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Premium lights may have extra features such as alerts when your battery is running low (such as an intermittent beep from your rear lights, or a flashing red light on the front). Most lights these days have built-in batteries that can be recharged via USB, but at the bottom end of the market, some still get their power from disposable batteries, so bear that in mind when you make your choice. Key specs – Weight: 94g; Strength: 500 lumens; Runtime: 3- 130 hours; Modes: 5; Power source: Integrated rechargeable battery; Charge time: 3 – 6 hours In terms of the good, the Knog Mid Cobber has the widest angle of visibility out of all the lights on test - the distinctive curve of this light is instantly recognisable as a Knog, and it gives a whopping 330 degree range of visibility directly from the light.
The Topeak Taillux 100 doesn’t have the bells and whistles of some of the other lights on test - but it does the fundamentals very well, and comes in a little cheaper as a result.
Bike light FAQs
If you like to hit the road after work or on the weekend, it's best to get a light set that enables you to both see and be seen in all climates. The LEDs are arranged in a side-by-side pattern and push out a decent spread of light that in most modes works as a flood light to light up the road ahead evenly. Only in the two brightest modes does it take on more of a spot pattern, highlighting a smaller but brighter patch of the road ahead. But we can attest that even the lower flashing modes are bright enough to light up road signs from over five hundred metres away easily. Power output: A light's brightness is measured by 'lux' or 'lumens'. Lux measures distance as well as light power, whereas lumens is just the power output from the source of the light. The range of lumens available is huge and can range from about 5 to 100 lumens for rear lights, and from 10 up to around a dazzling 1,000 for front lights. Lower lumen lights are ideal for cycling in built-up, well-lit areas, whereas higher lumens are designed for taking the road less travelled. You can find out more about lumens in our in-depth lighting guide.
Pretty much all modern cycle lights use LEDs rather than old-school bulbs, and such has been the advancement of technology, these can be blindingly bright. Both front or rear lights can be flashers, but if so they must emit at least four candela. “But bike lights tend to be rated in lumens or Watts, what’s a candela?” we hear you cry. The maximum brightness is 100 lumens and the burn time is listed as three hours on that mode, which is respectable, though not class-leading. In the arms race for ever more lumens, to have 100 on a rear light is pretty standard these days. But it is well beyond what is really necessary for being seen - I never feel the need to run the light on full blast. For your rear light, the flash function is ideal. But if you’re a bike commuter, with both front and rear lights also consider how effective the lamp is in terms of side lighting, as this will make you more visible from more angles and help avoid the "sorry, I didn't see you" excuse from a turning vehicle. Flashing modes give you the longest battery life. They're a good option to up your visibility, particularly at the rear and when riding in daylight, but unless there's good street lighting you'll probably want to run a constant mode at the front at night, which will reduce runtime. It's why front lights usually have larger capacity batteries than rear ones.It's worth looking at the quotes runtimes in different modes when selecting a light. What does UK law say about bike lights?
In any case, if you’re planning to leave your bike parked up in public for any length of time, make sure your lamps can be easily removed and take them with you when you stop.Lumens are used by the bike industry to measure the power of a light: a lumen is a unit of visible light. Since modern LEDs require far less energy, expressing their power in watts — which tells you how much energy they consume rather than how much light they produce — is redundant. For comparison’s sake, a 100W incandescent bulb emits 1600 lumens. Front bike lights broadly break down into two categories, those that allow you to be seen, and those that will allow you to see the road.
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