Despite much derision on my beloved cycling forum, I backed the Lumos helmet kickstarter a couple of years ago. It took a while to arrive, but eventually turned up last December.
Having now ridden it through one winter season, and even through the summer (when I would usually go helmet-less), I thought I should write a review. Especially since every single day of those 10 months at least once person has commented on it or asked me about it. I've had people chase me down the road to discuss it, and one woman even rolled down her car window to ask about it.
Generally, people just want to know where I got it. If they ask me if I like it, I say yes, which is true. It's proven reliable. I've gotten in the habit of signalling my turns, and I do like being able to keep my hands on my bars/brakes. I still tend to hand signal, but I like having the flexibility.
The main downside is just that it's heavy. I don't notice it much on my short commute, but I don't wear it on longer rides. Occasionally the lights glitch and don't respond to the switch but a re-charge sorts it.
Battery life is good if just using the indicators but short if using the brake light accellerometer, but I plug it in at work, and it's no more bother than normal rechargable lights. I do wonder if i'm havung to charge it more frequently these days though....
When it first arrived, I thought the switch on the back looked like a weak spot (especially for those of us with finger nails), but it's held up fine.
I've not used the app much. It's handy for varying the rate of beeping (which accompanies the turn signal), but once I got that set, I've not used it much. Oddly, the app only works if the helmet's turned on. So, I can't sit at my desk and check if it needs charging.
I don't know if I'd pay full price in the shops for it (£159 on amazon) but for what I paid, I'm happy.
