Comments on: Alternatives to the Safety Flag http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/ Bike Your Drive! Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:39:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Roger Bartlett http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-15171 Roger Bartlett Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:21:46 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-15171 The Flashflag is a total piece of junk. It looks like it is made in China for no more than .50 cents. I paid $15.00 for mine off their web site. The clamp that came with it is worthless and I could never find anyway to attach the flag to the bike with it - frame or rack. I ended up having to drill a hole through the rack to screw it on. The flag itself is a puny little thing about 6" long. It flapped around so much it was useless. I ended up glueing a triagular piece of plastic cardboard to it to hold it in a position motorists could see and painted the back of the cardboard orange. Oh, and did I mention the black arm. Black is really such very visible safety color. The Flashflag is a total rip off. Save your money and time trying to figure out how to mount it. Fortunately I found an excellent ALL plastic orange one with a hard flag that has a red reflector on the rear side and a white reflector on the front while in Switzerland last Oct. 2007. They are a quality product and not a cheap worthless toy and attach easily and are the best safety flag I have run across and were only $9.00 over there. I am looking into importing them since there is currently nothing worth putting on your bike available here at present. I believe that anyone riding a bicycle on the road today should have a safety flag. You can't be seen enough. The Flashflag is a total piece of junk. It looks like it is made in China for no more than .50 cents. I paid $15.00 for mine off their web site. The clamp that came with it is worthless and I could never find anyway to attach the flag to the bike with it – frame or rack. I ended up having to drill a hole through the rack to screw it on. The flag itself is a puny little thing about 6″ long. It flapped around so much it was useless. I ended up glueing a triagular piece of plastic cardboard to it to hold it in a position motorists could see and painted the back of the cardboard orange. Oh, and did I mention the black arm. Black is really such very visible safety color. The Flashflag is a total rip off. Save your money and time trying to figure out how to mount it. Fortunately I found an excellent ALL plastic orange one with a hard flag that has a red reflector on the rear side and a white reflector on the front while in Switzerland last Oct. 2007. They are a quality product and not a cheap worthless toy and attach easily and are the best safety flag I have run across and were only $9.00 over there.
I am looking into importing them since there is currently nothing worth putting on your bike available here at present. I believe that anyone riding a bicycle on the road today should have a safety flag. You can’t be seen enough.

]]> By: Esther Lumsdon http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-14641 Esther Lumsdon Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:07:06 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-14641 I keep thinking of a 3ft chunk of wood with a sponge dripping orange paint. I haven't figured out how to mount it so that the stick will break off my bike, and I won't get pushed sideways off the road with the bike. I keep thinking of a 3ft chunk of wood with a sponge dripping orange paint. I haven’t figured out how to mount it so that the stick will break off my bike, and I won’t get pushed sideways off the road with the bike.

]]> By: Ghost Rider http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1810 Ghost Rider Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:12:27 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1810 Phil....easy now. The keyword for the above article is HUMOR. Seriously, like so many safety items, coolness and safety don't often go hand in hand. But you've got good points -- I for sure would rather look dorky in a helmet rather than having bone splinters picked out of my brain at a rate of $10K an hour. Phil….easy now. The keyword for the above article is HUMOR.

Seriously, like so many safety items, coolness and safety don’t often go hand in hand. But you’ve got good points — I for sure would rather look dorky in a helmet rather than having bone splinters picked out of my brain at a rate of $10K an hour.

]]> By: Phil Hammerslough http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1807 Phil Hammerslough Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:07:12 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1807 Dorky? Well, the D-Tour is a bit dorky, but then again, so is a helmet. Both have a commonality; you don't need them until you need them. You go around wearing a helmet hoping you never need it and often wondering if you really do need it! If the D-Tour doesn't go with your spandex, fixed gear, or cool persona, think how un-cool you look with road rash or a crumpled $8,000 road bike. If there's nothing else about it, it sure builds your court case if some idiot runs you off the road. Phil Hammerslough Dorky?

Well, the D-Tour is a bit dorky, but then again, so is a helmet. Both have a commonality; you don’t need them until you need them. You go around wearing a helmet hoping you never need it and often wondering if you really do need it!
If the D-Tour doesn’t go with your spandex, fixed gear, or cool persona, think how un-cool you look with road rash or a crumpled $8,000 road bike. If there’s nothing else about it, it sure builds your court case if some idiot runs you off the road.

Phil Hammerslough

]]> By: Mike Myers http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1766 Mike Myers Sun, 07 Oct 2007 02:21:15 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1766 I currently use a Flash Flag, but I've wondered about the legality of a flag that stuck out a legit 3 feet. What IF someone devised a horizontally mounted safety flag that stuck out 3 feet---would it be legal? I really like the design of the Flash Flag. The spring mounting is a good idea, and it allows the flag to flap AND bounce up and down. The added axis of movement attracts more attention, I think. A version of this that stuck out further would be great. The flagpole(?) of the Flash Flag is cruciform in shape, so I cut tiny strips of 3M Diamond Grade reflective tape and stuck it on the flats. That addressed the one area in which the Flash Flag was inferior to the D-Chance you reviewed. I currently use a Flash Flag, but I’ve wondered about the legality of a flag that stuck out a legit 3 feet. What IF someone devised a horizontally mounted safety flag that stuck out 3 feet—would it be legal?

I really like the design of the Flash Flag. The spring mounting is a good idea, and it allows the flag to flap AND bounce up and down. The added axis of movement attracts more attention, I think. A version of this that stuck out further would be great.

The flagpole(?) of the Flash Flag is cruciform in shape, so I cut tiny strips of 3M Diamond Grade reflective tape and stuck it on the flats. That addressed the one area in which the Flash Flag was inferior to the D-Chance you reviewed.

]]> By: wolfy http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1753 wolfy Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:27:29 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1753 I like all those ideas. -M I like all those ideas.

-M

]]> By: Priscilla http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1733 Priscilla Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:45:50 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1733 Nice Job GhostRider! Hilarious!!!! :D Nice Job GhostRider! Hilarious!!!! :D

]]> By: Noah http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1732 Noah Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:44:35 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1732 Arr! Arr!

]]> By: RL Policar http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1730 RL Policar Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:23:25 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1730 HAHA! That's hilarious! HAHA! That’s hilarious!

]]> By: Ghost Rider http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1729 Ghost Rider Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:56:00 +0000 http://www.bikecommuters.com/2007/10/05/alternatives-to-the-safety-flag/#comment-1729 Sure -- the stick is a cheap, giveaway yardstick. Snap it right off and FIGHT! I suppose our lab techs didn't test it all the way, though. We had no idea it was dual-purpose until just now! Sure — the stick is a cheap, giveaway yardstick. Snap it right off and FIGHT! I suppose our lab techs didn’t test it all the way, though. We had no idea it was dual-purpose until just now!

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