Cycling is a popular sport that many people embrace as a hobby. Riding a bike is something that many kids regard as a staple of their childhood and the primary means of transportation prior to being old enough to drive a car. However, bicycling can be dangerous, especially in cities, and every year there are stories of accidents. As a result of this, many cyclists started placing reflective gear and/or lights on their bikes for safety purposes. Yet what started out as a means of safety has now turned into a trend with many cyclists—especially young cyclists—using lights to decorate their bikes, especially the wheels, to create a cool effect when they are riding.
A company called Brightz Ltd. produces extremely high-quality LED lights. Although tiny and on thin wires, the lights are extremely durable and hypnotically bright and vibrant. The colors—that include red, orange, gold, green, blue, purple, pink, white, and multi and are very lightweight. Since its establishment in 2009, the company has become a smash success among cyclists, party planners, and even artists. Brightz lights can be found on shelves of more than 5000 local, specialty, and national stores across the US and Canada and they are constantly seeking to branch out into more markets.
Brightz president Ron Finch recently discussed the company and his hopes for its future:
Meagan Meehan (MM) of Entertainment Vine: What inspired you to get into the business of lights?
Ron Finch (RF): It was almost by accident, really. My son Eric wanted lights to put under his bed to mimic the effect of neon lights that were popular with modified cars in the early 2000s. As an electrical engineer, I knew neon couldn’t safely be used under a bed, so I decided to make something using LEDs instead. I made a small, battery operated, lightweight strip of LEDs, but when Eric saw the prototype, he immediately thought it would be cool to use the light on his bike instead. That night he rode his bike out into the neighborhood and the light was a huge, attention-getting hit! Eventually I developed that light into our original product, Go Brightz, which we still sell today.
MM: How are your lights different from others?
RF: Unlike a normal headlight and taillight, our lights offer a wider range of visibility. Headlights and taillights can be difficult to view from the side.
MM: Your lights are used on bikes. How and when did this trend start?
RF: We really hit the open market in 2011 so that’s when our products began to be used on bikes.
MM: Aside from bikes, what other uses do people find for the lights?
RF: People find all kinds of fun and creative uses for our lights. They use them to decorate their rooms, they use them for parties, camping, home projects and so much more. The creativity shown with lights truly inspires me to keep the newest, coolest, most affordable lights available to everyone.
MM: What colors do you offer?
RF: We offer a variety of colors depending on the product. We have blue, green, red, orange, gold, white, multi-color, purple, and color morphing which changes colors.
MM: What were the most challenging aspects of creating these lights?
RF: When we started, people didn’t know that fun bike lights were “a thing.” There was no hesitation, though, when they laid eyes on our products. “Wow! That’s soooo cool!” We’ve heard that from the second we launched.
MM: What’s your favorite thing about working with Brightz, Ltd.?
RF: Our slogan is “People love lights!” It’s so true. Our lights bring smiles and I just love that. Also, I’m permanently geeked up about the electronic design element of our business.
MM: So far, what has been the most rewarding thing about being involved with this company?
RF: We travel to lots of tradeshows across the United States and it’s always gratifying to see our lights being used on the streets of cities thousands of miles away from where it all started in suburban Toledo, Ohio. We’ve seen them used purely for style and for commuter bikers using them for safety, and it’s really rewarding to see that people are realizing how useful our lights really are.
MM: Do you have any upcoming projects that you would like to mention?
RF: We have so many upcoming projects! One coming soon is a disco-styled bicycle light with music. It comes off the bike easily, so it pops in a backpack so you have Light-Sound-Party wherever you go!
MM: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about decorating their bike with lights?
RF: To be yourself and to go all out!
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To learn more about Brightz Ltd., visit their official website.
Cool lights, congrats on a great product.