What is the best substitution for glow sticks?

Zman · Post by **Zman** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:12 am

Any Ideas on what works best and is not such a waste? For Bikes and on your body.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:14 am

Unless you want to get into glow wire, with the expense and skill set, there really is no satisfactory solution. And I'm fed up with the glow wire, because the ones for bike safety never worked for me.

Orchid · Post by **Orchid** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:15 am

If you're looking for something that looks like a glowstick but isn't, I like LED Light Sticks. I've had some for 2 years now and the batteries still work.

Example: http://www.glowproducts.com/batteryoper ... ightstick/

For decorating/lighting your bicycle, try EL wire. www.coolneon.com

Token · Post by **Token** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:43 am

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 11:19 am

A road bomb...aka Toledo torch.

http://www.premiereproducts.biz/product ... otorch.php

Post by **Sham** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 11:33 am

Home Depot carries these for $5.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 12:24 pm

Token wrote:

I've seen that out there, its pretty awesome.

I've also seen a couple who have flaming skulls? mounted atop there bikes which were also pretty cool.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 12:25 pm

Louise has one of those LED headlamps that are so obnoxious when people point them into your face. She wears it around her neck so that it lights the ground in front of her. No obnoxious blinding and well-lit at night.

I like lighting the ground around you because it lets me fix you in space. The playa at night is a wonderland of lights in space, and you can't tell whether a light is very bright but a mile away or dim and very close. If the ground is lighted, I can immediately judge the distance, direction of travel, and speed of travel.

Please consider a light that shines on the ground. There are lots of battery-powered LEDs that you can put on yourself and your bike to light you up and to light the ground if you choose.

Take a look at our bikes in this vid, lighted by LEDs and CCTs:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/civex/3910693227/

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 12:25 pm

For your bike, it's EL wire. Glows bright and you can be seen. There is still waste, just a different kind, because it takes batteries. There are 10 AA batteries for the frame wrap and 2 wheel spoke wraps. If you used a solar recharger you would have to have 25 or 30 batteries, at least, depending on how long you had it on. More by up to double if you spend late nights on the playa. But it would be less waste.

And, of course, LED blinky lights. For your bike, for you if you walk, and yes, a good head light. I like 'em for riding.

FjordLynn · Post by **FjordLynn** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 2:53 pm

For my bike I got these light that blink when they shake, and they screw onto the airhose. However, out of the box, mine would never activate. So, I hot glued a zip tie to the end of each one so that it would strike the fork when circling. Problem solved and it only lights up when I'm moving, saving on battery power.

Playa Foot · Post by **Playa Foot** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 4:47 pm

For a bike regular biike lights work amazingly well. A white headlight lights the road ahead of you so you can see the passed out hippie (Black Rock City speed bump) and the red light lets others see you, I leave mine flashing when I park the bike after dark so I can find it easier.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 5:28 pm

Any Ideas on what works best and is not such a waste? For Bikes and on your body.

Ignited bars of pure magnesium will often suffice as a suitable substitute for the lameness we know as 'glow sticks.'

thesandman · Post by **thesandman** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 6:24 pm

one word Thermite

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 6:25 pm

I got a few of the Reflects spoke lights at american science and surplus, for a few dollars ea. they were clearance because some needed new batteries. looks like this line has lots of options for small bike tire lights.
http://www.tireflys.com/bicycle.html

Clar-i-ty · Post by **Clar-i-ty** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:11 pm

I'm actually thinking of experimenting with a string of solar lights I recently saw at Grocery Outlet.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:03 pm

> so you can see the passed out hippie (Black Rock City speed bump)

They don't slow me down.

Kinetik V · Post by **Kinetik V** » Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:50 pm

Thermite? I'm sitting here thinking of a MythBusters episode where they tried to cut a car in half with a massive amount of thermite. I'm sorry but I wasn't impressed. It looked good but it didn't do the job.

I like Iso's magnesium suggestion but prefer using dry ice for ignition.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 2:48 am

Anything is an improvement on chemical sticks.

Sodium gives a lovely light, but stability may be a concern.

As Phil says, lighting the outline of a shape is more effective than a brighter point of light.
Art cars take note.
And by this I mean bouncing light off the entire surface of the object lit.

3M diamondstripe (not the lesser reflective material) works brilliantly on bike frames and is effective when anyone shines a light that direction.
Great for finding your bike again in a crowd.
Often sold in zebra stripe, it is made in solid colors, and fluorescent.
Holds up to sunlight long term too.

LED through side emitting fiber optics may be the best option over elwire too.
Neon bounce lighting has been used on bikes too.

White LED glowsticks make a useful tent or portapotty light too.
Home depot has red, green and blue, which work well as a set.

Best to get units where the batteries can be changed.

Walmart used to sell a good amber light, very bright, but glued so you could not change batteries.

http://www.niteize.com/collections/led

Token · Post by **Token** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:41 am

Chernobyl Industries Ltd. has glow sticks that outlast all of their customers.

Token · Post by **Token** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:48 am

Tritium Lights - good for 15 years

ju1ce · Post by **ju1ce** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 6:35 pm

I second the Lifelite sticks. They're $5 at home depot, sometimes $3 for 10. They double as a flashlight and rape whistle. No, seriously, it's a rape whistle.

Oh, and for lighting a bike a $2 string of battery powered LED xmas lights works great.

junglesmacks · Post by **junglesmacks** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:16 pm

I think I'm going to just paint the entire bike in ultra glow spray paint..

http://www.glopaint.com/24orders.htm

Magpie · Post by **Magpie** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 7:28 pm

junglesmacks wrote:I think I'm going to just paint the entire bike in ultra glow spray paint..

http://www.glopaint.com/24orders.htm

I hope you do this soon and report back on how well the paint glows! It would be really awesome if it worked well :-)

junglesmacks · Post by **junglesmacks** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:08 pm

Magpie wrote:
junglesmacks wrote:I think I'm going to just paint the entire bike in ultra glow spray paint..

http://www.glopaint.com/24orders.htm
I hope you do this soon and report back on how well the paint glows! It would be really awesome if it worked well

I've been checking into glow in the dark spray paint for a while, and was stoked to find this site thanks to dude above. The only other spray glow that I've seen is by Krylon, but didn't look very strong. These people seem to know what they are doing, and claim a 24 hour bright glow. It was like $12 for a can with shipping.. I figure I can have some fun with it for sure

Token · Post by **Token** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:55 pm

The glow paint works very well with a few UV LEDs or a UV CCFL.

junglesmacks · Post by **junglesmacks** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:56 pm

Token wrote:The glow paint works very well with a few UV LEDs or a UV CCFL.

Hmm.. elaborate..

Are you talking supplemental light to make it "pop" or recharge or..?

Token · Post by **Token** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:01 pm

Yes to all.

It can be used when the glow effect fades.

It can be used to increase the glow.

It can be used to recharge the glow.

junglesmacks · Post by **junglesmacks** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:06 pm

Hard to find UV LED wands/glow sticks though.. would have to be battery powered..

Token · Post by **Token** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:12 pm

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-67261 ... 0591744308

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:15 pm

Wow, Token, that was really helpful...