With temperatures rising and snow and ice melting away, cyclists are hitting the roads in increasing numbers. But there’s a downside to this good news—motorists don’t expect to see us at this time of year. The calendar determines most folk’s expectations, and March just isn’t bicycle season. So it’s up to us cyclists to make our presence known.

If you’re not bright, so the saying goes, you’re out of sight. Blinkies, bike reflectors, brightly colored clothes, and reflective strips all help. But in some conditions, even on brilliantly sunny days, these might not be enough. I like to hedge my bets. That’s why I recently bought a “Yield Safety Triangle” from Team Estrogen. It didn’t cost much (USD11). And so far it looks like a winner.

The safety triangle is modeled after the familiar “Slow Moving Vehicle” sign. You’ve seen them, I’m sure. They’re on farm wagons, tractors, and construction equipment—and occasionally even on horse-drawn Amish buggies. Some bike tourers already use them, but there’s no reason why commuters and racers-in-training shouldn’t, as well. In city traffic, on back roads, and on the shoulders of busy highways the question is always the same: Will you be seen? A safety triangle can make the difference.

It’s not much of a burden to bear. My Yield Safety Triangle is made of featherweight flexible orange mesh with a hi-viz yellow reflective tape border. It attaches with a web belt that closes with a quick-release buckle.

You can wear it around your waist if you want, but I don’t. I breathe with my belly when I ride. So I wrapped the belt of my triangle around my rack trunk. This lets the triangle hang off the back of my bike, right where it is most visible, and it wraps around just enough to be seen from the sides, too. It doesn’t even flap. If I wore it around my waist, the triangle would be less obvious because I often ride bent low over the bars.

I threaded the belt through the loops of the zipper pulls for the trunk gusset and secured the buckle in front. Then I knotted the end of the buckle webbing to itself so it wouldn’t flap or loosen.

It seems to be working. On my first ride with the new triangle, every vehicle that approached from behind on the highway gave me plenty of elbow room in passing. And in busy downtown traffic, the following vehicles all kept back at a safe distance. Peace of mind never came so cheap.

 
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