Useeme Bicycle Indicator Wristbands

Cycling indicators often fall short of the mark, but these Useeme Indicator Wristbands are actually a pretty decent idea as an addition to the simple hand signal. They are bright, easy to use, and offer plenty of battery life. Whether following road users can get their head round the concept of a cyclist with indicators is another issue.

• Pros: Near-flawless performance, bright enough to stand out amongst urban light clutter
• Cons: It's debatable how big a benefit they are over reflectives

Most cycling indicators are attached to the bike, normally either side of a front or rear light, and that can be their first drawback. A bike isn't that wide, so unless you are right up behind it it's difficult to see which direction is being indicated – plus the rider still needs to hand signal anyway. Useeme putting its indicators on the wrists does away with all of those issues. They are also very simple to use.

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According to Useeme's website, these indicators have been developed over the last eight years, with each prototype being tweaked and refined until Useeme reached this production model.

Each indicator is 'handed'; you need to make sure you have them on the correct arm for them to work. You put them on with the arrow to the side of the Useeme logo pointing in the direction that they are going to be indicating.

There is only one button and that is to turn them on and off, plus if you give the standby button two short presses then they will enter an emergency mode where the LEDs flash continuously.

Once switched on they work completely automatically, using various sensors and an algorithm that Useeme has created to detect when you are making hand signals. Riding on the hoods or tops, they remain off until you raise your arm to the side and away they go.

Useeme has used nine LEDs in each wristband, which it says are the strongest low energy LEDs on the market.

Rather than have an on/off flash like a vehicle's indicator, Useeme has gone for a series of high-speed flashes before the LEDs turn off and then come back on to repeat. It does make them more eye-catching, while still having that recognised rhythm of an indicator.

There is a good range of movement that the LEDs work in, so you don't have to indicate in a specific way or position.

If you lift your hand to wipe your glasses or reach down for a bottle, the algorithm doesn't set of the lights, so accidental flashing is rare. I tried loads of ways to get them to falter, but I only had one instance – when I moved my hands from the drops to the hoods – and they only flashed once before turning off.

The Useeme bands are best used in the dark; they are bright enough to be seen in daylight, but if a driver can't see your arm stuck out in front of them then a ring of orange flashers probably isn't going to be adding much benefit.

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During the evening rush hour in an urban environment, the Useeme is definitely bright and distinctive enough to cut through all of the other light pollution going on, and they are helpful if you want to change lanes entering roundabouts or negotiating city centre lane changes.

The main issue is how drivers deal with the information the Useeme bands are giving them. A cyclist with indicators isn't a common sight, and in certain situations they were just totally ignored by following drivers when I indicated my intentions. I certainly wouldn't put all of my faith into them.

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The wristbands run on lithium polymer batteries and Useeme supplies a double-headed Micro USB lead so you can charge them both at the same time.

Useeme doesn't give a quoted burn-time but it says that a commuter travelling two hours a day would get around two weeks of riding on a single charge and that seems about right when I put it to the test. It comes down to how much indicating you are doing, basically.

They have a battery level light built in, with the usual traffic light system in play: green for above 50%, flashing yellow for below 50% to 20%, and flashing red below that.

The USB charge port is covered by a flap that clicks closed, and I certainly didn't have any issues with wearing them in the rain.

Value

So, they work and pretty well too – but are they worth the £59.99 outlay?

If you really want indicators on your bike, they are a much better proposition than the £150 Blinkers Blinker Set. Admittedly, they do include front and rear lights, but there were reservations about their overall usefulness.

There are other options, like the Cycl Winglights that won investment from the BBC's Dragons Den programme, which'll set you back around the 30 quid mark. They plug into the bar ends, though, so are only really suitable for flat-barred bikes.

Conclusion

Would I buy them? Probably not, purely because I don't really signal that much.

Having over a decade of rush hour commuting behind me, on fast-flowing, busy A-roads and jam-packed city centres, I tend to use speed and road position – plus a dose of arrogance – to manoeuvre through the traffic.

I have had issues with cars ignoring a right hand turning signal occasionally, when riding in the dark with a black jacket and gloves on, which is why I'm a fan of gloves with reflectives – which arguably will get you noticed just as much.

For less experienced riders, though, who maybe don't have the confidence of working their way through town traffic, I can see the Useeme wristbands offering an extra level of safety and security.

As far as indicators go, they work well and are pretty much the best out there.

Verdict

Best of the bunch when it comes to cycling indicators and they do work well