BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Swiss start-up Velohub has launched smart lighting system Blinkers.
You may have caught Blinkers in the UK at the London Bike Show’s ‘Innovation Lab’. The brand recently underwent a successful Kickstarter campaign has now released an updated version of its bike light set with added safety features including turning indicators, brake lights and laser projection via a remote control.
Previously, Blinkers launched its Kickstarter in June 2016 and gained support from over 500 backers within the UK, raising over £40,000.
Since the completion of the campaign, Velohub partnered with Zühlke Engineering and Sapetti Design Studios to improve the functionality, durability, user-friendliness and design.
After over a year of product development and negotiating with suppliers and manufacturers, Blinkers has finally hit the UK market, with production in Switzerland and Spain.
The updated unit indicates the direction of the turn the cyclist is taking by blinking to the right or to the left, with the rear unit using a red light that becomes more intense when the cyclist is braking. The laser set allows users to project half a circle on the ground, which will increase visibility during the night and to give cars a better understanding of the cyclists’ positioning on the road.
The lights can be charged via USB and are designed to be used for approximately 20 hours. They can be put on any bike with universal attachments on the handlebar, the saddle and the rack. Blinkers can be easily removed from the bike due to a magnetic system so that users can take them off whenever the bike is locked or left unattended. The system works with radiofrequency and a light on the remote control indicates when the Blinkers should be charged so that cyclists will be aware of when the battery is running low.
The lights are available to the UK market now, with four individual options and combinations to choose from.
