BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
HindSight Edge rearview cycling glasses are now available, following a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2020.
The glasses feature two-part angled lenses with scientifically designed semi-transparent mirrors. The patent-pending lens technology has been integrated into sunglasses to allows cyclists to see forwards and backwards with a simple shift of focus rather than having to turn their heads.
Invented by physicist Alex Macdonald, developed with Rio 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Callum Skinner and designed by optical engineer Bob Henderson, the glasses are now on public sale after a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than £100,000 from more than 600 backers in 38 countries.
The HindSight Edge range features three sunglasses-style models suitable for daytime use, the HindSight Edge Sport model, which is available at a discounted pre-order price of £174.99 (full price £199.99) while stocks last, the HindSight Edge Hemp (£209.99) and the HindSight Edge Hemp Core (£219.99).
With a British Cycling State of Cycling report in 2019 finding that almost nine in ten (87%) cyclists are ‘close passed’ by vehicles at least once a week, HindSight glasses are designed to help make commuter cyclists safer. They are also intended to help professional cyclists and other athletes, such as runners and rowers, gain a performance edge by allowing them to see competitors without losing crucial seconds by looking back over their shoulders.
HindSight co-founder and CEO, physicist and keen cyclist Macdonald came up with the idea for the glasses after experiencing dangerous close-passing incidents on the roads. “As a regular cyclist, I was aware that knowing what was coming behind me would allow me to make smarter decisions, but I had no way to do it,” said Macdonald.
“HindSight glasses are designed to ensure the preservation of forward-facing vision while adding the capacity to look behind. When riders currently choose to look behind them, they have no option but to choose two completely eliminate their ability to look forward; this leaves them cycling blind, at speed, with no ability to even react to changes in the road ahead. Hindsight glasses allow peripheral vision to be maintained in the forward direction while checking behind, giving effectively the best of both worlds.
“Given the huge growth in cycling during the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe that cycling safety is paramount. HindSight glasses can help new and seasoned cyclists alike to be safer by being more aware of the road around them be safer. We also want to help encourage people to continue cycling post-pandemic rather than reverting to their previous forms of transport to create a more active population and healthier environment with decreased CO2 emissions.”
Skinner added: “As a passionate cyclist, I’m acutely aware of the importance of road safety. I’m also struck by the potential of HindSight glasses to help professional cyclists reach their peak performance. Managing aerodynamic profile is essential for any elite cyclist, and, by turning back to look over your shoulder, you can easily lose efficiencies in your speed and performance. I believe HindSight glasses provide the answer to this and will change the norm as we know it.”
Read the February issue of BikeBiz below:
