SideLights is a new Swiss start-up that wants to make cyclists more visible with their world’s first 360° & Double Beam cycling safety lights. The concept is simple, by lighting up the ends of your bars, motorists can better see cyclists at night when approaching from all directions. And since SideLights includes a pair of bright headlights (600-lumen combined) set wide at the ends of your handlebar, drivers are more likely to see you coming, and better able to judge your approaching speed.
SideLights bright cycling lights in your handlebar ends
Dreamed up by Swiss “BMX enthusiast and commuter cyclist” Arthur Claessens, and brother of Olympic BMX-medalist Zoé Claessens, SideLights was created with the singular goal of improving bicyclist safety by making them more visible to motorists.
Claessens’ patent-pending solution puts a multi-functional set of lights in each end of your handlebar to ensure 360° visibility. Facing forward is an adjustable angle 300lm headlight under each end of your grips. Facing back is a 100lm taillight. And emanating from the side is a 100lm side indicator with turn signals that are activated by pressing down on a large button with the palm of your hand, without having to really take your hand off the bar.
By mounting to the bike by sliding into the open end of your bar, the SideLights extend out just a few centimeters beyond your regular grips, but can offer full 360° visibility. It also lights the outer edges of the bike, so passing motorists are more likely to better understand the width of the cyclist, and then to also pass at a safer distance away from the rider.
And since the lights are set wide apart, they help drivers see you coming in an environment where they are expecting to see horizontal pairs of headlights, like on other cars. This set-apart arrangement also helps others more accurately estimate a cyclists approaching speed, improving safety all-around.
“As a regular cyclist, I wanted a product that was easy to use, efficient and, above all, safe for everyday rides,” explains Arthur Claessens.
Tech details
- each SideLight is 52x32x180mm
- aluminum main body with bar end bump protectors & stainless steel battery tubes
- ~150g per side
- white headlight output: up to 600lm (combined)
- yellow side lighting output: up to 200lm (combined)
- red taillight output: up to 200lm (combined)
- 3 lighting modes with long run times (combined lumen outputs include all lights)
- 150lm ECO for 8hr, 300lm MEDIUM for 4hr, or then 700lm FULL for 2hr
- battery: 2x 1500mAh batteries, USB-C rechargeable
- IP67 waterproof, for rain & dust resistance
- deemed ‘theft-resistant’ due to the need to use an extended tool to install & remove (once you pull out the battery)
- compatible with handlebars from 0-30° backsweep
- fits almost all grips with open ends (min 15mm internal diameter)
- optional grips & rearview mirror also available
SideLights – Crowdfunding pricing, options & anticipated availability
SideLights is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to get the project off the ground. A seemingly unlimited number of super early bird deals remain for a price of 119 Swiss francs (~$137) for the SideLights Beamkit which includes the 2 bar mounted lights, 2 removable rechargeable batteries, a charging cable, and the extra long hex key to install them. There are also multiple packs for riders who want them on more than one bike, or shops that want to resell them.
SideLights already beat their Kickstarter funding target by 5x. They move into final tooling now, with backer delivery estimated to happen in April 2025.
