With more and more people taking up cycling, roads in some major cities are becoming congested to dangerous levels. Due to this the amount of accidents are rising, and cyclist are the most at risk of all road users.
Even with the longer days setting in here in the UK & Europe, there is still a need to be seen, night or day, when cycling on a road.
Lumos Aster
If you cycle to commute, then there is a good chance you have a backpack of some sort to carry your items with you. Lumos have completely redesigned the backpack and added some life saving tech in for good measure!
The Aster, has been created with a safety first approach. A selection of lights around the bag provide other road users, not only of your presence, but also your intended direction and speed reduction when braking.
Lights
Around the backpack you will find 3 sets of lights; front, profile and rear.
The Front pair are on each shoulder strap, and as you adopt your cycling position will point forward. They help oncoming traffic to notice you or for those moving in the same direction, so see you in wing or rear view mirrors.
On the side edges of the pack are profile lights, a concept not adopted before. The thought behind these lights, is that drivers will have a better understanding of your size and speed as they act as another reference point when cycling in dark or poor light.
At the rear of the pack are the Smart lights. Where the front and profile lights are just that, the rear ones are more interactive. In normal use they are illuminated so other road users are aware of your presence, but they can also act as a warning notification system when turning or braking!
Using the handlebar mounted remote called the “Sidekick” you can activate the rear lights to indicate if you are turning left or right. It is worth noting that in the UK, for example, the correct method of doing this is by hand signals. I’d recommend following the local laws first, and using this option as just an additional method of safely maneuvering.
Sidekick Remote
Along with triggering the indicators, the Sidekick is really at the heart of this Smart backpack. It contains the motion sensor that activates the brake lights when you slow rapidly and a crash sensor that, when connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth, can immediately alert a pre-made list of contacts if you have been involved in an accident, along with your location!
Lumos Aster app
Once the backpack is launched an app will be made available for download to your smartphone. Along with the crash notification system, the app will also enable you to adjust the brightness of the lights although the high/low limits have been restricted to make sure the Aster meets all known legal limits.
Other Features
- 8,000 mAh built-in USB rechargeable battery provides up to 15 hours of use from a single charge.
- Laptop Storage compartment.
- Water resistant outer with rain resistant zippers.
- Helmet & U-Lock holders.
- Reflective Print on rear for additional illumination.
- 18 or 24l size options.
- Avatar Blue or Dark Knight Colour Options.
The Aster is currently undergoing crowd funding on Indiegogo, and achieved it’s target back in May 2016!
You can still get in on an early price of $119 which is $60 cheaper than retail. The good news is they are nearly ready to start shipping, so it would be wise to act fast!