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Spencer once got stranded on a ride with only a mildly bright rear light as his means to navigate in the dark. This experience sparked a curiosity that lay dormant until Tom of Outbound Lighting handed him some custom monochromatic bike lights he’d tinkered with. Read on as Spencer tests a few different colors of light and attempts to explain the complicated science of how our eyes react to various portions of the visible light spectrum.
Knog began in 2002 with silicon wrap on blinky lights, and today, the Australian lighting company is announcing its evolution into new branding and just announced an all-new MTB lighting range, Blinder X, in both an 1800 and 2300 lumens offering. Let’s check out Blinder X below…
How functional does a gimmick have to be for it to stop being called a gimmick? Consider down-tube storage compartments for example. They seemed like a novelty at first, but use one for long enough and you might wonder why they’re not on—or in—every new bike. Travis Engel had a similar experience testing the Bookman Volume 800 and Volume 1500 bike lights. They’re loaded with gimmicks, some of which should probably be standard on every light. Still, they’re not quite perfect.
With a product line already built around bringing more functional comfort to cycling, Redshift Sports dipped into the safety and visibility terrain with the release of their original smart LED Arclight Pedals. The Philly-based brand is starting this Spring off with an updated release of the design in the Arclight PRO series, which brings commuters an improved Flat Pedal option or versatile all-new Dual-Sided Clipless version. Hailey Moore shares a first look at both models below!
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
With the days getting shorter, chances are your commutes are going to have less daylight. We’ve seen similar pedal designs before, but the newest product from RedShift Sports takes commuting safety lights to the next level. The Arclight Bike Pedals light up when you start pedaling and turn off when you stop. These lights also change color from white to red depending on their orientation – i.e. red always face the rear of the bike and white, the front. The details don’t stop there, so head to Kickstarter to see more!
Knog’s rear lights are notoriously bright, so much so that their flagship rear light is dubbed the “Blinder”, which from a visibility standpoint is the right way to do things. This new Blinder V Traffic has a new design, using COB tech, resulting in a 100-lumen output, 3block, traffic light style face pattern in all-red light, has 8 different modes, is USB rechargeable with its integrated connector, is 100% waterproof, and best of all, when using eco flash mode, it can last for 50 hours.
Check out all the details at Knog and see one for yourself at your local dealer.
Whether you like it or not, shorter days are on the horizon and that means your after-work rides will be most likely happening in the dark. We’ve already been putting in miles once the sun dips behind the Jemez mountains here in Santa Fe and I’ve finally figured out what my winter riding kit will be. After Light and Motion worked on the video profile of the Radavist last year, I got a bag of lights to try out. My favorite in the bunch is the lightweight VIS 360 PRO. When mounted on a helmet like so, it’s a great supplemental spotlight to help guide your way on even the darkest trails. Check out a quick review of this system below.
The Light & Motion VIS 1000 is one of the best cycling lights son the market and with the summer soltice long behind us, it’s time to consider lighting options for the forthcoming months. These 1000 lumen lights have multiple modes, allowing you to run them for 1.5 hours to 12 depending on energy settings, they weigh 121 grams, charge with a USB 2.0 cable, and now, you can fully customize the colors online, all for $99. Head to Light & Motion to see more If you feel fancy, post up your color concoctions in the comments.
Specs:
-1000 Lumen output certified to the FL-1 Standard
-Waterproof to 1 meter for all conditions reliability
-Custom engineered reflector optimizes the light to provide a smooth, even beam pattern that places the light where you need it.
-Beam pattern was engineered to maximize riders’ depth perception using optics that eliminates the snowball effect with a clean transition across the beam.
-Amber side lighting provides safe visibility to cross traffic
-SafePulse mode
-Race mode toggles between high and medium modes to quickly adjust output
-Ultralight aluminum body with integrated heat sink
-Micro USB Rechargeable (fully charges in 6 hours)
-Accurate battery status indicator with low battery warning and auto shut-off
-Multiple power settings allow for 1.5-12 hour runtimes.
-System weight: 121 grams
-MSRP: $99.99
Shutter Precision has made a name for itself with affordable, hassle-free dynamo products. Their latest being the DS-4 dynamo lamp. This small light kicks out 290lm and will work with any dynamo hub. What’s genius about it is its direct stem-mount design. It also ships with fork mount brackets if you prefer that. While there are other lamp models out there, it’s hard to deny the DS-4’s simplicity and the price is about $200 USD from Taiwan.
Specs:
Weight: 120g
Dimension: 50 x 45 x 42mm
Operation power: 6V System dynamo hub
Product type: Dynamo
Light Mode: 1
Light performance: Low beam (low)
Power consumption: 2W
Brightness: 290lm
Holler at your local shop for ordering and see more information at Shutter Precision.
Knog, one of the true light innovators have done it again with the Cobber light lineup. These unique lights offer an industry first, full 330º beam angle, making your night rides even more visible. The Cobber line includes front and rear lights, in a variety of sizes, so head to Knog to see more information.
Light & Motion spends the day with artist and Cadence-founder Dustin Klein as he goes about his day-to-day routine.
If you have a commuter bike that you lock up in a city, chances are you have some sort of wheel security. Iozzio Cycles’ new Integrated Bike Lights are part locking skewer and part battery-powered safety lights. Check out this video describing the Iozzio Cycles’ Kickstarter project.
Knog is a name that’s been historically synonymous with bicycle lights and over the years, I’ve tried just about all of their offerings. While they get the job done, I’ll admit, I haven’t ever been as impressed with anything as I am with their new PWR lights. Imagine a USB bank that runs a high lumen bike light, and a modular package that allows you to customize the amount of light you need, be it MTB or road. The Knog PWR is the most impressive lighting system the brand has ever put out and it’s in stock now. Expect a full review shortly…
I try to ride with an awareness bell on our front-range trails here as much as I can, but I’ve found myself always having to slide it back into position since its strap is just a piece of velcro and handlebars are tapered. Last night, I removed the strap and mounted it directly to my Light and Motion Urban 500 light – I also run a 800 lumens light on my helmet.
The bell stayed put and didn’t move at all, allowing it to resonate down the trail to alert runners, hikers and other cyclists. This time of year, our trails are very crowded at sunset, with athletes trying to soak in the last bit of light, and running an awareness bell just makes it safer for everyone.
Simple, easy to use lights come in handy more often than not and while these Lezyne lights don’t function any differently, they’ll surely look great with your brass-riveted Brooks saddle. Available now from Brooks!
Remember when 400 lumens required a battery pack? We’ve come a long way in terms of on-the-bike, self-contained lighting and the The City Rover from Portland Design Works looks like a great option for those looking for a high-powered urban commuter light.
Available in 400 and 200 lumen models.
See more at Portland Design Works.
