Will Electroluminescence Make its Way to Bicycles?

What’s the next coolest thing to enter the cycling industry?  Well, I’ve got my money on something called LimiLor designed by Darkside Scientific.  Darkside is a research and development company that specializes in electroluminescent technology……and what they’ve created is very awesome.

What if you could illuminate your bike frame with just the flick of a switch?  The technology is here, and on its way to being used is all sort of applications.  Right now Darkside seems to be focusing their attention on a different kind of bike, but it’s just a matter of time before night cyclists get their hands on this.

LumiLor can be applied to any paintable surface (metal, wood, fiberglass, plastic) in any variety of shape.  Darkside’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Scott Smith says the product is “totally unique and without a comparable competitor, Lumilor can be successfully applied to conformal curves and surface features without delamination issues“.  Plus, it definitely brightens things up, and draws attention.

I found out about Darkside Scientific and what they were creating through my involvement with Progressive’s Apron Project.

To really get a feel for how cool this technology is, have a look at this short video explaining and showing how it all works.

[youtuber youtube=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtTTTllTd20′]

Yeah, pretty neat huh?  And you can totally see this being used on a bicycle, right?  I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I only had a few questions about this application on bicycles.  Here’s what they told me:

1. Can it be used on carbon fiber? Most definitely….and on steel, aluminum, titanium, etc.
2. How much would it cost to do a bicycle frame?  Right now it’s more expensive than it will be in the future.  If you want to be one of the first to coat your frame with LumiLor (yes, they have done at least one before), you’re looking at $4 to $5 per square inch.
3. How much extra weight does the LumiLor and switch add?  Very minimal.
4. Where can someone go to get the application on their bike?  It’s best to contact Darkside Scientific directly and they can tell you where the nearest certified application center is for you.

Oh, and I didn’t ask the question but during my talk with the guys at Darkside they told me that using LumiLor to illuminate bike lanes is another possible use.  I agree.

A custom paint job and the addition of LumiLor is definitely a significant added cost to a bicycle, but when has priced stopped cyclists from pimping out their rides?  I can totally see an increase in custom paint and electroluminescent applications being applied to bicycles in the near future, and it’s going to look amazing.

Disclosure: This post was written as part of Progressive’s Apron Project, helping tell the story of people and their initiatives making progress towards a greater good. I have been compensated as a contributor to this project, but the thoughts and opinions in this post are my own.

Check out Darkside Scientific’s involvement in the Apron Project.