Wheel reflectors

[Jdsk]

I wonder if anyone has ever had any legal consequences for not having pedal reflectors. I suppose any driver who might knock you down might use it as a defence in court and a chance to blame the victim.

Is there anything in THE LAW (portentous voice in echo chamber, please) that states in which direction the reflectors must be facing?
...

"Everything you need to know about cycle lighting regulations":
https://www.cyclinguk.org/lighting-regulations

and scroll down to Pedal reflectors.

Jonathan

[plancashire]

If you plan on riding in Germany you need two yellow reflectors in each wheel or tyres with reflective sidewalls. You also need four yellow pedal reflectors, a red rear reflector and a white front reflector. It is possible to fit pedal reflectors to many clip-in pedals but they are usually an extra.

My personal view is that all these are useful. Pedal reflectors flash and are low during every turn, so they catch dipped lights first and will attract attention. I am less sure of the value of wheel or tyre reflectors: the driver sees them as you cross their path and you are gone before they have time to react. In any case, good lights are much more valuable as they can be seen even when no light is shining on them. Having said that, I have a lot of reflective stickers on all my bikes: red to rear and white to front. You can buy packs of them. They don't cost much.

[cycle tramp]

My personal view is that all these are useful. Pedal reflectors flash and are low during every turn, so they catch dipped lights first and will attract attention.

I cycle during the evening and night, and I too think pedal refectors are a good way of signalling to other traffic that your on a bike..
However I don't know of a less enforceable vehicle design regulation. Its pretty redundant in the face of clip in pedals, and the refectors are easy to break and loose.. or even in some cases, just covered in mud from the day's ride...

Equally I'm not what the police are supposed to do if they find you cycling beyond your bed time on a bike without any pedal refectors- take your bike away? Follow you home really slowly you make sure you get safely to bed? Use dark humour against you? I'm pretty sure the police don't know either.

Personally I'm surprised cuk haven't mounted a campaign to repeal the law... if its not enforced, or enforceable, why have it?

[drossall]

It is slightly bizarre that the rules for what reflectors you need at the point of sale are different from what you need for riding on the road, but there you are.

[Audax67]

I wonder if anyone has ever had any legal consequences for not having pedal reflectors. I suppose any driver who might knock you down might use it as a defence in court and a chance to blame the victim.

Is there anything in THE LAW (portentous voice in echo chamber, please) that states in which direction the reflectors must be facing?
...

"Everything you need to know about cycle lighting regulations":
https://www.cyclinguk.org/lighting-regulations

and scroll down to Pedal reflectors.

Jonathan

I must remember to change my pedals when it gets dark.

[Galactic]

[...] If you plan on riding in Germany you need two yellow reflectors in each wheel or tyres with reflective sidewalls.[...]

As I understand it, you can have those spoke reflectors (often to be found in Aldlidl Midl Aldaisle), but only if they're on every spoke.

The other thing about cycling in Germany (or elsewhere in the EU) is that we used to be able to ride our bikes there subject only to UK regs providing we weren't staying too long. Has that easement now expired (cf Brexit Benefits)? Do we need to now meet all regs for all EU countries we cycle through (not sure if that's OT, it's still to do with reflectors ...).

[Bmblbzzz]

[...] If you plan on riding in Germany you need two yellow reflectors in each wheel or tyres with reflective sidewalls.[...]

As I understand it, you can have those spoke reflectors (often to be found in Aldlidl Midl Aldaisle), but only if they're on every spoke.

The other thing about cycling in Germany (or elsewhere in the EU) is that we used to be able to ride our bikes there subject only to UK regs providing we weren't staying too long. Has that easement now expired (cf Brexit Benefits)? Do we need to now meet all regs for all EU countries we cycle through (not sure if that's OT, it's still to do with reflectors ...).

No, that's due to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. A UN convention, nothing whatsoever to do with the EU.

[Galactic]

No, that's due to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. A UN convention, nothing whatsoever to do with the EU.

That's reassuring, thanks.

[deeferdonk]

I must remember to change my pedals when it gets dark.

Too late - i have reported you to the Crime stoppers hotline

[plancashire]

[...] If you plan on riding in Germany you need two yellow reflectors in each wheel or tyres with reflective sidewalls.[...]

As I understand it, you can have those spoke reflectors (often to be found in Aldlidl Midl Aldaisle), but only if they're on every spoke.

...

Correct, they must be on every spoke and are white, like the tyre bands. They are a pest in my view, but some seem to like them.

[Galactic]

They are a pest in my view

Why do you regard them as a pest? Other than falling off and littering the landscape (happens rarely, but does happen) I find only advantages in them. On the few occasions I've been sitting in a motorised vehicle and seen a cycle with spoke sleeve reflectors they light up even more impressively than the tyre reflectors.

[Psamathe]

They are a pest in my view

Why do you regard them as a pest? Other than falling off and littering the landscape (happens rarely, but does happen) I find only advantages in them. On the few occasions I've been sitting in a motorised vehicle and seen a cycle with spoke sleeve reflectors they light up even more impressively than the tyre reflectors.

I assume you are refering to spome reflectors though edited out the "Correct, they must be on every spoke and are white, like the tyre bands." from the bit you quoted (so could have been talking about wheel reflectors or white type strip band reflector things.

Do they trap water? And being close to teh road, in winter trap salty water (once roads salted) ...

Ian

[Bmblbzzz]

I've had spoke reflectors on bikes used year-round since about ten years ago and I've never known them trap water. They have the advantage over tyre bands that they don't restrict you to certain tyres (if you want sidewall reflectors). Also, you can, if you want, arrange them into patterns, eg spirals!

[drossall]

They were accused at one point of prompting speed wobble by unbalancing wheels. To be fair, the origins of that are deep and mysterious, and the same thing (in this case, a reflector) may cause issues on one bike and not on another, similar one.

[Bmblbzzz]

I think it would probably have to be a hefty reflector to unbalance a wheel. But assuming it could happen, that's far more likely with the old-style (BSI type) that clip onto two or three spokes, rather than the reflective sleeves which it's usual to fit to every spoke, or at least to a regular pattern such as every other spoke.