( CNN ) -- Riding a bicycle around the city at night can be a perilous pastime with traditional bike lights providing a rather dim reminder of a cyclist 's presence on the roads . But a new prototype light system called Revolights could soon make life in the cycle lane a good deal safer and leave bike enthusiasts beaming . The wheel-mounted LED lights not only provide greater illumination of the rider 's path , say its San Francisco-based creators , but also make a bike far more visible from the front , back and the side . When stationary , as their promotional video shows , the lights flash in a simple sequence . But as soon as you start peddling they form a solid arc of white and red light . This dazzling effect is created with the aid of a magnet ( attached to the fork ) and an algorithm . Together , they measure the wheel speed and tell the lights when and where to flash . The system is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery housed in the wheel hub . Revolights ' founders -- inventor Kent Frankovich , Adam Pettler and Jim Houk -- are using the online fundraising platform Kickstarter in a bid to turn their eye-catching patent pending prototype into a finished product . Backers pledging $ 200 or more will receive the finalized design prior to its public release which is scheduled to take place in spring 2012 .
New Revolights prototype makes cyclists more visible from front , rear and sides . LED lights mounted on wheels create arc of white and red light . Score: 6