Black Friday electronic bike: GPS discounts, lights

What electronics bring together for Black Friday

Bike lighting is divided into front lights, rear lights, and combined models, while lighting sets pair a front light with a matching rear light. Cyclo-computers and GPS range from wired cyclo-computers to navigation GPS, along with their mounts. Smartphone accessories include cases, bags, and handlebars or stem mounts, while batteries cater to electric bikes and wireless transmissions. Detailed selection advice remains on the bike electronics page, available all year round.

Lighting: see the road or be seen

A light is chosen based on where you ride. In a lit city, a few dozen to two hundred lumens are enough to be noticed; on a road without streetlights, consider several hundred lumens to read the surface, and more for night mountain biking. At the rear, a light that's visible from the side and a mode that intensifies when braking enhance drivers' perception. Also check the charging method, USB or dynamo, and the mounting: flexible collar or screw mount.

Cyclo-computers, smartphones and batteries: compatibilities

• Cyclo-computers and sensors: a recent GPS reads ANT+ and Bluetooth sensors, while a basic model may only support one of the two; a package may or may not include speed and cadence sensors.
• Mounts: a 31.8 mm handlebar and a 35 mm handlebar do not take the same collar.
• Smartphone cases: they exist for specific phone models; a case from the previous generation may not fit.
• Batteries: an electric bike battery must be replaced with one from the same system, same size, and same connector; take note of the reference of the old one before ordering.

Assessing a promotion on an electronic device

Two discounts on the same cyclo-computer may pertain to different boxes, with or without sensors, with or without mounts; two lights of the same name, with different power ratings, listed in the reference by several manufacturers. Compare the strikethrough price to the price displayed on the exact version, and check the claimed battery life against the mode you will use, not the most economical mode. After the operation, end-of-line products go to clearance and new devices join the new arrivals; the rest of the operation is in the Black Friday bike equipment.

Electronics brands

Quad Lock makes a case for each phone model, and a mount that replaces the stem cap, for a screen centered above the handlebars.

Mahle offers an external battery in the form of a bottle for its X35 electric bike system, placed on the bottle holder, which charges the main battery while riding.

Herrmans, a Finnish lighting manufacturer, offers its lights in dynamo, electric bike, or battery versions, like the H-Trace rear light that screws onto the rack.

Cateye, a Japanese brand, connects its Sync lights: turning one on lights up the others, and the rear Sync Kinetic light switches to a stronger flash mode when you slow down.

NiteRider, an American specialist in powerful lighting, embeds the output in the name of its lamps, from the Lumina Micro 900 to the Lumina Dual 1800.

Frequently asked questions

How many lumens are needed for bike lighting?

To be seen in urban areas, a modest light is sufficient. To see the road outside urban areas, aim for several hundred lumens, and for a night trail on a mountain bike, over a thousand. A well-oriented beam dazzles other users less than a high flow rate badly adjusted.

Will my cyclo-computer work with my sensors?

Check the protocols of both devices: ANT+, Bluetooth or both. Most current GPS units read both, but an older sensor limited to ANT+ will not connect to a smartphone that does not support it.

When to find bike electronics on sale for Black Friday?

Black Friday itself falls on the Friday following Thanksgiving. At Vélo-Store, its discounts on lights, cyclo-computers, and smartphone accessories cover the whole of November, giving you time to check compatibility before ordering.

How to choose a replacement battery for an electric bike?

Start with the reference on the current battery and the bike's system: motor manufacturer, size, frame or rack, connector. A battery from another system, even with a similar capacity, won't connect.

What electronic equipment to gift a cyclist?

A flexible collar light fits almost all bikes. A smartphone mount assumes you know the phone model, and for a cyclo-computer, the sensors already installed: for those, check before gifting.