Blog

Tacky Glowing Valve Caps Look Cheap, Are Cheap | WIRED

To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.

To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Tire Pressure Gauges

Tacky Glowing Valve Caps Look Cheap, Are Cheap | WIRED

Here's a case where tacky novelty can actually result in something that keeps you safe and also makes you look cool. The Flash Tire Wheel Valve Cap Lights pretty much sum up their function in the name: they are little LED lamps that replace your bike valve dust caps.

The little battery-powered lights screw onto a Schrader valve (the fat kind also found on cars and motorbikes) and glow like tiny Lightsabers. For such a cheap item (just $3 per pair on Amazon), they're actually pretty smart. Instead of switches, the lights have motion and light sensors so they only turn on when you're moving and it's dark. Once you get going, they'll paint a virtual circle of light in the air.

Be careful, though. Fellow gadget blogger and Wired.com alumnus John Brownlee put something similar onto his bike when he lived in Berlin, Germany. His lights were bigger and flashier, but the effects on the normally calm and bike-friendly population of Berlin were startling. Poor John was heckled and even had beer bottles thrown at him on one night ride.

If you decide to risk it, strap on a helmet and grab a pair in red, green or blue.

Flash Tire Wheel Valve Cap Lights [Amazon via Red Ferret]

TurboTax coupon: Up to an extra $15 off all tax services

Extra 20% off sitewide - Dyson promo code

GoPro promo code: 10% off all sitewide purchases + free shipping

Samsung promo code - Up to 40% off sitewide

Dell coupon code: Save $250 off PowerEdge servers, networking and storage

Deal of the Day - 50% Off Best Buy Coupon

Tacky Glowing Valve Caps Look Cheap, Are Cheap | WIRED

Lead Free Wheel Weights © 2023 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices