Hey everyone. I get to check out some cool products as part of this blog and when I find something that I think is useful, I like to share it here. Recently, I was able to test out the Arclight Pedals from Redshift Sports. In short, they’re a great addition to my ebike and a product that’s definitely worth considering.
In this Redshift Arclight Pedals Review, we’ll go over what these pedals are, what my experience with them has been like, and whether they are something you should consider investing in for your bike.
What Are The Arclight Pedals?
At the outset, let’s talk about what these pedals are. The Redshift Arclight Pedals are replacement pedals for your bike. They’re made of high-quality aluminum and feel very sturdy and high-quality (Redshift states that the pedals have integrated, non-removable aluminum grip “teeth” around the perimeter of the pedal that help provide traction on your shoes).
The pedals are easily installed by simply removing your old pedals and installing the new pedals. You’ll just need a wrench to remove the old pedals and you’ll also want to add some bike grease around the threads of the pedals to help it thread properly. You can buy both of these things from Amazon for a few bucks.
If you aren’t particularly handy, installing new pedals on your bike might sound intimidating. Let me assure you that it isn’t. I am by no means handy and even I was able to remove my old pedals and install the new pedals in a short amount of time.
I highly recommend checking out this video from Redshift that walks you through exactly how to remove your old pedals and install the new ones. If you follow the directions in the video, you shouldn’t have any problems.
The Arclight Pedals Light Modules
The defining characteristic of the Arclight Pedals is the removable LED light modules. These lights slide into the pedals and are held in place by magnets. When the light modules are on, the pedals will light up, providing you with an additional source of lighting while you’re pedaling. It’s an ingenious way to add additional lights to your bike and make yourself more visible while you’re on the road.
What’s particularly amazing is how the lights will change colors depending on which way the pedals are facing. At all times, you’ll have two sets of lights facing forward and two sets facing backward. The rear-facing lights will be red and the front-facing lights will be white. When the pedals flip around, the lights can sense the directional change and will switch colors instantly. It’s a neat bit of technology.
Each light module has a button on it that allows you to turn the lights on or off (you long press to turn the lights on or off). If you single press the button, you’ll switch between different light modes. There are three modes you can choose from – Eco-Flash, Flash, and Steady. In Steady mode, the lights will stay on continuously, while Flash and Eco-Flash will have the lights blink intermittently.
In addition to the different light modes, the lights will automatically go into standby mode if there is no movement for 30 seconds. That means the lights will turn off while you’re parked and turn back on when you start pedaling again. If there’s no movement for 24 hours, the lights will turn off completely (this is helpful if, like me, you forget to turn the lights off manually when you’re done riding).
Redshift states that the light modules should last 3 hours on Steady mode before needing to be recharged, while they can last 11 hours on Flash mode and up to 36 hours on Eco-Flash mode. In my experience, these numbers sound accurate, although I did notice some loss of charge when riding in colder temperatures. This is to be expected with anything running on batteries, however. I generally ride with the lights in Steady mode, but I may switch to riding in Eco-Flash mode so I don’t have to recharge the light modules as often.
Finally, recharging the light modules is easy. The pedals come with a charging dock that allows you to charge up to four light modules at the same time. To charge the light modules, you slide the lights out of the pedals, then plug them into the charging dock, which is in turn powered by a USB cable. This is a small dock that you can easily keep on your desk or somewhere out of the way.
Why You Should Get The Redshift Arclight Pedals
The obvious reason to consider these pedals is for the additional lights and visibility they provide. When riding at night, you want to do everything you can to make yourself visible to drivers and while you likely have front and rear lights, having an additional set of lights around your pedals can increase your visibility. Redshift points to a Clemson University study that found that lights associated with the natural movement of the human body can increase your visibility by up to 57%. I have no idea whether that’s true or not, but I do feel like I’m more noticeable with my Arclight Pedals since the lights are moving while I’m pedaling.
Beyond the additional lights for your bike, the pedals are also high quality and comfortable. Depending on the type of pedals you have now, you may find the high-quality materials make for a more comfortable ride. I admittedly didn’t have any issues with the stock pedals that came with my bike, so I can’t say that these pedals are necessarily better from a material or comfort standpoint, but they definitely aren’t a downgrade by any means.
Finally, you might want to get the Arclight Pedals because they are just downright cool. I love having lots of lighting on my bike because I think they make me look cooler at night, so being able to add additional lights via these pedals is a plus.
Ultimately, the main reason you’d want to get the Arclight Pedals is for the additional safety and visibility it creates. I ride with my son on our daily commute to and from daycare and it gives me additional comfort knowing that I’m more visible, especially during the winter when it starts to get dark during our commute home in the afternoon. The fact the lights look cool and the pedals are comfortable is a nice bonus.
Potential Downsides Of The Arclight Pedals
In the interest of completeness, I think it’s also worth looking at the potential downsides of the Arclight Pedals. I see two things you’ll want to consider if you’re thinking about getting these pedals.
First, there’s no ignoring it – the price is a factor you have to think about. The Arclight Pedals retail for $139.99 at the time I’m writing this, which means these pedals aren’t cheap. Low-quality plastic pedals are going to be a fraction of that cost and even high-quality pedals can be less than the cost of the Arclight Pedals. Plus, your bike already comes with pedals that you might be perfectly happy with, so it can be difficult to justify investing in a new set of pedals that you don’t necessarily need. If you’re someone who has multiple bikes (like I do), it’s pretty much cost-prohibitive to outfit every bike with these pedals.
The second downside is that getting the Arclight Pedals means you’ll be adding another thing in your life that you have to charge. It isn’t difficult to recharge the LED light modules – they simply pop out of the pedals and can be recharged in the included dock. Still, you’re not always going to remember to recharge the pedals and if the battery in the lights is low, you may end up with lights that don’t work on your next ride, negating the entire point of the pedals. I don’t think it’s a big deal to have to recharge the pedals, but it does add some more complication to your life and might be something to think about.
The price consideration is the main thing that’s going to hold most people back from getting these pedals. With a lot of bike accessories, I like to think about how long it can last me. Even an expensive purchase for your bike can make sense if it’s something that has utility and that you’ll be able to use for a long time. For many people, I think buying a set of expensive pedals can be a worthwhile investment, especially if you find that the added lights and visibility can be worthwhile for you. But whether it makes sense for you will be based on your situation.
Final Thoughts
I like the Arclight Pedals. I think they are the coolest pedals I’ve seen and I like how well they upgrade my bike. From a practical standpoint, they make a lot of sense, especially if you ride at night and, like me, carry children on your bike too. You can never be too careful when it comes to safety and more lights on your bike will always be better than fewer lights.
If you’re interested in snagging the Arclight Pedals, feel free to check them out at the Redshift Sports website. You can also purchase the Arclight Pedals on Amazon. Hope you found the review helpful!
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- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
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- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
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For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
- Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
- Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
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If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
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- US Bank Business ($900) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
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- Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Thanks for this review! Filing it under “unnecessary things I didn’t know existed for my bike that I now really want to buy” 😛
I’m curious, do you store your bike indoors or outdoors? I ask because I store my bike outdoors – covered, but still exposed to the cold – and have found the cold really runs down the battery life of certain bike lights. I’m curious to know whether you have any experience storing these in the cold weather?
Given how distracted drivers are, not just texting, driving erratically, but also watching TikToks while drifting into the bike lane, these might just be a very good investment to stay more visible.