I’ve tested dozens of bike lights over the past decade, and they almost always have one thing in common. Too. Many. Modes.
Being generous, I’m sure it comes from a good place, where product managers and engineers have layered feature and mode on top of feature and mode over a number of years as they seek to improve their products.
But maybe it’s always been a simple game of one upmanship – where more equals better, even if it overcomplicates what should be a simple-to-use safety device.
Even the very best bike lights have plenty of redundant modes – a nuisance we put up with, because that’s just the way it is.
However, Knog’s Modemaker web app is an elegant and fun solution to this problem.
Enter The Matrix
Rather pleasingly to this fan of science-fiction, the Modemaker app presents itself a bit like a Web 1.0 scrolling code screen – all monochromatic green tones, reminiscent perhaps of the hacker-turned-humanity-saviour Neo’s workstation CRT monitor in The Matrix.
Or maybe it’s more like the Grid from 1982’s Tron? Or something like the operating system governing Knight Rider’s KITT?
Whatever it is, it’s fantastic. Original, fun and – most importantly – useful.
I was shown the ropes by Knog’s director of brand & marketing Colin Brown, who explained that the Modemaker was developed by enterprising Knog engineers. They recognised the pre-programmed modes of bike lights weren’t always optimised for individual users.
“You can tell when you use it that someone cared enough to develop something fun and interesting to engage with, but ultimately makes our products even better,” Brown says.
Of course, he’d say that, but I find myself hooked on the Modemaker – a bit like that arcade game you couldn’t walk away from when you were a child, and just had to put another quid in the slot to beat the final (OK, first) boss.
Plugging in
The software only works for select devices at present, but according to Brown that’s set to change as more customisable Knog lights roll out.
Once I was set up on the Modemaker web app, I plugged in a Cobber Reflex rear light and added it to the dashboard. It instantly began rotating in that nostalgia-laced ‘select-player-one’ way.
From there, you can update firmware when needed, and change the name of the light to make it more recognisable in case you have more than one.
The app shows all the modes pre-programmed onto the light, plus a library of other modes, which can be selected and customised.
The simple drag-and-drop functionality is as simple as it comes, while the sensitivity of certain modes can be tweaked to suit your needs.
In the example shown for the responsive tilt mode, I can adjust the sensitivity of the internal accelerometer and the brightness, and choose whether I want the built-in brake function to override the mode (and how sensitive I want it to be).
Naturally, this sits alongside the other modes Knog offers. But, mercifully, I can choose to remove almost all of them, leaving me with the two or three modes I would need, and saving me from clicking through a whole cycle of modes every time I turn on my lights. Bliss.
Should I want to use my lights across several bikes, I can create profiles with suitable modes within the web app – for example, one to suit my weekend road rides during the day and one for my urban commutes in the dark.
Naturally, the Modemaker web app is also a natural home for troubleshooting any issues, which I’m told will be expanded upon as new lights are made available.
Simplicity reigns
Knog’s Modemaker taps into the one thing I suspect most riders want from their bike lights: simplicity.
The opportunity to scrap the unnecessary programs and the annoying mode scrolling of a congested menu, giving you the bike light you really need, is something I’d like to see every brand introduce.
Knog’s approach is fun, too, which is the icing on the proverbial cake.
