Muddymoles mountain biking in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley

Bicygnals Wirefree Bicycle Indicators

Posted by Matt | December 5, 2007 | 3 comments so far

Bicygnals Wirefree Bicycle Indicators
Now I don’t know about you but have you ever thought to yourself how useful it would be to have indicator lights on your bike to let traffic know of your directional intentions?

No?

Neither have I, which may suggest a certain lack of imagination on my part. Thankfully I’ve found the perfect product for people who have more than enough creative capability to understand how flashing repeater lights front and rear on their push bike can help in their daily battle with the forces of good and evil. As an added benefit, the company that makes them (amusingly called Bicygnals) claims they will also aid cool and confidant cycling.

Perhaps I could do with a set for the next time I hit a stretch of wet chalk up on the Downs?

What the set consists of in actual fact is a handy unit that splits to provide front and rear lights with side indicator LEDs. The front unit has two thumb buttons, one on each side which operate the indicators lamps as required, sending an unequivocal signal to oncoming and pursueing traffic where you plan to go next. The real genius of the system is that the rear lights take their lead from the front by the awesome power of radio control, so there’s no fiddly wires to worry about.

Two thoughts popped into my imaginatively challenged brain on seeing this.

First, only a complete idiot could ever think they would look cool and confidant with these contraptions strapped to the handlebars. They look as though you have a flying wedge hovering just about your hands and trying to operate these things with gloves could be a challenge.

Second, and more importantly, what a terrible idea! Instead of developing your road awareness, including looking over your shoulder to check for approaching traffic before signalling your next move you just press a button and turn! How cool is that? as they pick you up off the tarmac, hopefully still in one piece.

Using these lights allows a cyclist to act like any other road user with all the slovenly approach to road safety that entails. Except we are not like other road users. We’re vulnerable, especially in urban environments, we’re unpredictable and we don’t have crumple zones. Our best defense is to make ourselves as visible as possible and to develop our road awareness by checking thoroughly in every direction for danger as often as possible.

And these lights are not likely to encourage that.

Filed under 2007, News in December 2007

Matt

About the author

Matt is one of the founding Molefathers of the Muddymoles, and is the designer and main administrator of the website.

Having ridden a 2007 Orange Five for many years then a 2016 YT Industries Jeffsy 29er, he now rocks a Bird Aether 9 and a Pace RC-627.

An early On-One Inbred still lurks in the back of the stable as a reminder of how things have moved on. You can even find him on road bikes - currently a 2019 Cannondale Topstone 105 SE, a much-used 2011 Specialized Secteur and very niche belt drive Trek District 1.

If you've ever wondered how we got into mountain biking and how the MuddyMoles started, well wonder no more.

There are 3 comments on ‘Bicygnals Wirefree Bicycle Indicators’

We love to get comments from our readers - if you've spent a few moments to comment, thank-you.

  1. DaveW says:

    I’m totally with you on this one Matt. Road awareness, good motorcycle-test type rear observations, eye contact with drivers, prominant hand signals, appearing confident/assertive and wearing hi-viz/reflective clothing and gloves in the dark are much better strategies for riding safely in traffic.

    Another device that annoys me is the cycle rear view mirror (e.g. on the bar-end) which has a limited field of view discourages proper rear observation – i.e. look over your right shoulder in adance of and whilst moving to the right and vice versa.

  2. Muddymoles says:

    Thunder Horn

    Ever experienced horn envy? Well, be the envy of your friends and wreak havoc with the Thunder Horn.

  3. Related: Thunder Horn | News, 2007 | Muddymoles: Mountain biking (MTB) in the Surrey Hills and Mole Valley

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