Smart Bike light connection
#26
Senior Member



Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,717
Likes: 2,104
From: Madison, WI
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
My 1965 Ford F-250 was the best vehicle I ever owned for maintenance. It had three options from the factory, limited slip rear axle, auxiliary springs in back, and an AM radio. Back then even the backup lights, windshield washer and passenger side windshield visor were options, were never installed on it. But I added some backup lights so I could see. It did not take long to figure out where all the controls were when there was almost nothing to control.
Sorry for getting far off topic here.
#27
Happy With My Bikes


Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 2,770
Likes: 3,284
From: Oklahoma
Bikes: Hi-Ten bike boomers, a Trek Domane and some projects
My Garmin Edge and Forerunner will pair with my Bontrager lights. I thought it would be a neat, if not handy, feature for the lights to turn on when I started a ride and turn off when I finished, so when I bought the lights I paired them to both devices. Turns out it was neither neat nor handy.
I never figured out what was causing it, but sometimes when I opened my garage door with the remote, the lights would come on. Unpairing the light from the Edge and the Forerunner didn’t help, because for some reason the Forerunner was hell-bent on repairing with the lights. I tried unpairing and restarting the watch, resetting the watch to factory defaults, removing the watch from Garmin Connect, unpairing and then resetting to factory defaults, and every combination in between. I tried Ant and Bluetooth with no difference. It seemed that every time Garmin updated the watch software, the watch would pair itself back to the lights. Fortunately this has stopped occurring because I assume Garmin eventually changed how the update process works or I'm just living right these days and the bike gods think I deserve mercy.
What I eventually found worked best, is taking the bike off the wall, using the buttons to turn on the lights, select the mode and riding the bike. Having the lights come on automagically when I started a ride was a solution to a problem that didn't exist.
I never figured out what was causing it, but sometimes when I opened my garage door with the remote, the lights would come on. Unpairing the light from the Edge and the Forerunner didn’t help, because for some reason the Forerunner was hell-bent on repairing with the lights. I tried unpairing and restarting the watch, resetting the watch to factory defaults, removing the watch from Garmin Connect, unpairing and then resetting to factory defaults, and every combination in between. I tried Ant and Bluetooth with no difference. It seemed that every time Garmin updated the watch software, the watch would pair itself back to the lights. Fortunately this has stopped occurring because I assume Garmin eventually changed how the update process works or I'm just living right these days and the bike gods think I deserve mercy.
What I eventually found worked best, is taking the bike off the wall, using the buttons to turn on the lights, select the mode and riding the bike. Having the lights come on automagically when I started a ride was a solution to a problem that didn't exist.
__________________
"It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels." -- Heinz Stücke
"It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels." -- Heinz Stücke
#28
Facts just confuse people




Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 19,270
Likes: 7,025
From: Mississippi
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
You were all over the place. Not my problem. Do better.
The OP is talking about a program “you’d give to other people to use”.
It could 10+ hours of work to get something useable (not just for dealing with the API. It’s not likely to be worth it.
Nothing you said indicated you thought it was a waste of time.
Again, with the ad hominems. If you can’t take people commenting about your post, you shouldn’t post.
You started out OK. Even if you what you wrote was more confusing and unfocused than it should have been.
The OP is talking about a program “you’d give to other people to use”.
It could 10+ hours of work to get something useable (not just for dealing with the API. It’s not likely to be worth it.
Nothing you said indicated you thought it was a waste of time.
Again, with the ad hominems. If you can’t take people commenting about your post, you shouldn’t post.
You started out OK. Even if you what you wrote was more confusing and unfocused than it should have been.
I still like what I wrote for the reasons I wrote it. I'm okay with the idea that you have no clue about the context and ideas that it was about.
10 hours of programming still seems like a little to much. But depends on what you think the finished product will need to be. Again, for the use of its creator, it doesn't have to be pretty or fool proof. However for someone that just wants to challenge themselves with a little coding project in their spare time, it wouldn't be unreasonable even if it was 100 hours of time. Similar to how some people prefer to fiddle with adjusting stuff on their bikes instead of riding them.
The laughable thing is that you want to argue over nothing. I said nothing wrong or so egregious that it needed any comment from another member. You were the one that didn't write clearly what you meant.
Last edited by Iride01; 12-12-25 at 09:06 AM.
#29
Senior Member


Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 15,223
Likes: 1,745
From: Far beyond the pale horizon.
Again, this is an ad hominem and against the rules.
Like it or not, it’s still bad. (What you first wrote was kind of OK but you are
now wandering in the weeds.)
You agreed it was a waste of time. Now, you are arguing it isn’t. Make up your mind.
There are other “challenges” that are more worth the effort.
You are the one still arguing. What you continue going on about is a confusing mess.
now wandering in the weeds.)
However for someone that just wants to challenge themselves with a little coding project in their spare time, it wouldn't be unreasonable even if it was 100 hours of time. Similar to how some people prefer to fiddle with adjusting stuff on their bikes instead of riding them.
You are the one still arguing. What you continue going on about is a confusing mess.
Last edited by njkayaker; 12-12-25 at 09:29 AM.
#30
Disco Infiltrator




Joined: May 2013
Posts: 15,324
Likes: 3,517
From: Folsom CA
Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem
Oh I didn't mean doorknob like the entry door, I meant "doorknob" as big combination 4-way rocker switch and turning knob for using the entertainment system.
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
"Well, well!" said Holmes, impatiently. "A good cyclist does not need a high road. The moor is intersected with paths and the moon is at the full."
Genesis 49:16-17
"Well, well!" said Holmes, impatiently. "A good cyclist does not need a high road. The moor is intersected with paths and the moon is at the full."
#31
aka Tom Reingold




Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,127
Likes: 6,343
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
I think the virtual gauges are fine, or at least, they CAN be.
The Land Rover is not the only one who collapses all of the possible values into three. I can't figure out why they would do that.
I'm glad car makers are rethinking the controls. I think it's a serious matter that should be regulated if the industry doesn't give back a few controls. Imagine operating the windshield wipers with a touch screen. That's how the Tesla was until recently. Tesla sends frequent software updates, and a recent one gave windshield wiper control to a steering wheel scroll wheel. OK now I don't have to take my hands off the wheel, but I still have to read a menu to operate it. Still not good enough.
The Land Rover is not the only one who collapses all of the possible values into three. I can't figure out why they would do that.
I'm glad car makers are rethinking the controls. I think it's a serious matter that should be regulated if the industry doesn't give back a few controls. Imagine operating the windshield wipers with a touch screen. That's how the Tesla was until recently. Tesla sends frequent software updates, and a recent one gave windshield wiper control to a steering wheel scroll wheel. OK now I don't have to take my hands off the wheel, but I still have to read a menu to operate it. Still not good enough.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#32
Senior Member



Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,717
Likes: 2,104
From: Madison, WI
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
I bought a used 2005 Volvo XC-90 a couple years ago. The version I have was complete with many options like heated seats for cold weather, fog lights, etc. I think I sat in the drivers seat for an hour with the manual trying to figure out all the buttons, most of which only had little icons with no text. A year later, I was still getting some of the buttons confused.
That said, I prefer physical buttons over touch screens. And this vehicle is 20 years old, so it is exclusively buttons or knobs or rocker switches.




