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Saw my first hokey spokes up close
December 3rd, 2007 by Fritz 
I’ve seen them on large group rides, but this is the first time I’ve seen them in the wild up close. Wow, they are very very noticeable from the sides!
This photo from my point-and-shoot camera doesn’t do it justice — the camera flash completely washes out the image created by the Hokey Spokes. The Hokey Spokes are the green bars in the front wheel in the above photo.
For those who haven’t heard of them, they’re electronic LED gizmos you install into a wheel. The LEDs flash to create pre-programmed patterns and text that’s visible as the wheel rotates. It’s really very cool to see. The Hokey Spokes run about $30 each. You need a minimum of two for it to work right, and three is better. Hokey Spokes for details. These might make a nifty gift for the commuting bicyclist in your life.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:23 pm
HokeySpokes are cool, but SpokePOVs are better.
You can program the image on them….
…and they’re available in a smaller size for my 20″ wheels
http://ladyada.net/make/spokepov/index.html
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I want one or three! Does anyone have these? How does the rotational weight feel?
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Awesome timing. I was just looking at the Hokeys versus SpokePOVs last night. I like the DIY-ness of the SpokePOVs, but was unsure they’d work very well in the northwet.
December 4th, 2007 at 3:14 am
Jim -
I’ve left the SpokePOV on my bike through many a rainy commute. I do remove the batteries when it’s wet, and make sure everything’s dry before I put them back in, so I wouldn’t consider it “all weather.”
I coated the circuit board with a silicone coating - I think it’s called “conformal coating.” Seems to work pretty well.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
This will be my second winter running HokeySpokes. I considered going the SpokePOV route, but only have so much time
I run them through rain, sleet, and snow without removing the batteries and they just keep on ticking. You can read my complete review if you want more information about my experience.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Hi Mark, thanks; by the way, your blog prompts for a password when I attempt to read the “”more” portion of your review.jim
December 6th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Jim, thanks for letting me know this. I’ve had a lot of issues since upgrading to Wordpress 2.3 keeping the private family and public sections both happy. For now, I got rid of the “more” section and will take a look at the password prompting issue when I get a chance.
January 17th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
My first attachment tab broke after .6 of a mile. The rest broke by mile 20. I contacted the Hokey Spokes Company and they seem to be more interested in fixing the blame on the customer than in fixing the problem. Since I first learned of Hokey Spokes here, I feel a little obligated to say: “Be Careful!”
First I was told that the problem was that I may not have attached the Hokey Spokes to the spokes with the v-grove in nut in the correct position. That was not the case, because the directions were clear in that way. Then I was informed that I was to blame because I used Loctite on the metal threads in the vicinity of the plastic attachment. There was no warning anywhere including on their web site until yesterday about the Loctite being an “erosive chemical” to the plastic.
As far as I can tell I am out my money. By the time you pay shipping both ways and their restocking fee you might as well forget it. However, I do not even qualify for that because I allegedly caused the defect by using the Loctite on the threads of the metal screw that holds the nut on the spoke.
I will say that when they worked they were fabulous. I bike commute about 15 miles each way. At this time of the year my morning commute is always in the dark and the evening commute is sometimes at night. They really could be a great. Strangely, the company has yet to explain why Loctite is sold in plastic bottles and tubes and yet a reasonable and prudent person would even suspect that it would be an “erosive chemical” in the vicinity of their plastic. If you go to the Loctite web site you will see a picture in the header of the product being applied to a plastic gear on a metal shaft. They warn against using Loctite with nickel or brass, but there is no warning about plastic. Nevertheless, Richard Barnes Ph.D. of Hokey Spokes assures me that my issue is with Henkel Corporation who manufactures Loctite and not with The Hokey Spokes Company.
The fact is that the tabs broke when I was riding in excess of 20 mph and hit a bump (both times I was coming off a bridge). Fortunately, I do not listen to music when I ride and I heard the Hokey Spoke attachment tabs break. There is no evidence of erosion as in eating away of the plastic from the nearby Loctite. The tabs cracked like glass in normal winter bicycle commuting situations. I was lucky that they did not jam my wheel or drive train. No harm came to me, so I probably do not have a basis for a claim. The company has very quickly updated their web site to protect themselves from potential liabilities. I would recommend that you be very careful if you decide Hokey Spokes. Good luck , be seen and be safe!
January 17th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
On the flip side… This is my third season running Hokey Spokes and, knock on wood, I haven’t experienced any problems like Jan described. I didn’t, however, use loctite on them though. The only issue I’ve experienced with them is that above about 23mph, the lights start to turn off. I contact the company, they said it was a known problem and sent me a set of stiffer springs free of charge. Apparently, they must use a cheaper spring by default and few people travel this fast with them to notice. Jan, you are definitely lucky you heard them break, that could have been really messy.