The Winkku is a bicycle mirror and turn indicator combination which comes with bags of good looks, a practical design and a lot of plastic bits. The company sent me one to look at and it’s certainly a very well built piece of kit. Solid and dependable you might say.
It’s powered by 3 AA batteries, and features a couple of handlebar attachment options, either a conventional into the end plug, or an over the top clamp with a Velcro strap holding it tight to the bike grip. It needs a sturdy clamp because the thing is quite weighty, this is not a flimsy bit of plastic at all.
The device bristles with bright coloured LED lamps, 5 front facing 5 rear and 3 around the side, which means the unit not only operates as a turn indicator, but also as a permanent visible beacon in red and white if you turn those lamps on. Of course that means a penalty to battery life.
The connector is supposed to be quick release, but in practice I found it quite difficult to remove the unit from the bike once attached, as it needs a strong grip to unclasp the socket gear. This could be a problem for weaker hands, especially when you realise that this is not a product you can leave attached to your bike in a big city, it’ll be stolen quicker than you can say hot wire.
That apart, this is a neat piece of technology and something that will definitely be valuable for day to day use on busy roads. The shatterproof wide angle mirror on its own is super useful for checking up on approaching buses, and with the addition of the bright lights and indicators, it’s potentially a real lifesaver. Priced at £24.39.
Just a slight nudge of the hand activates the indicator – so you can keep both hands firmly on the handlebars and retain maximum control of the bike at all times…A discreet bleeper confirms that the indicator is operating – invaluable for when you need to concentrate on the traffic around you.
I've seen something similar to this but without the mirror etc. It's just a bicycle indicator that sits on your wrist….http://www.safe-turn.co.uk