Bicygnals bike indicators

We've seen indicators on bikes before but the Bicygnals up the ante a bit with a wireless connection front to rear for all-round indicating visibility. It's a clever system that gives a bit of extra confidence to riders who want to be more visible in traffic. It's not without its faults though and we're not convinced that it does away with the need for hand signals, either on a practical or legal basis.

The Bicygnals come clipped together - the two units form a neat oval shape and you can store them in the bag provided when they're not on the bike. The two lights clip onto mounts that also feature reflectors, which is a nice touch. I was a bit worried that the heavy front unit (250g) would either bounce off the mount or move it out of position, but I had no problems on test. They look neat, if a bit big, on the bike and while you wouldn't put them on a Carbon racer they're certainly not out of place on a hybrid or urban machine.

So to use. Install the (supplied) batteries then hold down the on/off buttons on both to pair the units. This takes a few seconds and can be repeated if they lose each other when turned off, which they do from time to time. The Bicygnals have three modes: indicator only, indicator and static light or indicator and flashing light. they flash periodically even when unlit, just so you know they're on.

The indicators are controlled big two big, friendly buttons on the shoulders of the front light which are easy to locate and use; press once to turn them on and again to cancel, they turn themselves off after half a minute or so. The rear unit picks up the signal within about half a second. It's possible to accidentally hit the button but you generally notice, at least at night. We missed the audible signal that the Winkkuu mirror has though.

The front and rear lights themselves are described as 'high power' LEDs; in reality they're the kind of output you'd expect from a normal bar-mounted flasher. They're decent enough as being-seen lights but the fact that they're sandwiched between indicators means there's no side visibility, which is an issue around town. Waterproofing is another issue: the Bicygnals aren't waterproof so you'll need to be more careful than you would be with a normal set of well-sealed LEDs.

So, do they work? It's a little hard to quantify how effective they are as indicators, but cycling around town using exclusively the indicators – without hand signals – cars have generally been attentive, not overtaking when I'm indicating to turn right, for example, and using a left indicator as a cue to pull out of a side road I'm turning into. So yes, the message seems to be received and understood on the road.

I personally think that even though the Bicygnals are pretty big units the indicators still aren't far enough apart to make sense unless they're used in conjunction with the middle light: bikes don't have corners and that point of reference makes all the difference. On a bright sunny day you'd struggle to see any of the lights, so they're not to be relied on in every circumstance.

Both of the above points are factors in my main gripe with the Bicygnals: they will be seen by some as an alternative to hand signals, whereas they should - in my opinion - only be used as an additional signal, not a replacement. The main reason for this is that the Highway Code says you should signal with your hands, and until the existence of bike-mounted indicators is officially recognised in print you'd be on shaky legal ground if, for example, you indicated right and a car came past and collided with you – especially since it isn't illegal to fit a flashing, non-indicating orange light to your bike. Okay, the Bicycgnals are compliant with the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations for flash times and such, but that's kind of moot when bikes are specifically exempted from having indicators.

My worry would be that less competent cyclists who aren't confident in traffic will look at Bicygnals as an alternative to taking their hands off the bars – after all, that's what the box says – when they should be learning proper cycling craft and using the lights as an extra level of defence. Used like that, I think they're a useful addition to your urban armoury.

Verdict

Good as an extra defence in traffic but not without their faults, and not really an alternative to a hand signal