Lifepaint



I recently (earlier today) read an article on AOL about LifePaint, an clear spray-on reflective paint being marketed in the UK by the automaker Volvo. It is apparently a rebranded version of a product by Albedo100. It is intended to be used on fabric, and has some trouble sticking to plastics, The adhesive that bonds it to fabric washes out with laundry detergent, so it has to be re-applied frequently. It is water-proof. Albedo100 also has a version that is permanent on metal. It can be applied to a bike, and does not change the appearance except when a bright light is shone on it. It reflects light back towards the light source, so it is visible at night to an approaching vehicle with headlights. Any experience with this product? http://www.wired.com/2015/03/lifepaint-reflective-paint/is an article about it.
 
Nope, but it looks interesting. ;)

What I was curious about lately was Specialized's new "Rocket Red" paint.

It's kinda Orange in color and it's supposed to change into purple after being exposed to sunlight for long. :D

It's new for 2015 I think and I haven't found any pictures on the webz yet showing the discoloration. :)
 
The color change paint is nothing new, a buddy had that on his 69 camero. People complain about $12,000 bikes, how about a $14,000 paint job?

I remember in some industry magazine a couple months ago frames being coated with that reflective paint, so that during the day the bike looked the paint color, at night it was annoyingly lit up. There is such a thing as overkill.

I don't care to paint my cloths - seems like a needless thing to do. Most good cycling clothing has reflective parts integrated into it. That and a good set of lights should be more than enough.

For a little added visibility, head over to your local sign shop and ask if they have a scrap or two of reflective vinyl in the color of your frame. Cut some thin strips and apply as needed. I have some on my road bikes on the seat stays and side of the fork. It only adds a gram or two of weight, can be removed and replaced and the sign shop will probably let you have it for free, or just charge you a couple bucks.
 
No, but I am definitely going to have to check it out. That extra safeguard will be nice. Until I have a little more time in on the bike I don't want to pass up any extra protection.
 
kana_marie said:
No, but I am definitely going to have to check it out. That extra safeguard will be nice. Until I have a little more time in on the bike I don't want to pass up any extra protection.
As you get more time on bike, you will probably become even more in favor of extra protection. The only time you have concern about a small amount of extra weight is when you are in competition, or doing a lot of climbing. You will always want to consider weight, but the question is always whether or not the weight does anything useful. I have fenders on my bike because I live in Florida and things tend to get wet. The roads are pretty much flat, so a few ounces are no problem.

I tend to ride at night frequently, as I don't have a car currently. If I can get some of the paint, I'll paint my bike so it is more visible at night.
 
When I read the article, it was on AOL. I made some comments on the article, but I was rally astounded by the fact that most of the commentators thought that any adult riding a bike had to have mental problems, and thought that bicycles should not be allowed on the roads. Some of the comments were quite angry, and I doubt that the posters should be allowed to drive an automobile. I have had some very childish things shouted at me, but most drivers are not that way.
 
I found the web site for Albedo 100 and was fascinated by the fact that they sell a spray-on reflective paint for animals, and recommend it for dogs and horses. So, if you take Fido along with you at night, trotting faithfully alongside your bike, spray him/her with a little reflective paint for added safety. They suggest on the legs. My dachshund doesn't go for runs with me, so I don't have to worry about what she would think about a little spray paint.
 
No, most drivers are not rude or dangerous - but it is the few who are who stand out in our minds. And considering the generalized stupidity level of the American people, it's not any surprise to me that many drivers don't understand that cyclists have the same right to be on the road as they do. Technically more under the law maybe? A drivers license can be revoked - no license for a cyclist means it would take a court order to ban someone from the road (yes I know a SOS/DMV license action is gonna go through the courts in some way, but it is procedurally well-defined).
 
This Life Paint is only sold in certain areas of London, it is not sold anywhere else, it also lasts only a week and rain washes it off rather fast.

If someone gets their license suspended from driving it doesn't mean a darn thing, they just keep driving and for the short time the license is suspended they drive extra careful, you can usually tell these type of people because they're driving 5 mph under posted speed limits. There isn't any way to stop someone from driving illegally.

However angry motorists are far and few between, in 40 plus years of riding I can count on two hands the number of times someone gave me grief and most of that was verbal. However I do think after 40 years of riding most cyclists ride like jerks on the streets! a lot more so than car drivers!! Cyclists disobey as many rules as they can without any regard what motorists think, they run stops, cut in front of cars suddenly, weave in and out of traffic, etc, then when a car blares their horn at the offensive cyclist the motorist is greeted with the middle finger salute. I'm sorry but I not going to show any sympathy toward cyclists that do that sort of ****, and again I'm sorry but most cyclists do that ****. If you want more motorists to respect you, the cyclist, then obey the rules of the road as they are outlined for cars to obey and those are the rules we're suppose to follow, and be predictable in our actions so the driver knows what we're doing.

I'm sure I ****** off a bunch of you non conformists who think you're above the law...too damm bad!
 
Froze said:
This Life Paint is only sold in certain areas of London, it is not sold anywhere else, it also lasts only a week and rain washes it off rather fast.

If someone gets their license suspended from driving it doesn't mean a darn thing, they just keep driving and for the short time the license is suspended they drive extra careful, you can usually tell these type of people because they're driving 5 mph under posted speed limits. There isn't any way to stop someone from driving illegally.

However angry motorists are far and few between, in 40 plus years of riding I can count on two hands the number of times someone gave me grief and most of that was verbal. However I do think after 40 years of riding most cyclists ride like jerks on the streets! a lot more so than car drivers!! Cyclists disobey as many rules as they can without any regard what motorists think, they run stops, cut in front of cars suddenly, weave in and out of traffic, etc, then when a car blares their horn at the offensive cyclist the motorist is greeted with the middle finger salute. I'm sorry but I not going to show any sympathy toward cyclists that do that sort of ****, and again I'm sorry but most cyclists do that ****. If you want more motorists to respect you, the cyclist, then obey the rules of the road as they are outlined for cars to obey and those are the rules we're suppose to follow, and be predictable in our actions so the driver knows what we're doing.

I'm sure I ****** off a bunch of you non conformists who think you're above the law...too damm bad!
I am sure that the percentage of rude to cyclists drivers is less than 50%, but the number is not few and far between, at least in most parts of the country. And around here, the overwhelming majority of adult cyclists are anything but rude or careless. Things may be different in other cities or parts of the country (I am in the South where people tend to be polite even when they are being rude). People need to be careful and aware when on the road, no matter what type of vehicle they are driving.
 
This paint does sound interesting. I have not seen it in person so I have no clue as to how it looks at night when headlight are shining on it. But I'm guessing it you wanted to stand out and be notice, that is the way to do it.