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Review on Enhance Your Bike's Safety and Style with Activ Life 2-Tire Pack LED Bike Wheel Lights – Batteries Included! by Nate Nelson

Revainrating 4 out of 5

A little disappointed but good overall

I have a color cycling version. I was a little disappointed to find out that there is no way to control the color (all you get is an on/off switch), but it's my fault for not reading the Q&A. (On the other hand, the seller could have put that information in the description as well.) So it's just changing colors, okay. But it's not even that good. It starts with red, then goes to green, then to blue, then back to green, back to blue. and then abruptly returns to red without fading. The colors are not the same for all lights, for example some are green and some are blue. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I realized why this is all true: the color changing mechanism is built into each individual LED (there are only 2 wires connecting them all). And since these are cheap, low-quality LEDs, their color and brightness characteristics aren't consistent, and their ability to keep track of time probably won't be the same. This is most likely why the power supply is programmed to cut power for a short time to reset them all back to red. If he didn't, they would most likely migrate farther apart until they were different colors. You can't even go through a cycle without them. This discrepancy is actually visually appealing, but is reminiscent of the $2 battery powered LED strings I bought at a major auction in 2007. particularly weather-resistant or durable. The silicone straps provided to secure the pack to the wheel hub are of good quality, but I had to twist both together as instructed to completely bypass my 1.5" hub. Luckily my hubs are black so the knot of the ribbons isn't very visible. I like that the wire is quite stiff for something so thin and it appears to be coated to prevent shorts, but you don't see it - it looks like bare wire with no sheath. During the day it is not too noticeable. My bike has black spokes so the wire sticks out and it's so shiny, but most bikes have chrome spokes and it suits them better. The first foot of wire has a thick, clear coating because it is designed to wrap tightly around the spoke on its way to the rim. Another good thing about these cords is that they were long enough to bridge my 29" MTB wheels with about 5" of wire and 2 LEDs. Road test hasn't edited these lines yet, but will update my review if I have any feedback afterwards. Overall, I feel pretty much "4 stars" about this purchase. They could be better but they meet my needs. If I knew more about the functionality of colors, I might choose fixed color sets (although I would expect them to have inconsistent colors, except for plain red, green, or blue, which would likely have inconsistent brightness).

Pros
  • FAST, EASY INSTALLATION. We have developed Activ Lite especially for you. Our FREE installation video will help you set up your system quickly and without tools. Any bike with a standard wheel hub and spokes deserves to be great. GET ACTIV LITES TODAY!
Cons
  • There are defects