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Gotham gets Fortified, New Aviator and Afterburner lights last a Lifetime

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fortified bike lights

You may remember Gotham Bicycle defense industries and their killer Defender six shooter inspired bicycle light that was successfully funded last year through Kickstarter. Well, the team is back with more theft proof lights, though this time they’re going by the name Fortified Bicycle Alliance. Their goal is to make bicycle lights that actually stand up to real world every day use and will still be on your bike when you come back. Called the Aviator and the Afterburner, the pair offer front and rear lighting at 150-300 lumens up front and 30-60 out back in a sleek, rugged package.

Fortify yourself and your bike after the break.

fortified bike lights 2

fortified bike lights 3

Each light features a durable aluminum chassis that is sealed from the elements elements with a silicone gasket. Security is achieved through custom security screws which can only be opened with the matching security Allen wrench included with the light. The lights fit a wide range of bars and seatposts from 22.0-31.8 handlebars and 25.4-31.8 posts. The design of the lens offers 180 degree visibility and four lighting modes. Battery power comes from a lithium ion rechargeable unit that can be removed from the light and plugged into a USB outlet for charging. The headlight will run about 40 hours on a single charge while the tail light lasts around 200 hours.

fortified bike lights 4

Like the original Defender the Aviator and Afterburner are available through Kickstarter at a number of different price points. Each light is available in two models, the standard and the Boost which doubles
the Lumen output.

If the start of the Kickstarter is any indication, the Fortified crew will reach their $24,000 goal in no time with the project already 25% funded in just over an hour.

 

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Slow Joe Crow
Slow Joe Crow
11 years ago

I’d be a lot more confident if these guys took the time to make sure chassis was spelled correctly in their marketing material. Also in the context of a bike light it should be more properly called a housing.
Spelling and grammar aside, I’d be interested in the headlight but not so sure about the taillight. With a design like this you only get good light if your ride has the same seat tube angle as theirs and it doesn’t play well with seat packs or racks with loads.
Make a light with a CPSC reflector mount that bolts to a rack and you’ve got the serious commuter market.
One more thing, is that a custom security bolt or just a standard “security” style Allen or Torx with the pin in the middle that just requires a hollow key available from any good hardware store?

Doug B
Doug B
11 years ago

So the drunk can’t steal the light, but the battery is quick open, easy access, so likely to be vandalized.

ACE
ACE
11 years ago

How about a rack mount?

Henrik
11 years ago

Blink Steady was way ahead of these guys on kickstarter with a better design and a smarter light. I’ve been using one on my bike for nearly a year now and love it to death. http://blinksteady.com

Carlos
Carlos
11 years ago

Actually, it looks like Blink Steady might be out of business already (they haven’t updated their facebook page in months and people are starting to send in complaints). Part of what makes these guys so awesome is not only are they making a super secure bike light, but they are very business savvy, and are very likely to survive in the long run (unlike many many kickstarter projects). I have their earlier model and its great, I’m looking forward to the new versions with the re-chargeable batteries.

Henrik
11 years ago

Dang! It does look like Blink Steady folded. Too bad – the light is sweet. It was pricey, though, and I could only afford to get a couple of their “factory seconds” at their big sale last december. Sad to see them go.

Out for a Ride
Out for a Ride
11 years ago

While I am a stickler for grammar as well, running a small operation without a dedicated marketing person leaves plenty of room for errors. In fact, I’d rather see them double and triple check QC of the product and logistics than spend all of the hours in their day making sure they have a perfect presentation. Not necessarily defending the error, just pointing out that there are always things to nit-pick. Amazing marketing from a small company can be an indicator of professionalism and attention to detail, but could also be an indicator of misplaced priorities.

J@mes
J@mes
10 years ago

Looks like a good light, but with a lot of bikes now using aero seatposts, a lot of people will be left out unless they make some kind of adapter.

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