Cycling computer

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si_c

Guru
Location
Wirral
At the cheap end of the scale is this product for £9.99 delivered. Cycle computer with lots of features and backlight (not gps). Also powerful light with fog lights and side lights, there is a remote control for light and horn operation, also alarm feature and its quite powerful with regard lumens, horn output and battery capacity. Probably easy to replace the batteries down the line as suspect it will be those 18650 cells inside. What quality it is, is another matter. Such products can be hit or miss. I think I read it has some ebike features related to setting range etc. I'd imagine not a bad option to keep the weight down as you are combining so many things into one item.


View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B091YRQ3G2


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This just falls in the e-waste category sadly. It's unlikely to do anything that it says it does well, or at all. Pretty much guaranteed to end up in landfill shortly after purchase.
 

Roseland triker

Cheese ..... It's all about the cheese
Location
By the sea
This just falls in the e-waste category sadly. It's unlikely to do anything that it says it does well, or at all. Pretty much guaranteed to end up in landfill shortly after purchase.
Who cares if it lasts even just 12 months, that's the way things are these days....
Use consume bin it or burn it.
Our council burns most of the landfill we produce here.
 
This just falls in the e-waste category sadly. It's unlikely to do anything that it says it does well, or at all. Pretty much guaranteed to end up in landfill shortly after purchase.
It's possible but there is a guarantee of course and if it fails you send it back as faulty. As its Amazon you won't have much difficulty getting your money back. If these had such a high failure rate then they wouldn't be sold as it would cost the retailer too much in returns.

However that doesn't in anyway mean its not baseline quality. I think I'd have more chance of repairing this than a high end light set. It's likely made with standard screws and widely available parts. Typically its high end parts that are harder to repair and high end material like carbon fibre cannot be recycled and go straight to landfill rather than aluminium, steel and titanium which are recycled without issue. Just making the point that performance components often have a shorter life and are more damaging to the environment. Also with CF it is very labour intensive so is non-efficient with regard world resources and energy etc. The reason a steel frames can be very cheap is they often very quickly made by robots welded in seconds pretty much and with much lower failure rates and longer lifespans albeit at the expense of frame weight.

I'm just writing that as you get the impression from reading cycling forums that people think high end components are some how better for the environment but the reverse is typically true and definitely much more damaging to the UK's trade deficit and huge level of public sector debt.

Admittedly this might be a little on the too cheap side but really don't know. I had a decent branded headlight but it had water ingress in heavy rain so had to add tape inside to try to stop water getting in. When I say decent I mean the brand commonly seen at local bike shops as recommended as their value choice. I had to spend time cleaning all the contacts of corrosion too. Admittedly going back a few years. To be honest I'd rather have a cheap LED light from today than a high end bike light system of 10 years ago. Even cheap lights are fantastic now.
 
Location
London
This just falls in the e-waste category sadly. It's unlikely to do anything that it says it does well, or at all. Pretty much guaranteed to end up in landfill shortly after purchase.
yep - clearly absolute trash - screams it - they can't even check their spelling "warming light" is I assume "warning light" - doubtless starts flashing as soon as you take it out of the box to tell you you've been had/deserve all you get.
 
Location
London
Lol don't need to thanks.
I'm a wel seasoned professional with manufacturing and retail experience of over 30yrs.


I'm the one people ask not the one asking:laugh:
care to tell us who your manufacturing/retail/landfill experience is with then?
 

Roseland triker

Cheese ..... It's all about the cheese
Location
By the sea
Arc welding would be cheaper, MIG gasless....not the best IMO, MIG with gas mix is very good

care to tell us who your manufacturing/retail/landfill experience is with then?
Well I poo in a hole in the yard. (Landfill)
I shop at Waitrose (retail)
I cut wood in to pieces for use elsewhere. (Manufacturing)...

:laugh::rolleyes:
 
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yep - clearly absolute trash - screams it - they can't even check their spelling "warming light" is I assume "warning light" - doubtless starts flashing as soon as you take it out of the box to tell you you've been had/deserve all you get.

I don't think chinglish means its definitely a poor product but I can imagine there is a steep learning curve to the product with so many features combined into it. Seems to a be a reasonable review here;


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jgeGmF0RvI


Lots of western brands import generic Chinese lights and cycle computers which they rebrand to sell in their stores etc. Halfords, Decathlon, Oxford, XTC etc. Most of the US and European bike brands don't actually make anything at all themselves but are reliant on factories in Asia. Admittedly they would spend time vetting which factories they use but the same factories typically also sell under their own brands. I mean sunding cycle computers are rebranded by a huge number of western brands.
 

freiston

Veteran
Location
Coventry
I don't think chinglish means its definitely a poor product but I can imagine there is a steep learning curve to the product with so many features combined into it. Seems to a be a reasonable review here;


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jgeGmF0RvI


Lots of western brands import generic Chinese lights and cycle computers which they rebrand to sell in their stores etc. Halfords, Decathlon, Oxford, XTC etc. Most of the US and European bike brands don't actually make anything at all themselves but are reliant on factories in Asia. Admittedly they would spend time vetting which factories they use but the same factories typically also sell under their own brands. I mean sunding cycle computers are rebranded by a huge number of western brands.

I have never seen a product like this one rebranded and sold in the UK.

I just took a look at that video and it seems that there are no light function modes that do not have the (bright) red sidelights on (right at the end of the video). I believe that this would make this light illegal to use on UK roads even as a secondary light. I'm not convinced that the beam pattern would be ideal for road use either - from the video, there seems to be a lot of light thrown above the horizon, so to speak.
 
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I have never seen a product like this one rebranded and sold in the UK.

I just took a look at that video and it seems that there are no light function modes that do not have the (bright) red sidelights on (right at the end of the video). I believe that this would make this light illegal to use on UK roads even as a secondary light. I'm not convinced that the beam pattern would be ideal for road use either - from the video, there seems to be a lot of light thrown above the horizon, so to speak.
According to some of the marketing spiel the lense is purposely designed to throw the main light downwards. Whether it does is another matter. I don't think the red side lights can replace a rear light but unsure of the legality of having additional red lights. Many cycling helmets now have red lights and these are openly sold even from mainstream bicycle shops. Also many clipless pedals don't have reflectors which is a legal requirement. Also a rear red reflector is a legal requirement but many people remove them. I personally wouldn't have an issue with a light with red side lights but unsure of the legality but then that would make me unsure of the legality of many other cycling products openly sold. Personally I think the main issue for most people is quality and functionality. The functionality looks good to me but the quality is definitely debatable and I wouldn't deny that. I used to have dual poundland front lights on my bike and was very pleased with their performance and made use of rechargeable batteries with a pack of single use batteries in my backpack just in case. I thought those lights were great and they cost a grand total of £2.

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freiston

Veteran
Location
Coventry
I don't think the red side lights can replace a rear light but unsure of the legality of having additional red lights.
Seems like red side marker lights are permitted, but certainly the convention in the UK is to have amber side marker lights. I'm still not keen on using red side marker lights

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 said:
Colour of light shown by lamps and reflectors

11.—(1) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing a red light to the front, except–

(a)a red and white chequered domed lamp, or a red and white segmented mast-mounted warning beacon, fitted to a fire service control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency;

(b)a side marker lamp or a side retro reflector;


bonzobanana said:
Many cycling helmets now have red lights and these are openly sold even from mainstream bicycle shops.
Not attached to the bike - not a bike light (though personally I'm not a fan of helmet lights).
Also many clipless pedals don't have reflectors which is a legal requirement. Also a rear red reflector is a legal requirement but many people remove them. I personally wouldn't have an issue with a light with red side lights but unsure of the legality but then that would make me unsure of the legality of many other cycling products openly sold.
Lights and reflectors on a bike are only a legal requirement from sunset to sunrise (but also complete bikes sold in the UK must be fitted with reflectors at the point of sale). Also, remember that "legality" of cycling products is dependent on use and what is not "illegal" off-road might be illegal on a public road, similarly, what might be legal as a secondary light might not be legal as a primary light. Whether something sold is legally fit for the purpose that the purchaser intends to use it for is the purchaser's responsibility (but it is a pet gripe of mine that retailers don't make it explicit whether bike lighting conforms to regulations to be used as primary lighting on a bike)
 
Seems like red side marker lights are permitted, but certainly the convention in the UK is to have amber side marker lights. I'm still not keen on using red side marker lights





Not attached to the bike - not a bike light (though personally I'm not a fan of helmet lights).
Lights and reflectors on a bike are only a legal requirement from sunset to sunrise (but also complete bikes sold in the UK must be fitted with reflectors at the point of sale). Also, remember that "legality" of cycling products is dependent on use and what is not "illegal" off-road might be illegal on a public road, similarly, what might be legal as a secondary light might not be legal as a primary light. Whether something sold is legally fit for the purpose that the purchaser intends to use it for is the purchaser's responsibility (but it is a pet gripe of mine that retailers don't make it explicit whether bike lighting conforms to regulations to be used as primary lighting on a bike)

Yes I understand that but you do see many cyclists with clipless pedals riding at night I'm just pointing out that many people don't cycle within the law and bikes are configured that way straight from a cycle shop sometimes although saying that many bikes come with basic pedals that do have reflectors whether shops still include them when they have sold a bike with clipless pedals and lights I don't know.
 
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