By MEREDITH WEBB
With New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg installing more bike lanes each year, it's important to recognize the difficulties that arise from traffic and pedestrians sharing the road with cyclists — especially in terms of visibility in urban areas. Accidents and injuries being a commonplace for both cyclists and pedestrians alike, it's clear a solid solution is needed to appease all parties involved, and that's exactly what the team at Revolights have been working on.Revolights Demo
When Adam Pettler ran into old friend Kent Frankovich at a party in 2010, the Revolights revolution came into light. And with the inclusion of Jim Houk described as the company's "inspirational speaker," Revolights succeeded in raising its $43,500 funding goal in only one month at Kickstarter (an online platform pledge system for creative start-ups). These days, the bicycle accessory start-up has now uplifted an astounding total of $215,00. A true testament to the bio-technical threesome that clearly shows their idea, is not one to go unnoticed.
The Revolights bicycle lighting system consists of two thin profile LED rings (white in front, red in back) that mount directly to each wheel rim using a series of rim specific clips. Power is supplied via a thin wire to the hub where a lightweight and slim USB rechargeable battery is held in a special bracket. Essentially Revolights are revolutionizing bicycle safety and have obviously earned the respect and support of the cycling community.
So when can you get your hands on this great new innovation? At present, the Revolights team are working on prototype V5 of the product, doing all their upgrading and prototyping by hand before involving manufacturers in an effort to stretch their publicly pledged funds a little further.
However, you can grab a sneak peek at this highly anticipated product if you happen to be in the San Francisco area between 12th-13th of November. The Revolights team will be unveiling the V5 prototype at the 4th Annual San Fransisco Bike Expo, so be sure to stop by their booth and see the magic for yourself.
In the meantime, have a watch at the video (above) to see the demo and some bonus images (below). For more information on Revolights and to invest on their Kickstarter start-up, check them out HERE and HERE.
