Those little red squares on the back of most bikes claim to be some sort of brake light, but, in reality, are as useful as having nothing there at all. With the safety concerns associated with an increase of bike riders in high traffic areas, you would think companies would figure out a better alternative, but that hasn’t been the case. Instead, a slew of companies over the years have presented their own solutions to varying degrees of success.
LightCycle’s small, battery-powered brake system is easy to install on any bike and lights up every time you apply the brakes. This avoids unnecessary collisions and the potential for more dangerous accidents by increasing visibility. Revolights is another brake light system that handles this issue in a similar way but includes the front of the bike to achieve maximum visibility; even if the creators of LightCycle claim to use LED lights, the campaign video wasn’t convincing enough to prove it. That said, if you’re looking to make sure everyone sees you while you ride, the 8rlicht is the way to go — a large screen with custom messages will get surely rid of any doubt. LightCycle is currently going for $65 with an expected delivery date of January 2015. The campaign is looking for $2,000 to make it happen.