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Flags and poles: looking for recommendations

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antonin_d View Drop Down
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    Posted: 10 September 2019 at 5:11pm
Hi all!

In preparation for the upcoming Extinction Rebellion protests I am thinking of equipping my Quest with a nice flag. Do you have any recommendations about what to use as a flag pole and flag?

For a protest it should not be hard to put something together with whatever long pole I can get hold of and any random piece of fabric, but it would be ideal if the set up can be reused to make the velomobile more visible in other contexts, so the pole should ideally withstand relatively high speeds and winds, be lightweight, the flag should be visible but not add much drag or exposure to side winds, and so on.

Also I am thinking about adding a bright LED at the top, or potentially a led strip like the ones I have added at the front…

I have seen https://t-cycle.com/collections/all-purple-sky-products/ which look great but I am not keen to order from the US (and it's a bit expensive too!)

Antonin


Edited by antonin_d - 10 September 2019 at 5:13pm
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Yanto View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Yanto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 September 2019 at 5:37pm
What about contacting ICE Trikes, they have poles and flags for their trikes.

I can't think of any UK velomobile riders who use flags.
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Kim View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 September 2019 at 6:45pm
I don't use a flag myself, but the fibreglass poles supplied by ICE certainly seem up to the job. You could probably obtain something similar from a supplier of kite parts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farwer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 September 2019 at 8:30pm
I use a standard kids bike safety flag:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fp%2F6004333008

The orange one is very visible and not too big. I attach it just with cable ties. The connectors between the pole segments have to be not too weak. With a different flag a connector snapped and I lost the light which was attached to the pole.

A light like the Cateye RapidX2 fits perfectly.
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Andy G View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andy G Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 September 2019 at 11:37am
I would be inclined to visit your local fishing tackle shop. Carbon fibre, and glass fibre rods is what they do. They usually sell “blanks”, for people who want to make their own rods. A good chance of picking up a “second”, or damaged rod for next to nothing. And fishing tackle, by it’s very nature, is incredibly light. It would deffo be my first port of call.
These hills are steeper than they look.
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mark aldridge View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote mark aldridge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 September 2019 at 1:42pm
Just head for your local kite shop. They tend to have poles in all diameters, weights and materials and are a fount of knowledge regarding fabrics and designs. I use Kite's Up in Cliddesden just south of Basingstoke.
Also it is worth trying any shop that does those self-standing sail style advertising banners that you see all over the place.
Good luck.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote runcyclexcski Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 July 2020 at 2:00am
Nordic ski poles work for this. You can even carbon ones them in 3-pieces now for real cheap.
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Shreds View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shreds Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 July 2020 at 3:55pm
Larger B&Qs Warehouses usually have a section selling brass, steel, aluminium and fibreglass rod as well as tube and other cross sections. The fibreglass one strikes me as similar to the 5.85mm rod used for the ICE flag pole. ICE have a specific mount for the pole, as well as it dividing into three sections.

In respect of the mount and the joints, you might need to be a bit inventive, but easily done with some aluminium hollow tube of 6mm internal diameter (same source?) crimped at the base and some plastic screw on compression fittings. All done very cheaply.

Flag wise may depend on your sewing skills, but again just note how the ICE flag is designed not to catch too much wind and drag.

Of course buying direct from ICE is the other option.

Edited by Shreds - 25 July 2020 at 4:03pm
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