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The small workforce at Portland Design Works (PDW) is a fun-loving workforce that creates superior tools for the on a regular basis bicycle owner. I used to be in a position to come up with considered one of their artful tail lighting fixtures not too long ago, the Gravity Plus USB Tail Mild. It is a cool, distinctive tail gentle that has an accelerometer constructed proper into it.
(Footage / Ron Frazelle)
Having an accelerometer constructed into the sunshine merely way the accelerometer will come across deceleration and mechanically turn on a 2nd, tremendous vivid, forged beam gentle to warn following visitors that you simply’re slowing down. This identical brighter gentle will even come on if you are making any abrupt movement, like swerving to flee a highway danger, for instance.
The Gravity Plus is a smart concept accomplished in a small, good-looking bundle. It’s larger than my previous “go-to” battery-powered rear gentle, however now not so giant that it seems bulky or ugly.
Some of the different cool issues about this tail gentle is that the Gravity Plus has a lovely lengthy battery lifetime of as much as 30 hours of use in flash mode (80 lumens), or 12 hours in forged mode (20 lumens). When the brighter “brake light” comes on it blazes at an overly vivid 100 lumens.
In Use
I selected to mount the Gravity Plus on my seatpost. Mounting is simple. Simply snap the clip to the again of the sunshine and clip the sunshine to the mount. Then fasten the mount on your desired location.
To permit the Gravity Plus accelerometer to calibrate correctly, it’s important to set up the sunshine for your motorbike prior to turning the sunshine on. As soon as it’s fixed to the motorbike, merely press and grasp the ability button for 1 2nd. After that, stay the motorbike nonetheless for some other 2nd. This will likely whole the calibration.
The sunshine makes use of a chargeable li-polymer battery. It makes use of USB-C to recharge and springs with a charging twine. The outside of the Gravity Plus is in a position for all-season using. The charging port may be totally encased and weatherproof to stay the nasty parts out of that house.
Fastened to my hip pack for MTB night time rides!
The Gravity Plus comes with tactics to mount the sunshine to a seatpost or a backpack. It may be fixed vertically or horizontally. I take advantage of it fixed to the seatpost in a vertical orientation. The tool-less mounting makes it simple to make use of on more than one motorcycles, or take it with you to forestall the sunshine from being stolen after locking your motorbike up.
It’s an amazing product, by way of an organization that makes a speciality of the on a regular basis wishes of the typical bicycle owner. To not point out PDW is a member of one% For the Planet. Which means that every 12 months, PDW donates 1% of its one of the best income to nonprofit organizations operating to offer protection to our planet.
On most sensible of that, for the cost (see beneath), the Gravity Plus is an potential answer that may lend a hand stay you more secure whilst using. And what’s that value to you?
Retail and Specifications
Retail: $40
The automated accelerometer brake gentle serve as shines 100 lumens vivid
2 Modes (runtime): Cast – 20 lumens (12 hours), Flash – 80 lumens (30 hours)
USB rechargeable li-polymer battery
Weatherproof external for all-season using
Seatpost and backpack clip mounts incorporated
Mounts vertically or horizontally
Contains USB-C recharging twine
Weight: 1.9 ounces
RidePDW.com