Bicycle Lighting

Got a Light?

Most cycling is done during daylight, but riding in conditions where bicycle lighting becomes essential is no less legitimate. Serious transportation/commuter cycling will, sooner or later, lead to cycling after dark, and/or traveling on busier throughfares. Road riders have to share rual roads with motorized traffic moving at higher speeds. Avoiding darkness becomes more and more difficult during the fall and winter months, as daylight hours fade. Even during summer, night cycling can be a change of pace and a welcome reprieve from hot daytime temperatures.

Like all responsible vehicle operators, every competent cyclist knows that equipping his/her rig with proper lighting per the conditions, whether it's day or night , is essential. When sharing the road with motor vehicles in an era of unprecedented distractions, it is no stretch to say that your life depends on it.

Bikes sold factory equipped with lights historically have been essentially nonexistent in North America (notwithstanding the welcome market uptick in urban commuter style bikes over the past few seasons). There's no idiot-proof bike lighting standards either, so it's up to you to pick out gear suitable for the intended application; hopefully, this page will provide some guidance.

Today's lighting products augment safe cycling 24hrs a day. Ever increasing levels of performance has led to important new safety enhancing daytime running applications. The age where feeble lighting was the norm is a distant memory. If you haven't looked at the market in the past few years, you're in for a pleasant surprise. There's still some inadequate stuff to avoid (esp. when you're looking for high performance suitable for daylight & demanding conditions use), but a pleasingly large selection of high-quality equipment awaits the prospective buyer. Battery type lights are the predominant style found in North America, so this discussion will be limited to such.

No disrespect is intended towards generator lighting. Their advantages of unlimited runtime and being always ready are very compelling. High quality systems (i.e. the CAD$100-$400+ ones) are extremely hard to find. Unlike their mass market counterparts of old, good generator systems reportedly provide comfortably good (but not motor vehicle-level excessive) navigation-quality output, have little to imperceptible drag, and have legendary reliability. The most renown high quality generator system is the Schmidt hub dynamo. Peter White Cycles in the US is the sole North American importer. Shimano offers a little less deluxe but more affordable and still high quality hub dynamos, and word is that Shimano Canada can import into the country. Ask your local bike shop.

When choosing a lighting product, various criteria need to be balanced for the intended usage, such as:

• lighting performance (brightness/beam pattern)
• price/value
• battery system/runtime
• versatility
• reliability & build quality
• mounting system & options
• bulk/weight/aesthetics
• (to a much lesser extent nowadays, as rapidly changing technology means keeping older models going doesn't make as much sense as it once did) manufacturer support/parts availability

Disclaimer: It's pretty lame that I have to put this here, but human beings can be pretty lame sometimes. Proper night safety gear (although essential) is only the beginning, and night cycling is not recommended unless you are a competent, experienced, and vehicular cyclist. Don't ride alone if you can. Carry an independent backup system. Supplement your (active) lighting system with (passive) reflective gear. White reflective material on clothing works well when augmenting a lighting system. Stock CPSC multi-panel type reflectors that attach to the bike ("360°" reflector sets), alone, leave gaping holes in their safety coverage. CPSC reflectors are not a substitute for a lighting system; they are only provided only as a mediocre default service to an uninformed user. Government transportation agencies recognize this, and mandate the use of lights on public streets under the law (check your jurisdiction for exact requirements). Check out this treatment about CPSC reflectors and why lights are essential. Legislated idiot-proofing has its limits, and the user eventually must take responsibility for his/her actions. Otherwise, keep your risk level low, and stay at home.

How Much Light is Needed?

A common question with a fuzzy answer: it varies depending on the usage pattern and conditions, user perception, and user preferences. The oft-quoted "small low power lights for city use, high power for mountain riding" is a bit over-simplified.

Some philosophies seem intent on reproducing daylight, an expensive and unrealistic exercise. Others aim towards the comfortably adequate baseline. In general, the brighter a light, the more you'll be able to see, and the more conspicuous you become in traffic; the general flip side is greater expense, shorter runtimes, and greater bulk and weight.

There is an argument that, under some circumstances, too much light actually detracts from the night riding experience. This is with respect to relaxed, low-risk situations, with slim to no auto traffic. Still, it's prudent to run with enough lighting to cover all situations, even if this increased power only stays on standby for the ride. Brighter lights do cost more to buy and run, and require a bit more attention towards battery care. Like most things in life, it's a balancing act. Cost is always a limiting factor, but safety should be worth the incremental expense when in doubt.

Base level lighting is OK for cyclists who occasionally make short neighbourhood trips with little motor traffic. Commuter cyclists riding nightly in busy urban centres need more performance - not necessarily to see, but to maintain conspicuity in a high traffic, high light pollution environment. Rural road riding ups the quality requirements even further - both to see, and for strong long range conspicuity in the presence of high speed motorized traffic not expecting cyclists. Night off-road cycling, in the absence of motor vehicles, mainly requires tweaking front lighting to match the rider's speed and aggressiveness per the terrain.

Top quality rearward illumination is absolutely essential for safe rural road riding. Rear end collisions anytime in rural environments (especially during the day) remain over-represented and the most serious in nature (reports in recent years from the League of American Bicyclists and the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario summarize this, I don't have the links or data handy). Speed differentials in rural road riding requires much more attention to overtaking traffic vs. slower city traffic. So I must stress that rural road riding anytime requires both (a) high performance rear lighting and (b) constant awareness of any rearward approaching auto traffic, with the help of rearview mirrors and radar technology.

With the current generation of high performance rear lights offering the best way to dramatically improve long range visibility day or night, there is a push for cyclists to deploy these in any higher speed rural environment, anytime. This is a fabulous initiative where all road cyclists need to get on board - road cyclists need to use all the tools available to give themselves maximum early warning and driver perception of such, esp. so in today's distracted driving environment. Rear lighting is less critical when mountain riding on the trail (i.e. far away from any motorized traffic).

Daylight-visible front lights now include the better performing lights in the low power/inexpensive class. Running front lighting in the daytime gives additional consipicuity most useful in environments where there are additional hazards of crossing traffic, i.e. typically in busy urban environments, but also in some highway situations. Daytime front lighting is definitely helpful here, though long range perception is not as crucial up front.

Lighting Trends 2023

I'm happy to say that never before has there been so many choices in good quality bicycle lights. Every new year lights get brighter, smaller, lighter, longer running, and at ever decreasing prices to boot. The better basic lights in the low-power category have amped things up well beyond mere marker light usage of days gone by, and can now throw ~100 lumen navigation-usable beams. Mini and micro sized lights have now moved into a legitimately useful category of their own.

High Power Front Lights - Now Compact and Affordable

The first high power systems from the 1990s and 2000s were expensive bulky units, with large separate battery packs. Incredibly, now you can now select from a vast array of motor vehicle-like output lights in a small, self contained 110-250g package. Not only that, but these systems no longer require a CAD$300 investment; just CAD$65-$150 is all you need for a smile-inducing high performance 500+ lumen headlight. I find this truly awesome.

LED Technology

The LED light is the preeminent style across the bicycle lighting spectrum - front or rear use, and from the low end of the market to the high end. Incandescent halogen and ultra expensive HID technology (remember the ridiculous NiteRider CAD$900 HID light?) are now relics of the past.

LED technology continues to improve every year. White front LED lights have improved significantly and rapidly year-over-year for almost two decades, though the pace of performance improvements has tempered somewhat in recent years. Red rear LED lights have also been consistently improving, to the point where daylight-visible rear lights are an easily had and essential safety tool for all road riders. In fact, we need to get the word out on this - daylight-visible rear lights should be mandatory equipment for all road riders sharing the road w/faster moving and/or dense motorized traffic. Period. That means riders on rural roads (i.e. almost all road bike riders). That means riders on heavily auto trafficked urban/suburban roads (and especially stroads). The majority of today's front LED lights are also good enough to be deployed for extra visiblity to motor traffic in the daytime, though their main benefit in this context is in dense city traffic, and is not as critical vs. the rear.

With the high power LED headlight models handily surpassing older halogen/HID in every conceivable metric, investing in older-tech lights is inadvisable. If you're still running this style of light, you should move on to LED.

For the low power/inexpensive/traditional style headlight at the CAD$35 and under price points, decent LED models (those powered by high output LEDs) are the recommended alternatives over the incandescent or low-power early generation LED lights of the 2000s. The top small headlights in the category are capable of navigation-level utility, although not enough to adequately substitute for proper high power lighting in demanding conditions. Nevertheless, for users interested in running with the best performance out of this category, upgrading nets a substantial improvement, and is well worth the modest expense. As a dedicated night cyclist, I have long retired many (still functioning) lights, among them a VistaLite Code 25 system from 2000.

In the high-power front lighting market, Li rechargeable batteries are used throughout. In addition, most taillights and lower-power headlights now have integrated Li rechargeable battery power, and USB charging is the de facto standard. While convenient, the integrated battery means that when the battery ages to the point where it no longer works well, the light becomes useless. This is a little more acceptable given the continuing technology advancement of LEDs - by the time you're dealing w/a bad battery some years down the road, it's worth your while to jump up to the current market offerings' performance. Rechargeable NiMH of course remains excellent for the vanishingly small stragglers on the market that still call for AA/AAA sized batteries.

Rear LED - Daylight Visible Performance Goes Mainstream

Rear LED lighting has also seen dramatic performance improvements. What would have been considered as top rear LED light performance 10 or 15 years ago, is now typically found at the mid and lower price points. Today's top rear lights perform at previously unimaginable levels, offering high performance and high driver perception in the middle of the brightest summer's day. In fact, there is a pleasingingly wide array of models in this new class offering daytime visibility. While these lights are more expensive than lesser performing lights, in the grand scheme of things, CAD$35-$90 is a miniscule investment for what you're getting in return. If you're a cyclist sharing the roads with motor vehicles, I recommend nothing less than this class of rear light.

The best rear lights started hitting brightness levels high enough to offer a semblance of daylight visibility in 2006 and 2007. This opened up important new possibities enhancing cyclist safety in the daytime, esp. when riding in the most demanding conditions. As performance continued to improve over the years, daylight vibility has become an exclamation point, and a strongly marketed feature. Manufacturers have also learned that beam focusing and flash patterns can be optimized for maximum daytime visibility (irregular or so-called "interruptive" style flash patterns have been shown to be more attention grabbing than simple non-varying flash patterns). When it comes to improving conspicuity and drivers' perception from the longest possible range, nothing else, no amount of trendy neon fluorescent clothing, works as effectively or as universally under all conditions, as daylight visible rear lights (are confidently ill-informed comments like this what they mean when they say Dunning-Kruger?). In this case, my recommendation is clear - all cyclists running older rear lights should move to the modern high performance lights. I'll simply repeat what I've been saying since the original Planet Bike Superflash (circa 2007): cyclists should deploy daylight visible taillights, 24hrs a day, in the presence of high speed and/or high volume motor traffic. Data from multiple studies looking into on road cycling fatalities prove it.

High performance rear lighting consumes much more power than the original generations of non-daylight visible lights. Back in those days, runtime was so long, it never posed a practical problem.

The game has changed. To achieve daylight visible levels of output, today's rear lights draw much more power. This means next to actual lighting performance, runtime is now the next most significant spec to pay attention to when choosing a rear light.

Mini & Micro Lights - Now Legitimately Useful

I define mini and micro lights as small barely-there lights that start at about 25g up to around 50g, moreso w.r.to front lights. While these lights don't offer enough lighting performance to be relied on as your main system, they can offer a useful amount of marker light capability to get you out of a bind. Amazingly, the better front lights can even throw out 80+ lumen navigation-capable and daylight visible beams. For less demanding and backup usage, ultra compact minimialist lights could be superb additions to your lighting toolkit. I think just about every cyclist has been caught out without lighting simply because you ended up being out later than expected.

Ultra Low Cost Lights - An Emerging Category?

Given the important push extending bicycle lighting usage into the daytime, lightless cyclists at night obviously are a major pet peeve of mine. There has never been a legitimate reason to go lightless. In the past, sometimes the modest expense of proper lights is brought up as a barrier to entry.

Cost, especially for good quality lights, would have been a better argument going back from 2000s and earlier. I believe that the cost aspect is a matter of priority. If there's something important enough to you, you'll do what it takes to get the job done. At the same time (and notwithstanding the fact that lighting up is a no-brainer obligation and simply a cost-of-doing-business), I can appreciate that not everyone is a hardcore night cyclist.

Cost has come down considerably with the steady advancement of bicycle lighting and battery technology. As a side effect, there is now a slew of what I call "ultra low cost lights": basic cheapie lights for CAD$3 or less. Improvements in technology and in the manufacturing of LEDs have created a whole new class of bargain basement bike lights.

Dollarama for example is offering their widest array of cheap LED lights this year. You can choose from several different styles, most of them being the small lithium coin cell powered variety, which are really only suited to emergency use vs. actual regular duty. Still, these ultra cheap lights are moderately useful, illustrating that laziness and ignorant disregard are the real reasons for going lightless.

Obviously, these bargain basement lights are a limited short term solution, and have neither the performance nor quality to satisfy the dedicated cyclist. Yet it's also the serious commuters who can't afford downtime, should something unexpectedly go wrong with his/her main lights. I personally have older retired lights accumulated over the years, where I can draw from as a backup. For others though, these cheapie lights have just enough lighting performance that can serve here as short term solutions.

You can jump ahead to the goods here, starting with the Dollarama Bikerama 5 LED headlight Chateau BL-3 rear light, and Focus Electronics front and rear light set (Knog Beetle knockoffs).

Jay's Lighting Reviews - Tested in the Field

With the preamble out of the way, let's get down to some real-world evaluation. What follows are my first hand experiences with various lighting products. Note that runtimes, where quoted, are based on warm ambient temperatures (~15° C and up). Batteries used in colder weather are subject to a runtime reduction.

VistaLite Code 25

The Code 25 replaced the NS3 at the top of the Nightstick line for 2001. Absent from 2002 as Bell Sports was getting its finances in order, the Code 25 was re-introduced in 2003, and discontinued for good in 2004. The Code 25 is still a reasonably performing system, but current users ought to consider moving to the modern high power LED systems for a superior experience overall.

The Code 25 had a huge amount of stuff is inside the box. In the kit are 3 (1 x 15W, 2 x 5W) independent light heads with 2 bike mounts & 1 helmet mount, 3 NiMH battery sticks, 3 rapid taper chargers, 2 remote switches, plus the necessary cords. Essentially, there are 3 separate light systems in the box. With the Code 25, you can run a setup that can go anywhere from a compact single light head/single battery, to a 3 light head/3 battery/2 remote switches setup.

Each of the three Nightstick batteries consist of 5 (now considered low capacity) 2200mAh sub-C NiMH cells inside a durable metal skin. The actual cell manufacturer is unknown (clues suggest Gold Peak).

VistaLite's decision to equip this system with two crappy 5W flood bulbs is baffling. The 5W floods are awful and useless. One had a dim yellow output, the other a dim bluish output (thanks to a bluish coloured reflector). These bulbs are not overvolted, despite claims to the contrary. They are identical to standard CAD$5 6V hardware store bulbs. Even with both on (burning 10W), a single 2.4W Cateye HL-500II Micro handily embarrasses them. Vista's high quality 5W spot bulbs would have been great, and the system's batteries could easily handle one or two of VistaLite's 10/15W bulbs as well. For a triple beam setup, good output is expected, not two useless beams. The 5W floods are also much too wide to be of any practical use (even wider than the 15 watt's medium-narrow spot).

I tossed the 5W floods. In addition to a 10W and 15W, I also purchased the older 5W spot bulb from VistaLite. 5W doesn't sound like much output for an incandescent bulb, but this 5W spot bulb is surprisingly good. It provides a bright usable beam that travels far, and runs for 2.5-3 hours on one battery stick. On unlit roads, the 5W spot gives a comfortable lighting level; quite a bit more than any other period $30 light, albeit not enough to challenge motor vehicle levels. The concession is that the 5W spot's beam is very narrow (1/2 as wide as the 10W, 1/3 as wide as the 15W). Off road, it works best helmet mounted; the ability to freely direct the light where needed helps offset the narrowness. There is absolutely no reason to use the 5W flood bulbs.

You can immediately differentiate between the two types of 5W bulbs by the glass cover and reflector facets; the good 5W spot bulbs have a thick convex glass front and small reflector facets, while the not so good 5W flood bulbs have a thin, flat glass front and larger facets. The 5W floods are also flimsy, while the 5W spots have a solid construction identical to their high quality 10W & 15W brethren. The good 5W bulbs have "NR-5" printed at the base, like the "NR-10" and "NR-15" on the 10W & 15W (these are likely all sourced from the same bulb supplier). The 5W spot just looks and feels more substantial than the crappy 5W floods. So remember, thick curved cover = good, thin flat cover = evil!

VistaLite should have spec'd the 5W narrow spot bulbs in the Code 25 kit in the first place. To bring the Code 25 up to its potential required two new bulbs, a CAD$60 proposition. This tempered the value of the Code 25 set.

Some 17 years on, I've retired my Code 25 system. I definitely got my money's worth out of the Code 25 though. I've burned out two bulbs in 12 years, but all 3 batteries never failed and continued to give reasonable service to the end (I kept the batteries refrigerated when not in use, which has greatly extended their service life). While the Code 25 can still be useful, high power LED lights outperform it, while being much lighter, smaller, and superior overall.

Planet Bike Superflash Blinky/Smart RL-317R

In the past, I've never been overly impressed with Planet Bike's lighting line. The products were decent, but were never really considered leading edge. Planet Bike is but a US-based brand, whose products are simply re-branded OEM models that are often found under other labels (not to diminish Planet Bike's commitment to bicycling advocacy and a product line with a utilitarian focus). Planet Bike's lighting line are repackaged items from the Taiwan-based Smart. There seems to be a distribution agreement between the two, where Smart stays out North America, while Planet Bike stays out of Europe.

New-for-2007, rave reviews about the Superflash Blinky/Smart RL-317R and its blazing peformance started coming in immediately. The word was that it was considerably brighter than its closest competitor at the time, the Cateye TL-LD1000. For the cheap MEC price of CAD$15, I had to investigate.

Believe it. This light was awesome for its time! It was much brighter than its contemporary TL-LD1000, and in a small, power efficient package to boot. This was the light that ushered in the bona-fide daylight visible category to the masses. Only the CAD$170 Dinotte rear light was significantly brighter.

The Superflash is a 3 LED, 2 AAA powered rear light. The secret to its elevated performance is the Nichia 1/2 Watt LED. The other 2 LEDs are of the typical nondescript variety, and only operate in flashing mode. In steady mode, only the 1/2 Watt LED illuminates, but that's all that's needed.

The Superflash had the long-range power to be safely deployed on rural roads. The Superflash was no less effective at dusk and twilight (two particular times where it is especially important to run a high-performance taillight). I've also used my Superflash during the day, to get some more visibility on higher speed and/or higher volume rural and inter-city type roads. Simply put, for any significant road ride, I always run a daytime-visible taillight as a matter of routine, and it all began with the Superflash.

Of some controversy was the flashing mode pattern. In this mode, the Superflash used an alternating pulsing pattern between the single 1/2 Watt LED and the 2 lower LEDs. This pattern unfortunately resembled that of an emergency vehicle. It is my opinion that this is not a suitable operation mode for on-road use (except during the daytime, when the effect of the two lower LEDs is diminished, and attention grabbing is the primary utility). There was too much of a risk of becoming a (loser) road rager's target.

As of the 2018 catalog, Planet Bike seems to have done some back testing on their product line, listing the lumen output for the first time on many prior year lights. The Superflash's output is listed at 7 lumens for both steady and flashing modes. Compared to what's available today, this is quite modest, and existing owners should upgrade.

The Superflash consumed ~75mA in steady mode, and 0-30mA varing current flashing. In 2007, this would have been considered higher than average, but compared to today's high performance taillights this is decidely low. Tested steady mode runtime with Sanyo 650mAh and 1000mAh NiMH batteries was 9h and 13h respectively, a reminder of the ultra long running times of past taillight technology.

Although the Superflash is well-built and quite sturdy, after 4 years of trouble-free service, the Superflash showed a small flaw. The casing below the power button developed a hairline crack (from the fatigue of countless button pushes). This was minor enough not to affect day-to-day use, but it did compromise the light's water seal. Planet Bike has revised the design to correct this problem.

The Superflash was one of the best values in all of cycling. At introduction, the MEC price was just CAD$15, nominally increasing to CAD$17.50 before discontinuation at MEC. At the time, the expected price of admission was in the CAD$30-$50 range.

I've used and trusted the Superflash in every demanding condition around the clock - day, dusk, and night. The Superflash performed admirably for 4 years, and I gave it my highest recommendation during that time. Its successor, the Superflash Turbo has been sold since 2011, and it itself has finally been succeeded with the Superflash 65. In other words, all of the newer high performance lights are a class or two brighter than the original Superflash.

The Planet Bike Superflash "Stealth" variant is identical the standard Superflash, only the chassis and lens colour are different (i.e. for style only).

MEC 5 LED Mini Flashing Light (SKU #4007-436, now known as the "Dazzle Clip Mount Light")

This is a small 5 LED taillight imported from China and sold under the MEC banner. It's probably also sold in retail shops as well, under various brand names (at higher prices). The MEC 5 LED Mini taillight offers surprisingly decent visibility performance, and now costs a still cheap CAD$5.75 (these used to sell for a laughable CAD$3.75). The 5 LEDs are all oriented in a vertical line. The lens offers no focusing of the LED output.

Subjectively, old revisions of the Mini had ~75% of the VistaLite Eclipse's performance when viewed directly behind. While the MEC 5 LED Mini is adequate from light to moderate duty, it most definitely should yield to a brighter light for any regular night cyclist. Current revisions of this light undoubtedly have upgraded LEDs to keep up with the expected performance from a current product.

The MEC 5 LED Mini's mounting design is similar to the Vista Eclipse and Planet Bike Superflash (i.e. integrated clip, seatpost mount). Although there is the appearance of reflector elements on the MEC 5 LED Mini's lens, it does not at all have any reflective capability. The light has the standard flash/steady operating modes.

While the MEC 5 LED Mini has a fairly modest 49mA current drain in steady mode, flash mode current varies with time (requiring an oscilloscope for proper analysis). When set to flash, current drain rises from 0mA, peaks at 90mA, and falls to 0mA again. Alkaline cells could be used satisfactorily, but I still recommend low self-discharge NiMH.

All in all, the MEC 5 LED Mini turns in a very unexpected performance. The price is low, leaving no excuse for not lighting up. It's a respectable base-level performer for modest usage patterns. Serious night and maximum visibility seeking cyclists should pass and spend the extra $ on a high performance light.

Dollarama Bikerama 5 LED Headlight (SKU #14-3006637)

Chateau BL-3

Planet Bike Two Watt Blaze/Smart BL184WW-2W LED Light

GeoMan Gear MagicShine 900 (MJ-808) LED Light (Short Term Review)

Light & Motion Urban 550 LED Light

Light & Motion's Urban series of lights made their debut in 2011. Despite the "Urban" moniker, this is a family of well made, elegantly-sized high powered lights suitable for all types of riding. Prices aren't the cheapest for this type of light, but they're still on the affordable end of the spectrum (esp. compared to the CAD$300+ you'd typically have to spend for a high power light a decade ago).

The Urban 550 is part of a growing category of compact, self-contained high power front lights. Indeed, its small size is one of the most striking aspects to the Urban 550. It is smaller than the ~1W incandescent marker-type lights of yore, a truly amazing achievement in my books. There is a (non-replaceable) 11Wh rechargeable Li-Ion battery built in, which is recharged in ~5hrs through a micro USB port.

Unlike incandescent bulbs, efficient dimming is possible with LED technology (Light & Moton uses Cree LEDs in their lights). The Urban 550 has 3 main high/med/low output modes (550/275/140 lumens respectively), along with a flashing mode (at 140 lumens). The beam is a very useful smooth circular pattern, that's similar to that of the old MR11 incandescent bulbs. The main center beam is a medium spot width (1-2 lanes wide, depending on the ambient conditions), with a useful amount of secondary light surrounding the main beam. Runtime is quoted at 1.5hr high/3hr med/6hr low. A small LED at the back of the unit indicates the battery level.

The Urban 550's output is fantastic given its form factor, providing the most output I've experienced in a bike light since the MagicShine 900. At the 550 lumen high setting, you'll feel like you're riding behind a BMW. The 275 medium setting is friendlier to oncoming traffic, while still being enough to light your way when you need to compete with motorized traffic. In the absence of motorized traffic, the 140 lumen low setting is ideal for quiet rural road riding. In fact, the low setting is my workhorse mode in this environment, as it very easily and effectively lights your way, without being so bright that your peripheral vision becomes compromised.

A unique feature of the Urban 550 are these small amber ports on either side, designed to provide a measure of side visibility. These will be more useful to flat bar users. If you're like me and prefer to have your hands on the brake hoods on your road bike's drop bars, your wrists and arms will block the side visibility ports.

The Urban series of lights have a nice swivelling integrated mount, which adapts nicely to different diameter handlebars. It also eliminates the need to buy additional mounts to mount the light to different bikes. Also included in the box is a helmet mount.

The Urban 550 is an amazing front light, unimaginable when I first started night riding in the mid 1990s. It packs an incredible output in a 112g package, at 5:1 lumen-to-gram ratio.

If you're looking for a serious performing no-nonsense front light, I can highly recommend the Urban 550. It's the nicest front light I've yet owned. For the 2015 season, Light & Motion has introduced the Urban 2.0 series (a minor evolution of the original series, the core formula remains the same), and the Urban 650 is the current equivalent model. There is now an Urban 800 model topping the range.

Towild (Shenzhen Wildfires Outdoor Products) CL 1200 LED Light

The Towild CL 1200 a good quality high power light that offers some unique features, though it's not particularly spectacular by any technical merit. When you factor price in the equation, it is an amazing value.

The CL 1200 is representative of the brightest lights currently on offer in the single LED ~200g class. Most users would find the CL 1200's output sufficient. You need to jump up a category to multiple LED & bulkier/heavier lights to get a significant performance boost.

Towild (Shenzhen Wildfires Outdoor Products) CL 600 LED Light

The Towild CL 600 is a dialed down version of the CL 1200. While still a high power class headlight, the CL 600 offers half as many lumens and comes in a slightly smaller and lighter package. It's priced at CAD$20-30. That's not a typo. At this price, the performance of a high power headlight is available to everyone. If durability holds up over the long term, this could be the best value in all of cycling.

Towild (Shenzhen Wildfires Outdoor Products) ALC-01 Wireless Remote

Options and technology in bicycle lighting today are astounding. The Towild ALC-01 is a wireless remote control for Towild's CL headlight series. In some ways a wireless remote for an easily reachable headlight can seem like a luxury indulgence, but the ALC-01 has proven to be useful and fun to use.

The ALC-1 has 3 separate buttons controlling 4 different functions:

1. Button 1 hold: Turns the light on & off
2. Button 1 momentary press: Cycles through the 3 steady light modes, or the 2 flashing modes
3. Button 2 momentary press: Toggles between steady and flashing mode operation
4. Button 3 variable press: Engages steady high mode while pressed; returns to previous mode when released

MEC Plasma LED Light

MEC Quattro LED Light

Oct 2018 Update: After an usually long 5 year run, unchanged through it all, MEC has finally discontinued the Quattro. Clearout pricing was $16, just a tad under the original $19 price in 2013. It's replacment is District 220 USB, which should offer a noticeable bump in performance.

This light is like a scaled-up version of the MEC Plasma. This is one of the best inexpensive low-power headlights you can buy, and is an amazing illustration of how far bike lighting has come since I started my career in the 1990s.

The Quattro weighs in at 88g and is bigger than the Plasma, although by bike light standards, the Quattro is still relatively small. Like the Plasma, it has 3 modes (low/high/flashing), and runtime is quoted at 4/2/5hrs. The built-in LiIon battery is charged via a mini USB interface. The integrated mount works well on oversize bars or over bar tape, but will require shimming to fit on smaller 25.4mm diameter bars.

There is a single LED spec'd at 90 lumens. Most remarkable is how tightly focused the beam is, which yields a narrow but piercing main beam that travels an amazing distance, farther even than my Light & Motion Urban 550. This is quite a feat for an inexpensive low-power class light. The Quattro surprises as a navigation-capable front light, and it is more effective than the Planet Bike 2W Blaze that it replaced. All 3 modes are useful. Low mode doubles runtime but subjectively is only ~20% less bright than high. Flashing mode uses the full 90 lumens, and is useful for a daytime running in busy urban environments.

While the Quattro definitely punches above its weight, it doesn't have enough overall output to replace a true higher power light. The main beam is very narrow (the width of a bike lane to a single car lane, depending on the ambient conditions), and there is almost no light thrown in the periphery. As a result, while capable for navigation purposes, there is a pronounced "tunnel vision" effect when using the Quattro on unlit rural roads. The Quattro could have been a little better here, if the main beam wasn't quite so tightly focused.

Nevertheless, the Quattro is an excellent light in the inexpensive, low-power class, and it pushes the boundary in this category. Not only is it bar none the best light in its category that I've ever owned, but for the price, it's a best value too. I would have killed for a light this amazing and affordable during my student days in the late 1990s. The Quattro should be the standard bearer for any cyclist looking for the best performing front light for the least $.

I originally purchased my Quattro in spring 2013. In the 5 years since, there still hasn't been a better light for the price. So when I lost my Quattro in my travels during summer 2017, I simply went and bought another Quattro!

MEC Saturn (Preliminary Review)

You might view this innocuous private branded light as another ho-hum low priced generic rear light... that is until you turn it on. The Saturn is among the brightest rear lights I've owned. In a steady-mode comparison, it throws an amazingly bright beam that bests even its contemporary, the Planet Bike Superflash Turbo. Nevertheless, the inadequate mount keeps me from either recommending it, or using this as my primary light.

The design of the Saturn light itself seems inspired by the Superflash series. It's similarly sized, powered by 2 AAA batteries, has a single high power LED (simply described as a "high watt LED"), plus 2 lesser LEDs. The light attaches to its seatpost mount in the same fashion, although the plastic clip is thinner and flimsier. The Saturn's overall build quality has a definite cheap feel to it, which doesn't seem like it will hold up as well over time like the Superflash's sturdy build has.

The Saturn is has 3 modes. In steady mode, all LEDs are lit and 120mA is consumed. In full flashing mode, all LEDs pulse steady and current draw is 30mA. Hybrid mode (high power LED steady, 2 lesser LEDs flashing) draws 100mA but is of little use, since the high power LED simply overwhelms any effect from the dimmer 2 LEDs.

The Saturn is knock-your-socks off bright. It throws out a strongly focussed beam that is the most intense I've seen from a light in the low price category (at the time, that is). It's more tightly focused than the Superflash Turbo, resulting in a narrower "hot spot" and not quite as much side visibility. However, on-axis brightness is better, and so I'd judge the Saturn's beam as the more effective of the two overall.

Tested runtime on steady mode, with Sanyo 1000mAh NiMH batteries, is 10.5h. At this 10.5hr mark, the Saturn's output is similar to the original Superflash on fresh batteries.

Which brings us to the mount. It's cheap, flimsy, and utterly terrible. It's so awful, that it prevents me from using and recommending this light, despite it's awesome brightness.

All LED lights are directional and require careful mounting. With the Saturn's tightly focused beam, this is even more critical. I cannot give the Saturn's mount a passing grade.

The Saturn's mount features a rubber band toolless attachment style, but it cannot be made secure. On the road, pavement cracks cause it to bounce up and down, and it rotates around on my 27.2mm diameter seatpost. It can't seem to keep its aiming, and I'm constantly having to look back and check its position. Merely reaching back and turning on the light on while riding, is often enough to swing the lamp out of aim.

If all that's not bad enough, the vertical pivot angle detents are very coarse as well. On my bike, the best angle for the Saturn has it pointed slightly downward.

It took a grand total of about 3 frustrating rides with the Saturn before I retired it. I don't normally raise the white flag on something so quickly, but the Saturn's mount was not worth the continuing grief, especially with the rock-solid Superflash Turbo available.

So the Saturn is a real disappointment. Moreso because it's a shame that a light so bright is rendered useless simply because of an inadequate mount. I hope the Saturn's mount can be corrected in a later revision. MEC, spend the effort please to spec a proper mount (raise the price if you have to, the Saturn's lighting performance is worth it).

Planet Bike Superflash Turbo RL317-1WB (Original Revision)

Fall 2013 Update: A new revision of the Superflash Turbo has been released. Improvements include a slight improvement in usable runtime, continued operation when the batteries run low, and a new updated, more durable switch design.

After 4 successful seasons running the original Superflash light, in 2011 Version 2.0 of this fantastic light arrived - a modest evolution of the original, keeping it in the running with its contemporaries in the burgeoning high performance daylight-visible category. If you liked the original Superflash, you'll like the Turbo. It's a reliable and well built light. It's also one of the last remaining good AAA battery powered rear lights you can still buy (a consideration if you have lots of NiMH AAA batteries around). I have recommended the Superflash Turbo in the past, but now there are many more lights out there that provide substantially superior performance. So nowadays, I consider the Superflash Turbo the minimum lighting performance that any cyclist today should deploy.

The Superflash Turbo is essentially the same light as the original, but with two subsitutions: a new 1W Nichia LED, and a new and effective so-called "turbo" flash pattern. Only 1 flash and 1 steady mode operation are on tap, which was typical for 2011. While most newer lights offer additional power saving lower output modes, limiting operation to two full-brightness modes does give a degree of simplicity.

Planet Bike now lists the Superflash Turbo's output at 20 lumens, in both operating modes. In flashing mode however, the low frequency peak burst is brighter than both the high frequency bursts and the steady mode output.

Physically, the Turbo sports the identical time-tested compact form factor and mounting as the original, and has the same solid construction and reliablity. Upgrading couldn't be easier; the Turbo drops right in to your existing Superflash mount (keep your original Superflash to have as a no-hassle backup). Though included in the box, are the same high quality seatpost and seatstay mounts, which have proven to be flawless over the years.

The 1W LED is both noticeably brighter, and cuts a wider path vs. the original Superflash. The Turbo puts out a much greater quantity of light, and it's more visible in the brightest sunlight. While the Turbo is brightest when viewed directly behind, the Turbo has decent side/off-axis visibility too, and is one of the better lights in terms of retaining reasonable visibility across wider angles from the sides.

About the only thing I haven't been a fan of on the original Superflash, is the emergency vehicle look-alike flashing mode. So with great relief, I welcomed the Turbo's new flashing pattern. The Turbo's flash pattern is more random-like and is more attention grabbing than a simple non-varying blinking pattern. The Turbo's flashing actually features bigger & brighter peak bursts vs. steady mode brightness (common with most high performance rear lights actually).

That said, I still advocate steady mode use as more suitable anyways, at least for night time use. In daylight operation in the presence of heavy/high speed auto traffic, it becomes advantageous to run with the flashing mode's maximum initial attention grabbing.

Compared to the rear lights of yore (i.e. non-daylight visible models), the Superflash Turbo is typical of the current generation of daylight visible rear lights that are relatively hard on batteries, making runtimes a new consideration. The Turbo draws a healthy 160mA in steady mode, which interestingly is twice that of the original Superflash. Current varies widely in flashing mode, from 10mA to 200mA bursts. Tested steady mode runtime with Sanyo 10000mAh NiMH batteries is 6.5h, and 5h with Panasonic 780mAh NiMH. This is an acceptable tradeoff for the performance gains, and it is still hours longer than some current model USB rechargeable integrated Li high power rear lights. Translated in practical terms - stay on top of keeping those NiMH batteries charged up. Flashing mode consumes about 1/2 the steady mode power, which is useful to keep in mind, should your batteries run low.

Another reason why you need to keep your NiMH batteries charged up - the original 2011 to early 2013 revision of the Superflash Turbo does not handle low batteries well, and automatically shuts itself off entirely once the batteries have drained to a certain point. This was unusual behaviour at the time for a rear LED light, and may unexpectedly leave you w/o a functioning rear light. So it is especially important to keep your NiMH batteries charged up. The current revision of this light (from fall 2013 onwards) has eliminated the low battery power off issue. You can visually identify these improved revisions from the originals on the basis of a new switch design (which corrects the hairline case splitting problem with the original case/switch design).

Bottom line: the Superflash Turbo was my recommended taillight for many years, but in 2022 it is an 11 year old survivor of a product that has finally given way to the 2018 Superflash 65. Alas, all of the top newer market entrants have substantially superseeded the Superflash Turbo's performance, and thus I can no longer recommend it. I have transitioned to the Bontrager Flare RT for the 2017 season. For owners of the original 2007 Superflash, if you care about maximum performance (especially during the daytime), the Turbo's output improvement is enough to justify upgrading, but by far your better option is to jump ahead to a newer alternative.

Planet Bike Superflash Turbo RL317-1WC (2nd Revision, Fall 2013)

In the fall of 2013, Planet Bike quietly released a revised version of its Superflash Turbo rear light. The easiest way to tell the new and original revisions apart is to examine the switch on the case back. The new revision has a separate red gasket switch, vs. the integrated "flex the plastic" of the original. If you want to be absolutely sure, the model number indicated on new revision's board is RL317-1WC, while the original revision reads RL317-1WB.

This new Superflash Turbo revision has some welcome but incremental improvements over the 2011 original. Most significant I think is the new switch and case back design, which corrects the splitting case flaw of the previous design.

The beam has been made slightly more tightly focused. Power draw in steady mode has dropped from 160mA to 130mA - a modest reduction resulting in a small usable runtime improvement from 5hrs to 6hrs on typical 800mAh NiMH batteries. If you want to ensure maximum running performance (and you do), you'll have to continue to be mindful of runtimes and low batteries.

I use the phrase "usable runtime", b/c you don't want to continue running the Superflash on low batteries if you can help it - the lighting performance on low juice is much less than the maximum 20 lumens on freshly charged batteries. I will credit that the RL317-1WC's low battery operation has been improved, in that the Superflash continues to operate (at a dimmed level and continuing to fade of course) - the light no longer shuts itself off completely. While you won't get high performance if you accidentally find yourself running low on batteries, at least you won't be left completely defenseless either.

All in all, the R317-1WC revision brings some welcome tweaks to cyclists buying the Superflash Turbo for the first time. Owners of the original R317-1WB revision shouldn't feel the need to upgrade, unless you've had problems with the splitting case back. Although the price has crept up over the years, the Superflash Turbo remains a decent buy. This is the minimum lighting level I would ride with today. However, if you're buying today, I recommend that you check out the other newer crop of brighter lights on the market instead.

Portland Design Works Lars Rover 650

The Lars Rover is Portland Design Works" first release in the high power headlight category. Just like how Planet Bike's lighting line is actually manufactured by Smart Bike of Taiwan, so is Portland Design Works' line (an interesting result of this is that the two brands' mounts are 100% interchangable w/each other). PDW offers two versions of the Lars Rover, a slightly cheaper 450 lumen model and this 650. PDW's Lars Rover lights seem to be quite comparable to Planet Bike's Blaze XLR series lights.

Like other Smart Bike manufactured lights, the Lars Rover is well made, and odds are that it will provide many years of service. Like most lights, the Lars Rover has an integrated LiIon non-replaceable battery. Charging is done through a mini USB port.

I came about purchasing the Lars Rover 650 in a roundabout way. I was specifically looking for a modern high power helmet mounted light to supplement my existing setup. I do a fair bit of night riding (esp. in the fall), mostly on rural roads. On those longer rides involving full-on darkness, I prefer to bring a helmet light on standby, to deploy in those rare but dicey scenarios where a helmet beam is super useful.

While I still have my old VistaLite Code 25 system, I found that in the past few seasons, I was rarely bringing it along in the single beam, single battery helmet mount setup. Even in this minimal configuration, the battery is heavy and bulky by today's standards, weighing down the back of my jersey and making it a little awkward to carry. Even with the maximum 15W bulb, the output did not provide much more extra utility when compared to my (excellent performing) main Light & Motion Urban 550. Over time, my old VistaLite system became less and less worth the extra effort to bring along.

Finally in fall 2015, I decided that I should really be running with a helmet light again, as today's high power lighting setups offer alot of performance at relatively inexpensive prices. So I set out in search for something not too expensive (~CAD$100) that would provide reasonable performance (i.e. at least in the ballpark vs. my Urban 550). I did not need something perfect, just something reasonable to immediately fill the gap.

I was expecting to find a "classic" headlight wired to a separate battery setup, but this form factor today seems to have been relegated to the high priced racing setups. Battery and LED emitter technology has progressed to the point where integrated self-contained systems have become the dominant style, and the manufacturers typically include in the box (along with the standard bar mount), a helmet mount. I do like this from a versatility point - the chief compromise in my books is a noticeable additional weight on the helmet, b/c of the integrated battery (as opposed to carrying the battery separately in a jersey pocket). Mounts that perch the light farther away from the helmet shell add a moment arm into the mix, which can significantly amplify the effect of the given mass.

The PDW Lars Rover 650 has already been reviewed comprehensively online. It is your basic workman-like high power headlight, nothing overly fancy or noteworthy, and at a decent price (CAD$96 at MEC). The beam pattern is fairly broad, and produces a fair bit of near field spillover light outside the main beam. A secondary concentric ring surrounds the main beam, yielding a lesser "center punch" than if this ring was focused into the main beam. As a comparison, the tightly focused beam of the MEC Quattro is spec'd at just 90 lumens, but travels much further, even on its lowest setting, compared to the Lars Rover 650 on its highest setting.

My Urban 550 makes better overall use of its output, despite having 100 lumens less. This is especially so when the Lars Rover is used as a handlebar mounted light. As a bar mounted light, the Lars Rover throws alot of light in the near field, but at the expense of down road performance. The equation changes a bit when the Lars Rover is helmet mounted - more of the emitted light gets directed onto the road surface due to the higher mounting angle. I much prefer the Lars Rover as a helmet light over a handlebar light. In either case, Lars Rover would be more effective if its beam were more concentrated, or at the very least, if the beam's secondary concentric ring were eliminated and focused into the main center beam instead.

Given my target use on the helmet, the light operated in a helmet mounted configuration was a dominant consideration. The Lars Rover lamp and helmet mount combo weigh in quite well for an integrated system at 131g (122g for the light, 9g for the mount - for comparison's sake, my old VistaLite VL5xx/Nightstick series helmet light unit and mount weighs just 75g, although the battery and patch cord add 437g). The very simple helmet mount does not feature any angle adjustability - the position is adjusted via where you can velcro the light on your helmet. Even more significant than raw weight, is how the Lars Rover mount - like my old VistaLite mount - lies flat against the helmet. This is an ideal arrangement that completely does away with the significant amplifying or cantilevering effect that the majority of mounts suffer from (i.e. mounts that perch the light away from your helmet).

I can report that the Lars Rover's helmet mount system manages the battery weight very well. It is noticeably less fatiguing than perched mount lights similar or even lighter in weight, esp. on longer 3+ hour rides. On my Giro Pneumo helmet, mounting the Lars Rover at the top of the helmet gives a good viewing angle and happens to keep the weight centrally and ideally located. Of course, this might differ depending on your helmet, and you may not be able to get an absolutely perfect viewing angle, but you should be able to at least find a reasonably functional one.

Included along with the helmet mount, are two different styles of handlebar mounts. I'll be sticking to the helmet mount. The Lars Rover is also notable in its complete absence of side visibility ports. This is a rather retro, as almost all modern light designs offer at least some measure of sideways marker visibility. This is less of an issue for road riders, where riding on the hoods would block much of any side visibity ports anyways. For my usage as a secondary helmet light, the lack of side visibility ports does not pose a concern, but I do expect that the next revision will have side visibility ports. (Update: PDW's new for 2016 City Rover series, which sport the same form factor as the Lars Rover, have an updated hood assembly that has side visibility ports.)

The Lars Rover 650 works reasonably well as a high power helmet mounted light. The simple mounting keeps the weight effect in check, and the Lars Rover is not very expensive. The beam pattern is OK, but could definitely use further optimization and a tighter focus. If you're looking for a handlebar mounted main light, I think there are better choices at the same price point (such as the Light & Motion Urban 500).

Focus Electronics LED Silicone Bike Light Set

Bontrager (Q-Lite) Flare RT (2015-2017 1st Generation)

Introduced in spring 2015 and highly marketed by Trek/Bontrager, the Bontrager Flare RT is a high performance daylight visible rear light. Q-Lite (Quality Light Is Truly Elegant) is the actual ODM contract manufacturer.

The Flare RT's function in terms of lighting ability is the same as the more popular (and less expensive) base variant that was sold as the Flare R. The difference b/w the R and RT is that the RT adds optional ANT+ protocol wireless remote control (w/a separately purchased Bontrager's Transmitr remote or certain high end GPS cycling computers), and slightly improved claimed runtimes. You can visually distinguish the Flare R by its red front lens, while the Flare RT's is black (matching the signature black hue adopted for Bontrager's Transmitr compatible lights).

As of August 2018, Trek is offering the 2019 2nd generation Flare RT, priced at CAD$77. This replaces both the previous years' Flare RT and Flare R. Trek no longer offers a non-remote version.

My Flare RT takes over from my 2011 Planet Bike Superflash Turbo as my main rear light. I decided to upgrade for the substantial improvement in daylight visiblity. I had hoped and preferred for Planet Bike/Smart to release an overdue Superflash V3.0, but 6 years later, none was forthcoming. The Flare RT's superior daytime visibility was too hard to ignore, given the importance of rearward daytime visibility anytime there's motorized high speed traffic around (i.e. rural road riding). I can confirm that the Flare RT's performance is a noticeable step up from the still-decent-in-2017 Superflash Turbo. The Flare R/RT are high performance and excellent all round taillights, and I recommend either version.

The original 2015/2016 revision of the Flare R/RT offers 4 simple modes - 65 lumens day flash (6.5h runtime), 65 lumens night flash (more accurately described as steady pulse - 23h), 25 lumens day steady (5.5h), and 5 lumens night steady (21h). Runtimes in all modes are excellent. The daytime mode runtimes at 5.5-6.5h are usefully long and notable (the majority of other rear lights only run 1-2h on their highest settings). Nightime mode runtimes are extraordinary, and reminicent of the low output lights decades ago.

The 2017 edition/2nd revision of the Flare R and Flare RT add a 5th mode, a day flash operating at a lower output of 35 lumens. This is sufficient for slightly shorter range use (like in the city), but with much extended runtime. I didn't think I'd have a compelling use for this mode, so opted to stick w/the original 2015/2016 revision of the Flare R/RT, just to save having to scroll through another operation mode. The other change in the 2nd revision is an updated mount that works better w/aero seatposts.

Many other high power daylight visible lights have higher lumen outputs than the Flare R/RT, but a higher lumen spec doesn't tell the whole story in terms of overall observed effectiveness. Flash patterns and beam focussing also play a big role. The Flare R/RT makes excellent use of its lumens. It has a sensibly focussed main beam directing its output straight back where its needed most. With the main LED's output pushed straight back, two small amber side-facing LEDs provide side visiblity. It's certainly the right idea, though I feel that these should be red LEDs instead - amber side facing lights normally indicate the front side of a vehicle, not the back.

The flash patterns used (Trek calls it "interruptive") are particularly eye catching vs. a simple periodic symmetric flash. This is one of the most distinctive features that set the Flare R/RT apart from other lights.

Trek claims that the Flare R/RT has a 2km day visibility range on the brightest day flash mode, and even higher at night. I'm unable to verify such, not having a southern Saskatchewan stretch of flat straight road around. Trek has updated their 2017 packaging to also quote daytime visibility range for all the other operating modes: night steady - 0.2km, night flash - 0.6km, day steady - 0.8km, all day flash - 0.9km.

I figured that I'd be using the daytime flash during daytime rides, and the daytime steady for nighttime rides. I didn't expect to use the nighttime flash much, nor the modestly spec'd 5 lumen nighttime steady. However, peformance wise both nighttime modes punch above their super long runtimes, and I'm making use of them for the majority of my nighttime rides.

Nighttime flash is better described as a "steady pulse", which stitches attention grabbing pulses within a lower steady beam that's better for distance perception. It works well, and consumes the least amount of energy to boot.

Nighttime steady mode didn't sound very useful on the spec sheet at only 5 lumens output. It's more usable than the 5 lumens suggest, and I do find myself using this mode in calm, low risk nighttime scenarios. I'd subjectively rate it as a step behind the Planet Bike Superflash Turbo's steady mode.

I can strongly recommend the Bontrager Flare R/RT for every cyclist (new purchasers can jump in with the CAD$77 2018 V2.0 Flare RT, which offers some improvements but also some significant regressions). The Flare RT is one of my all-time favourite and most important pieces of cycling equipment. The age of the daylight visible high performance taillight has arrived. It's high time that these be regarded as mandatory equipment for everyone riding where's there any chance of sharing the road with high speed/high density motorized traffic, i.e. where long range rear visibility is absolutely crucial. Daylight visible high performance taillights are the most powerful defense yet for rear end collisions which too often end up being tragedies. Get them. Use them.

Bontrager Flare RT (2018+ 2nd Generation)

Bontrager (Dayton Industrial Co.) Transmitr Remote

Sports monitoring devices, ANT+ Alliance member https://fccid.io/pdf.php?id=2527830 https://fccid.io/document.php?id=2527830

This is the standalone hardware remote transmitter/switch that can be used with Trek/Bontrager's remote-capable "RT" series of lights. The ANT+ protocol is used, so this remote switch may also be compatible with other ANT+ enabled lights (such as Garmin's series, I've never tried it though).

Knog Blinder 1 Front Light (Preliminary Review)

Let me first say that I like Knog as a company. They have come up with some interesting designs, and I like the quirky and creative nature of their ad copy and promotional materials. They seem like a fun and interesting place to work.

Introduced in fall 2012, this is a single LED 20 lumen micro USB rechargeable front light. This is a ridiculously tiny light. As with all lights in the micro and mini category, the Blinder 1 is ideally suited for secondary/contingency duty (you'll definitely want a more capable light for your primary usage). What sets the Blinder 1 apart from other micro lights is USB rechargeable power - making the Blinder 1 suitable for worry-free repeated use. The vast majority of lights in this category are realistically limited to rare backup only use, due to their low output and reliance on disposable coin cell batteries.

The Blinder 1's standard retail price at CAD$37 is insanely too expensive for what you are getting. On clearance in fall 2017 at CAD$19, the micro size and reuseable USB rechargeable power intrigued me enough to to try one. My hope was for it serve duty as a micro backup light, and possibly be a virtually weightless take along visiblity aid on daytime road rides (admittedly a tall order).

The Blinder 1 is available in multiple designs and colours, but this is simply for style and does not effect running performance. The Blinder 1 simply throws all of its light out lantern-style - the front lens does not funnel the LED's output into a defined beam pattern, leaving the light more or less thrown out in all directions like a household bulb. The Blinder 1 obviously has no navigation utility, and a good amount of its output is wasted skyward. The beam lacks any sort of on-axis punch/conspicuity, and this is the Blinder 1's biggest disappointment. As expected, when tested in the more difficult daytime context, the Blinder 1's beam isn't strong enough to be of any use.

I realize the lack of a focussing lens is probably a deliberate design decision. Adding a focussing lens would increase the Blinder 1's depth/size considerably. For the limited lumens on tap, the design team may have decided that it wasn't worth it when tiny size seems to have been the primary design goal.

Knog claims a visible range of 600m, which would be on par with the traditional incandescent marker lights of decades past. In my subjective evaluation however, the Blinder 1 doesn't offer any better conspicuity compared to the ultra cheap Focus Electronics micro light (a generic Knog Beetle knockoff) I already have for emergency backup. I've been deploying navigation-capable lights for so many years now, that going back to lights offering only marker utility seems pointless. I wouldn't want to have to use the Blinder 1 with any sort of repeated frequency, which kind of renders the utility of the USB rechargeability moot, and arguably the whole point of the light. While I love its micro size and reusable battery, the Blinder 1 just doesn't have useful enough performance for me to justify keeping it, esp. not when I already have the Focus Beetle knockoff.

Actually, the Blinder 1 might be best used off the bike as a minimalist micro area lantern, hung overhead like a light bulb. The 20 lumen output isn't super bright, but it's enough to do some work under. The 2hr steady runtime would be the biggest limitation. Keychain duty is also a possibility.

The Blinder 1 uses Knog's older integrated strap mounting system. While it works fine given such a tiny mass, Knog found that their lights with integrated straps would sometimes break in normal use. Note that Knog has offered excellent support for these older integrated strap lights, replacing broken lights if you let them know about it. After this costly design mistake, all of Knog's more recent designs have moved to a separate strap design - where if the strap breaks, just replace the strap.

While the less expensive CAD$12.50 MEC Plasma is technically a class up in the "mini" light category, I'd pick it over the Blinder 1 for a minimal USB rechargeable secondary light. The 44g Plasma is larger and only put out 10 lumens (half the Blinder 1's output), but it's much more preferable in reality due to its defined beam. Knog's own Blinder MOB Eyeballer provides very good performance and utility for a 35g package, though it's a rather poor value at the full CAD$56 retail price. The MEC Quattro is a more standard sized light at 90g, but in the low price category, it's my top pick for an all round useful front LED light.

I love the premise behind the Blinder 1, so I'm especially disappointed that the execution didn't turn out better. The Blinder Mini Dot (the Blinder 1's replacement) indeed has a 20° focussing lens, and Knog now claims both daylight and 200m more visibility from the same 20 lumens.

Knog Blinder MOB Eyeballer Front Light (Preliminary Review)

Fresh off my short lived experiment with the ultra minimalist Knog Blinder 1, I noticed that MEC was also clearing out the silver/white variant of the Knog Blinder MOB Eyeballer at half price. While the MOB Eyeballer isn't as ridiculously tiny as the Blinder 1, it's still a small 35g mini class light. On paper, its performance spec suggested it might just be good enough to have the utility I was seeking within the smallest package.

Knog produces five different variants of the Blinder MOB front LED light. Each has the identical 80 lumen output, but feature different LED tech and differing beam angles. The MOB Eyeballer features a single LUMILED LED, and has the narrowest beam angle at 15°. The other variants have much wider beam angles (35°, 90° & 120°), and thus decreasing navigation-capable beams with just 80 lumens on tap.

The Eyeballer is quite a sleek and cool little light. It straight up knocks the socks off any of the low power headlights I've used throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. It's a mini class light, 42x42mm square and weighing just 35g; yet unlike most mini lights I've seen, it pushes out a navigation capable beam. Its output is also strong enough to offer daytime visibility. It also uses regulated circuitry to keep the beam constantly bright for 90% of its runtime, a feature neither my pricier Portland Design Works Lars Rover nor my retired Planet Bike 2W Blaze has.

Pointed at a wall, the Eyeballer has a square beam with a slight round hotspot at the center. When mounted on a handlebar, the beam pattern becomes trapezoidal in appearance, and the center hotspot becomes almost unnoticeable. The absence of almost any side spill is offset by the wide area covered by the main beam.

Although it's not a high power class light, the Eyeballer's beam is good enough to comfortably navigate with when you don't need to compete with motor vehicles. I have a preference for narrower beams, so I even find the Eyeballer's 15° beam slightly wide for my taste (lighting up ~2 1/2 traffic lane widths in complete darkness). The MEC Quattro's beam travels vastly further, but lights up less in the near field.

The Eyeballer is a great small take along to provide extra forward visibility on daytime road rides when needed, or as a just in case light for any ride that has a chance of finishing up past early evening. With such a small size, I say just take the Eyeballer along on any significant road or urban ride.

Moreover, the Eyeballer performs well enough to be a primary light up in moderate conditions. You'll still need a larger, more expensive high performance light to pair with this to ride safely in difficult conditions, but the Eyeballer is exceptionally capable as a mini class light. It offers everything that was lacking in my short-lived experiment with the Blinder 1.

The Eyeballer has 5 modes, with varying runtimes and utility. The flashing modes are especially useful in the daytime and late evening. Once conditions progress to darkness, I typically stick with the steady modes traditionally expected of all road vehicles at night.

Mode	Runtime	Best Use
High Steady	2h40min	Maximum navigation beam for unlit environments Maximum nighttime conspicuity in heavy urban traffic
Low Steady	8h	Battery saver when full output is not needed Good default mode for nighttime city cruising in relaxed conditions
Flash	5h40min	Full frequency & output flash for daylight visibility Probably too strong for routine nighttime use
Fancy Flash (fader flash)	5h30min	Milder flash Friendlier flash in nighttime
Eco Flash (low frequency flash)	75h	Ultra battery saver "Limp home" mode

The Eyeballer is available in 3 colours (black, red/black, silver/white). Unfortunately, I have the worst of the three (silver/white - the white silicone will look dirty/tatty in normal use), as it was the only version that MEC put on clearance pricing.