FAQ
There are a number of questions that we are asked at Pedalite International on a regular basis. This page details these questions and provides answers to them. to help you go directly to the question you need answering please click on the following list of questions and you will be taken to the answer for that question.
Is there a Clipless version of the Pedalite 360 degree visibility Pedal?
Can you turn Pedalite 360 degree visibility Pedal lights off?
Do Pedalite produce any special edition products for the emergency services?
What are Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights?
How do 360 degree visibility pedal lights work?
Why are the 360 degree visibility pedal lights unique?
What do cyclists think of the 360 degree visibility pedal lights?
Why is cycling safety such a big issue?
Are 360 degree visibility pedal lights only ideal for use in the winter?
Can 360 degree visibility pedal lights be used by children and adults?
What about 360 degree visibility pedal lights' green credentials?
What else should I know?
Where can I find out more?
Are there any competitor products on the market?
How exactly do they work? be technical please?
What materials are Pedalites made from and how tough are they?
How do you fit Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights?
How do I know if they will fit my bike?
What testing and quality control do you do on the Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights?
Do Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights require any maintenance?
What if there is a problem?
What if I have more questions?
Is there a Clipless version of the Pedalite Pedal?
At present Pedalite pedals are replacements for platform pedals, to be used with non-cleated shoes. There are multiple different types of cleat and also competition between the Pedalite energy harvesting technology and the Cleat for position around the pedal spindle.
Our initial solution to this has been to introduce toe clips for Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights, however, we also have a designer working on the potential for a clipless version of the Pedalite pedal. At this stage no timeframes can be given as to when or if such a pedal could be produced.
It is useful to us to know the views of riders who prefer cleats and therefore we would be grateful if you could email us with your views on the following:
1. Which clipless version do I use, SPD, Look etc.
2. Would you accept a platform one side (so that we can incorporate our mechanism) and a cleat on the other?
3. A Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal with cleats would be larger (to incorporate the lights), more expensive (upto £10 per pair more) and heavier (to incorporate the moulding and energy harvesting system), would this be acceptable to you?
4. Do you have any other comments or suggestions regarding a cleated version of the Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal with cleats?
Can you turn Pedalite Pedal lights off?
Pedalite 360 degree pedal lights are quite deliberately designed to not have an on/off switch for the following reasons:
1. The Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal can never be forgotten to be turned on, when you are riding the lights are on. This is known as passive safety, i.e. you don't have to think about your Pedalite safety lighting system, it is always there and always on when you are riding
2. The Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal can never be forgotten to be turned off (automatic turn off up to 5 minutes after riding stops).
3. During daylight when a storm cloud comes over, the sky darkens and most bicycles become virtually invisible, the Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal automatically illuminates the rider. Most riders do not stop and turn lights on when storm clouds darken the sky during daylight.
4. At dusk and dawn the light fluctuates significantly depending on what you are riding near (tall buildings, under overhanging trees, etc.) the Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal automatically illuminates the rider in all of these cases.
5. The Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal is the emergency lighting system for your bike. While the Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal does not replace your front/rear lighting system and riders should attempt to be as illuminated as possible, if traditional batteries fail, traditional bulbs blow or any other fault develops with traditional lighting systems then your Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal is the emergency system to get you to safety.
6. The life of the Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal LED’s is over 100,000 hours and so they will last longer than the bike.
7. If batteries were free and did not harm the environment then all riders would keep their lights on all the time. With the Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedals there are of course no batteries to run down and therefore they can and should remain always on to be your emergency lighting system.
Do Pedalite produce any special edition products for the emergency services?
Yes. Our work with the emergency services has produced a special edition product that can only be purchased by accredited emergency services (e.g. police, ambulance, paramedic, etc). These special edition Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedals provide amber light in normal operation and can be switched, though a simple back pedal, to flashing blue lights. More information on these special edition pedals can be found here.
What are Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights?
Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights are an innovative new unique safety product for cyclists
Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights are a battery-free 360 degree pedal lighting system that is always on, lighting up cyclists from upto 1km away from the moment you start pedalling with no batteries to run out at inappropriate moments. A patented invention from British company Pedalite International Ltd and now being used in 22 countries around the world, including by the UK’s emergency’s services.
How do 360 degree visibility pedal lights work?
Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights require no batteries and uniquely, they are powered by cycling energy and light up as soon as the cyclist starts to pedal. The lights store this energy too, so even when a cyclist stops at traffic lights and junctions, the lights stay on so the bikes can still be seen by motorists.
Why are the 360 degree visibility pedal lights unique?
Pedalite is a unique and patented product, it harvests energy from the rotation of the pedal spindle, not taking additional energy from the cyclist, and stores this energy to not only flash the pedal lights but to uniquely continue to flash them after pedalling stops for a full 5 minutes. There are no batteries to run out or damage the environment and the old fashioned dynamo systems lose power as soon as you stop pedalling – which is exactly what you do at road junctions.
What’s more bikes fitted with Pedalites can be seen from up to 1km distance away and from any angle including the side, which is a major blind spot for cars.
What do cyclists think of the 360 degree visibility pedal lights?
In a survey, conducted at the national UK cycle show, 61% of cyclists complained that cars and lorries come too close to them, causing them to wobble or throwing them off balance. Because Pedalite 360 degree pedal lights define the width of the cycle, for the very first time, Pedalites create a virtual cycle lane for the cyclist and cars and lorries give bikes with Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights a wider berth. In the same survey 51% of cyclists also said that their biggest worry was not being seen.
Why is cycling safety such a big issue?
There has a major rise in the number of UK cyclists in recent years in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and improve health. In London alone, an 83% increase in cyclists over seven years was reported by Transport for London in May 2007. But safety is still a major concern. Whilst the number of pedal cyclists who were killed fell 1% to 146 last year, the number seriously injured rose 4% to 2,296 according to the Department of Transport.
Are 360 degree visibility pedal lights only ideal for use in the winter?
This always-on lighting isn’t just ideal for winobter – they should be used all year round. You saw last summer just how unpredictable our weather can be – with sudden rain storms appearing darkening the sky – with Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights cyclists will always be seen by cars whatever the weather, day or night. Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights are an essential back up if other lights run out or fail. They ensure that cyclists are never without lights and can always be seen by motorists. Don't forget that Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights are you PASSIVE SAFETY cycle lighting system
Can 360 degree visibility pedal lights be used by children and adults?
Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights are the ideal product for all the family. They can be easily fitted to bikes and require no maintenance. They are ideal for cycling commuters, leisure cyclists and school children over the age of nine years.
What about 360 degree visibility pedal lights' green credentials?
As they use no batteries, Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights will appeal to any cyclists with an environmental conscience. Globally 15 billion batteries are thrown away each year; in the UK alone that is over 20,000 tonnes of batteries. Battery disposal has become a topical subject in the UK as we have become aware of the dangers and implications of disposing up to 300 million batteries in landfill sites each year. Pedalite pedals are protecting the environment by eliminating batteries and always on to help protect cyclists. Even the packaging for Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights is made mainly from recycled cardboard with no plastic wrapper. You should also review the environment section of this website.
What else should I know?
Pedalite 360 degree pedal lights are easy to fit to any size bike, are a high quality product with a full 1 year warranty and are the ultimate “passive safety” product for all cyclists. Passive safety means that you need to remember to take lights with you if you go out cycling and will stay out until after dark, you need to remember reflective clothing, remember to take batteries, etc but with Pedalite you simply fit and forget them. They are always there and always on.
Where can I find out more?
There is a lot more information available about how these products help the environment, regarding cycle lighting laws, the quality of the products, the amazing supergrip studs and how they work on this website
Are there any competitor products on the market?
There is nothing on the market that quite like Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedallights that harvest energy and then use this for a full 5 minutes after pedalling stops to project lights through 360 degrees for up to 1km, which is why they are being snapped up by consumers and by organizations such as the emergency services. The products are patented and unique, please donot be confused by any inferior copies that do not provide the level of quality and safety that Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights do
How exactly do they work? be technical please?
The Pedalite principle is to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy from the movement of the pedal spindle. Pedalites multiply the spindle rotation using a gearbox and generator. Sufficient energy is available to energise the LEDs immediately and charge a storage capacitor. The capacitor provides residual energy enabling the pedal to flash when the cyclist freewheels or stops. Even at a pedal speed of 40rpm energy is rapidly stored. A cyclist will expend less than 0.5% (0.3W) of their propelling energy to energise a pair of Pedalites.
What materials are Pedalites made from and how tough are they?
Lightweight composite materials. The materials have been selected and tested to withstand harsh use in extreme conditions. The casing is Zytel, a nylon and glass material that is both stronger and lighter than aluminium. The lens is polycarbonate – the same material that is used to make police shields. The cap is watertight and is made of polyeurothane, known for it’s resistence and the same material rubber soled shoes are made from. Pedalite uses a Nichicon 2.2F energy storage capacitor rather than any form of chemical battery, making the system environmentally acceptable.
How do you fit Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights?
Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights are very easy to fit. An instruction leaflet is contained in each box and can be viewed at this link or downloaded from our downloads page. Please remember that all cycle pedals are handed which means that the Right hand pedal tightens clockwise BUT the Left hand pedal tightens anti-clockwise. We recommend that adults fit the pedals to the bicycle.
How do I know if they will fit my bike?
The thread is 9/16 20TPI. This is the world standard thread size for all cranks fitted to all bikes except bike deigned for very small children. There are some custom bikes and niche bikes (e.g. certain specialist BMX jump bikes use a half inch thread) that might have a special unique spindle size, therefore, if you buy a pair of pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights and they do not fit your bike you can return them to us, with details of the bike, for a full refund, if returned unused with the original packaging, within 30 days
What testing and quality control do you do on the Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights?
Our quality control programme is extensive from human testers, mechanical test rigs, random checks, etc. The easiest way to answer this question is to ask you to review the quality control secion of our website.
Do Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights require any maintenance?
There are no parts on Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal lights that require maintenance of any kind. The Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedal light is specifically designed to be fit and forget. The watertight design of the Pedalite requires that the user should not attempt to open the casing for any reason. If you do ever have any problems with your Pedalites you should contact us at customerhelp@pedalite.com or call us on 0208 547 4020 during office hours.
What if there is a problem?
We are proud of the products we make, we believe in the quality of our products. However, we do understand that sometimes there are unexpected problems therefore your Pedalite products are guaranteed for a full year and in the event of any problem we will be happy to replace a product for you. For more information email us at customerhelp@pedalite.com or call during office hours on 020 8547 4020.
What if I have more questions?
If you still have questions please email us or call us and we will be happy to try to help.