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Reelight’s bike light is powered by magnets, not batteries

Reelight’s bike light is powered by magnets, not batteries

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It’s on Kickstarter for about $43

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A new Kickstarter that promises riders an easily mountable bike light powered only by magnetic energy has successfully been backed by over 1,000 people. Reelight says its CIO LED bike lights are bright, battery free, waterproof, and will flash during your ride — even when you stop. It’s also anti-theft, as the lights are mounted with a key and the wires are made of coated stainless steel, which is hard to break, the company says.

The lights work via magnets that are mounted on the spokes of a bicycle — when the wheel spins, the magnetic field causes a current that feeds into a small generator integrated into the lights. The lights have a backup system, so even if your bike stops moving, the lights stay on. Unfortunately, the CIO only flashes — there isn’t an option for the steady glow that is required by some cities.

Easy to mount.
Easy to mount.
Video: Reelight

Reelight was founded in 2003 in Aarhus, Denmark. Reelight’s previous Kickstarter success was for its NEO bike light in 2015. For CIO, Reelight says it has reduced the size of its magnet module while increasing output by approximately six times when compared to its previous version. Another goal for CIO was to “reinvent mounting.” The company says its new light can mount on most bikes hassle-free. “What used to be two 4.7 inches magnet modules, mounted on each wheel, is now just one small, coin-sized magnet,” the company says on its Kickstarter page.

At the time of writing, 452,538 Danish kroner ($69,400) had been pledged toward the 250,000 Danish kroner ($38,400) goal, with 12 days remaining in the campaign. Early-bird pledgers can get a front and rear light set for 278 Danish kroner — around $43.

Reelight claims its DRL dynamo lights have become the standard in Denmark, with its lights mounted on a third of all bikes there. Reelight is a member of the Cycling Embassy of Denmark and its products are sometimes featured on the site.