Lumos helmet with brake lights and turn signals close to launch

We all like to ride quickly whilst looking good on the bike. This has often been what puts some people off wearing clothing that would make them as visible as possible to motorists.

The Lumos helmet launched last year on Kickstarter with the initial aim of raising $125,000 (approx. £85,000) in crwodfunding. However, the product was a success way beyond its creators expectations, with 6,000 people pledging in excess of $800,000 (£545,000) to bring the project to life.

And now the Lumos helmet is very nearly available to buy, with those who backed the helmet at the start receiving theirs in September, while anyone ordering now (at the discounted rate of £112 instead of the full £138 RRP) should expect to get their helmet in the post by October. Pre-ordering is done through the Lumos website.

But what is all the fuss about, and what makes the Lumos helmet so special?

Well, like the Torch helmet that hit the market last year, the Lumos helmet features lights integrated into its front and rear, which are mainly there to help you be seen by motorists rather than to help light up the road in front of you.

Watch: buyer's guide to road bike helmets

However, the Lumos helmet sets itself apart with some of its other features. First off it has orange turn signals at the back of the helmet which are controlled using a remote control that you can attach to your handlebars. The other neat feature is that the helmet features an accelerometer, which means that when you are braking sharply, all of the lights on the back of the helmet will turn red like a car brake light.

Lumos claims that the battery life for its helmet should be around three hours and recharging is a doddle thanks to the supplied USB cable.