Hokey Spokes are clear computerized “blades” that connect to your bicycle spokes and spin as you journey to create a powerful array of design pictures and textual content. With a reputation like “Hokey Spokes” you may anticipate these little digital “blades” to be nothing greater than a kids’s right now. Nonetheless, you’d be shocked to study simply how spectacular these little lights actually are.
For the previous month I’ve been testing a set of three Rainbow Hokey Spokes in my house city of Park Metropolis, Utah and have garnished some spectacular outcomes. Based mostly on the previous month of driving with my Hokey Spokes in tow, I current to you my “likes” and “dislikes” for the Hokey Spoke product:
What I Like About Hokey Spokes
Eye-Catching And Distinctive
Proper off the bat, it’s straightforward to see that the Hokey Spokes merchandise are distinctive. On my very first journey round my neighborhood with the lights mounted on my entrance wheel, I acquired quite a lot of feedback and unusual appears from folks passing by. Few folks have ever seen a bicycle gentle up the way in which that it does with the Hokey Spokes in use, and that alone, I consider, may have just a few people dashing out to get these distinctive LED blades.
The Patterns Are Lovely
One other beauty of Hokey Spokes is that the designs are pre-programmed into the gadget. Whereas there are different/comparable merchandise on {the marketplace} that mean you can create personalized designs, Hokey Spokes are stunning and straightforward to make use of – with out you having to do a factor.
Programming The Customized Textual content Is Straightforward
For many who do need to additional customise their journey, Hokey Spokes provide the choice of programming in your individual customized textual content message. The instructions for textual content customization come proper on the again of the packaging and are extremely straightforward to comply with. You possibly can program in any textual content you need so long as it’s 16 characters of much less and you’re pleased with the textual content displaying in all capital letters (and no, you possibly can’t select the font of your selection).
What I Dislike About Hokey Spokes
Worth
Sadly, Hokey Spokes are costly. Actually costly! Whereas it is suggested that you just use no less than 3 blades on every wheel with a purpose to get the designs to show correctly at low speeds, the blades are offered individually and price between $29.95 and $39.95 USD relying on what shade blade you choose (Blue, White, and Rainbow coloured blades price essentially the most, whereas inexperienced, yellow, purple and orange price the least). Nonetheless, some fast addition reveals that even if you happen to have been to buy the very least expensive of blades, you’d be taking a look at roughly $89.95 per wheel (or $179.70 with a purpose to outfit a normal two-wheel bicycle). At that value, I’m afraid few folks will bounce on this explicit product.
Heaps Of Batteries
Along with the price of the product itself, you even have to contemplate the price of batteries. Every blade requires 3 AA batteries and lasts for about 48 hours when the batteries are absolutely charged. Which means for the a full set of 6 Hokey Spokes, you have to buy a further 18 batteries, which tacks on a possible $15 – $20. (Batteries will not be included with the product)
Troublesome To Set up And Take away
Whereas total very straightforward to put in, Hokey Spokes are a little bit of a ache to tackle and off the bike. You do want a screw driver with a purpose to set up or take away the product and this does take a while and apply. Not like many entrance and rear bike lights that snap on or off with the flick of a button, Hokey Spokes take a bit extra work.
The Tiny Rattle
On my first journey across the block with the Hokey Spokes in place, I observed a small rattling noise coming from the blades and feared that the product may wiggle itself off the spokes and go flying out into the road and be destroyed. Nonetheless, I shortly thereafter realized that this rattle was cased by the batteries contained in the blades and never by some lose connection between the blades and the spokes of my wheel.
As Richard from Hokey Spokes knowledgeable me by way of electronic mail, “The sound of the rattling stands out as the batteries. We needed to design the size of the battery cavity to permit for variances in AA batteries around the globe or else a few of them (barely over sized) may stick inside. In case you are bothered by this you’ll do one in every of two issues: 1) You possibly can take a strip of Scotch tape and run in alongside one facet of three AA batteries and slide them in collectively as one longer battery. This can quell the rattling. Or, 2) you possibly can untwist the brass piece on the blue battery cap, put a metallic washer on the stem and reassemble. This can have the impact of placing extra strain on the batteries and tighten their meeting within the battery chamber. Each of those feedback are talked about on our “Incessantly Requested Questions” of our web site.”.
You Can Solely Use Them At Night time
Lastly, I’ve to say the truth that Hokey Spokes can actually solely be used at evening. Through the day the lights simply merely don’t present up. And since I often do little or no evening driving (and since I think different bike riders attempt to keep away from driving at nighttime if they’ll), I consider some cyclists will discover it tough to discover a time to truly use these merchandise.
Abstract
Regardless of the record of dislikes talked about above, I consider that Hokey Spokes are a enjoyable, distinctive and dependable product. If the worth of the merchandise have been minimize in half, in order that you would outfit no less than one wheel for about $40 – $45 USD, I believe that might end in an enormous improve in gross sales. Within the meantime nevertheless, I discover the worth to be a bit restrictive.
My Score: If I needed to price Hokey Spokes on a scale of 1 to 10 (with out contemplating the worth), with 1 being the worst and 10 being the most effective, I’d give it a 7. There may be nothing really unsuitable with the product apart from the truth that you possibly can solely use it through the evening – a time of day most cyclists attempt to keep away from if they’ll.
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