When it comes to bike lights for commuting, there's one thing you have to remember ... they're needed more for being seen than for seeing the road. With that in mind, many head- and tail lights are designed not just to cast beams in front of and behind the bike, but to be seen from all directions. Seattle-based Orfos' Flare lights appear to do a particularly good job in that department, plus they feature a unique mounting system.
The Flare headlight and tail light both incorporate nine high-intensity LEDs surrounded by a reflective material, within a clear cylindrical polycarbonate housing. Optically-clear silicone is injected into that housing, encapsulating the LEDs and other electronics, and taking up all the empty space inside.
As a result, light (and heat) from by the bulbs is dispersed by the silicone and emitted across the entire surface of the housing. It's sort of like the lights that campers and other people make from water-filled clear pop bottles.
Additionally, because all the electronics are covered in silicone, the lights are completely waterproof. According to Orfos founder Pete Clyde, the Flares have withstood being submerged to a depth of 50 feet (15 m) for an hour.
Each light is magnetically held onto an accompanying mount, which contains a rubber-coated neodymium magnet. That mount is in turn semi-permanently attached to the bike (or helmet, etc.) using an included set of nylon cable ties. This means that when the bike is left parked, the lights can be pulled off their mounts by the rider, so they don't get stolen.
The Flares are each powered by an integrated lithium iron phosphate battery, which should provide up to 24 hours of run time from one 90-minute USB charge. That depends upon usage, however – both can be set to one of four flashing patterns, and run in High, Medium or Low output modes. On High, the headlight puts out 500 lumens, while the tail light kicks out 300.
Clyde and his team are currently raising production funds, on Kickstarter. A pledge of US$119 will get you your choice of a head- or tail light, with $229 required for a set of both – assuming all goes according to plans. The estimated retail prices are $140 and $270, respectively.
You can see the lights in use, in the following pitch video.
Sources: Orfos, Kickstarter
It always blew me away how much "junk" is out there when it comes to bike-lights. It's like companies think "smaller is better" when it comes to lights, but the truth is a bike-light should be just as "in your face" (if not more) than a motorcycle's lights.
Glad these guys figured that one out. Great to see something actually manufactured in the USA.
It could be a great hit if they come done with the price a lot to say 100$ a pair. The price for the parts is not that high that it justifies for the current estimated market price. All items already exist in one form or another. The mounting, The led lights, the silicon, and so on. All these things are already used as lights for bikes using ordinary batteries and available for less then 50$. Raising the quality doesn't justify a price that high.
With the current price of 270$/pair it only sells to the upper market. Setting it to 100$ a pair will bring it to the much larger middle market and will sell much more. Bringing it down to 50$ will make it sell to everybody
Ignoring the cost, I think it would be nice if they flashed continuously, which would make them even more visible. And seeing as it is becoming almost standard practice on LED bicycle lamps, it would automatically inform all interested parties that the light is attached to a bicycle.
also i think they are too expensive maybe that is what low volume made in usa costs
wle
I think so too. In normal cars the front flashing lights are amber and the rear ones red. This also gives indication of direction the vehicle is traveling.
I have some N42 and N52 class magnets that are extremely strong. All you would need is a small gizmo "crazy glued" the circular frame part with a flat surface for attaching the magnets.