Launched from a popular Kickstarter campaign, Redshift Sports Arclight pedals are a clever metal flat pedal with integrated LEDs. The pedals not only use magnetically attached COB LED strips on the front and rear but also have sensors to automatically turn the lights on/off and ensure the forward facing LED remains white. Redshift Sports offers the pedals for $139.99 which includes two metal flat pedals and four light strips (i.e. two lights per pedal). For $39.99 you can also purchase a separate LED and multi-mount for complete bike illumination. The pedals offer 360 degrees of visibility and leverage the phenomenon known as “bio-motion” for improved safety in low visibility conditions. The lights also are smart as they can determine the orientation of the pedal to automatically set the proper color as well as enter standby mode if no motion is detected.
The Bontrager Commuter pedals are simple yet effective dual sided pedals that allow riders the freedom to choose from riding with normal shoes or SPD pedals.
| Rating | 9.2 / 10 |
| Retail Price | $139.99 / $39.99 (extra LED + multi-mount) |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 706 (pedals + LEDs) / 40 (extra LED + multi-mount) |
| Likes | + Clever design + Magnetic light attachment makes it easy to install or remove + Built-in sensors automatically determine light color and turn off the lights |
| Dislikes | – Pedals are only offered in black finish – Lacks a multi-level battery status indicator – Each LED needs to be turned on / off individually |
| Where to Buy (US) | Redshift Sports |
UNBOXING
The Redshift Sports Arclight pedas come in an environmentally friendly compact cardboard box with specs printed directly onto it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- 2x Arclight flat pedals
- 4x LED strips (2 per pedal)
- 4 USB port charger strip
- Instruction manual
The included 4 USB port charger is a thoughtful extra that allows you to charge all the LEDs together instead of having to charge them one-by-one.
INSTALLATION
Setting up the pedals is straightforward as Redshift Sports has used a standard petal flat pedal body. You’ll want to first remove your existing pedals using a pedal wrench or Allen key. Remember that the non-drive side pedal is reverse threaded, clockwise to loosen, as a safety precaution. There are no installation tools included so you’ll want the appropriate pedal wrench and some grease. Installing the pedals is the reverse of removal, simply spin them on and then slide the LEDs into the magnetic slots. The pedals can be installed with a 15mm pedal wrench or an equivalent thin wrench. We’d recommend using some blue Loctite or equivalent grease to ensure the pedals can easily be removed in the future.
FIT & FINISH
While there are plenty of lights and pedals on the market, the Arclight pedals stand out due to their clever integration. They combine a high quality non-slip flat pedal with COB LED strips to keep you visible. Redshift Sports only offers the Arclight as flat pedals in a glossy black finish but will likely introduce clipless variations in the future. The pedals themselves are square shaped with raised lugs to improve traction. Although they aren’t as aggressive as mountain biking pins, we found the design effective even for gravel riding. The pedals are well sized and provide a large stable platform which is comfortable for commuting or gravel riding. Slots are cut into the front and rear of the pedals which are perfectly sized for gripping the LEDs to remove or install them.
The COB LED strips themselves have a thin rectangular design with L-shaped COB LED embedded into a plastic body. A raised simple transparent lens body covers up the COB LEDs and allows the lights to be seen from side angles. All the LED strips are identical and interchangeable, even the optional multi-mount version. Magnets embedded into the body of the LED strips and the pedal / multi-mount allow the lights to determine their orientation. Forward facing LEDs illuminate white while the rear ones illuminate red automatically. To achieve the dual colors, Redshift has simply embedded two sets of COB LEDs into each LED strip. It’s a surprisingly simple solution that avoid the complexity of full RGB LEDs and isn’t even noticeable unless you inspect the LEDs closely.
Each of the LEDs have a single transparent rubber button on the outer edge to control them. The user interface is straight forward and can be operated by either holding the button to power it on/off or doing a short press to cycle through the available three modes. Built-in mode memory means the lights always turn on in the same mode they were shut off in. It’s a bit tedious to turn on the lights as you have to press the power button on each LED strip, hopefully future versions could incorporate some sort of unified controller. The lights also automatically switch to a standby mode if no motion is detected for 30 seconds and will fully shut off after 24 hours of being in standby mode. We’d recommend manually turning them off for any extended periods of time though, as standby mode uses a small amount of power. As far as we can tell, the only visible battery status is a good/bad indicator conveyed through the green/red power button illumination when the pedals are first turned on.
ON THE ROAD
Redshift Sports has incorporated three output modes with the Arclight pedals. There is a constant steady mode with a claimed runtime of over three hours. There are also two flash modes, a standard flash and an eco flash with over 11 and 36 hour runtimes respectively. We’d recommend sticking to the eco flash option as it offers the longest runtime and help attract attention. If you’re riding on dark trails the constant mode is a good option as it is less distracting to ride with. We found the pedals to be easy to install and a great way to improve visibility. The simple magnetic attachment design and uniform COB LED provide excellent usability and visibility at night. Redshift Sports doesn’t publish the lumen output for the pedals, but we suspect they are around 40 lumen as they aren’t bright enough to be visible during the day but stand out at night. Combined with the multi-mount LED or a standard taillight, the pedals ensure you’re visible from any angle.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Redshift Sports Arclight flat pedals to be well designed and offer excellent safety. The Arclight pedals combine a high quality metal flat pedal with built-in traction lugs with slick COB LEDs. We appreciated the magnetic attachment design and built-in USB connector which making installing, removing and charging the LEDs a breeze. Even though the LEDs aren’t quite daytime bright, in low visibility conditions they offer 360 degree illumination and take advantage of the biomotion phenomenon to ensure you’re safe on the road. The integrated orientation and motion detector also ensure the LEDs always have the correct color and can automatically go to a standby mode if you forget to turn them off. The main negatives we found with the pedals is the fact that they are only offered in a single color and that you have to manually turn each light on (e.g. a single unified control would improve usability). That said, if you’re looking for some quality flat pedals with clever LEDs the Arclight pedals are hard to beat.
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.