Wrap Your Bike in Reflective Cloth
by stupidplus in Outside > Bikes
19112 Views, 41 Favorites, 0 Comments
Wrap Your Bike in Reflective Cloth
Using 3m Scotchlite fabric and spray adhesive you can wrap the frame tubing of your bike. You'll have the ultimate nightrider.
Get Your Stuff
You'll need
-spray adhesive
-scissors
-tape measure (cloth sewing tape measure is ideal)
-pencil
-rubbing alcohol
-finishing tape
-reflective fabric (this needs to be wide. i used 4" wide fabric which wraps around a 1 1/8" diameter tube with a nice overlap. It didn't quite make it on the downtube which is fatter. There's a little gap on the underside. I ordered the fabric from identi-tape.com but i'm sure there's other places to get it.
-a bike (older steel bikes are ideal, no fat tubes or funny shapes)
-spray adhesive
-scissors
-tape measure (cloth sewing tape measure is ideal)
-pencil
-rubbing alcohol
-finishing tape
-reflective fabric (this needs to be wide. i used 4" wide fabric which wraps around a 1 1/8" diameter tube with a nice overlap. It didn't quite make it on the downtube which is fatter. There's a little gap on the underside. I ordered the fabric from identi-tape.com but i'm sure there's other places to get it.
-a bike (older steel bikes are ideal, no fat tubes or funny shapes)
Measure and Clean
measure the tube to be wrapped. tube should be a constant diameter without funny shapes. small dents will cover just fine.
clean the tube(s) to be wrapped. Rubbing alcohol works well as a final cleaner as it leaves no residue
clean the tube(s) to be wrapped. Rubbing alcohol works well as a final cleaner as it leaves no residue
Cut and Test Wrap
cut your fabric to size. cut holes for any bolts or such that need to come through the fabric. test wrap the tube to check for overlap
Spray the Adhesive
Spray the backside of the reflective fabric.
follow the instructions on the can
make sure the can isn't cold
warm it up under some hot water is needed
follow the instructions on the can
make sure the can isn't cold
warm it up under some hot water is needed
Wrap It Up
carefully position fabric and wrap around tube pushing out bubbles as you go. if you cut out holes for bolts or cable stops start your positioning at those spots and work your way around. The adhesive remains tacky for awhile so if it take a second try it's no big deal.
Trim With Tape and Stand Back
you can trim the edges with tape to finish things off or not. I used adhesive reflective tape to finish the edges. it's nowhere near as bright as the scotchlite fabric