Bike lights are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but that doesn't mean they have to look that way. Two new headlights hit Kickstarter this week, and both feature the tech of today combined with the look of yesteryear.
First up is the Beacon Headlamp, created by British product designer William Vickery.
Quick-release-mounted on either the center of the handlebars or the face plate of the stem (via an adapter), it features a big round lens – complete with an old-school chip guard – along with a bulbous chrome-plated aluminum body. Instead of an old-timely tungsten bulb, however, it utilizes five LEDs.
They produce a wide beam of warm-colored 4,000K light, and can be set to five different output modes – these range from a low-intensity flashing mode up to a steady 400-lumen setting. One USB charge of the lithium battery should reportedly be good for 32 hours of runtime in the former mode, moving to eight hours for the latter.
Although no exact waterproofing standard has been listed, the headlamp is claimed to be rainproof. It's also designed to be user-serviceable, for people who like to tinker.
Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of £125 (about US$157) will get you one.
Next up is the KiLEY Bullet Light.
Offered by Japanese company Geek Trade, it has a bullet-shaped body made from a machined block of aluminum, and it's mounted on the same bolt as the bike's front rim brake – bikes with disc brakes will definitely present a challenge.
It can be set to four output modes, the highest of which produces a steady output of 250 lumens. One charge of its battery is reportedly good for 16 hours of runtime at the lowest-output setting, ranging to 3.5 hours for the highest. When that battery needs to be recharged, it and the rest of the electronics unit are unscrewed from the aluminum body, leaving the latter attached to the bike.
The headlight tips the scales at 110 g (3.9 oz), and is IPX3 water-resistant – that means it can withstand water sprays at angles of up to 60 degrees.
Should you be interested in getting a KiLEY Bullet Light of your own, a pledge of $76.50 is required. Assuming all goes according to plan, it should retail for $90.
