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Stay safe while cycling at night with the Speednite stem, now on Kickstarter

SPEEDNİTE
Cutting down on your car time in favor of cycling shouldn’t come at the expense of your safety. Luckily, there’s a new Kickstarter project that agrees. Meet Speednite, a head-motion-controlled lighting stem for your bicycle, so you can pedal about after dark with a bit more peace of mind.

As Speednite points out on its Kickstarter page, many biking accidents are related to poor or inadequate bicycle lighting devices, a problem that is particularly concerning at night. But with Speednite, you’re promised the “ultimate lighting solution” featuring an integrated tiltable headlight and left and right laser indicators that can all be controlled by the movement of your head. Thanks to a small head-motion sensor that attaches seamlessly onto your helmet, you’ll be able to increase your visibility by way of the connected system.

Installation promises to be simple — just attach Speednite as you would a normal stem, attach your head sensor, and enjoy your cycling experience. The tiltable headlight features vertical movement of up to 130 degrees, and can be configured using the Speednite app. The light, by the way, is an impressive 800 lumens, so you’ll certainly be able to see clearly no matter how dark your environment.

There’s also an Auto SOS warning function that automatically activates itself if the head sensor detects an “abnormal strike.” Should an accident occur, your SOS signal light will be activated, and emergency contacts (set through the Speednite app) will be notified.

The smart sides laser indicator that comes with the Speednite lets you alert other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians of where your next turn might be by flashing a laser signal on the road. Once again, this can be controlled either via your head sensor or the wireless control on the stem system. The wireless control system, as it happens, provides headlight control and hazard light control as well, because if you’re a responsible biker, you’re probably turning your head a lot without intending to set off any signals.

Finally, Speednite comes with an embedded cycling computer, which displays your speed, cadence, and heart rate data. And if you connect it to the companion Speednite app, you’ll be able to add other functions like GPS tracking and a cycling training report.

Speednite is water resistant, allowing you to hit the road regardless of weather conditions, and is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter for $155. The anticipated ship date is currently slated to be October of this year.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
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