If you use your bicycle to get around through the day and worry about people not being able to see you once it gets dark there is an easy and inexpensive solution. While standard reflectors on your bicycle can work, the problem occurs when it requires that enough light hit them to be visible. Another reason you should have more than just bike reflectors is that drivers often mistake bike reflectors for sign and object reflection. It is important to have additional lights so that they can use them to differentiate from these common objects and reduce the risk of missing your presence near or on the roadway.
Materials for this project
*Solar LED lights
*Clear plastic tubing
Preparing your bicycle light housing
While attaching the solar LED lights by themselves with rubber silicone can work, they run the risk of being damaged by the elements and can be short circuited by rain. In order to prevent this from happening you will need to invest in some clear plastic tubing that is wide enough for the solar lights to sit inside of and long enough to go around each wheel. Measure the circumference of your bike wheels and cut four tubes to length, cutting evenly so as to make connecting them easier. Feed your sting of solar LED lights through each tube, stopping just before the end. Attach each end of both tubes together with the rubber silicone and allow them to dry for twenty four hours before moving on to the next step of the project. Apply rubber silicone to the rims of both sides of each bike wheel and attach tubing to each, pushing down for five minutes to ensure a good seal. Once each tube is properly attached, fill in any cracks with rubber silicone to ensure at tight seal against the elements.
Placing your bicycle reflectors
In placing your bicycle reflectors be sure to place one in the rear and two on the front of your handlebars. If you can’t find the right size reflector for your handlebars you can the Dremel to cut small pieces from a larger unit and attach them to the handlebars of your bike using rubber silicone. This will allow oncoming traffic to notice the reflection and focus on your location as well as keep them aware that the lights they see in the distance do not belong to a car. While the solar lights eliminate your use for reflectors on your bike wheels you should still place two reflectors on each wheel as a backup in case your solar lights happen to malfunction for any reason. You can apply these same methods to your motor cycle as well, but be careful as to not block the air valve or any important nut on the wheel housing.