Lightweights reflective tape

Who remembers that Get yourself seen public information ad from the '70s? I'm not sure I want to 'take a brush to my bike' and paint it with white emulsion but I don't mind adding some tape, especially if it's nigh-on invisible in the daylight, like this black tape from Lightweights.

The Lightweights tape comes in a range of colours, all of which are reflective to various degrees. I've been trying the Stealth tape, which is black in the daylight but surprisingly reflective when you train a car headlight on it. On my Equlibrium frame it's barely noticeable, but adds a good deal of side visibility for car drivers after dark. You need to give your frame a good clean beforehand – an alcohol wipe from the first aid kit is ideal for getting rid of any grease on the paint – but once stuck the tape is very tenacious and pretty hard wearing. One reel is enough to give both sides of your bike a decent dose.

The stealth tape isn't quite as reflective as grey scotchlite but it's a lot better than I thought it would be. The other colours I had to try were a mixed bag, with blue and white also good and red a bit less so in our unscientific tests in the basement with a torch. You can have green, orange and lime too, so you should be able to get something to blend in with your steed.

Verdict

If you ride after dark then this tape gives useful and low-key extra side visibility for your bike.