Where I live, people are fairly active and it’s very common to see bicyclists. Although cycling has its benefits, it can also be dangerous when you’re only feet away from moving cars and trucks. I’m in the Pacific Northwest and it rains quite a bit here. And constant rain and cycling can be a bad mix.
The Lumos helmet is a product that is trying to make it just a tiny bit safer for bicyclists and is currently being funded on Kickstarter. The selling feature of the Lumos helmet is the integrated LED lights. The helmet features 16 LED brake lights that automatically detects when you are slowing down thanks to an on-board accelerometer and its bright LED lights will flash warning people behind you of your intentions. These brake lights at the back of the helmet are arranged so they form a triangle, a very common warning symbol used on road signs. The helmet also features a wireless handlebar remote which is water resistant and controls the left and right turn signals on your helmet.
On the front of the helmet, there are 14 LED bright white lights which are arranged in a distinctive pattern to make you stand out on the road. On the sides of the helmet is where you’ll find the main event, the turn signals. You, the cyclist, may have indicated that you want to turn or stop but the car/truck behind you is not necessarily paying attention which can potentially lead to some big problems.
The Lumos helmet features built-in turn signals which can be controlled via the wireless handlebar remote. Once the turn signal is activated, the 15 bright yellow LED lights on the helmet turn on to form an arrow indicating the direction you would like to turn. Pressing the same button again will turn off the turn signal. The battery in the wireless remote should last you up to six months before needing a replacement. There is also a rechargeable battery in the Lumos helmet which can be charged via a micro USB cable which should last you 2.5 hours per charge.
The Lumos helmet is available in either Charcoal Black color or Pearl White. The Super Early Bird special of $85 is sold out but the Early Bird special is available for $99 with expected deliveries happening sometime in May of 2016. For more details, check out the Kickstarter Page.
