Reflective Velo Pins
You’ve probably heard someone say, “There’s no such thing as being too good-looking or too rich.” We need to add one more thing: for a cyclist, there is no such thing as being too visible. I ride a lot at night and in low-light situations—this means I also own several headlights and taillights for my bikes. Unfortunately, batteries run out of juice, light bulbs die and mounting brackets break. Therefore, I also own a lot of reflective gear so motorists can see me even if my lights kick the bucket.
The good folks at CycleAware recently sent me a package of Pin Ups: Reflective Velo Pins for review purposes. This is a package of 1″ diameter pins with a highly reflective surface. You can attach these pins to your jersey (they’re great for the back pockets), jacket, socks, gloves, backpack, or messenger bag.
A really good place for these pins is on the back of your gloves! I wish every pair of cycling gloves had reflective piping, but most do not. However, you can easily fasten one of these pins to the back of your gloves so motorists can see you hands when you signal a turn. Another useful place for these pins is on the back of your cycling tights, just above the heel of your shoes (or on your socks in warmer weather). Reflective material is great, but moving reflective material is awesome—as you pedal these reflective pins move up and down and make it easier for motorists to see you.
These reflective pins have several different designs. Two of the pins have small circles on them, one has the Spanish word for care or careful, and another has the Portuguese word for look out. In my opinion the most interesting pin is the one that has the Mandarin word for look out (OK, I had to ask CycleAware for the translation).
A package of five Pin Ups retails for only $5. You should be able to get this product at your local bike shop, but if they don’t have it you can order it online from CycleAware’s Website.
CycleAware has been around for 20 years and they specialize in making products to keep cyclists safe. If you really want to add some reflective power to your bike, you need to check out the CycleAware Beamer Reflective Saddle Bag—a saddle bag that is made entirely from highly reflective material.
