Safety Wiring { Maybe not a great title ? }

[Slowhan47]

Very new to EBR, E-Bikes; my knowledge Base @Min.
My first use of the Lighting- for a short ride from a neighbors' made me think about the tail-light working during the day, for the brake-warning to the Following: disconnecting headlight and conserve battery-juice ?
{I like the Editing ability Here}

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Following: disconnecting headlight and conserve battery-juice ?

Welcome aboard!

I wouldn't do it. Daytime running lights front and rear are important safety features. And if your lights are LEDs, how much battery range would you really be saving? Probably not enough to notice.

Drivers who see you are very unlikey to hit you. But seeing bikes from a car isn't always easy. Your job is to give them every chance to succeed. Also consider a high-vis outer layer — even a cheap construction worker's vest that you can stuff in a pocket off the bike.

I recommend forgetting about this till you're actually having range problems. There are safer and more effective ways to extend range, starting with riding habits.

 

[Extreme1]

Exactly what Jeremy said. Do not disconnect any lights that are wired into the bike.

Ive added two lights on my Creo so I’m seen by cars.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Very new to EBR, E-Bikes; my knowledge Base @Min.
My first use of the Lighting- for a short ride from a neighbors' made me think about the tail-light working during the day, for the brake-warning to the Following: disconnecting headlight and conserve battery-juice ?

Did you go thru the display instructions? Possible you may be able to turn them off from there. Holding the PAS + button is a common configuration for controlling lights.
That said their current draw is negligible.

 

[harryS]

I've added tail lights and headlights to my daily riders. They use rechargeable cells and recharge via USB so I've run power cables front and rear. and they charge while riding,

I've had prissy riders tell me that the strobe mode on my front light is too bright. Good! I try to keep it pointed down.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

Serious reply;
I have a front and rear light wired to my ebike. They, together, pull ~4w. They run on 48v. Over a 15 minute ride, the discharge is negligible.

If you want your rear tail light to also be a brake light, there are lots for that. Something like this is similar to the kit I installed. You have to replaced the head AND tail lights.

If you commute, definitely keep the lights. As stated above, point them downward. Not parallel to the floor, but just under that, under where a cars windshield would be. Blinding a driver would be very dangerous.




Not so serious reply;
If you are a downhill racer, then get rid of the lights. They weight grams and are heavy and will slow you down due to unaerodynamicness. /s

 

[6zfshdb]

Before disconnecting any lights, I would wait until you actually run low on power during one of your rides. Most riders have quite a bit of juice left after a ride, and as others have said, running lights consume very little wattage.

If you do have an issue, I would consider a bigger battery, carrying a second battery or getting lights with their own internal batteries.

 

[Slowhan47]

Did you go thru the display instructions? Possible you may be able to turn them off from there. Holding the PAS + button is a common configuration for controlling lights.
That said their current draw is negligible.

the front light is really nice at night; just hoping to have brake light only in daylight.

 

[Slowhan47]

Before disconnecting any lights, I would wait until you actually run low on power during one of your rides. Most riders have quite a bit of juice left after a ride, and as others have said, running lights consume very little wattage.

If you do have an issue, I would consider a bigger battery, carrying a second battery or getting lights with their own internal batteries.

I had an extra battery ordered from MagiCycle , but someone swapped it for a smaller & less Voltage + different Connector

 

[Slowhan47]

Serious reply;
I have a front and rear light wired to my ebike. They, together, pull ~4w. They run on 48v. Over a 15 minute ride, the discharge is negligible.

If you want your rear tail light to also be a brake light, there are lots for that. Something like this is similar to the kit I installed. You have to replaced the head AND tail lights.

If you commute, definitely keep the lights. As stated above, point them downward. Not parallel to the floor, but just under that, under where a cars windshield would be. Blinding a driver would be very dangerous.




Not so serious reply;
If you are a downhill racer, then get rid of the lights. They weight grams and are heavy and will slow you down due to unaerodynamicness. /s

Appreciate that advice and have seen some add-ons w/ rear strobes that interest me. And Not so seriously: thanks for the aerodynamics lesson but as I already have a "Wide-Load" sign to place on rear ...Think I will just disconnect headlight until It's needed.

 

[Slowhan47]

Welcome aboard!

I wouldn't do it. Daytime running lights front and rear are important safety features. And if your lights are LEDs, how much battery range would you really be saving? Probably not enough to notice.

Drivers who see you are very unlikey to hit you. But seeing bikes from a car isn't always easy. Your job is to give them every chance to succeed. Also consider a high-vis outer layer — even a cheap construction worker's vest that you can stuff in a pocket off the bike.

I recommend forgetting about this till you're actually having range problems. There are safer and more effective ways to extend range, starting with riding habits.

 

[Slowhan47]

Thanks Jeremy I have gotten much better using Pedaling /Assist instead of straight throttle; and correctly "Safety First"

 

[Slowhan47]

I've added tail lights and headlights to my daily riders. They use rechargeable cells and recharge via USB so I've run power cables front and rear. and they charge while riding,

I've had prissy riders tell me that the strobe mode on my front light is too bright. Good! I try to keep it pointed do solar -portable charger / and been impressed by the headlight I have; thinking strobing It would be awesome to have

 

[Slowhan47]

Thanks harryS -Self sustaining lighting; hope in the future to "Tour" anyway to get further w/o problems is good

 

[Slowhan47]

Did you go thru the display instructions? Possible you may be able to turn them off from there. Holding the PAS + button is a common configuration for controlling lights.
That said their current draw is negligible.

Correct about turning On-Off lighting on my MagiCycle /for awhile could not understand Instructions / even longerr to Zero Trip OD...

 

[spokewrench]

I turn my headlight on at sundown or in rain. A motorist or pedestrian might assume the coast was clear after a quick glance from 100 yards, and in low light I’m not as visible as I might think, without a light.

I know my headlight wasn’t intended to be run during the day because it dims the display. Otherwise, I'd run it all day, consuming about 1/1000 of my battery capacity per hour. However, I don’t think a bicycle headlight is a good way to insure visibility in daylight. The tiny spot could subconsciously be dismissed as sunlight reflecting off a stationary glossy object.

I think the best way to be seen by day is an $8 fluorescent yellow vest such as cops, firemen, utility workers, and construction workers may be required to wear. It's bigger and higher than a bicycle headlight. The shape and color carry the subconscious message that I’m a human who has a right to be in the road and is aware of the danger.

In the dark, the reflective stripes of my vest can give an oncoming driver a clearer picture than just a headlight.

Ever since I got my driver’s license, I’ve looked twice each way, pulling out from a stop street or driveway. One morning as a I backed out my driveway, I saw a bicyclist approaching only 20 feet away. There could well have been a collision if I hand’t stopped abruptly. He’d been invisible on my first look because a tree trunk near my driveway had hidden him. I’d been taken by surprise because I’d never seen a bicycle on my dead-end street.

He was dressed in brown similar to the color of the tree bark. If he’d worn a bright color, maybe I would have spotted a sliver of it past the tree on my first look. That experience is why I bought a safety vest when I bought my first e-bike.

Defensive riding is still important because a visual obstruction can make a bicyclist invisible. Making myself conspicuous seems to elicit courtesy. The other day in a light rain I was wearing a neon-orange raincoat besides having my light on. An oncoming pickup veered way over onto an abandoned parking lot, passing 50 feet to my left. A hundred yards behind him, another pickup did the same. It took a few seconds to comprehend it. There were shallow puddles, and they were taking care not to splash me. I didn’t recognize either vehicle. If I'd been driving one of those trucks, I wouldn't have thought of doing that, so I'd say they're more thoughtful than me.

 

[Slowhan47]

I turn my headlight on at sundown or in rain. A motorist or pedestrian might assume the coast was clear after a quick glance from 100 yards, and in low light I’m not as visible as I might think, without a light.

I know my headlight wasn’t intended to be run during the day because it dims the display. Otherwise, I'd run it all day, consuming about 1/1000 of my battery capacity per hour. However, I don’t think a bicycle headlight is a good way to insure visibility in daylight. The tiny spot could subconsciously be dismissed as sunlight reflecting off a stationary glossy object.

I think the best way to be seen by day is an $8 fluorescent yellow vest such as cops, firemen, utility workers, and construction workers may be required to wear. It's bigger and higher than a bicycle headlight. The shape and color carry the subconscious message that I’m a human who has a right to be in the road and is aware of the danger.

In the dark, the reflective stripes of my vest can give an oncoming driver a clearer picture than just a headlight.

Ever since I got my driver’s license, I’ve looked twice each way, pulling out from a stop street or driveway. One morning as a I backed out my driveway, I saw a bicyclist approaching only 20 feet away. There could well have been a collision if I hand’t stopped abruptly. He’d been invisible on my first look because a tree trunk near my driveway had hidden him. I’d been taken by surprise because I’d never seen a bicycle on my dead-end street.

He was dressed in brown similar to the color of the tree bark. If he’d worn a bright color, maybe I would have spotted a sliver of it past the tree on my first look. That experience is why I bought a safety vest when I bought my first e-bike.

Defensive riding is still important because a visual obstruction can make a bicyclist invisible. Making myself conspicuous seems to elicit courtesy. The other day in a light rain I was wearing a neon-orange raincoat besides having my light on. An oncoming pickup veered way over onto an abandoned parking lot, passing 50 feet to my left. A hundred yards behind him, another pickup did the same. It took a few seconds to comprehend it. There were shallow puddles, and they were taking care not to splash me. I didn’t recognize either vehicle. If I'd been driving one of those trucks, I wouldn't have thought of doing that, so I'd say they're more thoughtful than me.

Got the message / I rode motorcycles and drove truck; establishing a visual presence and even possibly Eye contact with others are good habits & Friendly too ! Appreciate your Input - helpful; Just so happens I picked up a Hi-Vis backpack yesterday at a yard sale Good for hauling stuff also and got a "X"- Hi-vis slip-on with lights before Bike arrived. Don't like funerals /hospitals- surely not in my Trip- planning Eh ?

 

[Gionnirocket]

Well if you trace the wire from the headlight for sure it can be unplugged at the controller end... Possibly other locations as well.
That said... If saving battery is your only concern, again I would not bother.
It you want independent control and are handy you can add a switch to the lights. I did because I wanted quick access and also wanted the added horn to also flash the lights.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

I’ve seen other bike builds that use a dedicated 12v SLA battery for lights. This will keep the light wiring and battery totally separate from the bike and might be easier to add than to intercept pack voltage and having a 12v step down converter.