Reelight’s bike lights have been keeping cyclists safe for more than 10 years, but the team behind them is now aiming to score Kickstarter backing for an upgraded design.
If you’ve not heard of Reelight‘s frictionless light system, here’s a quick overview. It comprises two parts: the light, which attaches to the front or rear left fork of your bike, and a magnet, which attaches to a spoke. As the wheel turns, the magnet powers the light, which flashes as you ride and stays lit for up to two minutes if you come to a standstill, such as at a stop light.
The “always on” bike light flashes night and day when you’re riding, a factor that Reelight says significantly ups its safety credentials. In addition, its battery-free design means you’ll never have to worry about it suddenly dying on a ride home in the dark.
The all-new Cio light
Reelight, an award-winning bike-light firm based in Denmark, is planning to launch its latest design, the Cio, via Kickstarter. The upgraded version has been improved to offer greater light intensity for other road users and pedestrians — it can be seen up to 300 meters away — and includes decent side visibility for everyone around you.
According to Reelight, it takes just a few seconds to attach the light to your bike using a new patent-pending mounting system.
As for the magnet, Reelight has redesigned it to make it more powerful, and while the system used to consist of two 12-centimeter (4.7 inches) modules, it’s now just one small, coin-sized magnet.
Worried about someone nabbing your light? Reelight says, “Since the lights are being mounted with a key, it’s very difficult for a thief to steal it. The wire is made out of coated stainless steel and is very hard to break.”
The eight-person team is looking for about $40,000 in funding to start shipping the Cio in October 2017. Early bird backers can pre-order a set (one white and one red) for about $40, which is around 38 percent off the expected retail price.
The new design “is just the kind of bike light that every avid biker was waiting for as it has no batteries, no friction, and can be easily mounted,” Reelight said. It certainly looks pretty appealing, and with the company’s lights already fixed to one out of every three bikes in Denmark’s main cities and 10 million sales made worldwide, this latest design could soon be lighting the way for many more cyclists before too long.
While you’re here, how about checking out Digital Trends’ pick of the coolest cycling gadgets on the market today.
