Newest Essential Gear for Winter Bicyclists Boosts Safety, Fun Factor
$25 Bike Safety Light Makes Any Bicycle Frame Glow

Santa Cruz, Calif. – As the days grow shorter, there’s a much bigger chance of bicycling in the dark, in the rain, and in the fog. Experienced bike commuters, road racers, and triathletes are prepared with waterproof jackets, reflective gear, and bicycle lights as local laws require. But is that enough to be safe and be seen? Let alone stylish?

“Most bicyclists who ride at night already have a headlight and tail light mounted on their bike. And while they make you visible from the front and the back, drivers still can’t see you from the side,” says Chris Cobb, founder of BikeGlow bike frame light.

In fact, bike safety statistics indicate that nearly a third of cyclist fatalities occur between 5 pm and 9 pm, and that most night time bicycle-car accidents involve drivers who couldn’t see the bicycle from the side. Those numbers made Cobb, a father of two, want to light up his family’s bicycles like neon art for their evening bike rides around Santa Cruz.

So he designed BikeGlow, a 10-foot long glowing light strand using electroluminescent technology and a robust power unit that retails for $24.95. The light itself is wire-like and flexible, so that it can be wrapped around any bicycle frame to make it glow. With two AA batteries installed, the entire unit weighs less than two ounces and comes in eight different colors that will glow continuously or flash fast or slow at the push of a button. An included strap makes it easy to attach the compact battery pack to any bicycle frame, then wrap the flexible, glowing wire around the frame in any pattern imaginable.

Cobb says, “Not only is it visible from 500 feet away in every direction, it quickly identifies you as a bicyclist. Beyond that, it’s just plain fun. People stop to ask me about my BikeGlow all the time. And my kids absolutely love being able to decorate their bikes in any design they can think of.”

Grown-ups love it, too. A customer in Eugene, Ore. wrote, “Not only is riding my bike now like attending my own little disco party, it’s much safer. Cars can obviously see me. Also, it’s waterproof – a necessity here in Oregon.”

BikeGlow’s bright colors stand out more than standard headlights and tail lights. A customer in Half Moon Bay wrote to say, “It is often quite foggy here on the coast in Northern California, and BikeGlow just cuts through the fog particulates, increasing my visibility to traffic. When I bike home from work, I feel safe.”

According to one mom, “I think this is the best thing since PCs. First, the safety feature of it is ingenius. Second, my kids love it! I love to see them staying out after dark just to use the lights. They feel so cool.”

About BikeGlow
BikeGlow bike safety light retails for $24.95 at Bike.com, REI.com and at select REI and bicycle shops nationwide. The waterproof unit includes a battery pack connected to 10-foot long light strand and a kit for attaching it to any bicycle. BikeGlow is available in eight colors: aqua, blue, green, purple, red, pink, white and yellow. Powered by two AA batteries (not included), BikeGlow is good to glow for 50 hours continuously, or 120 hours flashing. Follow BikeGlow on Facebook at facebook.com/BikeGlow and on twitter @bikeglow.

Source: Renée Alexander
http://bikeglow.com