One of the most funded global cycle clothing projects ever to hit Kickstarter, new UK brand LUMO have hit the floor running with a fantastic collection of jackets and bags designed to increase cyclist’s visibility to traffic.
LUMO’s launch range, The London Collective, features jackets and bags with an LED lighting system cleverly integrated into the products. As someone with a pretty severe hatred of those yellow high-viz jackets, sashes and backpack covers, these products are very welcome, because despite not wanting to wear grim fluro clothing, I do deeply care about safety on the road and very much want to be seen.
I got my hands on the Women’s Regents Parker, which is extremely super duper nice. Along with being a lovely cut – relaxed yet feminine – the team have paid a huge amount of attention to all the little details that the fact it has LED lights in it is almost secondary!
The coat is extremely soft to touch. Around the front of the torso there’s some interior insulation to keep you toasty, then the back of the jacket is made of a single layer of Schoeller® c_change™ fabric. The fabric is similar to a fine wool on the outside and it’s bonded to a waterproof membrane on the other side. It offers good water-resistance and dirt repellence; you can just brush or wipe dirt from it. It’s also very breathable.
There are plenty of nice touches. The side pockets are lined with a soft, fleece that feels cosy, there’s a slight dropped tail to keep your bum covered when you lean forwards on the bike and there’s a a magnetic closure on the collar flap that comes up high enough to stop wind blowing down your neck. The rear pocket also has a magnetic closure, which is handy if you’re on the bike and don’t want to be fiddling with zips. There are soft, snug cuffs inside the bottom of the sleeves, that keep out cold air.
But what about the lights?
The jacket has two strips of 14 x 4 lumens LED lights – one of the front in blue, and another on the tail, in red. The lights are powered by a really small, removable, rechargeable USB battery unit that you stow in a pocket inside, and they can be washed – how bonkers is that? There are two settings – pulse and low energy flash, and the lights are usable for between 6 and 14 hours. It’s really bright in the dark – the photo above doesn’t do it justice as it was taken in daylight!
So what do you think? The retail price is £400 so it sure as hell isn’t cheap, but goddam, if it ain’t my new favourite casual riding jacket! It’s lush!
