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If you’ve ever had a close call on a bike, you know you can make yourself visible to drivers, but you can’t force them to pay attention. Basic lights and high-vis vests only get you so far. And mirrors alone only show you a small slice of the road behind you. You’re essentially at the mercy of the motorists around you, which is a pretty scary place to be.
Some of us gravitate toward group rides just because we like the feeling of someone watching our backs. But what if your bike was equipped to watch your back for you? That was the idea behind Lezyne’s new Radar React System—a set of radar-equipped bike lights that monitors your rear for you—and gives you a swift heads up if a vehicle approaches from behind. The system is simple, easy to use, and enormously powerful, which makes it easy for cyclists to dramatically increase their safety without a huge expense or learning curve.
Radar is essential when riding on country roads when your attention isn’t at its sharpest. (Photo: Lezyne)
“Radar is especially key when you’re out on country roads—when it’s quiet, you’re in the pain cave, you’re not paying attention, and all of a sudden there’s a car back,” explains Lezyne engineer Colton Arbuckle, one of the masterminds behind the new Radar React System. But radar is also enormously useful to commuters who dread the triple over-shoulder glance that comes before a merge.
“When I first started using radar, I was like, ‘Wow—this makes a huge difference,’” says Arbuckle. “Having the radar alerts takes away the panic of merging in traffic. It settles you down as a rider. Now I won’t leave the office without it.”
Lezyne’s new system offers three ways to connect and receive alerts, including the visual and audio alerts build directly into the React Drive front light, a first of it’s kind. (Photo: Lezyne)
Lezyne’s new system takes a cleverly streamlined approach to radar technology. Most radar lights have to be connected to a bike computer, complicated app, or expensive head unit. But Lezyne’s Radar React is a complete system right out of the box. It features both an LED front light and a rear light. When the two are connected, the taillight constantly surveys the road behind your bike. If a car starts to sneak up on you, special LEDs on the back of the headlight illuminate and built-in audio alerts sound, tipping you off to the potential risk.
Because those warning lights and audio alerts are built into the headlight’s housing, you don’t need a fancy bike computer or head unit (though you can still connect one if you want to): Just strap on the lights for an immediate safety boost. If you’re afraid you might overlook the bright warning lights, you can also set up audio and visual alerts through the Radar Ally App where you can control your lights, connect your phone to your headphones for an audio only option, and change alert modes. Bonus: the app is free to download and use.
The Radar Ally app is free to download and use. (Photo: Lezyne)
While the radar system is powerful enough to monitor vehicles within about 500 feet and a 25-degree angle range, it isn’t the whole story. All this new tech comes stacked on top of a light that many riders already consider the best in the biz. The React Drive headlight puts out 1,200 lumens during nighttime rides and blasts a series of powerful flashes during the day, ensuring full visibility no matter the conditions. The battery also lasts up to two hours on full blast. That’s significantly more power than other lights in its category.
At the back of the bike, the rear light boasts 300 lumens and up to 20 hours of battery life. Both the front and rear lights have a daytime flash feature as well as an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning you don’t have to worry about visibilty in the fog hitting puddles or muds on those grittier, rainier rides.
Lezyne’s radar system is powerful enough to monitor vehicles within about 500 feet and a 25- degree angle range. (Photo: Lezyne)
“Higher lumens means higher visibility,” says Arbuckle. “A lot of the potholes on country roads get hidden in the shade, and a lot of cars can’t see you at a distance if you’ve got a dim light. This gives other people on the road the ability to see you, which brings you that enhanced safety.” Plus, if you’re riding before or after work, more lumens and more battery life mean you won’t get caught in the dark. The Daytime Flash feature on both the front and rear lights also helps to keep you illuminated to motorists and other hazards during the day, which is when most accidents involving cyclists occur. You can keep on ripping until it’s your demolished quads—not the low light—that’s holding you back.
No rider likes being surprised by a vehicle. But with the Radar React System, you’ll have significantly enhanced awareness of a motorist’s every move, before they can even get close. In other words? Less time feeling gripped on busy roads—and more time spent leaning in and enjoying the ride.
Lezyne is a premier bicycle accessories brand based in San Luis Obispo, California. Lezyne products, including bike lights, tools, pumps and softgoods, are all designed, engineered and manufactured in-house by passionate cyclists and product developers. To learn more, please visit ride.lezyne.com.