CANTON, Mass. (BRAIN) — Kryptonite's new Incite bike light line takes some new approaches to the market. The brand measures the lights' power by lux, instead of lumens, which is more common in the U.S. market.
Besides the lux ratings, the Incite line includes models with sidelights for increased peripheral visibility, digital displays that show battery life and other information, light sensors to automatically adjust settings, and a taillight model with a secondary LED light that activates when a rider slows down, among other features.
The brand said lux ratings measure the illumination a light beam provides on a surface at a specific distance. Lumens measure the total brightness emitted by a light.
"While a high lumen rating may seem impressive, lumens alone do not take into account the effect of clear light distribution and focus more on the overall quantity of the light distribution. Light with a high lumen rating casts an overarching light that at times may be blinding to oncoming drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, while a light with a high lux rating has a more focused arch that illuminates what's in front of the rider, and also helps make them visible to those around them," the company said.
Daryl Slater, Kryptonite's brand manager, said, "Kryptonite is shifting the mentality in lighting from numbers to precision – or from quantity to quality. Numbers alone cannot tell the whole story when it comes to the best lights for cyclists and others on the road that are affected by their lights."
The Incite collection includes the Incite X8 ($144.95), Incite X6 ($74.95), and Incite X3 ($54.95) front light models. They all feature an IPX4 durability rating, side illumination ports, a micro-USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and built-in battery indicators.
The Incite X8 has a max lux of 80 and up to 24-hour total run time. Its digital display shows remaining battery runtime and battery capacity, as the user adjusts the mode of the light between six settings.
The Incite X6 is a single button design with a top-facing sensor that adjusts mode automatically based on the surrounding conditions. The X6 has a maximum run time of 30 hours between charges, seven light modes, and a max lux of 60.
The Incite X3 is intended to be compact and easy to remove for cyclists who do not want to leave their lights on their bikes. It has a lux rating of 30, with a max run time of up to 24 hours, and five light modes.
Incite rear-facing light models include the Incite XBR ($39.95) and Incite XR ($27.95). The XBR features an acceleration sensor, which triggers a secondary LED light when speed is reduced by more than 3.6 mph. Each comes with a bracket that allows the lights to be rotated 180 degrees to accommodate seat stay mounting and a total runtime of 36 hours.
The lights are available from Kryptonite's distributors.
