flag hieght

[NUKe]

After being pressured by friends and the wife I have given in and bought a reflective flag for the Grasshopper. I have got to say I don't think it is a big issue, most of my commute is unlit rural roads And I have good lights , but on the other hand adding a little more reflective material wont harm. I bought the Flag from Raindrop kites
http://www.raindropkites.co.uk/banners/floandflo.html
and the pole from East Coast Fibre glass.

My question is what height to mount it at. I have a 2m pole but I don't want a flag at 7 foot, apart from it being unwieldy, I have to park in bike sheds etc. I thought about 5ft to 6ft from the ground would be about right any suggestions.

[Cyril Haearn]

About chest or shoulder height

The flag could be reflective, then people may see it fluttering, not know what it is and be confused and careful

Can you retract the flag for low bridges and the like?

[OldBloke]

About head height for drivers of common vehicles in your area.

[NUKe]

it is reflective flag , the other thing I thought it might simulate, A rider with hi-viz, the head height of drivers round here is probably around the 5ft mark, as everything seems to be min SUV these days

,

[[XAP]Bob]

I'm unconvinced by flags in all but the rarest of cases - there is a road on my commute with a series of 'hidden dips', and I used to run a flag specifically for that section of road. However talking to people I know and trust they could see my lights well before the flag anyway (just too small, and given the wind direction is basically always 'straight back' far too thin) so I don't bother any more. Life is quieter without it.

My worst on road case of smidsy was when a driver looked straight at me - with a set of 2" wide rainbow coloured kite streamers at the top of the flagpole and an 18" England flag that had fallen off someone's car at eye level - and then turned into me anyway.
Short of blue flashing lights (and even then I'm not convinced) there is nothing you can do for those who aren't actually looking...
For those who are looking then I reckon a decent set of lights (with at least one on constant) is the best visual aid we can provide.

[Tigerbiten]

Mine are around 4'-5', as others have mentioned car/van drivers eyeline.
I use them basically for when I stop in carpark and I'm below the height of most car windows.
Hopefully they will be seen and I won't get somebody trying to reverse into the space I'm in.

The next ones I have made will be two contrasting colors, one each side.
I'm thinking yellow and pink.
That way I'll have a bigger contrast when they flutter.

[[XAP]Bob]

Mine are around 4'-5', as others have mentioned car/van drivers eyeline.
I use them basically for when I stop in carpark and I'm below the height of most car windows.
Hopefully they will be seen and I won't get somebody trying to reverse into the space I'm in.

The next ones I have made will be two contrasting colors, one each side.
I'm thinking yellow and pink.
That way I'll have a bigger contrast when they flutter.

That's a perfectly valid use case - although at least more and more people have reversing sensors, and I can tell you that these are capable of seeing a trike (gave the poor lady a bit of a shock)

[hoarder]

I always use a flag. Hedges, road undulating but straight, hump-backed bridge, dusk, dawn, approaching junction with badly-parked cars, oh, the list goes on...... my flag is dual-colour, and with 3M scotchlite section. More wind noise around my ears(!) than noticeable from my flag, and my trike rattles more than my flag pole. Placed at standing head height....6ft from ground or higher... so it can be seen. I never see it........ it sits behind me, so never spoils my view.
I have a special version with flashing amber LEDs on top for nightrides......

Lepus and daytime flag, Lismore, Scotland 31Oct17

[NUKe]

I 've got to say, I don't really think this will do any good , or that I have any more of an issue of not be seen. But it will make my other half happier. It will stop my dear friends ranting on. and it will add a bit of colour to my silhouette.

I like the idea of an orange marker for night time riding

[yakdiver]

Mine's nearly 6 foot

Alex Lewis and I.jpg

[Cunobelin]

Many years ago, I commissioned flags from Helen, and was impressed

I may even claim to I have started her on the recumbent market

Raindrop kites are supremely helpful and discussing your personal designs is well worthwhile

[D.TEK HPVS]

Dark nights and a firefly light for flagpoles ?
Pop down your local car tyre fitting bay and ask for a free rubber car valve (they have loads chucked in a bucket)
Drill a hole across and into the rubber base just slightly smaller than your flag pole diameter
Your can slip and slide it along the pole and of course it will shrink and grip into place .
Next pop into a car spares shop and purchase a set of four LED car valve mounted flashing lights
available in a choice of colours for less than a fiver !
I think poundland stock them....... so that's twenty for £5 if you are lucky !"£$%
So that's your bike shed full of wheels sorted ie "wheels on fire "
and finally screw on the LED valve light to your flagpole mount
Because the flag swings or arcs whilst in motion you gain a "firefly" effect .
Hope that helps .........Kevin D

[NUKe]

thank you Kevin a useful suggestion.

Pole now erected. the flag is bright and stands out. and basically has the effect I was looking for.

[[XAP]Bob]

Pictures?
From behind?

[thirdcrank]

... Pole now erected. the flag is bright and stands out. and basically has the effect I was looking for.

I hope it does have the desired effect. Bearing in mind the vertical length of the flag illustrated, I couldn't really follow the discussion about height: the top of the flag must be several feet above the bottom. In the longer term, I fear the problem may be that those fluorescent panels will quickly fade with weathering.

(Bearing in mind it's only a fortnight since the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, some sort of signal flags might have worked. eg "The rider expects you to give sufficient overtaking space."