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Bicycles

Ferris WheeLED keeps you simultaneously safe and stylin'

By Rick Martin
May 12, 2010
Ferris WheeLED keeps you simultaneously safe and stylin'
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Most cyclists will attach some form of light or reflector to their bicycles when riding at night, but Japanese company PIAA has created a light that's pretty mesmerizing to look at as well. By attaching the Ferris WheeLED to your wheel spokes, you transform your bike into a veritable mobile light show. Twelve different design patterns can be created as a result of varying flash sequences.

Three colors of lights are available to choose from, either blue, white or pink. Powered by 3 LR44 batteries, the Ferris WheeLED contains seven high powered LED lights ensuring that your bicycle is visible to pedestrians and surrounding motorists. Weighing just 3/4 of an ounce (or 21g), the Ferris WheeLED is light enough that you won't feel it on your wheels. Measuring just 4.3 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches (110 x 150 x 18mm) in size, it's reasonably compact.

The Ferris WheeLED is reminiscent of the giant illuminated Ferris wheel located in Yokohama, the Cosmo Clock 21, a possible source of inspiration for the device.

It will cost you 2310 Japanese yen (approximately US$25) to rock the Ferris WheeLED on your bike. No word yet on any plans to sell outside of Japan.

PIAA via dgfreak.

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BicyclesSafetyLEDLightBikesJapan
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Rick Martin

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9 comments
foghorn
Check out monkeylectric.com same concept, better execution
Antoine Planche
This isn\'t new at all. . .
http://www.monkeylectric.com/
Clint Bradford
Absolutely worthless. Nighttime cyclists need adequate headlights and taillights - to be seen from the front and the rear. Wheel-mounted lights like these - as well as those federally-mandated spoke-mounted reflectors - are useless. If a cyclists enters an intersection at a dangerous time - then these gadgets will not same them. If a cyclist enters an intersection and is broadside by a motor vehicle, the cyclist is at fault for entering at an unsafe time.
DrJavahead
Absolutely worthess? Where do you ride? ANYTHING that makes you more visible at night is a plus! I not only ride bicycles, but I can see this a nice addition to my motorcycle and motorscooter. You\'d never believe how many times bikers (human powered and motor powered) get nailed at intersections where the cager (aka CAR DRIVER) runs the light due to being distracted by cellphone, eating, etc.
So wake up and ride.
Simon Drozdowski
@ DrJavahead. I am with you, good doctor!
Devon
does it fit on a presta valve?
Bicycle Commuter
@ DrJavahead I am also with you, good doctor!
@Clint Bradford Common... really Clint... \"Absolutely worthless\"? It\'s all about the style man. Style! In every group, when someone utters the words bicycle and safety in the same sentence, their\'s always someone in the who stands up, waves their arms around wildly, stamps their feet upon the floor, and proclaims at the top of their lungs, \"worthless\". No where in the article do I see anything that says this wheel display is \'a total night time bicycling safety replacement kit\' for all of a cyclist\'s common sense, night time riding equipment, and road law. In fact the only place safety is mentioned is the title of the article. Way to argue a counterpoint for something that was never proposed.
@foghorn You are right, there are many kits currently available on the market with great capabilities. http://bit.ly/aoFxe3 I do like the http://www.monkeylectric.com/ wheel displays best.
Colter Cederlof
There are other ones as well at http://anvii.com which I think are a better bang for your buck!

The $50 monkeylectric light version only gives you one row of lights, which requires you to be moving at about 25 mph to get a full wheel effect. (The same speed is required for this article\'s full-wheel lighting system.) In addition, you can\'t program the pattern without hacking the system.

The Anvii system gives you 3 sets of lights for one wheel for $99, which creates a full effect at about 12 mph. Also, you can pay just $20 more and have the software to fully customize the pattern. (In order to get a 3 spoke customizable pattern from monkeylectric you gotta fork over $2,000 bucks!!!)

There are also some nifty blinking spoke lights (I bought a few) that are extremely bright. You can easily see the bike from the front or back with these spoke lights as there is a blinking halo on the ground around the bike.
waltinseattle
piaa is late to the gate. Seen better home made all around the Burn for Years!. But the market wants to work...$oo- you get unimaginative rip offs.

Useless? Not if you saw the beautiful ones. Then youd talk difrently.