them perfect for bicycles. We carry the Type 5 V82 and SOLAS at the links to the left.
Other retro reflective tapes can be used for marking bikes. Here is a rundown of the types of reflective tapes that will work on a bicycle. (based on flexibility)
Type 1 Engineer Grade -- A medium intensity retro-reflective glass bead tape. Enclosed lens glass-bead sheeting. This film is very flexible and conformable, making it perfect for wrapping a bike frame. However, it is not the brightest film. When using engineer grade for a bicycle, it would be advisable to cover more surface area since the tape is less intense. Comes in many colors.
Type II Super Engineer Grade -- Medium high-intensity reflective sheeting referred to as "Super Engineer grade" and typically enclosed lens glass bead film. Has the same basic characteristics as engineer grade with twice the brightness. Comes in several colors.
Type III High Intensity Glass Bead -- A high intensity reflective sheeting, that is an encapsulated glass bead retro-reflective material. Thin like engineer grade but with open cells at the edges. Three times as bright as type 1. Will wrap around tubes. The flexible version of this product (see link to left) is wonderful for wrapping small diameter tubes.
Type V Super High Intensity -- Very thin and flexible material. Brightest of all the films on this list. This sheeting is often used for delineators. Is flexible or bendable, however, this material does not stretch. More like a sheet of mylar. If wrapping a tube, simply wrap and overlap the ends. Less tape is needed when using type V due to its extreme brightness.
SOLAS - Non Typed film made for Marine or Coast Guard regulated applications. Specialty film. Bright like Type V. Same characteristics as type V only with more adhesive and only available in white. (note-tape appears grey in daylight)
More about PRISMATIC TAPE
As stated before, the brightest tapes are prismatic and reflect light via small microprisms built into the tape. A company called "Reflexite" invented this type of tape several decades ago. Reflexite became Orafol and they refer to their brightest tapes as "Prismatic Tapes". Other manufacturers call them crystal grade or diamond grade. They are the brightest of all the tapes. There are two types of prismatic reflective tape. Air backed which is thick and DOES NOT wrap or bend well, and Metalized which is thin and DOES wrap and bend easily.
Because the tape uses man made micro prisms, the angle of reflectivity can be controlled depending on the tapes intended use. For example, "SOLAS Tape", which is the brightest of all the prismatic tapes, reflects most of its light back to the source. This makes the tape brighter but is is not as visible at sharp angles. "DOT Tape" is also prismatic but it reflects light back at greater angles thus making itself seen at sharper angles. Some other examples of prismatic tape are "School Bus Reflective Tape" and "Rail Car Reflective Tape".
The image below has 4 swatches of reflective tape lined up and tested. The first, oh the left, is engineer grade glass bead. The second is high intensity glass bead. The third is an air back prismatic like you would see on a sign. And the last is a SOLAS film which is just like a Type 5. (some used to refer to it as a type 9)
YOU CAN SHOP OUR STORE BY USING THE LINKS ON THE LEFT
If you have any questions about reflective tape for bikes free to email me at steve@colebrothers.com
About our Company - We are Reflective Incorporated, the largest retailer of reflective tapes in the United States, in business since 1998. Our goal is to provide easy access to reflective safety products that are often difficult to source. We specialize in visibility enhancement through the use of bright and vivid retro reflective tapes and other reflective products. Our product lines include rolls of reflective tape, reflective chevron panels, block panels, Battenburg panels, reflective road markers, reflex reflectors, NFPA helmet decals, preformed thermoplastic, reflective shapes, and more.
About our Products - We carry a wide variety of reflective tapes. They are all branded and certified products. We stock almost everything that we sell in house and ship quickly. If a product is not in stock or is to be drop shipped, we will make you aware and specify a lead time. We carry Oralite and Nikkalite reflective tapes. Both are on QPL lists across the country and both are manufactured by reputable, global manufacturers. Our reflective tapes are rated for outdoor applications with life expectancies of from 5 - 12 years depending on the film. For applications where the tape is out of the weather like a fire truck in a firehouse, the life expectancy is longer.
Shipping - We ship quickly using US Mail for light boxes and UPS Ground for heavier ones. The majority of our products are in stock and ship out the same or next day. Delivery time is approximately 3-5 days on most standard orders.
Return and Order Cancellation Policy - Reflective tape orders can be cancelled until they are shipped out. After products are shipped, we accept returns in certain cases. If we have made a mistake and have shipped the wrong item, we remedy that at no cost to the customer. For returns where another item is purchased to replace an item purchased in error, we accept those with no restock fee. For all other returned items we apply a 10% restock fee.
Privacy Policy - all customer information is kept in strict confidence. We do not release any information on any of our customers to anyone without that customer’s consent. For our full privacy policy, Click Here.
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