#BIKEPRO LED HEADLIGHT FREE#
Ritter has been car free for over a decade and swears by this light for riding in traffic at dawn and dusk. rides all over” New York City, and she says she feels “safe as long as I’ve got these on my bike.”ġ,300, 800, 400 lumens | 1.5 hours on high, 6 hours on low | USB rechargeableĭecade-long bike commuter Andreas Ritter and Ironman World Championship competitor Aubrey Darden listed this powerhouse light as their go-to model.
#BIKEPRO LED HEADLIGHT UPGRADE#
“I figured maybe I’d upgrade after a few months, but I haven’t had a need to,” she says. Strategist managing editor Kelsie Schrader has owned the Ascher set for two years. It’s simple to use with one top button to turn on and off and easy silicone mounting straps for the front and rear that don’t use hardware. At just 80 lumens for the headlight, it’s not bright enough for riders who need to see the road or trail after dark, but for riding in traffic - where you need to remind vehicles of your presence - it’s a great option with three flashing modes in addition to the static mode. This incredibly affordable bike-light set might have a low sticker price, but the longevity of the bulbs and the convenient mounting make it a great option for casual commutes or even cyclists taking off on a longer trip who need to be seen on the road. We’ve also included one super-rad light that is entirely powered by your spinning bike wheels.Ĩ0, 40 lumens | 3.5 hours on high, 10 hours on low | USB rechargeable For battery-powered lights, we love rechargeable batteries to keep single-use batteries out of the waste stream. You might have hours of predawn riding along with hours after dark, so knowing your brightness setting and tracking your battery life will help keep you lit up.Ĭharging: Most lights are rechargeable via a USB and can be charged on a battery pack for extended trips or at home or in the car. On extended rides - such as multiday gravel tours or endurance events - battery life is key. Look for a light that has a battery life of three to six hours for the midrange settings and eight to ten hours for the lowest setting. Additionally, for riding in traffic, a blink, flash, or pulse mode will last many hours longer than your maximum lumens, keeping you more visible to traffic in daylight.īattery life: Each setting will drain the battery at different rates. Bike lights come with a range of power settings (and corresponding battery drain) depending on terrain and visibility needs.
It’s also important to note that bike lights advertise their highest-powered setting, but you usually won’t be riding at the highest output.
For trails, however, you’ll want something around 800 to 1000 lumens for tricky nighttime terrain at higher speeds. The minimum I look for (max output) is 500 lumens, which is more than enough for road and gravel riding. While a standard headlamp for dark runs is around 350 lumens, you’re going faster on a bike, and the act of cycling requires more visibility. We focused on headlights, but some of them come in a set with (or with the option of adding) a rear light, which are lower output and have flash modes for visibility from behind.īest overall | Best (less expensive) | Best value front-and-rear set | Best for a wide range of biking styles | Best for road and trail visibility | Best for visibility on unpredictable terrain | Best battery life versus output | Best hub-connector optionīrightness and lumen options: Like headlamps, bike lights are measured in lumens. But I also talked to industry experts, shop mechanics, bike builders, and avid cyclists in fat biking, mountain biking, road biking, commuting, and gravel biking for their go-to bike light, many of which made the list here.
In addition to my experience as a bike commuter and in technical mountain biking, I’ve been testing cycling gear for nearly a decade now, so I know what I like. And mountain bikers? They need maximum visibility to avoid and clear obstacles and narrow trails at high speeds. “Road cyclists need to ‘be seen’ when riding in urban areas but also need to see a long way due to the speed they travel and are often training in a range of traffic conditions.” Davidson also notes that, for gravel and trail cyclists, it’s less about being seen by others and more about seeing where you’re going on a dark trail. “Commuters and city riders need to be seen to stay safe, but are often riding on well-lit streets,” says Hugo Davidson, the CEO and head designer at Knog. While bike lights are fairly standard in design, not everyone requires the same sort of light.
#BIKEPRO LED HEADLIGHT TRIAL#
But getting the ideal light requires finicky details, research, and probably some trial and error. Bike lights are deceptively simple, so no matter what you choose, chances are you’ll end up with a light that works just fine.
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