The Lumos bike helmet looks like such a great idea, that many people must be kicking themselves over it – especially now that they have successfully hit their £100,000 Kickstarter total ON THE FIRST DAY! How great an idea – lets take a look!
Lumos bike helmet
There are many ways to attach lights to your bike – and on the front you can get units which are easily as bright as car lights, from the rear, that not quite a easy, as you are limited simply to positioning space – Lumos seem to have crack it with their new helmet
The next generation of helmet
Like most light companies, Exposure bike lights have a helmet mount, they also have a rear facing light that plugs into the charge port – The RedEye micro – but its tiny! Most helmet mounted rear lights are.
Exposure RedEye Micro – by name and nature
The point is, there isn’t much SPACE available for rear lighting, so its great that Lumos have taken to putting the lights INSIDE the actual make of the helmet. Particular as by the look of things they have maximised the usable area back there
Lumos main rear light
Not that I think aerodynamics were at the fore front of their design consideration, but a smooth integration like this has to be much more aero than a box stuck on your head!
As well as the lights being larger, the fact that they are higher up, again works to make you more visible on the road
Up high and bright
If you are anything like me, the concept of not just having back up lights, but good, effective visible lights with you were ever you go, even when I forget that I’ve left my main lights charging at home is great.
Breaks!
The Lumos bike helmet has a built in accelerometer, which allows the helmet to detect when you are slowing down, and switch on all the lights together at the rear to act as a brake light, which will hopefully make drivers realise something is changing in front of them!
BRAKES!
It is getting humorous how battery powered things are now – I have to plug my bike in, for the Di2 battery, my GPS and lights, I’ve now even got to plug my helmet in! Its micro USB chargeable, and should last for about a week assuming 30mins use a day
LEFT and RIGHT
Turn Signals
At the front and rear of the helmet at additional lights that act as turn signals, these are activated through wireless controls on the front of the bike
Turn signal switches
In future generations it would be very cool if this could be done through the internal accelerometer accelerometer, but that would need some impressive filtering to scrub out errant movements, and know when you are changing direction – perhaps a link to a GPS unit – after all, Garmin has a habit of buying startups!
Best bit!
The lights are completely invisible when its off – or at least in the black version anyway!
Subtle!
KickStarter
If you want to get in for Garmin does, drop along to Lumos’ KickStarter page – where currently the Early Bird helmets are available for what will be half their RRP, with 2016 targeted for delivery
James Gill
