just wondering what people are using on there recumbents for visibility? on my trike i use a flag with a spinner taped on the pole about halfway up. but on my bacchatta i use nothing. on my new barcroft oregon will use flag.

I've always run with a safety flag on my LWB bike. 6' fiberglass whip, orange triangle penant on the top. With one notable exception it has worked. It helps my peace of mind, if nothing else. Other visibility - it's a YELLOW bike; the fairing is distinctive; loud bike jerseys; lights at night or dusk.

I use blinking lights on the bike front and rear, and I wear t-shirts in an absolutely hideous color that can only be described as "electric chartreuse". I stocked up on them at a local flea market, so there's always at least one clean one ready for when I want to ride. Chick magnet I may not be (MAY not?), but I'm eminently visible.

I found my old Serfas taillight, just needed new batteries. So now, when I'm fully loaded with the rack pack and the panniers I have three blinking taillights and a blinking headlight.

I am so doggone good looking that ALL the ladies see me and start pounding on the nearest shoulder of their male companions screaming "OMG! Why can't you look like HIM!?!?"

NO chance they don't see me!

Daytime, I just don't get as much from lights, cat. Maybe it's just me.

I did have to google what a "Batavus Course" is, though. Nice race bike/prostate prodder!

adcarson:

Yeah, I need to get the Batavus out of the shed and clean it up some and I'll get some pictures of it. Nice, old school, fully-lugged, double-butted Reynolds 501 steel frame makes it light as a feather.

About three years ago I put a new drive train and wheels on it that a buddy gave me. When I was done, my son took it out for a maiden voyage, turned around after going only about a block and rode back with a really weird look on his face. He got off right in front of me and stared down at the saddle. It was the original, one-piece hard plastic thing. It had cracked longitudinally and the sides of the saddle would just bend down when you sat on it so you would feel the seat post playing Greek with your butt cheeks.

I Gooped the seat up really well along the crack and underneath, and even Gooped a piece of thin plastic onto the top, and got a fake fleece cover for it, but I still felt as nervous as a naked Republican at a Gay Pride parade whenever I rode it.

Last year, I got a Specialized Expedition Plus saddle for the Yukon so I transferred the MTB saddle to the Batavus. It looks pretty good on there, the saddle is black with blue accents and the Batavus is white with blue lettering, hand drawn blue pinstriping and black handlebar tape.

More importantly, though, I can actually ride the bike without breaking out into a cold sweat whenever I approach a pothole.

I run a tailight and a ridiculously bright headlight when riding at night or the predawn morning. Otherwise, I don't do anything special other than bright colored jerseys. As much as people wave and give me the thumbs up and the occasional honk, I get the impression they're seeing me. The ones that will hit you are either drunk, or preoccupied with their ipod/cell phone/makeup and wouldn't see you if you were on fire.

Mark

Okay, adcarson, I've cleaned up the Batavus Course and put pics and info here:

BluesCat's 4th of July Project

I wear t-shirts from wallyworld that are meant for road construction workers (day-glo orange and yellow) and use a large flashing tailight.

Only helps if motor vehicle drivers are actually using their eyes though. Yesterday I was riding down the main street of our town (speed limit 25 mph, I was only doing around 12 to 15). An elderly woman in a PT Cruiser stopped at a side street stop sign (on my right), paused, and proceed to make a right turn in front of me. Luckily, her long pause caught my attention and sent up a warning flag in my brain. She was looking down at something in her lap. I could have been a semi-trailer truck and she wouldn't have seen me.

One color I don't think is good that I see many occasional, cruiser type riders wear is white. I ran up on the back of a lady that was just out for a slow pedal (good for her), but dressed in all white she blended into the background glare of the bright sunshine.

I dnt have a flag, but I usually do ride with really loud T-shirts. My lime green and also orange T- shirts were earned by helping with rides an a volunteer.

Safety is an attitude. It helps that Im retired. For 60 years I was told to hurry up. Now I dont have to. There is no big hurry, and everyone driving a car is bigger and more important than me. While on of the many trails here in Lincoln, if I hadnt paid attention, at least twice young women would have hit me. They were watching to their left for an opening in traffic. They paid no attention that I was comming down the trail from the right.