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My biggest compaint about flashing lights.

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My biggest compaint about flashing lights.

Old 06-15-22, 03:35 AM
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Ray9
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My biggest compaint about flashing lights.

I am not rich. If I were I would develop a wireless lighting system for bikes. Not headlights but the flashing lights that go on the back that can be put anywhere. I have never been able to find any that can be activated by a wirelesss switch on the handlebars. It is a pain in the neck especailly for older riders to fumble for a cheap button on the light. Once i get going I do not like to stop, it is not safe. Is there one out there for daytime riding? Thanks.
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Old 06-15-22, 05:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Ray9
I am not rich. If I were I would develop a wireless lighting system for bikes. Not headlights but the flashing lights that go on the back that can be put anywhere. I have never been able to find any that can be activated by a wirelesss switch on the handlebars. It is a pain in the neck especailly for older riders to fumble for a cheap button on the light. Once i get going I do not like to stop, it is not safe. Is there one out there for daytime riding? Thanks.
I'd like to have that feature or a simple tethered option for the Cygolite USB series of taillights. It would be very nice to be able to sync the lights to the bicycle computer & have a one stop shop for turning them off or on with a simple toggle of a button. If Garmin included that with there 1040 solar, it might be that one feature that could make me toss my old brick.
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Old 06-15-22, 05:26 AM
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Originally Posted by Ray9
I am not rich. If I were I would develop a wireless lighting system for bikes. Not headlights but the flashing lights that go on the back that can be put anywhere. I have never been able to find any that can be activated by a wirelesss switch on the handlebars. It is a pain in the neck especailly for older riders to fumble for a cheap button on the light. Once i get going I do not like to stop, it is not safe. Is there one out there for daytime riding? Thanks.
The Garmin Varia can be turned on and off or the mode changed from my 1030.

Why is stopping unsafe? I do it all the time at stop signs. And red lights.
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Old 06-15-22, 05:44 AM
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Normally retails for $20.



Center is red LED that toggles solid re, flashing red and off.
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Old 06-15-22, 06:15 AM
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Old 06-15-22, 06:18 AM
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I use the Knog Lil Cobber for both front and rear in the daytime.
They weigh 0.8oz each, and run for 40 hours in Eco Flash mode.

I don't turn them off til I get back home.
(They are a light to be seen by, not a light to see by)

Barry
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Old 06-15-22, 06:21 AM
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DAYTIME RED Taillight - DAYTIME ONLY TAILLIGHT seat post, seat stay, chain stay or rack mount – DiNotte Lighting USA Online Store
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Old 06-15-22, 06:48 AM
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When I put one on my seatpost, I find that it is easy to reach down to turn it on or off. I have several bikes with different lights, the hard part is that I have to remember how many button pushes to get to the mode I want.

It is harder to reach down and turn one on that is on my rear rack upper seatstay mount than on the seatpost, but I have done that too. That of course does not work very well if there is a rack on the bike.
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Old 06-15-22, 07:14 AM
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Smart Bike Lights | Garmin Connect IQ
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Old 06-15-22, 08:10 AM
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Me, and many cyclists around here, run their rear red blinkies full time, day and night. It's not uncommon to see a fast pack of road cyclists tear past and every bike has a light blinking at a different frequency.
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Old 06-15-22, 08:14 AM
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Originally Posted by ClydeClydeson
Me, and many cyclists around here, run their rear red blinkies full time, day and night. It's not uncommon to see a fast pack of road cyclists tear past and every bike has a light blinking at a different frequency.
I run my red rear light all the time I am riding, day or night. But I am not fast, and cannot recall ever tearing past anyone.
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Old 06-15-22, 08:47 AM
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I turn my lights on before I get on the bike. And turn them off after I get off when the ride is finished.

Though I do have a bike computer that will let me control ant+ capable lights, my lights are not ant+ or any type of wireless. Just a on/off switch. I'm too cheap to buy even the inexpensive ant+ lights to replace them.
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Old 06-15-22, 09:07 AM
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Bontrager also makes lights that can be controlled by a Garmin.
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Old 06-15-22, 09:16 AM
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Garmin works fairly well with lights. but lights will bring out the most glitches. they disconnect or if you forget one it can cause it not to find it again (like headlights) and you always charge them together as the garmin can turn on the headlight when you charge the garmin but then not turn it off. but garmin will tell you when the battery is low too.
this is where e bikes shine with built in lighting that turns on and off with the bike.
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Old 06-15-22, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Ray9
I am not rich. If I were I would develop a wireless lighting system for bikes. Not headlights but the flashing lights that go on the back that can be put anywhere. I have never been able to find any that can be activated by a wirelesss switch on the handlebars. It is a pain in the neck especailly for older riders to fumble for a cheap button on the light. Once i get going I do not like to stop, it is not safe. Is there one out there for daytime riding? Thanks.
Garmin Varia tallights, Garmin Varia headlights, some of the Trek/Bontrager headlights and taillights (specifically theses Ion lights) can all be controlled from the head unit if it will manage lights. I know all the Garmin units do and so do the Hammerhead Karoo's. Basically, any light that claims ANT+ connectivity can usually be controlled this way. Trek specifically has created lights that are for daytime riding and are ANT+ remote capable. On my Karoo, when the ride is paused, it turns the lights off.

Bontrager also has a remote control to mount to the handlebars to do this. So does Niterider to control all their NiteLink lights. I have the Niterider Lumina Pro 1300 and the Omega EVO 330 taillight. They can be paired to turn on and off with the taillight slaved to the headlight, turn the headlight on, the taillight automatically turns on. The remote control does more than that.

This capability has existed for several years.
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Old 06-15-22, 11:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
Bontrager also makes lights that can be controlled by a Garmin.
Yes they do and they are wonderful. The lights turn on when the computer starts computing and off when it stops computing.

That and the various Blendr mounts are a big selling point for me on the brand.
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Old 06-15-22, 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Mojo31
Yes they do and they are wonderful. The lights turn on when the computer starts computing and off when it stops computing.

That and the various Blendr mounts are a big selling point for me on the brand.
I have a Varia tail light/radar. I read some reviews suggesting the Bontrager lights interfere with the pairing of the Varia. Do you know if this is an issue? I want to try the Bontrager headlight.
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Old 06-15-22, 12:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
I have a Varia tail light/radar. I read some reviews suggesting the Bontrager lights interfere with the pairing of the Varia. Do you know if this is an issue? I want to try the Bontrager headlight.
I have the Bontrager Ion 200 RT/Flare RT set and a Varia RVR315, and run them through a Garmin Edge 1030 Plus or 530 Plus depending on the bike.

In addition, I have a Garmin speed sensor, Stages power meter, and Scoshe HRM all synced to the 1030 on my primary bike.

I have had no issues other than the power meter drops and I have to re-pair it at times before a rid. But, that is infrequent. It never drops during a ride.

Last edited by Mojo31; 06-15-22 at 12:34 PM.
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Old 06-15-22, 12:38 PM
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The only time I find the need to turn off the rear occurs when intercepting one of my group rides.
No sense to send my buddies into an epileptic seizure. lol
No problem switching off the front (or covering with my hand for a pedestrian heading my direction).
We want both lights to make us seen by motorists, first and foremost. These saved my bacon many times.
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Old 06-15-22, 03:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
I have a Varia tail light/radar. I read some reviews suggesting the Bontrager lights interfere with the pairing of the Varia. Do you know if this is an issue? I want to try the Bontrager headlight.
Is your watch paired to your Varia?

I have mine paired and I like that it vibrates on my wrist. The Garmin beep isn't very loud, I can't hear it or cars behind me when I'm descending on chip seal. Or other loud situations. So the buzz on my wrist is helpful. But the watch wakes it up sometimes.
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Old 06-15-22, 04:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
Is your watch paired to your Varia?.
I hope you will permit me to start a new thread so I don't inadvertently hijack this one.
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Old 06-15-22, 05:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Polaris OBark
I have a Varia tail light/radar. I read some reviews suggesting the Bontrager lights interfere with the pairing of the Varia. Do you know if this is an issue? I want to try the Bontrager headlight.
Just pair them all together at the same time. I have a Bontrager Flare RT headlight, Flare RT tail light (mounts on my helmet), and Varia 715. No issues.
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