Seattle cyclist Pete Clyde loved to commute by bike, but often on dark and rainy nights he didn't feel comfortable riding because he didn't feel safe. A common situation, right? For Clyde, who also happens to be an electrical engineer, he got sick of driving as an alternative and set about making very bright lights with 360-degree visibility to commute with. Now his product, the Orfos Flare is on Kickstarter trying to get funding.
There are dozens of commuter lights on the market. Check out our Best Bike Lights for Road Cycling here. What sets the Orfos Flare apart is the the wrap-around visibility of the magnetically mounted light.
With a claimed lumen output (brightness) of up to 300 red and 500 white lumens, the Orfos Flare kicks out light through a clear Polycarbonate shell inside clear silicone. The 100g light will come with a magnetic mounting system.
The system is USB rechargeable, with a LiFePO4 cell battery lasting up to a claimed 24 hours off a 90-minute charge.
After a couple days on Kickstarter, the project is nearly halfway to funding (US$7,789 of US$20,000). Kickstarter supporters can sign up for a single light (US$119) or a double-light (US$229) package. Clyde is aiming to be in production by November and shipping by Christmas.
