As much as we love the chance to ride our bikes every day, there’s no denying that the daily commute gets noticeably hairier as we close in on the year’s shorter days. The numbers back up this impression: 62% of bike accidents take place during and after the evening commute. With riders’ safety and peace of mind in mind, Light & Motion have released a pair of extremely bright, American made rechargeable commuter lights designed to ensure visibility from all angles. Details after the jump…
First, the Vis 360 (shown above and below) is a helmet-mounted combination head/tail light. The 4 lumen blinking tail light is paired with a 110 lumen headlight and a pair of extremely bright amber side markers. Because it is helmet mounted, the Vis 360 is ideal for riders who lock their bikes outside. The USB-chargeable system uses a single battery pack, is well balanced from front to back, and runs 2 1/2 hours on high. Being able to direct the headlight toward traffic merging from side streets and the lights’ high location also helps to increase visibility and visually separate the cyclist from other lights on the road. The Vis 360 retails for $169.
From a more traditional mold is the Vis 180. A belt- or seatpost-mounted light, the Vis 180 puts out an astonishing 35 lumen in a steady or pulsing red beam. Also USB-rechargeable, the Vis 180 runs for 4 hours on high (8 hours on pulse) and retails for $100. We’ve been promised one to review and will let you know how it goes!