Wheely Lights puts a new spin on bicycle visibility

Written by Tyler Benedict May 17, 2017 11:01 a.m. ET

Wheely hub mounted bicycle lights offer 360 degree visibility

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Wheely has made bicycle lights fun and simple with their new hub-mounted design. Encased in a rubbery shell that doubles as the mounting strap, they have white and red lights that offer 360º visibility while also giving your wheels a cool glow and lighting up the ground directly beneath the bike to help give you more presence on the street. The lights have blinking, pulsing and constant settings, and the spinning wheel gives the latter its own unique blinky effect. Like it? Check the video below…

They’re designed to complement existing head and tail lights, not necessarily replace them since they won’t illuminate the path ahead of you. But if you want a fun way to add or improve overall side visibility while riding at night, they’re a good option. The casing is IP4 Waterproof, they run on small watch batteries, and it weighs just 22g.

The Wheely lights are on Kickstarter now and almost fully funded as of this post going live. Grab a single front or rear for as little as $15 USD, or a set for $29. If you’ve got larger diameter hubs (like internally geared ones), you can double them up to wrap around the oversized hub shells.

Tyler Benedict

11,203 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com. He has been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel to killer riding locations throughout North America.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler loves family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part to make his bikes faster and lighter.

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Heffe

6 years ago

The video is odd. He has the hub lights which are cool, and so safe! But when he hits the pothole and falls, because he has no gloves the concrete scrapes the skin right off of his hands. Ouch! Because he has no helmet, his skull shatters and spills his brains across the road. RIP!

Personally repomsible

6 years ago

Reply to Heffe

Heffe, I think you’re tilting at windmills, as much as most on this website agree with you, & wouldn’t ride 20′ without helmet & gloves; 90+% of the world’s cyclist don’t.
Whether Wheely chooses to show a helmeted or unhelmeted rider, will not influence someone to wear (or take off) a helmet.
You make your own choice & let the dumbasses splatter their brains(?) on the sidewalk.

Stephen Keller

6 years ago

In Oregon, only police vehicles may be equipped with blue lights. This is probably true in other states as well. Maybe it’s just the camera work, but that front light looks enough like blue to me that I expected it would be considered a violation.

Ryan S.

6 years ago

Reply to Stephen Keller

But every 10th car I see on the road has the aftermarket blue xenon headlights installed.

Casper

6 years ago

Reply to Stephen Keller

The same applies in Europe. Only emergency vehicles may use blue light, such as police, ambulances, fire brigades, etc. Bikes can use white front lights, that has a blueish look. And as you mention, the lights look quite blue, but non-professional cameras often don’t reflect true colors, when shooting dark scenes. Hence cold white lights tends to look blue or blueish. But whatever makes bikers more visible and safe, has my support.

Padrote

6 years ago

another day, another whimsical but ultimately useless bicycle light kickstarter

Mercianrider

6 years ago

Anyone else notice that the video talks about 360 viewing angles, but cuts away as the camera crosses the front or rear of the bicycle? It’s almost as if the lights are invisible from the front or back – which is exactly where you need to be seen most.

BikeHoarder6

6 years ago

I like the idea. These lights obviously aren’t intended to replace front/rear lights, but to supplement them. Will be good for casual city riders, great for kids’ bikes around the neighborhood.

reubenmc

6 years ago

I’ve been doing this for years with a standard stretchy mount tail light on my hub as a second light location on the back. any car approaching from the rear gets a good view of the light when you are riding near the edge of the road. and the rotation throws light all over at intervals.

VeloKitty

6 years ago

Too lazy to visit the Kickstarter page… Do the lights turn on and off automatically?

Dinger

6 years ago

Reply to VeloKitty

Too lazy to find the answer for you…

QuickGeezer

6 years ago

Not interested in any lights that are mostly below the hood and rear deck level of just about any car.

PaulM

6 years ago

“Anyone else notice that the video talks about 360 viewing angles, but cuts away as the camera crosses the front or rear of the bicycle? It’s almost as if the lights are invisible from the front or back – which is exactly where you need to be seen most.”

This. What about with mudguards, sorry, fenders fitted?

alain smithee

4 years ago

I looked this light up on Kickstarter, and decided to pass on the light when I saw that it used silver oxide watch batteries. The lights that I’ve had in the past that used silver oxide watch batteries didn’t last long enough, and the batteries were a pain to replace.

If the light used, for example, an RCR123 rechargeable battery that could be replaced if the battery failed, then I would consider the light.