The See Sense doesn’t just provide a light so you can be seen, this intelligent bike can determine the conditions around the rider and flash brighter and faster to improve visibility. Philip McAleese of Belfast has designed this sensible light and is now looking to Kickstarter to raise awareness and funds. That all makes sense to us! Video after the jump
Tag: bike light
Knog it Up
When it comes to bike lights there is bright and then there is Knog bright, and the Blinder 3 promise to be the model yet form the brand. The Kong Blinder 3 features an anodized aluminum face with two detachable silicone straps and a stainless steel clasp, which allow for tool-less mounting on handlebars measuring 22-28mm or 29-35mm. It produces 300 lumens of light abd weighs 105 grams, is waterproof and USB-rechargeable.
The Knog Bliner 3 headlights, which utilizes two high-intensity XB-D Cree LEDs that can shine with a 22 degree wide-angle beam, a 15 degree narrow beam or a dual 22/15 beam. It will turn an urban ride home into a night with bright lights, big city!
Fortified Light Promises to Go the Distance
The concept of “planned obsolescence” is very much alive and well today. If products last forever then the company making it would eventually find itself out of business. But apparently Slava Menn didn’t take the business studies class that explained this fact.
He’s going against the grain with his Kickstarter project to launch Fortified: Bike Lights That Last Forever. While he’s about half way through his crowd funding campaign he’s long since surpassed his goals. The MIT grad is looking to create a line of bike lights that aren’t just durable, but are also theft-proof.
The new concept includes the Aviator, a head light, and the Afterburner tail light. Both feature a water- and shockproof aluminum construction and attach to the bike via a custom security screw – making it very hard for thieves to steal the light. Each of these LED lights is further powered by a lithium-ion battery that can be recharged via USB, and both lights will go the distance. On a single charge the Aviator can run for about 40 hours while the Afterburner won’t burn out for 200+ hours!
Menn knows a thing or two about Kickstarter campaigns too, as he successfully launched The Defender last year and has since sold 5,000 to city cyclists around the world. Now he’s looking to create a street-proof light that is invincible, theft-proof and comes with a lifetime, “no-matter-what-guarantee.” If anyone can deliver on this promise we think Menn is just the man. Video after the jump
A Higher Power
The new TSL-T1000 headlight from Serfas is lightweight, made of CNC aluminum but with 1,000 lumens it is bright. Designed for off road riding the light features a Serfas Thunderbolt taillight that is integrated into its small battery pack, which can be strapped to a seatpost or top tube. The battery also features a USB outlet to charge accessories. The lightset comes with an included handlebar mount, helmet mount, wired remote switch, extension cable, wall charger and ballistic nylon storage case. It offers two hours of run time and can charge up in four hours. With this on a bike you might seem like a higher power.
Go Pro at Night
There are plenty of bicycle lights that will get you home even when street lights are far and few between, but for those who hit the trails after dark something a little more powerful is required. For those times there is the new NiteRider Pro 3600 DIY, which might just be one of the brightest bike lights we’ve seen or even heard about.
It features 3600 lumens, produced from six high performing Cree LEDs. The system includes an LED headlamp, helmet mount, handlebar mount, docking station and of course Li-Ion battery. It can run for an hour and a half at full power, or be race ready with 450 lumens for up to 16 hours. Riding the trails with this could be like the difference of night and day.
(Tre)Lock and Ride
Riding off road at night requires a good headlamp and fortunately the days of massive battery packs are a thing of the past. The new Trelock LS950 from Cantitoe Road offers six hours of full brightness of 70 lumens, but also features five power levels for those times when a little less light will still do the trick. This means up to 45 hours of run time in between charges.
It has a somewhat sinister look that kind of resembles the Alien from those Alien movies, but perhaps that will just creep out the competition. More importantly, the rechargeable light attaches tool free to a handlebar offering an easy set up and plenty of time. You do need time to sleep after all.
Light On (When You Need It)
Having a bike light is only good if it works, because otherwise it is just extra weight. The Rydon Pixo Bicycle Light is designed to always work. The special batteries are designed to hold 75 hours worth of light, and moreover feature an integrated solar panel that converts every beam of sunlight into energy and stores this to the batteries.
The designers claim that in just five days of sun the battery can be fully charged for years of use. So just riding the bike in the day ensures that you’ll have light at night. The developers are now looking to Indiegogo to put this one in the spotlight and raise funds to bring it out in the bright of day. Video after the jump
Light Grid
We’ve seen a number of lighting systems that project ahead of the bike, typically as a way for drivers to know the cyclist is there. The Lumigrid solves another nighttime problem of altering a rider to uneven terrain, potholes and other obstacles in the road.
On flat road surfaces the projected grid will consist of standard squares but on rougher road surfaces the grids will deform, and this can help the rider “see” a hole or other obstacle. The Lumigrid LED system can be mounted to the handlebars and powered by pedal power or an internal battery.
Velodroom Stop Light
We’ve been seeing a number of concepts that change the way those blinky lights for cyclists work. The latest twist comes from Velodroom, which offers a light that has no on/off switch but like the LucidBRAKE utilizes a built-in accelerometer to detect movement and braking. When slowing down the light offers a bright warning to those behind, just like a car’s brakelight.
This system also features a built-in light sensor that can adjust the brightness to the surroundings and can help save the battery. Video after the jump
Light Bar
A built-in bike light seems like a good idea, and while we seen systems that integrate the lights into the stem, the Helios Bars are more than just a built-in light. These do provide proximity lighting that allows the bike to automatically turn on or off when the rider is near, and provide turn singles to help drivers know what you’re about to do. But the Helios Bars also provide GPS tracking via SMS from anywhere in the United States, where users can receive coordinates of the bike via Google Maps.
These bars also offer a visual speedometer, and can provide turn-by-turn navigation when synced with a mobile phone via Bluetooth 4.0. There is even ambient lighting options to set the mood while riding. Video after the jump
Charge of the Light Battery
If you’re riding with a light system that includes a battery power you could have an extra way to give your phone the juice it might need. This is the concept behind Sigma Sport’s IICON cable that allows users to power up their mobile phones, cameras and GPS units via the battery pack.
The IICON attaches to the IION/IION XL battery pack and a red LED indicator light shows that the device is being charged. The IICON is completely watertight for use even in damp conditions. Now this is still a robbing Peter to pay Paul type situation, especially if you need to ride home and actually need the light but sometimes being able to make that call can be a godsend!
Light Gloves
The Doppleganger gloves aren’t lightweight and in fact these probably weigh more than most cycling gloves. But these aren’t even gloves at all. The Doppleganger LED Turn Signal accessory actually attaches to your current gloves and provides a little light on the hands. These provide an indicator that can help cars see your arm movements at night when you signal you are stopping or turning.
The Japanese made glove accessories are powered by a watch batter that can provide up to 120 hours of light in the flashing mode. Light on!
Blazing the Tail
This compact bicycle light won’t exactly blaze up the trail ahead, but the Blaze does provide up to 80 lumens of red light so those behind you can’t miss you. It features a sealed SPT+ port for easy charging, and this light features user-selectable modes that allow for 12, 24 or 48 of flashing, along with 6, 12 or 24 hours of constant on. While not the most compact bike tail light we’ve seen this one will surely do the job better than most.