So, these are just over £20. In terms of the market for your neoprene/nylon overshoes that’s pretty good. Not quite entry point, but not far off, and certainly comparable to stuff like dhb, bbb etc. And, let’s face it, overshoes get an absolute pasting so while you need to pay good money to get a good product, you don’t want to pay too much given what they get used for.
The Sawyers overshoes come in black or, as pictured, blue and red. There is a slight difference between the two. The black model ‘stripe’ is fully reflective on the front and rear. The blue model stripe is supplemented by a reflective silver stripe on the rear. In addition the logo on the black version is also reflective. So, if you want maximum being seen ability, you may want the black ones. To be honest I’m so utterly illuminated at the moment that it’s not an issue for me, but every little helps.
So, in terms of features Rivelo claim the following:
Features:
Waterproof, windproof neoprene
Kevlar abrasion resistant toe panel
YKK zip with reverse coil & storm flap to avoid leaks
Rubberised heel for durability
Reflective trims and logos for added visibility
Taped front seam to ensure waterproofing
Designed for use with road shoe cleat systems
Zip guard for comfort and protection
The fit on these is spot on. It’s not always the case with overshoes which can see a combination of flappy collars or bulging fronts that don’t sit properly. Go too snug and you struggle to pull them over ratchets and velcro straps. For the me Rivelo ones sit absolutely perfectly with no unsightly bulging.
One of the more useful features, certainly for me, is whether you can use an overshoe with both a road and mtb shoe. After all, if you’re doing a lot of commuting, or train in the winter in mtb shoes, that’s essential. So I’m happy to say that these fit very well. I’ve used them with my bulkier Shimano CX50n and, as pictured, my XC70. You can see that there’s plenty of clearance for tread and little risk of impacting the fabric of the overshoe on the pavement or the pedal. There’s a reinforced section up front which helps with pedal strikes and stopping at the lights.
The fabric is of a very high quality and the stitching is first rate. There should be no issues with these coming apart. Obviously the outside surface is matte rather than pure neoprene gloss. The fabric will wet out after a while but, in practice, with the right combination of shoes and socks, they never felt cold. There will be some moisture built up inside if you’re putting the hammer down but that’s simply an overshoe thing.
Round the back you can see that reflective trim. The zips are heavy duty and look like they’ll last for an age. The neoprene overlaps inside so even if water got through the zip there’s still little chance of it getting further. There’s a zip garage and the bottom section is once again reinforced. In terms of getting them on they’re up there with any other overshoe really. Providing you get the right size (and they are correctly described on the size guide) you need to work a bit to get everything in place before doing the zip up. But, once that’s done, the reinforced collar is sufficiently snug on the calves to ensure that water ingress is prevented whilst maintaining freedom of movement.
I’ve been using them in a range of temperatures so far and, of course, the rain. Oh, the, rain. Rain like you’ve never seen. They work really well. They’re waterproof, obviously. They’re sufficiently lengthy so that puddle splashes don’t reach the top. They’re tight enough to stop the worst of the rain getting in. Inevitably water will be conducted downwards by your soaking wet bibtights, and that’s worse if your bib tights are water resistant. There are solutions to this, but it’s not a fault of any overshoe per se. And in this respect they’re as good as any other I’ve tried.
They work perfectly well with some woolie boolie socks at temperatures hovering around freezing. If the weather is milder but damp, just change the socks you’re using. In the rain there’s some ingress from above (inevitably) so the tops of your socks might get it. But the body of my feet remained dry and there’s no ingress from below despite the generous cut outs that provide space for mtb shoes.
All in all, impressive. They’re a premium looking pair of overshoes doing the job of overshoes well. They’re comfy, they look good, and the black ones add a load more visibility. All for a shade over a couple of notes. Not those new £5 ones mind. Those are waterproof though, I wonder if you could make overshoes from them?
This isn’t a discussion about using helmets. It isn’t a discussion about societal need for helmets. It’s not about victim blaming and it’s not about why some people think helmets like this are a bad idea. Apparently we should be focusing on the cause of why we need helmets like this. I don’t disagree. But we live in an imperfect world and until we achieve perfection from a cycling perspective let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.
The “smart” cycling helmet then. And one of the more successful kickstarter projects of all time. For a start, people are actually receiving their orders. The project kicked off a little over a year ago, so it’s taken some time to get here. But it raised just over $800,000 or, if you’re reading this in post Brexit Britain, almost a million pounds (insert winky smiley). That’s a considerable sum and I’ve been waiting a while to see if it’s been put to good use. There are some differences to the original product, but the changes that Lumos have made, particularly in relation to charging, are certainly for the better. I have to say, I was expecting a well thought out product but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite as well thought at as it is, a testimony to a year of refinements.
Pre order price, as I write this piece (Brexit jokes aside) is around £120. You shouldn’t be stung for customs given that helmets are personal protective equipment (PPE) so that’s what you should pay (plus delivery, of course). And that’s good value. The alternative, if you ignore signalling, is to take a mid range helmet (this is a good helmet) and add lights front and rear. You’re still going to pay a bit for that, you lose the integration. So I do think that this represents at least very good and arguably excellent value.
For my purposes it’s a terrific proposition. I commute just short of 20 miles each way. I have some flexibility in relation to start and finish times but generally end up cycling most of that 20 miles in complete darkness in the winter months. It’s busy, there are junctions, roundabouts, dual carriageways and, on the last section, a load of shuffling pedestrians. In terms of lighting, every little helps.
I’ve been asked to cast a legal eye over the ramifications of failing to use parts of the product. What if you don’t use the lights? What if they run out? What if you don’t bother with the indicators or forget to indicate? Assuming you have OTHER lights (this is not a substitute) then I don’t consider there’s much, if any, risk of a finding of contributory negligence if you end up getting knocked off. So I don’t think there’s anything to worry about in that respect.
So, back to the product and, let’s have a look at some box pics first. It’s all rather tidily presented.
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And turning to what’s in the box……
It was at this point that my expectations were exceeded. I wasn’t expecting the bag cover but I guess most helmets come with one of those. I certainly wasn’t expecting two chargers, they’ve now changed to the magnetic type (better for waterproofing the helmet). So you can quite easily charge the helmet and the remote control at the same time or, for people like me, take one charging lead into work and leave the other at home. The value aspect is already looking good.
Neither was I expecting two types of remote control. As you can see below a separate ‘satellite’ pair of buttons which attaches to the main unit is also supplied. I’ll deal with how you might position those a little later in my review.
There’s also a tidy instruction manual, other documents and a small selection of business cards with a referral code on. So, if you’re interested, my code is FDVNSW and, if you use that code, you get $25 off the purchase price sending the UK price down to around £105.
Let’s turn to the helmet itself. There are three colours available, black, white and blue.
It’s a nice helmet. It’s certified to all the international standards. It’s adult only and intended to fit heads sized 54-62cm. So, if you have a small head it may be that it’s too big. If you have a really big one ditto. But for most people you should be able to get it to fit. I’m not a huge fan of big sizing ranges in helmets but from a kickstarter point of view I think it’s entirely understandable.
In terms of comfort it’s clear that Lumos have worked very hard on the fit and how it sits on your head. I compared it to my Giro Foray (a dead ringer for the Synthe) and found that it has a similar profile (i.e. it’s not mushroomy). There’s a nice smattering of foam inserts inside to keep you comfy and to wick away some sweat. Round the back there’s the usual dial to adjust the fit. There’s no fancy up and down movement and the strap is normal fabric rather than leather etc. But I find it very comfortable to wear. In fact it’s arguably more comfortable than my Foray and at least as comfortable as a Kask Mojito. There’s not as much venting as the others mentioned but I’d guess that most will wear these in the winter months and it’s likely to be colder. There’s also plenty of space in there for wearing skull caps etc.
What it is not is light. And you can’t really expect it to be. It has lights, batteries, accelerometers and much of the foam is plastic covered rather than being exposed. All of that adds weight and my supplied version comes in at circa 450g. That’s certainly not a light helmet but, let’s do context. My Giro Foray is 280g, a Kask Vertigo about the same, a Lazer Helium is getting on for 300g. Those are mid or high end helmets. Sure, you can get much lighter but the context here is that this is about 150g or so heavier than what most of us already wear. Or, your helmet plus your phone. And whilst it can feel a little heavier on your head it’s not intrusive and, crucially, it doesn’t make you not want to wear it. And consider this, if you want to add comparative lighting (ignoring any smart features) to your existing helmet then you add price and you add weight. Two fibre flares, for example, weigh 160g. It’s very slightly out of balance, for want of a better term, in that you can perceive it weighs more at the rear than the front but that’s difficult to avoid from an engineering perspective.
So, in terms of being a helmet, it does all those jobs well. It’s a pretty good looking, it fits and it doesn’t look silly or intrusive. I don’t suspect we’ll see one on a sportive that soon but on a winter night’s chain gang, why not?
You’ll note from the above pictures the main lighting sections. The rear is a large translucent surface that houses the brake light and indicators. The front has a single strip. But, underneath the helmet at the front you’ll also see the “bleed through” section which provides a little down lighting but most importantly lets you know that your indicators are on (or not).
Charging is easy, you just attach the magnetic charger into the main port on the helmet or remote unit. The helmet takes about 2 hours to fully charge after which time it’s good for about 6 hours on flash mode or 3 hours in solid. The remote lasts for ages. It’s good to see that they’ve changed from the coin battery in the original product as though those also last for an age there’s less to go wrong here. No opening required either which means that longevity in the damp is likely to be better.
The remote is essentially always “on” but doesn’t draw power unless you’re using it to indicate. The helmet is turned on with a single press. You don’t need to hold it down, just press. Each press then cycles through solid, flash and strobe. To turn it off you hold it down. Each press is accompanied by an audio cue. With the helmet off if you hold down the power for 5 seconds you activate “brake mode.” That’s the one where the rear brake triangle operates not only as a light but as a motion sensor brake light. And not only the brake triangle, the indicators turn solid as well. I’ll talk more about setting up that beta feature later.
Another matter impressed me at this point. Let’s assume you’ve selected flash or strobe as your mode for being seen. Obviously, when the indicator comes on that flashes like all indicators. I was concerned that there would be an obvious clash there. But, no. Once you indicate the previously flashing rear triangle/front half light turns into solid mode to avoid that clash. Simple, clever and necessary.
You have two options for your indicators, the stem mounted one (see later) and a satellite shifter system. They’re modular so the battery attached to the stem mounted version (by default) twists off to fit into the satellite system. When you press the indicators you’re greeted with an audible alert.
I played around a bit with where I’d position the indicators. The first picture below is the stem mounted version. They snap on in the same manner as a stem mounted Garmin, that is to say using giant rubber O rings. Many are supplied! When you press each button it blinks (that’s not captured below) and pressing a further time cancels the indication. Alternatively, if you’re negotiating a roundabout then pressing the other indicator button swaps to that indication. So you don’t need to switch off one before switching on the other.
Alternatively you can place them on the bars, the only issue being that, if you want to put other things on there you do lost a bit of real estate.
In terms of demo’ing the satellite shifters I opted to place them on the inside of my hands when on the bars. The wires are tidy enough but I could tidy them a bit further with some thought, the below pic being just to show you the setup. The satellite buttons don’t illuminate but they force the main unit to. I can easily reach them with my thumbs when up on the bars. To me that feels like the best place, I can still brake and move swiftly to them. With a little bit of planning it’s easy to get them to be just backwards of the hoods, behind the brake levers or even down on the drops. There’s more than enough wire for all of these placements. I’ve not tried with flat bars but there’s not going to be any difference.
As I’ve stated above, battery life on the indicator is about a month so you don’t need to charge it that often. There are alternative ways to mount. I could place it on the bars and use one hand to operate it. That would be fine but it does rob me of space in which to fit my lights. The unit is waterproof so you shouldn’t have any issues with longevity either.
The indicators are already paired with the helmet on arrival so it’s just a case of turning on and getting on with riding. The helmet and remote are also charged but I fully charged them just in case. You can monitor the battery level in an iOs (android coming soon) app and there’s some more on that later. By default the accelerometers in the helmet are not switched on so, to do that (and there’s a card in the box) you hold down the power on for 5 seconds till the lights come on, then 5 button presses and it’s ready to be activated. Then hold down the two remote buttons together until they pulse, press any one and you’re ready to go. The card warns that there are still some bugs but, in practice, they seem reasonably complete so far.
In relation to the app I am afraid that I can’t fully test it at the moment as I’m not an iOs user. But from the screenshot below it all looks rather sensible. You can monitor battery level, play with some of the flash settings and check out some instructions as well. There is an android version coming soon and I’d imagine it will look very much the same. But I’m quite happy with the modes and intensity of the helmet by default anyway.
So, in use, the following video gives you an idea of what to expect. I’m wandering round with the remote changing the modes. You’ll note just how bright the whole setup is.
And when you take it out on the road you get something a bit like the below. I’ll try and get some better video in due course if I can find somewhere out of the way. You’ll note that the lights are actually fairly powerful and while they don’t light your way they’re far from being weedy. Indeed, given their surface area, height and type they really do get you noticed. My view is that they are far more noticeable, particularly in traffic, than even a powerful seatpost or bar mounted unit.
And as the nice lady on the video says, marvellous, brilliant, everyone should get one!
In my next video I’ll try to demonstrate how the brake like looks in practice but in the meantime here’s a picture showing what happens when you brake. As you can see the usually amber indicators have turned red and the entire section is now lit.
I’ve been using it to commute in and out in the dusky times and it’s been all very agreeable. It’s certainly, as stated, that bit heavier than my usual helmet but given that I’m likely to be dolled up in full protection softshells, bibtights, overshoes and gloves at this time of year then that’s hardly an issue. So far the battery life is bang on as stated so it will need a charge a few times a week depending on how far you ride. For me that’s every few days or so but it’s hardly a hardship. Your helmet generally gets taken into the house so it’s not like having to detach lights from your bike to charge them.
In terms of whether it’s created a difference in approach from road users I honestly can’t say and I don’t think it’s scientifically possible for me to comment. And remember that the plural of anecdote is not data. But I’m content wearing it because it does mean that I should be seen and, if the worst happens, then the blame for not seeing me will fall in the correct direction. It also takes care of one of those places where I seem to have the most issues, that of cars pulling out of side roads and roundabout junctions. Normally I try to engage them with eye contact but that’s not really all that useful in the dark. I hope that this system combined with some turning of the head creates a useful visual stimulus to alert sleepy drivers from their catatonic driving state.
In terms of value this is very good proposition. Assuming no customs charges (and there really should not be) you’re getting a lot of tech for the equivalent of £105 (if you use the above code). That’s a lot of money for sure, but in the context of a helmet with lights it really isn’t. Throw in the additional benefits like indicating and braking and the ability to use an app and it’s very good indeed. Yes, there are a few issues, Lumos claim a few bugs, and the weight could be better, but in the context of a commuting helmet to do a job there’s really nothing else quite like this out there.
I appreciate that it’s quite difficult to take the leap, take the risk and order online when you’ve not seen or tried a product in the flesh, after all, if you don’t like how something fits then you may not wear it. So, if you’re ever passing in South Wales I’m more than happy to let you have a go. I can’t say any fairer than that.
And there we are, a successful Kickstarter product that actually gets delivered and one which works. In the crazy world that is 2016 it’s something to hold onto. I’ll try and get some more and better videos of real world operation up in due course.
By request I’ve added a day test video below which makes my photography better and gives a clearer indication of how clear the lights separate in practice.
3/4, bibknickers, they can be pretty polarising. I’m a big fan and with the winters we get (or don’t get) I find they’re good for quite a large part of the year. They keep your knees warm and don’t have any of the faff of knee warmers slipping up or down. I’ve written previously that my Assos 607 are in my top products ever but they don’t come cheap. The Rivelo Headley are an interesting proposition. In terms of cold they have more in common with the old Assos 434 which was a spring/autumn weight 3/4. And that kind of product does have an awful lot of versatility.
The rrp of these bibs is £130 so, on that basis, they have to be really good to justify the cost. The thing is that they’re currently £49.99 at Sport Pursuit and in my view that makes them a bit of a bargain. It does mean that it’s difficult to judge what the true cost is so, in fairness, let’s review them at the price that they are rather than what they might be.
I’ve used a few more stock photos in this review as, frankly, photography of legwear off the bike is pretty useless. So I’ve concentrated on the more important bits when I have taken photos.
The arrival is a very attractive proposition. No cheapo plastic bags and instead a nicely presented box. We all like boxes don’t we?
Rivelo set out the following claims for the product:
male specific high density chamois pad from Cytech (EIT) in Italy, with bacteriostatic, quick drying and cooling fabric covering – suitable for any length of ride
thermal fabric that also offers a high level of compression & support
ergonomic panel construction gives the perfect fit whilst in the riding position
breathable mesh brace section
reflective visibility details
mesh panels on backs of knees, for comfort when pedalling & extra breathability
soft flat locked stitching on all seams for comfort
soft silicone Rivelo striped gripper at cuffs for a secure fit
no scratchy labels – care label is made from a soft fabric and sewn flat
So I took a photo of that care label. It’s deliberately old school. It’s a nice detail, doesn’t do anything at all to add to the product, certainly doesn’t detract. It’s just a nice thing. Anyway, on with what’s relevant.
The pad is from elastic interface. You’ll remember just how many manufacturers they provide pads for. They’re proven and effective. It’s hard to be absolutely certain about which of the pads the Rivelo has but my detective work leads me to believe that it’s probably the Bastogne Race pad good for rides of about 5-6 hours or so. And that’s absolutely fine in relation to your average spring or autumn ride. I’ve found the pad to be very comfortable up to the 50-60 mile mark at which point I got home, so I can’t really say much more than that! It’s well sewn together and I have little doubt as to its longevity.
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They come in three colour variations. Red, as pictured above, blue and all black. The lycra used is fleecy roubaix backed and pretty compressive overall. I take a large and the fit is bang on. They come down past the knees to just about mid calf. Above all they’re very comfortable with zero sag. The tummy section is cut quite high, there are no zips but it’s still very easy to take a comfort break should you need to. The straps are a mid weight mesh and the back is cut quite high as well. It all adds up to a nice balance between breathability and warmth. In terms of the fit, for me, I can’t honestly think of anything I’d improve.
The knee section deserves some special mention. It often gets sweaty back there and Rivelo have tackled this with having a mesh insert at the back of the knee and lycra at the front. It works, there’s no sensation of cold whipping round the back. The grippers are excellent as well and hold things very well in place. If you have smaller calves than I, and mine are quite substantial, the bottom of the bibs might be slightly looser but then, if you do have smaller calves than mine, then I suspect you might be in a different size anyway, but do bear that in mind. The contrast of the red or blue rear section is quite a useful one to have and whilst resolutely not high vis it should at least provide some colour variation to get you seen.
There’s a nice little reflective logo around the back of the knee as well and the Rivelo logo on one side of the tights is also reflective.
I’ve been wearing these for a little over 2 weeks now and fortunately testing temperatures have been very variable ranging from 16 degrees right down to freezing. They’ve worked in pretty much all of those temps with no fuss. If I were to spend any considerable time out in low single digit temps I’d certainly opt for the Assos 6067 that I own as being that little bit warmer in the nether regions (for example) but overall these do the job very nicely. They appear to be sufficiently robust to date. Indeed, the lycra appears to be of a very similar feel to the dbh Aeron shorts which I tested earlier in the year with the added bonus of some roubaix backing.
In terms of pricing, at £49, these are actually something of a bargain. They’re good quality, they fit well and they do what’s expected of them. I think they’re probably worth quite a bit more in terms of actual price but not perhaps the claimed rrp. I don’t think that’s particularly relevant overall though given that they are available, at the time of writing, in all sizes and colours on Sport Pursuit for £49. Indeed, all of Rivelo’s autumn/winter range is currently on Sport Pursuit and most sizes are available. Stand out amongst them would have to the Garsdale soft shell (at £99) which uses advanced fabrics and is highly rated by the press and some of my mates. I’ve also been provided with a pair of Rivelo’s Sawyers overshoes and will add to this review with my thoughts about them in due course but, frankly, for £21.99 my initial thoughts are that they are outstanding value for a very heavy duty attractive overshoe.
Oh, and, if you do order some, or indeed any Rivelo stuff from Sportpursuit, I hate to ask, but, might as well, could you click through on this referral link?
