New Light on the Bike

There is a new look in bicycles for boys and girls: shoulder-high "monkey bars," which, if they do anything, slow the rider down by making him sit bolt upright, thereby increasing wind resistance; smaller, 20-inch wheels, which are supposed to make for easier pedaling; elongated "banana seats," which may or may not provide passengers a more comfortable perch than the handlebars. But this spring there is a new gadget that may save a kid's life too.

Called Pedalite, it is simply a bicycle pedal with a light inside, powered by flashlight batteries. It shines white to the front, red to the rear and to the side--tracing an eye-catching pattern of moving light in all three directions from which a car may come. Last year 69,100 bike riders were injured and 540 were killed by cars, and most of these accidents happened in dusk or darkness.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.