Velohub Blinkers are bike turn signals made the right way, plus lasers

As biking gains popularity, gadgets aimed at making it safer are popping up right and left. Turn signals, for instance, have seen increasing implementation, and now a new set is up for grabs. Velohub’s Blinkers, a turn signal lighting system for bikes, is designed so that cyclist’s right and left turns don’t surprise the drivers with whom they share the road. And as a plus, Blinkers sport a laser lane indicator to encourage drivers to give riders space. Blinkers are up for backing now on Kickstarter.

Blinkers come in a set for the front and rear, mimicking what you would see on a motorcycle. The front Blinker includes a 200-lumen white headlight, which is more than bright enough to light a dark path. The rear sports a brake light at 100 lumens to match the turning indicators: it uses an accelerometer and gyroscope to trigger the light when you slow. The lasers are class 3R, 5mW.

There is, of course, a handlebar remote to control the turn indicators. It uses radio frequency to communicate with the Blinkers, and runs on a coin cell battery that should last about six months.

Blinkers charge with a micro USB cable, making it easier to top off the juice. A small LED screen shows the charge level for a couple seconds when the lights are turned on. The prototypes use 1600mAh Li-ion batteries, which should last about seven hours (or seven days if you only use them one hour a day, say, for both ways of a half-hour commute).

The mounts for the Blinkers are magnetic, so you can take them on and off easily. Weighing in at 170 grams, they’re not too heavy for weight weenies, or for the magnetic mount. They’re water and impact resistant, in case the ride is a bit wet and should survive the inevitable bang or jolt.

Velohub, the company of young urban cycling entrepreneurs, is still offering Blinkers through the Kickstarter campaign for $100, with delivery projected by February 2017.