Lights are so irritating, i dont really like having one front one rear, because if it fails youre stuck without any light, so you need four. USB charging is better than putting AAAs in i guess.
why does no one make a dock thing.
Little pin contacts onto gold touch pads on the light body. You take your lights off (personally i like a rubber band) and drop them on a hub that can charge a families worth of lights. 4 or 6 identical pairs, so you can pick up a couple of pairs and know theyre charged!
Make it so.
Or just use a dynamo it nearly always works and is always on your bike.
Saw a pair of lights with a magnetic connector pair on a USB cable. So no plugging in or anything, just two magnetic connectors on a Y cable.
Not quite what you wanted, but much simpler than all the different cables being pushed into various sockets, no covers to damage or lose either.
It'll work out expensive compared to a USB charger or two with multiple outlets, powering the short USB lead that is generally bundled in with each light.
Lights are so irritating, i dont really like having one front one rear, because if it fails youre stuck without any light, so you need four. USB charging is better than putting AAAs in i guess.
Maybe dont buy cheap lights? Unless I crash or didnt attach the light correctly and it falls out, I would not expect a failure of any of my lights...
ebikes has light accessories plugs, just saying
I did resort to running two rear lights for redundancy. The front light I knew I had to charge every week and then it would be fine, but the (more than bright enough) rears running on recharge AAA's would run for a few months (and then needed a screwdriver to take the batteries out and swap) and, worse than that, I'd not realise it wasn't alight until I reached home.
Can't say any of my lights have ever failed unless I've just not remembered to charge them, I only ever one front and one rear. Buy cheap buy twice?
Used to run two rear lights until my Garmin Varia. >6hrs is more than enough for most rides. Front, I run a Joystick/Boost and an under-the-Garmin flashing Ravman 160 to be seen on the front. Everything is trending to USB-C, but those four lights use three cables! Commuting I also run a Fly6 with the Varia, that has a risible <2h battery life.
Little pin contacts onto gold touch pads on the light body. You take your lights off (personally i like a rubber band) and drop them on a hub that can charge a families worth of lights. 4 or 6 identical pairs, so you can pick up a couple of pairs and know theyre charged!
And then when the lights gradually get broken and the manufacturer changes the design you get left with a random charging hub which is of no us to anyone. Also, I'd want a hub at home and in work. At the moment I have USB leads anywhere I need them and they all fit any of my lights except the Exposures, which I don't commute with anyway.
Proprietary charging docks are never the answer what a pain in the hoop.
Wireless charging though...
3 USB C and one Micro USB light's in use on my commute. Wires plugged into the USB sockets on my monitor or 'hub' so I can charge all four in one go.
I’m with you on 2 rear lights. One of mine is an Exposure but the cost of failure is too much to contemplate
Is charging that hard? I have a 4 block by my bed. This lead to 6 usb A block and 2 usb c sockets. Plus all the wires i need
Exposure front and rear for main lights.
Bracket on the rear held on with a Big elastic band. I do have to plug it in. Doesn't seem that taxing.
Front is the big exposure metal clamp and plugged in. It's an old six pack so takes more than a night to charge. Doesn't seem that taxing.
I don't have a problem with the 5 seconds to connect to a USBc, which I have a dozen or so scattered around the house and next to our 'charging area'.
I do have an issue with a dock that is proprietary and out of date at the whim of a manufacturer.
Although, if someone would just design a 'basket of wireless charging' so I can fling everything in and just let it slowly charge, that would be amazing...(And of course wireless charging lights).
I give you the Aldi commuter lights.
Remove the rubber block on the back and push straight into any USB slot. No wires, no special chargers and simple. Just have to time the special deals.
PS: even has the requested gold (coloured) connectors.
QI inductive chargers are already a thing. There's a standard, they are readily available and they are used for a number of devices already. We just need some lights to match.
I have a Moon Titan that is wireless rechargeable. Uses a Garmin mount on the bike so is easy to to pop on and off.
Also has a proper dipped beam for road use and a wireless remote.
Whether through a fault with the light, accidental damage, user error when monitoring it's charge or simply due to a longer than anticipated ride it's just naive believing you'll always be able to rely on just one light front and rear based solely on how expensive it was so it's just good common sense to run two. it's an even better idea if you use flashing lights to also have a constant beam a to make it far easier for others to judge your distance.
I have tons of lights and am quite happy using 4 port USB adapters and separate cables to charge multiple things at the same time. I don't actually think I'd be interested in a charging hub/dock or wireless charging for bike lights (presumably the hub/dock/QI would probably still need to be plugged into a usb adapter anyway). A couple of my Lezyne and knog lights have a USB-A connector built in similar to the Aldi light above and I have found that to be handy if charging away from home.
Anker 6 port jobbie here.
Used to commute a 40 mile round trip half on pitch black fast A road, only twice a week though.
Exposure rear and double ender on helmet, B&M proper front, all used night and day.
Helmet light was vital to get you visible above the car lights in traffic, and to add better distance perception for cars at speed.
My big invention was having a rear light on the top tube firing down illuminating the clear water bottle and chainset, this gave the side visibility and helped me see my stuff in the dark.
Got to say, I hate charging docks. Only fit one brand and type of device. There is the problem wanting to charge things in not the place they normally get charged, I need to take the charger with me that is bigger than the thing it's charging, that's not practical.
Or I could just take a small universal cable that magically fits all my devices and will even charge one device from another if needs be and you can find a thing to plug it in to just about anywhere.
Exposure rear and double ender on helmet, B&M proper front, all used night and day.
Helmet light was vital to get you visible above the car lights in traffic, and to add better distance perception for cars at speed.
as a London cyclist, where there are lots of other riders, riding both on well lit streets and unlit/poorly lit parks I hate:
Front mounted helmet mounted lights. The front is all over the place. If a rider looks in your direction it blinds you for a few seconds. Must be the same for drivers.
Rear mounted helmet lights. if youre even vaguely close behind someone, and even worse at traffic lights, its right at your eye level, again, blinding you and reducing your ability to see what’s going on around you and perceive risks.
Flashing front lights. They’re ok when background light level is high. They’re fine during the day, but if it’s dark they make speed perception difficult (very difficult if there’s a group of riders with flashing lights all at different frequencies). The exposure static with flash is the only acceptable one at night
Overly bright, unshaped beams (or badly angled front lights)
there are tight regulations on car lights, front and rear, for a reason.
there are tight regulations on car lights, front and rear, for a reason.
There actually are regulations on bike lighting. Not that any police (if we had any left in the first place) will know them.
Front helmet mounted bike lights with a beam are illegal. IMO you're either a complete idiot or incredibly selfish if you use one on the road.
Totally agree with you on all your other points too.
why does no one make a dock thing.
Because then you've yet another plastic thing made in china full of electronics, that only has one, very specific, use case. And you only have one of them, in your house. Which means if your light go flat anywhere else your S.O.O.L.
As opposed to USB C - the charger that we all already own dozens of and most of us could probably find within arms reach of their body as they read this wherever they happen to be - home, work, in the car, etc etc...
I use those Aldi lights above
Two my three have have lost the charger cover. I've "fixed it" with sugau.
Are they rebranded something else? I got a lezene light the looked similar but isn't as good
Maybe not a docking station, but I'd like there to be a general adoption of a water resilient connector like the Garmin watches or some other standard?
USB doesn't work if it's damp, so why not use a simple 2-pin (Garmin has 4 but i assume the others are data) connector that doesn't matter if it's underwater. I could then run/charge everything on multi day trips from a powerbank safely tucked away somewhere dry. Same with other gadgets like powermeters, HRM's, cameras, why persist with connectors that don't actually work. If Cycliq or Chillitech made their cameras chargeable on the bike I'd be tempted but I'm not messing around with yet another gadget to charge.
I give you the Aldi commuter lights.
Remove the rubber block on the back and push straight into any USB slot. No wires, no special chargers and simple. Just have to time the special deals.
Some bastard stole mine in town last week.
It's not the cost that annoys me, it's that it was a genuinely useful light thanks to the built in connector and half decent beam (for a small commuting light).
Maybe dont buy cheap lights? Unless I crash or didnt attach the light correctly and it falls out, I would not expect a failure of any of my lights...
Depends how much your ride in the dark and how far from home, etc.
If all it's for is off-road MTBing, then yes I'd agree most lights are pretty much bombproof these days. My Lumenator is still going strong and must be 10+ years old now!
But daily commuting kills things, or just exposes issues generally. Batteries degrade until one day you get home and realise the rear light has died, mounts fail, charger wasn't connected properly at work. Even the dynamo setup has died on me sometimes. Luggage straps getting dragged into the wheel, wires corroding and snapping, connectors fail. Plenty of times over the winter I'll end up relying on the spare light.
Blimey... I'm mostly horrified by the limited lights you all seem to run.... On a mixed unlit path/urban/suburban commute I have:
Rear: b&m mudguard mounted (stvzo/solid(aaa); cateye reflex rack mounted (bs6102/solid/aaa); chainstay onone COB light (solid/usb); cheap belt clip light on carradice (triple flash/usb).
Plus some cateye orb lights in the ends of the drops...
And an unused Smart Superflash on the chainstay as a back up.
4 on the front too one STVZO,, 2 other small LEDs and a cheap Amazon off road light for the unlit bit....
Carry a tiny AAA charger (usb powered) in the bag, spare batteries etc. I often get to work/home with a light out. The AAA ones seem to last the best though....
I give you the Aldi commuter lights.
Remove the rubber block on the back and push straight into any USB slot. No wires, no special chargers and simple. Just have to time the special deals.
I replaced the Rubber strap with a gopro to female Garming 1/4 turn arrangement so it just twists on/off of the Garmin out front mount on my winter road bike (Which also has Dynamo lights)
But yeah that light has about the best charging solution; just pull the rubber lump off the back, plonk it in a wall charger or a USB port, no cable to worry about, I do wish the rubber lump was tethered but it's pretty secure and weather proof IME.
The Rear light that came with it was bobbins though.
Actually this Thread has reminded me I have a knock-off Zecto where the clips snapped off of the body so I can't strap it to the bars with a rubber thing anymore, but the light still works well. I need to come up with a 3D printed fix, but I can't decide if I want to just reinstate it's rubber strap function or make it work with some other sort of mounting setup.
While I've got it adapt though I might see how challenging it would be to integrate one of those wireless charging pad adaptors (they're only a fiver or so), works a treat on my phone and I do just like the idea of slapping the light down on a pad to charge.
I used to run four rears and two fronts through the winter, when i knew i'd be riding through all sorts of gloomy shit.
Seat post (one of those cateye grenade things, still have it, still use it, must be 20 years old) couple of basic rechargeable LED things on the seat stays, one on each side, and one on the end of the mudguard. Fronts was a proper road commuter on one side with a smaller cateye as a back up.
Even if you have 2 sets of lights for redundancy, you probably only need to charge one of those sets regularly, right? You don't have to run all 4 all the time, or that'd kinda defeat the point. I've kinda stopped running them now (in favour of lights with battery indicators), but backup lights kinda just stayed on the bike and almost never got charged.
I used to run them all the time, then just charge or replace batteries when they went flat. Never, in 15+ years had more than one rear and one front run out at the same time. I felt i needed the light, and the redundancy, as some of my night rides/extended commutes i would leave work about at 5, and get home at 8 or 9. Even a "normal" commute might be 60-90 minutes.