BIKES

TECH
INVESTIGATES
Cycle safety
The future’s bright
Despite what some people think, cycling isn’t an inherently dangerous activity.
But there’s no question that by being sensible and using clever kit, riders can
make life in the saddle even more secure. Matt Lamy examines three of the most
innovative new products that show where the future of bike safety is headed
Proviz Reflect360
H
aving made a name for itself with
its unique electroluminescent
self-lighting cycle kit, Proviz has
put away the battery pack for this year’s
innovation and has launched a new
range called Reflect360 — a selection of
products made from truly incredible,
totally reflective material.
The textile used is essentially made
from polyester, but what gives it
astounding reflective capabilities are
millions of minuscule reflective glass
beads that are ingrained within it.
However, when light isn’t shining onto
the jacket, it looks like a pretty low-key
‘normal’ piece of clothing.
“That was key to our thinking 18
months ago when we started the
process of putting this range together,”
Proviz founder Rupert Langly-Smith
says. “A lot of people don’t like hi-vis
colours — yellow or orange or pink. We
wondered what we could give people
that is different.
“A cyclist wearing reflective clothing
is seen by other road users three
seconds quicker than if the cyclist is
wearing anything else. So by using
reflective material you’re creating a
product that is actually safer than a
standard hi-vis yellow jacket. With
Reflect360 we haven’t used just the odd
strip of reflective material here and
there — it’s all over — so you’re going to
light up like a beacon on the commute
home at night. With the jacket on, the
wearer isn’t aware of the light reflecting
into their eyes, it’s just functional, but in
the depths of winter you’ll see people
wearing it from miles away.
“As part of our inspiration we looked
at the Nike Flash running jacket, which is
a similar kind of technology. It does a
74 CYCLING ACTIVE SEPTEMBER 2014
great job, but it is incredibly expensive
— it retails at over £300. We thought,
who is going to shell out £350 for a
cycling jacket? Of course some people
will, but the vast majority of cyclists will
splutter into their cornflakes when they
see that kind of price for a reflective
jacket,” Rupert says.
“So one of the biggest challenges for
us has been to get the cost down
without compromising on the quality.
The products are all made in China and
all the materials are certified to
European safety standards. For us, it
was about finding the right supplier, and
to get the price down we had to work
hard getting the volumes to the factory.”
That last statement belies one of the
unheralded but absolutely vital aspects
of bringing any innovative product to
market. No matter how clever, unique or
effective it is, a product is worth nothing
if it doesn’t sell. So, with a proven track
record producing similar kinds of
products behind them, Proviz and its
national and international distributors
worked hard selling the Reflect360
range to the bike industry. And it has
been an astonishing success, with
orders from around 40 countries, and
many of the UK’s biggest domestic cycle
retailers pre-ordering the range.
Of course that’s good for Proviz but
it’s also good for the consumer, and it
has meant that rather than paying £300
for a jacket, the Reflect360 model is
available for £79.99, the rucksack cover
is £29.99 and the rucksack itself
(which will be going into full production
very soon) will be £69.99.
There may also be more Reflect360
products due to appear — Proviz is
currently looking at final sample
versions of a gilet, a deluxe vest, a
children’s jacket, a children’s rucksack
and two running garments.
“We’re experts in this area, so our
goal is to try to bring out something
innovative each year if possible,” Rupert
says. “That becomes more challenging
in that we have to think of a new good
idea that hasn’t been done before — I
can’t even remember how the idea for
the Reflect360 range came about — but
we’ve started planning for next year’s
range already.”
www.provizsports.com
Does it work?
Look at the Reflect360 jacket under
normal daytime conditions, and there’s
nothing to see — it seems to be just a
normal jacket, albeit of a slightly unusual
grey colour. Even as the light goes
down, you’re waiting for it to do its
magic. However, as soon as you’re in
something approaching darkness and a
light is shining towards it, an incredible
transformation occurs — the Reflect360
kit really does glow, and in quite an
incredible manner. The only way we can
describe it is that you appear like a
luminescent ghost. So if the jacket’s
reflective qualities don’t arrest the
attention of drivers, this paranormal
aspect of its appearance certainly will.
As Rupert says, though, none of the
jacket’s abilities affects the wearer
directly. Look down at yourself and you
may not even be able to tell the jacket is
‘working’. We needed to consult a mirror
to check for ourselves. So there’s no
denying that in the constant battle
between subdued daytime fashion and
ultra-obvious night-time safety, Proviz
has hit a six with the Reflect360 jacket.