A Zurich bike store manager wanted the ultimate light for his cycling trips. The light had to be removable and small enough to fit into his pocket. It also had to assist with one of the biggest hassles with using a bike light — remembering to turn it on before you start pedaling and to turn it off when you arrive at your destination. Light & Motion ran with these suggestions and created the Vibe, a smart bike light that auto-senses when you are pedaling and slips in your pocket when you reach your destination.
The design for the Vibe light was inspired by the robots that were capping the well in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The electronics in the robots were encased in a material that completely covered those components. This biorenewable material allowed Light & Motion to design the Vibe with a minimal amount of housing. This material not only made it possible to keep the Vibe small, about the size of a thumb drive, but it also provides waterproofing when it rains and impacts protection from unfortunate falls and collisions. Small and convenient, the Vibe also charges in a standard USB port. You can pull it out of your bike and pop it into your computer to charge.
Light & Motion describes its new Vibe bike light series as “effortless safety,” and this description is apt. The Vibe is plugged into its mount with a quick twist and click that activates the device’s internal sensors. Each light is equipped with sensors that detect when you are pedaling and the ambient light conditions. When you hop on your bike and start pedaling, the Vibe will turn out the light and adjust the flashing pattern based on the time of day. At night, the Vibe will provide a steady light with amber side lighting for increased visibility at intersections. During the day, the light will switch to a SafePulse mode which was developed based on safety studies conducted by the Florida Highway Patrol. This daytime light pattern maximizes visibility in sunlight and improves depth perception so drivers can easily see the bicyclist on the road.
Light & Motion is selling the Vibe in a variety of configurations. The $40 Vibe and $60 Vibe Pro offer 100 lumens of light output and a standard seat post mount with each unit. The two lights are identical except that the Vibe Pro ships with a handlebar mount along with the seat post, allowing you to use the light on either the front or the rear of the bike. The $50 Vibe Pro HL is a front light with a handlebar mount and 200 lumens of output. All three Vibe bike lights are available now on Light & Motion’s website.
