Original Bike Balls - waterproof rear tail light - bike light - 3 modes - batteries included

Product Information

I've ridden thousands of miles with an RTL515 and I've never once had it miss reporting a car. It's also brighter than some of the competition and it has more battery life. The downside of the unit's age is that it's still using a micro-usb charging port. There's also been a vocal request for a leash mount and while I've never lost my 515, it seems like it would be a prudent addition. Those details don't affect the core functionality though, when it comes to a light that tells when there is a car behind you, this is the best choice. With more use what I've found is that it's different when using this light for truly long distance riding. In situations where the sun slowly sets and I turn on the light, I've been very happy with the light output at low or roughly 400 lumens. That mode gives me 8.5 hours of runtime in a relatively small unit. The Streak’s 450-lumen headlight can last for up to 100 hours on a single charge (on a low setting), while the 50-lumen tail light lasts up to 200 hours. Both are rechargeable via an included mini-USB cable. A low-battery indicator will notify you when it’s time to charge. It is a good idea to keep the included cord on your person during rides, as it can be difficult to come by a replacement (mini USB is less common than micro USB). Then begin to ask yourself what's important: do you think an inbuilt camera is worth the added expense? Do you want a radar device to tell you when cars are coming up from behind? Or do you simply want maximum brightness and maximum battery power? Your answer to those questions will affect your decision.Once you've got an idea of what you want from your light, the list of products above will help you to choose a good option from within those parameters. How many lumens do I need for a bike light? The Lezyne Strip Drive Pro Alert is another light with a massive battery. Just like with the Exposure light you get a 1400 mAh battery but Lezyne takes the focus in a different direction. Rather than aiming for super long battery life, Lezyne offers a massive 300-lumens out of the wide 270-degree lens. Although some brands would argue that the reflector matters more and you don't need so much power, you might disagree. If you want power this light offers it.

In other areas, the Ion Pro falls just a little short of its competition. Its 1,300 lumens aren’t quite as bright as other lights and its 1.5-hour run time isn’t especially impressive. The real drag for our testers was the 7-hour charge time. Every time you deplete the battery, you have to bring the light in and charge it overnight. This light is pretty high maintenance for folks who prefer to set it and forget it (that’s us, too). Legally speaking, that depends on where you live but that doesn't answer the question. I haven't looked at the details of every country and listed out where you absolutely must have it because it's almost irrelevant. In my opinion, you should be using one. The clamp mechanism is well-designed and keeps the light secure on a wide range of handlebars. Our tester was disappointed to find that the mounting platform is fixed with no ability to rotate.

How to Change the Batteries

Always overestimate your needs and underestimate the specs. If you are trying to ride through the night on an epic adventure the last thing you want to start worrying about is an ever-dwindling light supply. Look at how long your ride will last then make sure you have a light that gives a comfortable buffer. Then bring an extra just in case. If you are riding in urban environments in the dark and need enough light to see where you are going, you’ll want a front bike light with at least 400 lumens. If you plan to ride on trails in the dark, we recommend a front bike light with at least 600 lumens.

It should be no surprise to see the Bontrager Flare RT after we also included the Ion 200 RT above. The two lights came out together, they are available as a pair, and they share many of the same strengths. The Flare RT is a no-fuss light you can take with you on any ride, day or night, and know you will catch the attention of other road users.It's affordable, easy to mount to most seat posts, and can be mounted to pretty much anything else with the appropriate adaptor. It is more than bright enough, with great run time, and while there are others here with more features such as radar and cameras, this is a great light for most people in most situations. For riding on the road, a single light mounted to your handlebars and seat post would be more than enough - mountain bikers often use a helmet-mounted light to illuminate where they are looking, but for road riding these aren’t necessary. The unit itself is compact and fits a wide range of seatpost styles thanks to the included assortment of seatpost adaptors. Battery life is a solid 6 hours on full blast, and 16 hours in daytime flash mode. Garmin claims up to 1-mile visibility in daytime mode. Charging is handled via micro-USB and takes about 3 hours to fully charge. In general, it’s super easy and super simple to set up the Varia. We love to see it. Front bike lights are brighter than rear bike lights because they must illuminate the road ahead. Rear lights are meant to help you stand out from other people on the road or trail and generally emit red light.There are a lot of cheap, poorly constructed and unreliable options out there, and the truth of the matter is, you get what you pay for. The last thing you want is a light that fails mid-ride, especially a rear one that you're unlikely to notice right away. Therefore, it’s imperative that you invest in a set of bike lights from a reputable brand. While this might cost you a little more initially you can rest assured knowing they will last for years and often be covered by a warranty. What is a StVZO light? For those who instead intend to ride with less street lighting - such as in the countryside, parks, lanes, and off-road, the best bike light for you will help you see where you're going. The addition to this is that if you are riding in the city with plenty of light, the faster you go the more light you will want to feel comfortable so keep that in mind as well. For commuting things are a little less serious but you should still overestimate your needs. After a long day at work and a rainy ride home it's very easy to forget to charge your light. Longer battery is more convenient because you will need to charge it less. As with all certifications, just because a light isn’t certified doesn’t mean it’s an issue. StVZO certification is a requirement in Germany. Outside of that market it’s not and as such it doesn’t always mean a non-StVZO light is going to blind everyone else. A good light will use an effective reflector to maximise brightness and battery life. Take care to aim it precisely and it’s unlikely to be an issue. There are also non-StVZO lights that prominently discuss the cutoff characteristics of their lights if you still have a concern. What is Lux and why aren't StVZO lights measured in Lumens?

Every cyclist should have a set of reliable bike lights. When shopping for the ideal lights to fit your needs, the vast market can feel confusing and difficult to navigate. From lumens to side visibility, there are lots of factors that must be considered when selecting bike lights. In the majority of cases, the output of StVZO lights is measured in Lux rather than Lumens. Lux is used because it’s a measure of how much light is projected onto a surface (called luminance), whereas lumens simply refers to how much light can be produced.Recently Light and Motion added a second light — the Trail, to the Vis Pro 100 lineup. Functionally the two lights are almost identical, however, the Trail version comes with a Velcro strap to attach the light to your helmet. Editor’s note: We updated this guide on September 26, 2023, to include new lights from Fenix, Garmin, and Bontrager, along with details about how we test and choose our favorite bike lights. The Best Bike Lights of 2023 One of the Dash Pro’s claims to fame is the three-mode daytime running lights (DRL), which increase visibility and safety for when it’s not-quite-dark-but-still-sort-of-light-out. And while you might not find yourself using the DRL feature all that often, the Dash Pro features five other modes: Boost, High, Medium, Low, and Steady Pulse. On boost, the Dash Pro will last approximately one hour, and Cygolite claims that on lower levels users can get up to 70 hours of light out of one charge.

Brightness is good, but reliable brightness is better. A bike light with 600 lumens and excellent battery life may be a better buy than a light with 1,000 lumens and low battery life. Of course, this all depends on your riding preferences. You’ll want a solid 600 lumens from a forward-facing light so that you can see and be seen; (photo/Miya Tsudome) Front Lights vs. Rear LightsVaria radar lets you know when cars are behind you and it's not hyperbole to say it will change the way you ride. The RCT715 takes what is already an amazing light with an excellent radar system then adds the camera functionality. You will have to put up with an occasional false positive where the system thinks you had an incident when you didn't but it will never miss a car. There are lights that will mount on the crown of the front wheel fork (where the bolt for caliper brakes and mudguards attaches), but those might still hit the bottom of the bag -- although the Ortlieb bag shown in Christian Lundvig's photo is quite small and thus compatible with fork crown mount lights.