Your commitment to biking instead of driving is saving the planet, but who’s there to save you from the motorists on the road? Here to answer that question is Velohub, the Zurich, Switzerland-based company that has just launched what it calls the “complete smart lighting system for cyclists.” It’s called Blinkers, and it promises to make you visible, predictable, and most importantly, protected by and from other folks on the road. The system includes front, rear, and laser lighting, and is now available beginning at $120.
Blinkers work in much the same way that traditional car lights do, making it as easy as possible for cyclists to use effectively. For example, when you’re planning on taking a right turn, you can have your right-hand Blinkers light up. Similarly, if you’re braking, the Blinkers’ red light will shine more intensely to let folks know that you may soon come to a stop. And in the evening, the laser set allows bikers to project a half-moon on the ground, helping to increase their visibility to other drivers. All features are controlled via a wireless remote located on a bike’s handlebar for seamless usage.
The light set promises to be universally compatible with a wide range of bikes, thanks to handlebar, saddle, and rack attachments. If you want to remove the Blinkers, simply detach the magnetic system (particularly useful if you tend to leave your bike outside and don’t want your Blinkers to be stolen). On a single charge, the lights should stay on for 20 hours, and can be recharged via a USB cable.
Blinkers has already met with quite a bit of public success, having first made its debut on Kickstarter in June 2016. At that point, more than 500 backers pledged around $60,000 in total to bring the system to market, and Velohub noted that in beta testing, customers confirmed that the Blinkers were “easy to use and intuitive.”
“We want to improve safety on bikes, by building the next generation of bike lights. It’s not about making them more powerful, but about adding extra safety functionalities,” the team says on its website. “Blinkers is the one thing that was missing for cyclists to be safer and to be a natural part of the road. It packs everything you need to be seen, understood, and respected by everyone else in the road.”
There are now four different packages available for purchase, ranging from $120 for the rear light without the laser attachment, to $240 for the full package, which includes both rear and front lights, as well as the laser system.
