Redshift LED Arclight Pedals Make Cyclists Even More Visible to Cars

Barriers, bike lanes, bright clothing, beacons—bike commuters, messengers, and everyday cyclists who share the road with motorists use whatever resources they can to stay safe. But in 2019, 16,884 cyclists were injured worldwide in reported road accidents, including 4,433 who were killed or seriously injured. In 2020, 697 cyclists were killed in the U.S. alone. A flashing seatpost-mounted light is a smart choice for any road rider, but the new Redshift Arclight Pedals take safety to the umpteenth degree by making cyclists 57 percent more visible than traditional flashing seatpost lights, according to third-party research.

The flat pedals, which have USB-rechargeable light bars, change from white to red depending on which direction they’re facing. They can also be set to flash or solid. When in motion, the lights illuminate and amplify your pedaling, creating an elliptical pattern. That light trail makes it easier for drivers to identify the source of light as a cyclist.

“Leveraging the motion of the riders’ legs allows the lights to really stand out,” said Redshift co-founder Erik deBrun. “This means that the rider will be significantly more visible than when using traditional fixed lights. And because people are really good at recognizing human biological motion, a driver will consciously identify a rider with Arclights as a cyclist, which further increases safety.”

Seatpost or bag mounted bike lights are typically visible only from directly behind or in front of the bicycle. Arclight’s wraparound design illuminates every angle for 360 degrees of visibility that casts an oversized glow on the surface you’re riding on—a light “footprint,” if you will, that’s noticeable from all directions, according to Arclight.

Another great thing about the pedals is they turn off automatically. This is one of the best pedal features since dead lights won’t help you. When lit, they last up to 36 hours. A four-bay USB charging dock comes with the pedals, but you can use any USB charger to juice them up, which takes about two hours.

Currently, the all-weather rated pedals are available as flats only. Made from aluminum, they look a lot like flat mountain bike pedals with the hollows filled with lights. Two light bars per pedal pop out and magnetically reattach once recharged. When you’re pedaling, the peal body protects them from smashing on a rock or a curb.

Redshift has plans to release other styles of pedals as demand grows. In the future, road pedals and clipless mountain bike pedals may also be available.

While Arclight pedals fit on any bike, the flat pedals available on Kickstarter now are best suited to commuter bikes, and mountain, gravel, or road bikes used for casual riding, as well as kids’ bike with 20” or larger wheels. While the profile matches that of a mountain bike pedal, but the tread isn’t aggressive enough for true trail riding and they’re on the heavy side (12.2 ounces each). But the safety benefits outweigh any weight penalty.

With 22 days to go, Arclight has raised $288,319 of its $20,000 goal.

[Pre-order on Kickstarter now for $99.99. The price will go up to $129.99; kickstarter.com]

Learn More

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!