See.Sense Intelligent Bike Light

 

Simon Whiten

 

The See.Sense Intelligent Bike Light promises to improve a cyclist’s level of safety when the road is at its most dangerous.

 

Like many great modern cycling gadgets, See.Sense started on Kickstarter where its 504 backers pledged £33,826, way over the target of £12,000 set by Belfast based Philip McAleese.

 

 
We have the rear version in to test which, unlike most rear lights, does not have a bright red lens, instead sporting a clear cover, causing me to double check that it was indeed a rear light.
 
It’s a decent sized unit and though quite deep, is slim enough to be unobtrusive. It measures about 6 cm tall by 5 cm deep and 4 cm wide and weighs in at 55g.
 
It seems to be very well made, using good materials that should last; for example, the casing is made from a ‘very tough ASA plastic’ called Luran S, which Google tells me has exceptional heat and chemical resistance.
 
But on first examination, I have to admit to being a bit befuddled by the See.Sense. Just how do you turn this thing on? There’s no obvious ON/OFF button. Of course, a quick referral to the instructions had me back on track, as of course I’m not usually an instructions kind of bloke…
 
So let’s deal with that first; to turn it on or off you rotate it through 90 degrees one way, then the next, a total of six times. It’s an odd thing to do to begin with but after a while makes perfect sense, forgive the pun.
 
We’re told that the way you have to turn the See.Sense on and off has many benefits; more effective weather sealing by being button and switch free, and easier to operate in winter with gloves, among them. The makers claim that See.Sense ‘stays off in your pocket and stays on when you’re waiting at traffic lights’.
 
So having turned it on, I can confirm that it is bright, very bright and that’s a good thing for any bike light. Much more exciting than that though, it’s also intelligent, but what exactly does that mean you may be wondering? Well See.Sense claim that, via advanced sensor technology, it literally senses what the rider is doing and responds accordingly, so that in those situations where you need to be seen the most, like when slowing down at a junction or climbing a hill or filtering into traffic, it flashes vividly to make the rider more visible. See.Sense market the light as ‘the first bicycle light than can respond to your situation, flashing brighter and faster, to make you more visible when you most need it most’.
 

 
Sounds a bit far fetched? Well on my initial, short test rides, it certainly does flash more vividly when the light level diminishes. Cup your hands over it and off it goes, flashing as if its life depended on it, which is apt really. Further tests are obviously in order to asses its full capabilities but it is very exciting for any rider using busy roads regularly.
 
Continued overleaf…
 
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