Lumos helmet
 

Is anyone here using a Lumos lighted helmet?

I like the idea, but I've been mostly ignoring them up until now because the price was so high. Now a local bike chain has them on sale for $108, which is still more than I'd normally pay for a helmet but into the realm that I could justify for a significant safety enhancement.

I understand that this is a relatively weak light. I'd be using proper bike-mounted lights for primary visibility. My goal with this would be to improve side visibility and add a second light to help with driver recognition of what they were looking at. I don't think I'd be likely to use the turn signal feature, but maybe if it were easy enough to activate.

So, any long term use reports?

A handful of people in my club have them. They do work!

I have one and use it regularly. It is more for visibility than for lighting the road. The killer feature is the turn signals, IMO. When I ride with a cape, which has straps to hold it down on your wrists, I can’t use hand signals (or would look like a T Rex trying to signal with teeny arms). The Lumos helmet puts the turn signal buttons on the bars so I can easily reach them, despite the cape.

I use this helmet too when riding without the cape, mind you. The others in traffic seem to appreciate the signals.

Thanks for responding. I hoped there would be someone. A few specific questions:


- What do you think of the weight? Is it noticeably heavier than other helmets?


- How are the batteries holding up long term? Do they still last as long as when they were new?


- What do you think of the connection to the charger? Is it easy to use and reliable?

I started using a rain cape last year, and that is my challenge. I've been using my legs to signal, but I don't think it registers with drivers.

I've been using one for a few months. The weight is noticeable if you're coming from sportive type helmets (road,xc,etc), but you get used to it. I don't use the turn signals, as I just can't be bothered. I installed the controller, tried it out, and then removed it. Still consider it a great helmet. Comfortable and I like having more than just reflective up so high.

As Nightdiver said, it is at first but after a few minutes it is not noticeable. There is no effect on normal riding.


I can’t really answer this yet. We were in Reims for several months, but the helmet is in Seattle.

The charger and its connection work fine. I see no reliability concerns there.

I do notice people wearing them, so perhaps they are an improvement over unlighted helmets.

can you get the Lumos helmet bundled with an Alohomora lock?

Only at the Diagon Alley location.

I've seen them around. They look good. I use a standard Bell bike helmet with a Light & Motion Vis360+. Plenty bright, helps me see and be seen, but no turn signals.

I've been commuting with one for about a year. I don't notice the extra weight (indeed, during the winter I added a niterider 1100 atop the helmet ... so with it off, it feels like a light helmet!). I get a lot of comments from drivers about it; so clearly some are paying attention.

Turn signals are great; the blinking front light ... could do without (since I already strobe lower down ;>). The brake light operation seemed pretty off so I disabled it.

I ride about 2 hours a day, charge every night. Seems to have about the same capacity now as when I started. The bluetooth % reporting seems to be relatively inaccurate (viz. inconsistent from ride to ride), probably temp sensitive.

I picked up a spare charging cable so I *can* charge at work; but I don't usually. The magnetic latch is a nice idea, but seems a bit temperamental. I'd have much rather they went with a standard (microUSB for example).

I went ahead and got one. I won't need the light for another five or six months, but now I have it. I used it for the ride to work yesterday. I definitely noticed the weight when I first put it on. I didn't notice it much throughout the ride. At the end of the day, I could feel it in my neck. I rode with my old helmet today. Hopefully I can gradually ease myself into this and develop a little more neck strength by the time I need the light.

FWIW, I've been using a Bell Muni helmet with Flea lights (which are about 15 grams each). I tried switching to an 80 gram Dart front light on the visor last year and my neck rejected the extra weight. I was hoping the weight being more toward the rear of the Lumos would help, but I guess not.

I have owned one, and I used it for visibility. They also look good.

I see them on my commute every week or so - very effective for visibility all-around, which most helmet/light combinations cannot claim.

Seems counter intuitive but the black helmet may be the most visible ?

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3d0aad506d.png

I saw a guy wearing a white Lumos helmet this morning. I would've asked him about how he liked it except he had earbuds on. Kind of one-step forward, one-step back safety-wise...

Most people with earbuds can still hear you speak. Did you *try* to communicate, or did you just assume he wouldn't respond? I usually wear a single earbud; and I can hear perfectly well from that ear. But local laws being what they are, I make sure one ear is visibly open ;>

We were waiting at a busy intersection where the light was going to change at any moment, and the earbud wasn't giving off a vibe of wanting to chat possibly through a long signal cycle, so I didn't try to get his attention.

^^^ This. I've seen a couple of those helmets. One guy had turned his on while we were on the train arriving at a station. I was not impressed with the brightness. I'm a fan of finding lights that work well on a helmet so that the helmet or the lights can be replaced independently.

I saw a different rider wearing one this morning, again wearing earbuds, or at least wearing one in his left ear. Was on a busy section of a MUP, so wheeling up next to him to ask for his opinion wasn't in the cards today either.

Agreed. Sometimes it makes sense to combine multiple functions in one unit if there are substantial savings. For example, adding camera and GPS functions in a smart phone only adds a few dollars in cost and is much more efficient than buying (and carrying) separate units since much of the cost (screen, processor, case, power) is common to all the functions. But adding lights to a helmet produces very little cost saving and may well result in added expenses if the helmet needs to be replaced but the lights are still fine or if better lights become available while the helmet is still adequate. So I'd rather retain the flexibility to choose a helmet for its comfort and adjustability and separate lights for their features to meet my needs.

I'd also rather have separate lights and helmet, but I haven't really been happy with the way they integrate. I suppose it would be possible to produce an effect similar to the Lumos with a strip of LEDs if you could find a way to attach them and a battery to the helmet.

FWIW, I'm still only using this helmet about one day a week, but I think I'm starting to adapt to the weight. I expect by winter it'll be OK.

Thought I'd update this thread now that the dark times have returned.

I've been using the Lumos for every commute, and as I had hoped my body has adapted. I can still feel that it's heavier, but at the end of a ride I don't feel any different than I do with a lighter helmet. I've reached the age where my body doesn't make many adaptations easily so this is good news.

I still haven't installed the switch to use the blinker feature. The lights definitely seem to boost my visibility. One of my neighbors who walks a lot asked me where I got it because she was impressed by the visibility from a distance.

I haven't entirely figured out what determines the lighting pattern the helmet uses for the rear LEDs when I turn it on. Some days it comes on with just a center group of lights on. Other days it has the side lights on and the center group is in flash/fade mode. I'd guess this has to do with what mode it thought it was in when I turned it off, but I never intentionally change the mode. I put the helmet on and walk out of the office with the lights off and then turn it on while I'm wearing it. It's always a mystery which lights will be on when I get home and take it off. ;)

I don't really know what the battery life is like. I don't use the lights in the morning. I have them on for about an hour on my way home and then I plug it in overnight. The specs say I could go a couple of days without charging (and yes, I know that's theoretically better for the batter) but I haven't tested that. I prefer knowing I'll have juice for my whole ride home.