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In terms of the not-so-good, the battery life isn’t great. The highest constant setting is 75 lumens (the full 170 only happens in some flashing modes) and this only lasts for 2 hours. Even the lowest constant setting at 35 lumens - which is still brighter than I think is necessary - is only 3.5 hours.
The unit can detect vehicles from around 150m behind, alerting you with a bleep as well as a visual change to the side bar on your display, then, as the car approaches you, an icon moves up the side bar until it is near the top of the screen. Then you know that it is a short way behind you. Once the 'threat' has passed you or turned off, the unit bleeps again and the side bar turns green. Multiple vehicles can be displayed on your display too.Where the Sync Core really stands out though, is in its compatibility with the rest of the Cateye Sync range (including the rear Sync Kinetic and Wearable lights). The three can be synced together wirelessly so that when you switch one light on or off, the rest will follow suit. It’s a simple feature, but one that does away with the often laborious process of fiddling with each light individually. 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. Angle the light slightly downwards towards the road so the centre of the beam falls on the road between 10 and 20 metres in front of you. You can also angle the light very slightly towards the kerbside of the road, as this is where most of the glass, sharp stones and debris will gather that you'll want to be avoiding. If you’ll be riding on lit roads, you may find the need for an ultra-bright constant beam is unnecessary and a flash function at the front is perfectly adequate. What should I consider when choosing a rear light?
For a commuter light, rather than one for post-work training rides or long-distance winter epics, this is perfectly sufficient. When wearing casual clothes, I’m not really going to be pushing any harder than Zone 2. Plus, if your commute is mainly street lit, there’s simply no need for a brighter light than this as it doesn’t make a significant difference to what you can see. This battery powered light is slightly heavier than the other offerings on this list (at 500 grams) but that also gives it a more “premium” feel than other similarly priced alternatives. The beam is spread rather than focussed, so it’s particularly useful for urban cycling. You can also set the light to “blink” mode for additional visibility and to save some power. Since the Great British weather is famously unpredictable, it's best to invest in a good light set that can help guide you home when the heavens open. A light set with various modes will come in handy here; these will help you find the perfect amount of light for certain times, as well as helping to save the battery. As you can imagine, these are ideal for cycle routes that take you from brightly lit areas to dim country lanes, enabling you to set the correct amount of light for each situation. Reflectives and staying visible All of the lights were put through a bevvy of tests including durability, visibility, battery life and more. These are the seven rear bike lights we tested: Ride into the night with confidence and safety in mind with Decathlon’s range of cycle lights and visibility safety accessories. Rechargeable lights ensure you never have to worry about tiny batteries again - with USB bike lights you simply charge them via USB.As the name suggests, front lights are designed to be attached to the front of your bike and throw out a white beam. Typically more powerful than a rear light, front lights will help to ensure you're seen, but will more importantly help you to see where you're going. To do this we strap each of the lights to a bike (in turn), wait until it gets dark, and head out to an unlit country lane. Regarding the positives, the PDW Lars Rover Power comes in at two thirds of the price of Trek’s Commuter Pro RT and its battery gauge is equally clear and simple, providing a good sense of the amount of juice you have left. The mounting system is also a tool-less split-clamp, just like Trek’s, so swapping between bikes isn’t too much of a faff - though it is more involved than Knog’s excellent system on the Blinder 900.
Despite having the weakest beam of all the lights on test, I really liked the Knog Blinder 900 and think there is good application for it. You just have to be clear about the sort of riding you’ll be using this light for. It’s simply not bright enough for bombing along at Tempo / Zone 3 through the still of the night - but it is plenty bright for riding at an Endurance / Zone 2 pace on even the darkest roads. To be seen when riding on lit roads, 100 lumens is a good benchmark, but 300+ will show you a little more of what's going on at ground level ahead of you. At the rear, anything from 20 to 100 lumens is plenty. How should I mount my bike lights? The R300L is the first rear light and radar unit from Bryton. A built in G-Sensor can detect braking and change the light output accordingly, but it is the addition of radar that is the most interesting development. Although it doesn’t have an ambient light sensor, the Ravemen TR500 light does have an accelerometer and it brightens when you brake, which is a nice addition. The light attaches using a Silicone strap, which is simple and straightforward, making it easy to swap between bikes and accommodate aero seatposts. The light also charges by USB-C. 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.Before buying any lights, ask yourself what kind of light you're after. There are three to choose from: Front lights The Trace and TraceR lights are the smallest and most featherweight units Exposure produces and at first glance it's hard to imagine the sort of performance they are capable of. But just like David against Goliath, size isn't everything. So the 4.5 hour run on ‘high’ is basically as good as it gets for night riding - but for commuting duties and evening rides, that is all that’s needed. The daytime flash mode is pretty good with those 90 lumens and a six hour run time, at least considering the size of the light. The lights have to be mounted on the bike centrally or to the offside, positioned up to 1.5m from the ground, and conform to British Safety or EC standards.
Light modes: Even basic lights will often come with several light modes. These usually range from constant to flashing, and will help to save your battery. Some let you alter the brightness as well, which is helpful if you're travelling between well-lit and rural areas. You may come across a relatively new feature called 'Daylight Flash', where the light will emit a flash powerful enough to be seen during the day. How waterproof? We douse each light in a shower for five minutes, making sure each is subject to a steady stream of water droplets from every angle. Then there’s the battery life, which is on another level. Even on the highest ‘constant’ setting, the claimed run time is six hours. When on the ‘low’ setting - which is still 20 lumens! - that goes out to a whopping 40 hours. For our battery test, we wanted to do something a little different and recreate a scenario that all cyclists will have faced. The dreaded flat battery test. For this we: 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.
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This is a great little light with a solid range of features. Despite its diminutive size, it can still put out up to 90 lumens - although only on the flashing setting. With a constant beam, that brightest setting is 25 lumens and a run time of only 4.5 hours. After ranking each light for how well it illuminates the road and its surroundings, it's interesting to note that lights with higher claimed lumen output aren't always better at lighting up the way while you're riding. Whatever lights you choose, remember the importance of being seen by other road users. Even if you’re cycling through a well-lit area, brighter lights are almost always better. For unlit roads, we suggest you look for a light rated at 500 lumens or more. If you cycle lots of different routes, consider investing in a set of lights with different modes, or even multiple sets to suit different conditions. Although lights are only legal after dark, leaving them on during the day has lots of advantages. Lights will help you stay safe during foggy or murky weather and anything that makes you more visible on the road can only be good. Taking lights on/off also raises the possibility of forgetting or losing them. When you start looking at lights, you'll notice that some are simple single button affairs, whereas others have a features list as long as your arm. Below, we've outlined the key things to look out for.
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