Anybody ride with a flag?

[Jason Knight]

I saw someone on my local paths with a red flag on a post off the back of their e-bike, and we got talking at one of the little bench stops about it and he said it really helps traffic see him.

I've seen it before and am thinking on adding it to mine. I'm definitely adding two to my cargo trailer since I had a guy back into it in a parking lot already.

Anything I should know about that? Any specific "brands" or colors, or even laws I need to worry about? Is drag an issue?

I already light myself up like a christmas tree -- as per the "lights save lives" thread -- since to get anywhere "safe" to ride I have to trek through normal roadways. I'm just looking to up the visibility that extra notch.

 

[jabberwocky]

Only on my recumbent, since it’s so low to the ground. Helps visibility when cars are close by since it’s well below normal bumper height.

 

[McApple]

Decades ago when I was commuting on busy streets, I had a red flag mounted on the left side of my carrier. The flagpost was about 12" long, and the base was a spring, so the flag could be hooked along the carrier, or extended horizontally. In traffic, I used the flag in the horizontal position, in addition to drawing attention to the bike, passing cars tended to give you a wider berth.

I now use a flashing LED light, it's pretty much impossible to ignore.

 

[sc00ter]

I had a semi-bent recumbent and had a pole with a orange flag on it. I 100% feel it helped me with being seen in traffic. The key to been seen is to draw attention, stand out from your surroundings. How many flags do you see waving while driving? It looked kinda goofy I guess but I didn't care. The serious weight weenies said it added weight and caused excess drag. So what, I was riding to stay in shape! Only time I noticed it was when going under a low tree branch, but the pole took care of that by flexing.

I now use flashing super bright led lights. Technology has come a looong way but there is nothing wrong with simple old school tech either. If I get a dog trailer (need a dog first) for my bike I'm putting a flag on it for sure.

 

[Roamers]

Have one on the trailer, will be adding to bikes even with strong flashing tail light.

Anything to increase our visibility. Also wear green (pink for my wife) hi viz vests.

 

[Nvreloader]

I got tired of the passing vehicles going by so close, I could touch the majority of them, (when the other side of the road was clear and wide open).
I have been run off the road several times, last time was by the local EP truck and dump trailer that couldn't wait 10 seconds for the on coming traffic to pass, I got stopped in time to prevent me from going thru a 4 strand barbed wire fence.

I contacted their truck supervisor and explained what had happen, and I ask him to take a quick ride, so I could show him the evidence left by me and when this driver showed up, I had a face to face talk with the young driver, with his supervisor standing there.
Now, ALL EP trucks stay behind and I have to motion them to pass, even if the road is clear.

SO, I use this setup safety flag when I ride the local roads, quick to attach and get off and I can also mount it so the safety flag is sticking straight out behind me.

20220602-144302 hosted at ImgBB

Image 20220602-144302 in Nvreloader's images album

ibb.co

Here it is at the extended position for the oncoming traffic coming up behind me.

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My "Go to town safety flag". It really works, the motor vehicles give plenty of room now.

ibb.co

By NV state law, motorist must HAVE a minimum of 3' between the vehicle and bike when passing.

This safety flag sticks out 47", and I have a slide in insert that supports a dry wall screws to leave scratches, on the vehicle if any contact is made with the end of this safety flag.

Now, I just have to find a good camera setup for the rear of the bike.
Tia,
Don

 

[Jason Knight]

IHow many flags do you see waving while driving?

There are four flags!!!

Oh wait, no... that's lights.

It looked kinda goofy I guess but I didn't care.

A lot of people are WAY too worried about how they look. And a lot of it being painfully arbitrary.

The serious weight weenies said it added weight and caused excess drag.

That's the same garbage I got from the skinny tire spandex crowd about my old cheap 3 speed cruiser because if its "big heavy frame". You know what my answer was to that?

So what, I was riding to stay in shape!

Yeah, THAT!

Only time I noticed it was when going under a low tree branch, but the pole took care of that by flexing.

There's a lot of low cover on the trails, so whatever solution I come up with I'll likely want it collapsible and removable so it's just for road use.

I now use flashing super bright led lights. Technology has come a looong way but there is nothing wrong with simple old school tech either.

I see a lot of people talking about that, and for daytime I just don't see that working. Especially since it defeats silhouetting. USN even used that to their advantage on some bombers, lighting them up so that they blended into the bright sky.

Like the studies that found that driving with your lights on in heavy rain / overcast and daytime snow actually reduced visibility due to glare, but it's still law in many states to turn your lights on in such conditions.

But then I've got macular degeneration, so I'm WAY more susceptible to glare than most.

 

[Rexlion]

Bike flags on vertical poles, attached to the rear axle of the bike, were quite popular when I was a teenager (early '70s) and of course I had one. They do help with visibility, no doubt.

Someone stole that bike one night on Mackinac Island. I thought it was safe, being on an island, and didn't chain it up. Lazy. I paid the price.

 

[Rich W.]

Hadn’t thought of it but I have a lot of back roads between me and bike lanes, or at least roads with a shoulder wider than a white stripe of paint. I have my share of lights, but a little more visibility can’t hurt. So, I might just set something up on a small, flexible fiberglass pole.

 

[Rexlion]

I see they still sell the flags like the one I had. Here's one on Amazon: flag on fiberglass pole

 

[ChezCheese:)]

10% of people are colorblind, and the most common type is where red and green cannot be distinguished. Therefore, better a neon orange flag, if you're going to wave one.

 

[kevinmccune]

10% of people are colorblind, and the most common type is where red and green cannot be distinguished. Therefore, better a neon orange flag, if you're going to wave one.

I think a bright pink speedo would catch most peoples attention,you see what you want to see and look for( its called highway hypnosis) a recumbent around here would be a bump in the road.

 

[m@Robertson]

There are flags with poles consisting of LED COB light strips. They give a new level of visibility. Meant for use on trikes.

 

[Rexlion]

I think a neon pink bikini top at the end of a pole would be noticed...especially a double-D cup.

 

[ChezCheese:)]

I've been thinking of making a pinwheel out of 3M reflective stuff. Do you think it would glow like a light if a cars headlights were beaming on it?

 

[Viking1]

My wife says I just wear “ highlighter” colors, so that helps. No flag.