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My project on Kickstarter

This is something I've been working on for a little bit. Let me know what you think.



Fiks:Reflective Rim Stripes are a simple, economical, and elegant solution to dramatically increase night visibility for bicycles.


Designed for modern double-walled rims, these reflective rim stripes apply in six sections for easy applications. They are precisely cut on a digital computer-controlled cutter.







Visit the project page on Kickstarter!


ndromb
2011-11-21 18:21:56

Looks pretty cool. Won't be for everyone, especially those who like the stock stickers on the wheels, but the plain black should be a big hit because it won't look reflective.


orionz06
2011-11-21 18:53:53

I should also ask, how do they appear when there is a blinkie on the bike? Does the blinkie set the tape off well enough on its own? I imagine that could be pretty cool if you were able to better reflect your own light too.


orionz06
2011-11-21 18:55:25

Being retroreflective, it will reflect your blinky, but only back towards the blinky, not to an observer that isn't in the viewing line of the blinky. Remember, the light is being reflected back towards the source--a cars headlights reflect back towards the car.


I definitely agree, that it is not going to be a product for everyone--but what product is?


For someone who likes the stock graphics on wheels, they could always apply just a few sections--each section is 60 degrees.


ndromb
2011-11-21 19:26:11

Ok, wasnt sure how much would get out from the blinkie. Is this cut from the 3M stuff? I know they use it on LEO vehicles and it has a definite washout range where it can't be seen.


orionz06
2011-11-21 19:41:36

If you consider the amount of light reflected back to a motorist from the headlights of their car compared to that of a rider's blinky (even if the blinky's reflection fell in the view line), the headlight's reflection would be dominate the blinky's reflection.


They will be produced from material from two different manufacturers--3m and Oracal.


I'm not really sure what you mean by "washout", but at my tests, they are visible from at least 80 ft.


Also note that there are half a dozen different type of reflective films from 3m alone--some are prismatic, some glass bead-- even the reflectivity of different colors varies.


With that said, as far as bike safety is concerned, the benefit of long range visibility doesn't hold nearly the same benefit of visibility on the short range.


ndromb
2011-11-21 20:06:31

Washout: Prime example is sitting in a car well above the headlights and closing on the rear of a cop car with those numbers. Once at a certain angle the tape disappears. Fluky and won't mean a thing on bikes.


orionz06
2011-11-21 20:15:07

where are these installed? on the rim? so you can't use it if you use rim brakes i'm guessing.


erok
2011-11-21 21:01:05

The fenders we do with the retro-reflective material on them are definitely limited to a specific distance. But they provide an awesome type of visibility that doesn't compare to a blinky or regular reflector. The similar 'flash' that happens with retro-reflective road signs is definitely attention getting. Even the small decals we throw on do a great job at 50-100 feet in headlights.


I really like that retro-reflective tape is a 'no-power' solution for added lighting.


Nick, have you done much testing at not-quite-head-on (or perpendicular I guess) angles? I would imagine the slight concavity of rims, and the great surface area, would do well to make this work at a decently wide range.


On a similar topic, and in no way to take away from this project, has anyone ever seen a Lunasee setup in real life? I've never though of UV powered fluorescent materials as being particularly bright, especially compared to retro-reflective stuff. But I would love to be told/shown otherwise, or possibly see these two things combined!


wojty
2011-11-21 21:11:06

i am a idiot and should just click on the link


erok
2011-11-21 21:21:07

I've been looking for something like this for a long time. I am very interested in this.


marvelousm3
2011-11-21 21:31:41

The farthest testing I did was about 80ft. The way I see it, there is very little benefit beyond that.


wojty, you hit the nail on the head--because of the shape of the wheels, they reflect light from every angle of approach besides directly behind or in front of the bike where the rims are not visible.


ndromb
2011-11-21 21:44:40

have you experimented with different coverages? for example, while the whole wheel being illuminated is pretty sweet looking, two, opposite 60° sections, so that the rotation of the wheel made them move rapidly, would be quite attention getting, i would imagine.


i'd also be interested in seeing a nearly head-on shot from the rear. maybe like from the vantage of an automobile coming up on a cyclist who's using the bike lane, say. side-on collisions are usually not the things you want to prevent by visibility enhancements, and i'd like to see how it helps other angles.


also: if you've already thought about all this and you aren't looking for thoughts or feedback or advice, just tell me to shut up. looks pretty sweet, and with a decent likelihood of getting funded.


hiddenvariable
2011-11-21 22:34:32

@HiddenVariable side-on collisions are usually not the things you want to prevent by visibility enhancements


I guessing that you mean side-on collisons are not usually what you expect from lack of visibility. We all want to prevent them any way we can.


I get paranoid about them.


Cars coming out from stops signs after the drivers did a slow-down (to maybe 20 mph) for one, but many other situations, too.


I kinda forget I have reflectors in my spokes. I gues they might make me visible. Not sure if my current tires have reflective strips or not.


mick
2011-11-22 01:04:05

HV: You bring up a lot of good points and ideas. I have actually tested all of it, but the issues is photographing it. I, along with a photographer friends, spent a week trying to photograph these and what we found is the reflection is usually so intense and concentrated that it isn't captured properly or the effects of reflection are muted, even though they are impressive in person.


Over the next few weeks, I am going to try to get more and better pictures, along with some video.


As for feedback, I value anything anyone has to say about this. I've spent a good amount of time with R&D and contemplating possible issues, but there is more than likely a few things I didn't consider.


ndromb
2011-11-22 11:14:10

Nick, if it helps at all, when we were photographing our fenders, we had to do some pretty counter-intuitive things with exposure and the AE lock to finally get the material showing a proper reflection from less typical angles.


wojty
2011-11-22 12:05:53

Ideally, I'd prefer to get a set of Velocity Rims with the halo coating, for the durability of powder coat...

However, this is a great idea for a cheap and quick fix and the price of a donation to the project is WAY cheaper than buying reflective tape. Best of luck on this project!


headloss
2011-11-22 14:17:53

wojty, thanks for the tip.


Headloss, I definitely like Velocity's Halo coating. Though, if I could have anything I wanted, I'd go for Project Aura out of CMU.


Thanks for all the interest, everyone! I also really appreciate the support from those of you who can/wanted to. I'm really excited that the project goal was achieved so fast.


ndromb
2011-11-22 17:23:11

I'm really excited that the project goal was achieved so fast.


Me, too. So, where's my stickers? ;-)


reddan
2011-11-22 17:31:50

i posted this on facebook but i think a hypnotic spiral to the center of the wheel woven through the spokes could be a cool thing to do with this same material, or similar. it looks so fun!


imakwik1
2011-11-22 18:02:56

The Velocity Halo and the CMU Aura are both nice, but Nicks project seems much more affordable and it's nice to support someone who makes such a positive impact. I'm glad the goal was achieved and I'll contribute to it after payday and the dreaded black friday Toys R. Us doomsday shopping trip.


marvelousm3
2011-11-22 18:07:36

yeah, only problem I can think of with the CMU approach is that it would attract street thugs looking for bling. I much prefer your approach! Like mr. marv., I'll throw in a donation as soon as the balace allows. :)


headloss
2011-11-23 00:54:35

You guys have no idea how excite I am about the response this project has been getting--it's overwhelming.


I really appreciate the feedback. It's great to get so much input from so many people. If anyone is considering doing a project on Kickstarter, I highly recommend it.


ndromb
2011-11-23 04:20:55

i'd be interested to see how much traffic you actually get from wired and where it goes from there... once wired picks something up sometimes it goes crazy


imakwik1
2011-11-23 05:48:02

I really wish I could view where the backers are coming from. Unfortunately, the is indication.


ndromb
2011-11-23 19:28:41

BTW since this funded so quickly you can probably turn this into a business. But you'll have to act fast since the public visibility of the project means somebody else can do the same thing. And in any case you won't want to be cutting the reflective material yourself... It's a tricky thing getting from where you are to a company with a successful product, but you have hit on something good here, are young and bright, and you should go for it. Chances like this don't come by every day.


jonawebb
2011-11-23 21:35:08

Thanks for the advice!


It's really amazing how fast this all has picked up. There is a lot to be done, but luckily I made plans for that before launching on Kickstarter.


The whole project is being run through my existing business. It's nice because I am already setup and ready to go.


If the project funding period on Kickstarter was to end tomorrow, I could have a few dozen of the first orders shipped out the next day. Now, the patterns wouldn't be optimized and packaging wouldn't be where I want it, but I am prepared for this and have developed a plan for where this could go.


ndromb
2011-11-24 12:50:39

seems like kickstarter probably has the referral information, I'm surprised they don't share that...


imakwik1
2011-11-25 00:27:02

yessss... that is the best idea


imakwik1
2011-11-29 17:16:33

Just thought I'd give all the locals an update:


11 days in and over 180 sets pre-ordered through Kickstarter. Plus, there is a possibility of over 1000 sets going to directly to European retailers.


The plan (for now) is to allow locals who ordered through Kickstarter to pick-up their order as soon as the funding period is over.


Thanks again for all the support--it's been an amazing two weeks.


ndromb
2011-12-02 05:46:45

With 3 hours left, the project funding period is pretty much over.


Here is some stats:


-28 days

-Over $8000 pledged

-273 backers

-About 1/3 of backers are from outside the US

-Over 300 sets ordered


For those interested, I'll still be doing early pickup for locals, but it won't be for a week or so.


Big thanks everyone who shared my project, especially Brad and Jeff at UV.


ndromb
2011-12-19 01:27:19

Awesome! Great idea Nick. Simple, elegant, effective, and inexpensive. I had little doubt it would be funded, and 800+% funded is quite impressive.


dwillen
2011-12-19 03:26:48

Thanks, Dan.


I have been working like crazy trying to get legal and financial stuff figured out, while getting pictures, writing content, and building the website. Here are some shots I got last night:



On the left is a bike without reflective rim stripes. Then, every wheel has a different color reflective rim stripe on it--from right to left: white(light silver), black, yellow, red, orange, and purple.


All the pictures were taken in identical conditions--identical manual camera setting, 50ft distance, with a 140 lumen flashlight aimed centered on the bike.


I just have to get some pictures to assist backers on the sizing choices, and the survey will be going out--hopefully in a few hours.


ndromb
2011-12-21 18:11:03

neat. can you mix and match colors? either way, these will be awesome.


rubberfactory
2011-12-21 21:56:47

I am still debating that, which is part of the reason the survey hasn't gone out. I know there is solid interest in mixing colors, but it makes a lot more work for me and ups the chance of sending out mistakes.


ndromb
2011-12-21 23:19:27

ah, fair enough.


rubberfactory
2011-12-21 23:28:07

My one complaint about kickstarter is that I always seem to find the projects much too late.


These looks awesome! I will gladly purchase when they become available!


myddrin
2011-12-30 14:15:29

What Myddrin said, although I knew about it in time, I just failed to pull out the checkbook in time....


swalfoort
2011-12-30 15:00:27

Don't worry! I'll have a website up in the next two weeks. Waiting on a SSL cert and merchant services.


Hopefully, I will be able to convince a local shop or two to carry them as well.


ndromb
2011-12-31 04:51:02

Yeah! A lot of people are telling me about it.


[To be honest, I had never heard of it.]


ndromb
2011-12-31 19:46:58

nick did you send out the surveys? i may have missed it in the current mayhem of my inbox


imakwik1
2011-12-31 20:03:15

I sent out surveys for backers at the $25 reward and below. If you should have got it and didn't let me know. There seems to be quite a few issues with the surveys.


ndromb
2012-01-03 05:57:43

how well do these work on rims like the salsa delgado with the only non-rim surface facing the hub?


dmtroyer
2012-02-10 00:42:58

I really regret not being able to order these during the first run. I am defiantly going to buy as soon as ordering starts again


marvelousm3
2012-02-10 02:38:41

+dmtroyer - I asked nick about that (since i had the same rim before i broke it) and unfortunately the answer is "not well" - unless you have discs and can put them on what would be the braking surface.


i had a suspected fiks sighting on melwood tonight, a girl turned left in front of me and her wheels were reflecting really bright. unfortunately i was going uphill and had a car bearing down from behind me so i didn't get a good look. i guess it could have been reflective tires but i'll choose to believe it was fiks.


salty
2012-02-10 04:35:54

dmtroyer, satly is right. F:R Rim Stripes are really only design for rims with outward facing non-braking surface.


If you have disc brakes, there will be an option for you soon.


Mr. Marv. The website will be up soon.


ndromb
2012-02-10 17:15:48

"If you have disc brakes, there will be an option for you soon."


Wait.. what? Did you mean rim brakes with a box rim?


headloss
2012-02-10 20:40:29

If you have disc brakes with a box rim--the way they are sized now, if you tried putting them on a disc wheel where the braking surface would be, there will be a gap because the larger circumference.


BTW- The website is up. 15% off with code "4waiting"


Thanks for all the support everyone!


ndromb
2012-02-13 18:25:26

what exactly is a "pressure sensitive" adhesive?


dmtroyer
2012-02-13 18:29:54

Just got the mail and I have never ordered something and then received it so fast. Going to open up the package an put them on asap. Sooo excited.


marvelousm3
2012-02-16 00:52:41

Thanks for responding to that Dan. dmtroyer, in this application it means that when applying the stripes, they are easy to reposition until you firmly push them down.


Mr Marv, it helps that the package only had to go a few miles.


ndromb
2012-02-16 23:12:18

@Nick, are all the colors about the same level of brightness?


I'm definitely going to order a couple sets soon, hopefully I can draw some attention (and interest) riding around Chicago.


headloss
2012-02-16 23:39:18

Below, you cannot only see the dramatic difference that Fiks:Reflective Rim Stripes make for the nighttime visibility of a bicycles, but also how the different colors reflect.




The left most frame is a bicycle and rider without F:R Rim Stripes. Then, from left to right: black, white, yellow, red, orange, and purple. Although all six colors are very reflective, white reflects the most light, yellow the second most, then black, and red, orange, and purple reflect the least, but is still very visible.


In most real world situations, I suspect that the difference is inconsequential.


All these pictures were taken in identical conditions--a bicycle with a 140 lumen flashlight aimed at a distance of 50ft (15m) and manual camera settings. These pictures were taken with a goal of accurately showing the reflective abilities and not enhance what F:R products are capable of.


ndromb
2012-02-18 03:07:36


marvelousm3
2012-02-19 14:37:33

2012-02-16_20-23-01_166.jpg

2012-02-18_19-07-48_94.jpg


marvelousm3
2012-02-20 00:21:20

I'm very happy with how reflective these are.


marvelousm3
2012-02-20 00:51:08

Looks good!


pseudacris
2012-02-20 00:54:11

Thanks, Mr Marv. I'm glad you are happy with them!


ndromb
2012-02-22 04:56:08

garage door envy.


dmtroyer
2012-02-22 12:59:13