A while back I bought Bikeglow bike lights using a Groupon. I thought it seemed like a pretty cool lighting system – fun, festive, bright, great color choices. I don’t ride a ton in the dark but I do commute year-round (unless it’s too snowy or icy), and for a couple months in the winter it’s dark for my ride home. And there are some rare occasions when I go to an early gym class or swim practice before the sun is fully up.
New package of Bikeglow lights
What it is: Read the website if you want the technical details. It’s like a long filament that you wrap around your bike frame, with a battery pack that needs to be affixed somewhere. That somewhere is typically under your seat. The pack takes 2 AA batteries, and when it’s tucked and secured under the seat you won’t know it’s there. Keep in mind that you need to be able to access the pack to turn the lights on. There’s a small button on the side of the pack. There are 3 settings: steady on, fast blink, and slow blink. Somebody told me I looked like my own little disco party when I was stopped at a light. Interesting, for sure, but at least I was visible!
bikeglow on my frame – the picture doesn’t show how bright it really is.
Waterproof! This has been proven, since I get stuck in the rain sometimes and the lights continue to work.
Downside: Not so great in extreme cold. I couldn’t figure out why my bikeglow stopped working when I was biking home one night in temperatures in the low teens (F), but was fine after a night in the garage. I contacted the company (after checking the batteries, of course!). The customer service person responded right away, but hadn’t heard anything about the unit not working in the cold. They’re in Santa Cruz, CA – what do they know about cold?! I quickly received another email saying that yes, very cold temperatures will interfere with bikeglow’s function. Luckily I rarely ride in temps THAT cold (and have other lights anyway, they’re just not as fun).
Recommend? Overall I’ve been happy with my Bikeglow lights. And their customer service is excellent.
swim.bike.read. 