pedalite flashing pedals - good or bad

[Ben]

Hi,

I've seen these pedalite flasinh pedals (www.pedalite.com)

They look quite cool - even if they are clipless. But one glaring issue
they dont' answer is
how do they ensure they are the right way up. They have red and white
aspects, and if the pedal is upside down things could get dangerous
(red front, white back...)

Does anyone out there know what the answer is? Is there a clever
solution, or are they indeed dangerous?

Cheers,

Ben

 

[Danny Colyer]

Ben wrote:
> I've seen these pedalite flasinh pedals (www.pedalite.com)
>
> They look quite cool - even if they are clipless. But one glaring issue
> they dont' answer is
> how do they ensure they are the right way up.

ISTR the question was answered in the 23/11/06 edition of the Bike Show:
<url:http://bikeshow.blogspot.com/>

The answer is that they don't.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[wafflycat]

"Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ben wrote:
>> I've seen these pedalite flasinh pedals (www.pedalite.com)
>>
>> They look quite cool - even if they are clipless. But one glaring issue
>> they dont' answer is
>> how do they ensure they are the right way up.
>
> ISTR the question was answered in the 23/11/06 edition of the Bike Show:
> <url:http://bikeshow.blogspot.com/>
>
> The answer is that they don't.
>

In the radio report on them, the bloke admits that you can end up with a red
light showing to the front, but then says there's nothing illegal to that
(or words to that effect). I was of the impression that it was illegal to
have red lights showing forward & white lights showing rearward. I'm sure
someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Tony Raven]

wafflycat wrote on 07/11/2006 13:56 +0100:
>
> In the radio report on them, the bloke admits that you can end up with a
> red light showing to the front, but then says there's nothing illegal to
> that (or words to that effect). I was of the impression that it was
> illegal to have red lights showing forward & white lights showing
> rearward. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
>

You use them that way round for cycling the wrong way down one way
streets ;-)

--
Tony

"Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using
his intelligence; he is just using his memory."
- Leonardo da Vinci

 

[wafflycat]

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> wafflycat wrote on 07/11/2006 13:56 +0100:
>>
>> In the radio report on them, the bloke admits that you can end up with a
>> red light showing to the front, but then says there's nothing illegal to
>> that (or words to that effect). I was of the impression that it was
>> illegal to have red lights showing forward & white lights showing
>> rearward. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
>>
>
> You use them that way round for cycling the wrong way down one way streets
> ;-)
>

That's all right then!

 

[Danny Colyer]

wafflycat wrote:
> In the radio report on them, the bloke admits that you can end up with a red
> light showing to the front, but then says there's nothing illegal to that
> (or words to that effect). I was of the impression that it was illegal to
> have red lights showing forward & white lights showing rearward.

Yes [1], although last year's changes at least made it legal to have
lights in the pedals [2][3].

[1] <url:http://tinyurl.com/9lv9c>
[2] <url:http://tinyurl.com/gj233>
[3] <url:http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20052559.htm> (amendments to
regulation 12).

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Alan Braggins]

In article <[email protected]>, Ben wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I've seen these pedalite flasinh pedals (www.pedalite.com)
>
>They look quite cool - even if they are clipless.

Clipless version scheduled for 2007, says http://www.pedalite.com/faq.php


> But one glaring issue
>they dont' answer is
>how do they ensure they are the right way up. They have red and white
>aspects, and if the pedal is upside down things could get dangerous
>(red front, white back...)
>
>Does anyone out there know what the answer is? Is there a clever
>solution, or are they indeed dangerous?

They aren't symmetrical, so possibly the red end is heavier and tends to
hang down, making it likely they will end up the right way around.
See http://www.pedalite.com/images/sketches/principle_med.jpg - the dynamo
is on one side of the axle, a space on the other.

I've only seen them once, and that cyclist had them the right way around.
But maybe she looked down and flicked them over, or maybe she was just
lucky. They were quite eyecatching.

 

[Mark McNeill]

Response to Alan Braggins:

> Clipless version scheduled for 2007, says http://www.pedalite.com/faq.php


Now, that's tempting, if they get it right. They'd be less visible on
the bent, but I can see myself getting a pair for the upright and seeing
how I get on. They'd need more cleaning than I normally give the rest
of the bike. <blush>


> They aren't symmetrical, so possibly the red end is heavier and tends to
> hang down, making it likely they will end up the right way around.
> See http://www.pedalite.com/images/sketches/principle_med.jpg - the dynamo
> is on one side of the axle, a space on the other.


They'd have to work pretty hard *not* to make the red end heavier, by
the look of it.


--
Mark, UK
"I like also the men who study the Great Pyramid, with a view to
deciphering its mystical lore. Many great books have been written on
this subject, some of which have been presented to me by their authors.
It is a singular fact that the Great Pyramid always predicts the history
of the world accurately up to the date of publication of the book in
question, but after that date it becomes less reliable."

 

[Josey]

"Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> The answer is that they don't.

Tilt switches and bi-color or dual LEDs are what's needed, or of course take
the option of amber LEDs (if the law allows, I don't recall what the recent
amendment said).

Jc

 

[Paul Boyd]

Josey said the following on 07/11/2006 21:03:
> "Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> The answer is that they don't.
>
> Tilt switches and bi-color or dual LEDs are what's needed, or of course take
> the option of amber LEDs (if the law allows, I don't recall what the recent
> amendment said).

I wondered about tilt switches (not that the pedals are any use for me!)
I think the problem would be that pedalling momentum might confuse
tilt switches and they wouldn't know whether they're coming or going!

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Paul Boyd]

Alan Braggins said the following on 07/11/2006 16:10:

> Clipless version scheduled for 2007, says http://www.pedalite.com/faq.php

Now that might make them of some use to me. I could stick them on as
winter pedals.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[David Lloyd]

"Paul Boyd" <usenet.dont.work@plusnet> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Josey said the following on 07/11/2006 21:03:
> > "Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> The answer is that they don't.
> >
> > Tilt switches and bi-color or dual LEDs are what's needed, or of course
take
> > the option of amber LEDs (if the law allows, I don't recall what the
recent
> > amendment said).
>
> I wondered about tilt switches (not that the pedals are any use for me!)
> I think the problem would be that pedalling momentum might confuse
> tilt switches and they wouldn't know whether they're coming or going!
>

You could have a pressure sensitive pad or microswitch on either side of the
pedal. This will indicate to the system which side of the pedal is being
used, hence, according to whether the pedal is a left or right pedal, the
correct lights would be lit on the front and back.

--
David Lloyd,
The pub is responsible for my opinions.

 

[Danny Colyer]

Alan Braggins wrote:
>>Clipless version scheduled for 2007, says http://www.pedalite.com/faq.php

and Paul Boyd responded:
> Now that might make them of some use to me. I could stick them on as
> winter pedals.

And if they're only clipless on one side then that would solve the
problem of which way the lights face. As long as the bindings are on
the correct side...

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Alan Braggins]

In article <[email protected]>, Mark McNeill wrote:
>
>> They aren't symmetrical, so possibly the red end is heavier and tends to
>> hang down, making it likely they will end up the right way around.
>> See http://www.pedalite.com/images/sketches/principle_med.jpg - the dynamo
>> is on one side of the axle, a space on the other.
>
>They'd have to work pretty hard *not* to make the red end heavier, by
>the look of it.

Yes, but possibly the dynamo effectively makes the bearings stiff so
the heavier end doesn't reliably hang downwards.

 

[Don Whybrow]

David Lloyd wrote:
>
> You could have a pressure sensitive pad or microswitch on either side of the
> pedal. This will indicate to the system which side of the pedal is being
> used, hence, according to whether the pedal is a left or right pedal, the
> correct lights would be lit on the front and back.

.... or on a clipless system, use the cleat to complete the circuit.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

You guys got something against spam? (Vriess, in _Alien 4_)

 

[Tim Dunne]

"Don Whybrow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]

> ... or on a clipless system, use the cleat to complete the circuit.

Not much good with Look cleats...

Tim

--
Sent from Birmingham, UK timdunne at blueyonder.co.uk
'God's electrician sparked up the heavens once again, heading northbound
on the 7:10. And the lord said let there be commuters...' - Thea Gilmore
Look, mum, an anorak on a bike! Check out www.nervouscyclist.org

 

[Sirius631]

Tim Dunne wrote:
> "Don Whybrow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]
>
> > ... or on a clipless system, use the cleat to complete the circuit.
>
> Not much good with Look cleats...
>
Get Pedalite to make their own Look compatable cleats with conductive
strips moulded in.

David

 

[Alan Braggins]

Sirius631 wrote:
>Tim Dunne wrote:
>> "Don Whybrow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> > ... or on a clipless system, use the cleat to complete the circuit.
>>
>> Not much good with Look cleats...
>>
>Get Pedalite to make their own Look compatable cleats with conductive
>strips moulded in.

Aren't Look users going to be used to single sided pedals anyway?
Though I suppose on a commuter bike Pedalites with clips on only one side
which assume you are using the other side for non-cycle shoes if you aren't
clipped in might be useful.