Riding through the woods last night I spotted a walker in front so slowed right down and waited for him to let me pass. I rode past slowly but my brakes we howling due to the mud and rain so as I passed him I said thanks and sorry about the noisy brakes. About 10 meters later he shouted something to me that I didn’t understand so I stopped and asked him what he said. He said do you know you are riding an illegal bike.
I replied I didn’t. He said according to the highway code I should Have reflectors on my pedals (which I knew). I replied that I’m not on a road I’m in the woods to which he replied that I must have to ride on the road to get home. I replied that I have my car in the car park so I wouldn’t be riding on the road. He started to get angry so I politely said goodbye. He carried on shouting abuse until I was out of site.
Have these people got nothing better to do?
It was tipping it down with rain, the paths were inches deep with mud and wasn’t far off being fully dark.
Come to think of it haven’t I got anything better to do!

“Angry man gets angry shocka”

😉

Him: You should have reflectors on your pedals!
You: I know, silly isn’t it?

[ride on]

😉

Technically he’s correct. But I’d have still told him to go **** himself 🙂

None of my bikes have reflectors on and I wouldn’t have them on if it were an option on the pedals.

So that’s why they find the dead bodies in the woods, it’s the pedal reflector argumentatists.

Interesting read, well it’s a read, interesting is probably overselling it.

http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations

As the point of that highway code rule is to make you more visible to vehicles, there is little point in having reflectors for off road.
As most MTB pedals (well the ones that most people use, at least) can’t really be fitted with reflectors, riding an MTB on the road poses a problem.
When I commute to work (on the odd occasion), I use Slap Wraps round my ankles which, In my opinion, fulfill the purpose of pedal reflectors.

Just a suggestion, for those who were worried about the situation.

Tell him you will fit them when he starts wearing headlamps to illuminate them.

I have wellgo mg1s on my hardtail because they have reflectors as I do ride it on the road between woods a lot often at night .
V8s on boinger as on it I don’t.

The manufacturers of my spd shoes thought to build reflective material into the design of my shoes do this is never an issue. As the manufacturer doesn’t only supply me, others must have benefited form this thoughtful additon also?

I thought it was only actually enforcable if the bike was sold new as a full bike if you get my meaning – i.e. if you built up out of parts it wouldn’t be covered under the legislation linked with point of sale. Am I dreaming?

Next time I bump into him Ill lie to him and tell him the bike was built before 1985 and doesn’t require reflectors.

So what do the SPD roadies do at dusk?

eddie11 – Member
The manufacturers of my spd shoes thought to build reflective material into the design of my shoes do this is never an issue. As the manufacturer doesn’t only supply me, others must have benefited form this thoughtful additon also?

I’ll bet the reflective material isnt amber or BSI marked.

When I commute to work (on the odd occasion), I use Slap Wraps round my ankles

me too

which, In my opinion, fulfill the purpose of pedal reflectors.

unfortunately this probably won’t stop pedal reflector argumentatists or a driver’s defence lawyer giving you a verbal doing over on the technicalities of it all.
(IME most are silver or dayglo green, not the prescribed amber – ruling out shiny shoe reflectors too)

So what do the SPD roadies do at dusk?

I believe the 100% legal ones use this lovely robust looking thing

So what do the SPD roadies do at dusk?

Shimano do reflectors for road SPDs, the ones I have (SM PD 58) bolt through the pedal and are quite neat and tidy, relatively speaking. I fitted them along with a red rear reflector as insurance against a contributory negligence finding in the event that some stupid bastard runs me over.

Ooh I like the look of those reflectors, mintimperial!

It’s often bothered me slightly that I don’t have them on my roadie, given how effective they are.

Hmm. Been thinking of foam wrapped in reflective tape stuffed in the gaps in my Ultra Mags and DV8s but the colour and kite mark requirements have me somewhat stymied.

I had the ones D0NK and mintimperial linked to. They stayed on for about four weeks, then I ripped one off pedalling out of a corner 😛

£2 on Amazon. Worth a try 🙂

The ones I linked to are different from D0NK’s, they’re a bit lower in profile and sit behind the axle rather than right underneath it. I’ve never clipped them in a corner…

Yeah I just did a google image for spd reflectors, that pic was the first likely candidate, those shimano ones look a little better. I just know they were mentioned last time this came up, as were these “MTB” ones, tho I think someone said they weren’t sold in the UK

So when cars,truck,buses etc still manage to hit people when their wearing Hi-viz clothing,front and rear lights and other reflective bits on clothing,shoes,helmets I hardly think a pedal reflector is going to help.
Seems like another antiquated law/regulation that needs looking at.

The slapwraps are a much better idea as they at least give full 360 degree of coverage and a larger surface area to reflect from, compared to pedal reflectors.

Interesting that the guy in the woods picked the OP up about pedal reflectors. I’d be surprised if many non-cyclists knew that a BSI amber reflector was a legal requirement after dark.

It may be on the road…but what about on a bridleway?

“I did know that, and I take on board your concerns. However equally and conversely, you can bllocks mate”

I regularly see people at night riding a BSO , with no reflective clothing, lights or snap wraps.
With only pedal reflector if they have not fallen off to help them stand out.

I think if you are hi viz’d to the max without pedal reflectors I don’t think the police would be bothered .
But for people who take no steps towards being seen then the law has to be good .

I stuck them on my bike in a “every little helps” kind of way – no, they’re not huge, but they might help draw the eye a bit more.

The ones I ripped off were MintImperials – they’re fairly low profile, but do remove a good 1cm or so from the pedal ground clearance. Still, they’re mostly plastic so if you do catch them you’ll probably get away without coming off!

How visible are they from the rear, given that half your foot is behind the pedal and presumably obscures the reflectors?

Er, no, I don’t have any fitted.

I hardly think a pedal reflector is going to help

They are pretty good actually, speaking as a driver. They are a dead giveaway for cyclist, even when a red light is not.

Interesting that the guy in the woods picked the OP up about pedal reflectors. I’d be surprised if many non-cyclists knew that a BSI amber reflector was a legal requirement after dark.

You’re assuming the guy in the woods wasn’t a cyclist. Some cyclists also go on walks 🙂

He was clearly not a cyclist as he was a grumpy git .
Everyone knows you don’t get grumpy cyclists. 😀

How visible are they from the rear, given that half your foot is behind the pedal and presumably obscures the reflectors?

I don’t really give a toss about how visible they are. I have a selection of massive lights, reflective bits on my clothing, high-viz and whatnot to deal with that. I fitted legal reflectors so that, in the event that some tit does run me over and kill me, there’s less chance of the useless bastards that comprise our so-called justice system making a finding of contributory negligence and thereby reducing either the sentence for the driver or the payout from the insurance.

This is the same reason why you should always wear a helmet: a foam hat ain’t going to stop some shitbag in a 40 ton truck from killing you, but if it does happen at least your family will hopefully get as much cash as possible to keep food on the table after you’ve gone.

Reflectors in the woods at night?
So where’s the light coming from that they are supposed to be reflecting?

You’re assuming the guy in the woods wasn’t a cyclist.

I rather thought he was inferring mr mcgrumpy was a cyclist.

I don’t really give a toss about how visible they are. I have…

A pretty good summation mintimperial

I don’t really give a toss about how visible they are. I have a selection of massive lights, reflective bits on my clothing, high-viz and whatnot to deal with that. I fitted legal reflectors so that, in the event that some tit does run me over and kill me, there’s less chance of the useless bastards that comprise our so-called justice system making a finding of contributory negligence and thereby reducing either the sentence for the driver or the payout from the insurance.

I have reflectors because I like to stay the right side of the law and are not juvenile enough to consider them a slight on my street credibility, but.
If you were lit up like an xmas tree surely no court could entertain a claim such as you mention above.
Although as far as insurance companies are concerned I would believe them using any technicality to wriggle out of parting with cash.

If you were lit up like an xmas tree surely no court could entertain a claim such as you mention above

you would hope so yes but if judges can claim not using a helmet (not legally required) can contribute to their death I’m sure some pedantic sod will say “yes you were lit up like a christmas tree but it wasn’t a british kite marked christmas tree, your own fault”

Those who use reflectors because of a possible future insurance claim;
Have you got a BS kite mark or equivalent EU standard on your lights?

I asked about this before, because as far as I know, none of the modern bright LED lights that we all use have been approved.
I think it was only some obscure German light that I’d never heard of before that had an EU marking on it.

I think Halfords sell one (rubbish) light with the kite mark. If you wanted to be legally covered you could have one crap/approved light and then run a decent/non-approved one alongside it.

Or use one of the German lights. Their standards are higher than ours so a German approved light is legal here .

I’d be surprised if many non-cyclists knew that a BSI amber reflector was a legal requirement after dark.

Anti-bike grumpwalkers know everything that we should/shouldn’t do, they compare notes and legal reports while walking in groups of 20 filling the width of any bridleway they can find. It’s why they ‘don’t hear’ your bell/hellos or move for anyone until they really have to and then have a chance to share their useful facts as you pass. : )

+1 for slap-wrap ankle reflectors. I have one round my seatpost that I use on my right ankle on longer night rides on road. My winter/audax-ish/night-riding road bike is pretty well lit/reflective taped anyway so pedal reflectors wouldn’t add much apart from the movement, ankle-wraps do that well enough.