Ding Bike Lights – A light less ordinary
I’m not one for Kickstarter campaigns particularly, having seen too many poorly reimagined versions of things that work perfectly well as they are – Bluetooth bike locks needing phones to unlock them spring to mind for example. I saw this recently though and reckon it could offer a decent option for people who regularly ride in traffic. At night, obviously.
The idea was prompted by something I think we are all aware of, the near invisibility of bikes when seen side on, particularly at T junctions. Despite paint searing levels of lumens when seen from the front (and increasingly from the rear with super bright rear lamps), most bikes from the side are less visible than a Klingon starship with its’ cloaking device activated.
This is a problem not just at the T junctions mentioned already, but as bikes move through traffic – if you’re alongside a vehicle you are not easy to see.
So the solution employed by Ding Lights is to supplement the requisite forward facing lamps with a secondary beam which throws light down and outwards, perpendicular to the bike. The effect is to provide a pool of light that illuminates the rider and bike from the side as well as from the front., without blinding other road users.
Ding Lights currently have a Kickstarter campaign running (until 18 June 2015) to fund this with some good offers on the anticipated retail cost – the offer is about £60 for a 400 lumen lamp and a choice of colours.
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June 10, 2015 at 3:14 pm
Andrew says:
If i wanted a road light I would be more tempted by one of the German lights that use a reflector rather than a lense. I think that they throw more light without dazzling.
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June 13, 2015 at 11:11 am
Matt says:
Andrew, I can’t comment as I haven’t tried anything reflector based. I agree they are probably an efficient way to throw out light.
I just thought these were a well-priced option to increase visibility to other road users which really is the main problem on lit city roads, rather than outright lighting power
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