Bright Bike DIY Kit Installation

by theredproject in Outside > Bikes

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Bright Bike DIY Kit Installation

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The Bright Bike DIY Kit use retroreflective vinyl to make cycling safer by dramatically increasing your nighttime visibility. You should still use front and rear lights (as it is usually the law!) but this will increase your passive visibility (especially from the sides) and make your ride safer overall.

This instructable will help you quickly complete the application of your Pinstripe or Caterpillar Bright Bike Kit. You can order pre-cut kits here: http://www.brightthread.com.

These instructions are for a basic layout that provides even coverage and good overall visibility. We encourage people to customize as needed for their own bicycles. You can see some good examples of customized kits in this Flickr group.

The Pinstripe Kit contains 12 strips, each 22" x 1/4."

The Caterpillar Kit contains 32 1" x 4" strips, and 32 of 1/4" x 1" strips.

The DIY Kits are available in a variety of colors at http://www.brightthread.com.



Prep

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Gather your materials:
1. Cleaner and a rag/paper towel to clean your frame.
2. A knife or scissors to trim the tape to fit your frame.

Clean your bike:
Wipe down all the tubes with a rag and cleaner to make sure that the tape will adhere evenly and solidly to the frame.

Pinstripes Kit

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1. Adhere strips on outside faces of Top Tube, Down Tube, Seat Tube, and Chain Stays. Trim as necessary to fit frame.

2. Adhere forward-facing strips to Fork, and rear-facing strips to Seat Stays*. Trim as necessary to fit frame.

3. Use any extra tape to decorate or add highlights.

(*note that on our bike, we attached rear-facing tape onto the rear rack, and additional tape onto the outside of the Seat Stays.)

Caterpillar Kit

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1. Wrap the large strips at 1" intervals along the length of the Top Tube, Down Tube, Seat Tube, and Head Tube.

2. Adhere the small dashes at 1" intervals on the rear facing Seat Stays, the outside face of the Chain Stays, and the front face of the Fork.

3. Use any extra tape to decorate or add highlights.

Other Suggestions

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- If you have a rear rack that obscures the seat stays, put rear-facing tape on the rack supports instead.

- Try to avoid cable stays if possible, for a more even application. Lift cables if necessary to get good frame contact.

Click here for a kit.