Whilst your typical bike light is outputting around 20 Lumens of light it’s easily possible to get hold of lights that emit 1,200 Lumens or more. Needless to say this is often overkill for London’s roads but can be useful down country lanes with no other light sources.

Have you ever been dazzled by bright bike lights? Do you find blinking bike lights to be tougher to cycle behind?

Discuss…

For that I could make worse decisions than look at the below 4 unusual bike lights.

Valve bike light

I originally spotted these in Tokyo and was pleased to see they are also on sale from Amazon UK. Unfortunately, they don’t work with Presta valve types but with a bit of DIY ingenuity they could be glued to the caps. The reviews posted here have been very positive but do state that you’ll have to pedal pretty fast to get a continuous stream of light.

Bike glow

The Bike Glow bike lights ($25) wrap around your bike for side visibility. They provide that quintessential Christmas bike look. For more see the Bike Glow website. According to the manufacturer they are completely waterproof and should last 120 hours in flashing mode. They can be purchased from REI.

Knog Boomer Wearable

This is one of the latest lights from Knog. I’ve been testing it for the past few months and will be giving my thoughts soon. However, so far, it’s proved a good little addition to the arsenal of lights and one that I’ve found quite easy to position.

The Knog Wearable Boomer has two ways of attachment. It can either be done using the clip or the magnet. In practise, I’ve not found the magnet particularly reliable. All it takes is a big pothole and it’ll rattle loose. However, the clip has been very secure and in my tests I’ve not had it fly off my bag or clothing. Considering the range of mounting options this could be a very good addition to any cyclist looking for extra visibility. The light emitted is very bright and comparable to that of my light attached to my seat post.

The Knog Wearable Boomer is available from Amazon for £18.03 or Wiggle for £18.44.

Bar end lights

Bar end lights, such as this one listed on Amazon, are a good way to get some supplementary light from the two bike lights typically found on a bike. They’ll fit on road bike style drop bars.

Fibre Flare

Our final unusual bike light is probably one you’ve already heard of. The Fibre Flare. This bike light has been praised for its excellent 360 degree visibility and range of mounting options. I’ve heard of quite a few cyclists starting to use it and I plan on making it an addition to my bike soon (As well as reviewing it for London Cyclist). The Fibre Flare is available from Wiggle.

If there’s any unusual bike lights I’ve missed out then please do post a comment below..

This was a good question by London Cyclist reader Rachel (Thank you Rachel!) and one that I couldn’t really answer!

The two lights that spring to mind are:

The Fibre Flare which has an attachment for fitting it to the back of a cycling jersey and I’m sure could be attached to many bags. (Costs £23.99)

The Knog Wearable Boomer which has both a magnet and a clip. The magnet could go through a t-shirt and the very tight clip could fit onto a bag if there was a suitable attachment spot. (Costs £18.99). This has only recently been released and I’m testing it out for London Cyclist Blog.

However, perhaps I’m missing out on a bike light that can be attached to your bag? Does anyone know the answer?

Four of the best front bike lights

• Saving money: Cateye HL-EL 130 (front and rear set for £19.11) – a set of lights that get the job done, don’t cost too much and will last for years. I had the same set of Cateye lights for around 5 years and only eventually changed them because I wanted to try the Knog lights.
• Don’t want to have to buy new batteries: Blackburn Flea (£21.99) – USB chargeable, tiny and gives plenty of light for its size. Quick mounting strap means can be moved to whichever one of your bikes you are using. My current front light of choice. 
• Spending money: Hope vision 1 (£79.99) – this bright light won’t leave you in the dark. At full power it pumps out 240 lumens. The light also comes with a helmet mount.
• Looking for something different: Knog Boomer (£25.49) – said to be slightly brighter than the Flea the rechargeable boomer relies upon Knog’s textbook silicon cover to attach to the bike. Some people love Knog lights others hate them!

Four of the best rear bike lights

• Saving money: Cateye HL-EL 130 set (£19.11)
• Don’t want to have to buy new batteries: Blackburn Flea (£21.99)
• Spending money: Exposure Flare (£35.99) – with its pulsating beam and continuous glow modes this light is perfect for attracting attention. The twisting motion switch also makes it less likely the light will turn on whilst in your bag.
• Looking for something different: Fibre Flare (£26.99) – aiming to provide 360 degree visibility, the Fibre Flare lights are a good innovation in bike lights and have had plenty of positive reviews.

Wow, far out man! Gnarly!

Nicole has previously talked about a couple of other cool ideas for staying visible so I thought I’d give them a quick mention and add one more into the equation.

• Reflective Spokes (£7.99) – these spoke add-ons attach to your existing spokes and provide good side reflection.
• Bike glow ($25) – the easiest way to describe these lights is by imagining you are decorating your bike to look like a Christmas tree.

See also:

• Definitive guide to bike lights
• What bike lights do London Cyclist readers use
• Roundup of rear bike lights
• Nicole’s night time setup

1. Bike lights
2. Maintaining a prominent road position even if it inevitably annoys some drivers
3. Establishing eye contact with the car behind you every 3-4 seconds (keeps their mind on you)

Today, I’ll be dealing with the first. The other two have been dealt with before.

Which rear bike light is right for you?

This is a good question to ask yourself as a number of factors come into play:

• Where does your evening commute take you? If it’s down dark country lanes you are going to want something very bright that lets drivers know what’s up ahead. If your commute is more through central London which is mostly covered with some street lighting then you can opt for a less powerful rear bike light.
• Re-chargeable rear bike lights are becoming more common. Often via USB. Is this a convenience you’d appreciate having or would you rather stick with AA batteries that last longer?
• Rear bike light mounting – do you want the mounting to detach quickly to fit on your other bikes?
• Size – If your cycling bag is already looking overburdened then you may appreciate something a smaller light that doesn’t compromise on brightness.
• The hub dynamo effect – Dynamo lights have a strong, devoted following and may suit you if your bike can be adapted to fit one.

(Looking for front bike lights? Checkout this post)

The best rear bike lights

Of course “the best rear bike lights” is always going to be subjective but I’ve tried to roundup rear bike lights here that have either been consistently mentioned by blog readers, have overwhelming positive reviews or I have a positive experience with.

Blackburn Flea 2.0 USB rear

(£21.99, Chain Reaction Cycles)

This rear bike light ticks so many of the boxes, it was impossible it wouldn’t be the first one I mentioned. USB chargeable (no more expensive batteries!), bright despite it’s small size and can quickly be mounted and dismounted. It also features a battery life indicator meaning it won’t suddenly let you down. Waterproofing is excellent and so is the price on Chain Reaction Cycles. Only downside: As this light uses rechargeable batteries the life isn’t huge so you’ll have to charge often – however thanks to USB attachment it’s easy to do this when you get to work.

Exposure Flare

(£35.99, Chain Reaction Cycles)

The Exposure Flare stands out for a number of reasons. To start with its a bright bike light but it also has an innovative mode that continuously glows and has a pulsating beam. This is great for attracting attention and making you visible. The light is turned on through a twisting motion which prevents it accidentally turning on in your bag. The mounting is also quick and easy. If you are looking for maximum visibility you may well opt for the Exposure Flare. Downside: the high price!

Knog Skink rear bike light

(£13.99, Amazon)

I’m currently running the Knog Skink on the back of my bike. I find the amount of light it provides combined with the quick and easy mounting to suit me well. I’ve also been very impressed with the battery life – I’ve yet to replace the batteries since purchasing. Some people have reported water getting into the unit during heavy downpours although, personally, I’ve never had this happen. Perhaps the best part of the Knog Skink: Price. Just £13.99 on Amazon.

Your rear bike light?

If you are using a rear bike light you’d highly recommend then please leave a comment with the price, the brightness and what you like/dislike about it.

See also:

• Bike lights guide
• Bike lock guide
• Helmet camera guide
• I think I’ve found the perfect bike light
• B&M Ixon IQ review

In my long, arduous quest to find myself the perfect light to illuminate the path ahead I’ve come across many a bike light. At first it was CatEye lights, then came the Knog Frogs, Knog Gekkos and Ixon IQ. But, finally I believe I’ve found the one bike light to rule them all!

I present to you the Blackburn Flea Front 2.0 USB (£21.99, Chain Reaction Cycles)

The stats: 1.5hr recharge time, LED battery level indicator (i.e. no more bike light dying on you without warning), 3 hrs runtime steady / 5 hrs on Flash. Comes in 6 colours.

So what is making me rejoice at no longer having to search for the perfect front bike light? That moment was realised as soon as I first turned on the Blackburn Flea.

I thought the night had been transformed to day by this powerful little light. Okay, that’s definitely an overreaction. But the Flea produces an impressive 40 Lumens. Roughly double the tiny Knog Strobe. On the road, that translates into impressive visibility and enough light for a dark ride around Regents Park – think minimum street lighting.

On the left in the pictures above you can see the Blackburn Flea in the lower power setting and bumped up to full on the right. As you can see the light provides plenty of side visibility.

This isn’t just about brightness..

The Flea also comes with a set of very favourable features. For one, it prevents the annoying moment when you look into your bag and find your bike lights turned on. I’ve always been fascinated by how manufacturers never look into this.

Also, the design of the attachment mechanism (a Velcro strap) works well for quickly attaching and removing the Flea (something you always have to do when leaving your bike in a public place). This is also great for those with more than one bike who want to quickly switch the light between the two. The strap provides a range of mounting options and keeps the light firmly in place.

The end of having to buy new batteries..

The Blackburn Flea recharges via USB. This means you can plug it in when you get to this office and the battery will be full within an hour and a half. That’s perfect for saving money and for not having to remember to pickup replacement batteries.

In the packaging there’s a tiny attachment that plugs into a USB port. The Blackburn Flea then simply rests on top on the magnetic points. When the light turns from flashing red to green the light is fully charged.

The end of not knowing when your bike light is about to quit on you..

A green light means there is more than 75% charge in the battery, orange is from 25% to 75% and a red indicator means it’s time to get the charger out.

It’s a simple way of making sure you are never pedalling around in the dark.

Truly bike light perfection?

The light certainly won’t be perfect for everyone. Some will still seek more light for example or prefer non-rechargeable lights which last longer. However, for me, the Blackburn Flea combines powerful brightness, USB charging and a tiny size. There’s not a lot more I could ask for.

The Flea is available for £21.99 from Chain Reaction Cycles. For £39.99 you can also purchase the set which includes a rear light.

See also:

• Definitive guide to bike lights
• Recommended waterproof cycling jackets
• A question of bike pedals

The innovative Knog lights

The Knog lights have been gaining in popularity. As evidenced by having a quick glance around (read: perve) at other peoples bike lights. After testing one out for a couple of weeks it’s easy to see why.

The first obvious advantage is in the material. The wrap around silicone material means you don’t need a bike mount. You simply pull the material and wrap it around your bike handlebars. This is great for zero setup and removal time. It also means if you have more than one bike you can switch your lights between the two in seconds.

The second advantage is the size. The Knog lights are pretty compact. In fact the Knog Strobes have to be seen to be believed for size. Even the Knog Skink is fairly small compared to similarly bright bike lights.

However not all is perfect in the world of Knog. Below I’ve reviewed each one individually starting with..

The Knog Strobe

The baby frog of the bike light world. This new 1LED “Strobe” version offers 25 Lumens of light and 80 hours of flashing battery life. For a front and rear set the damage is £13.85 (The best price I’ve found so far is on Amazon).

Would you like the good news or the bad news first?

Let’s start with the bad.

When I’ve been riding around with the Knog Strobe bike light in central London I’ve found it doesn’t quite offer enough light. At a similar price point a bottom of the range bike light from Raleigh which I highly recommend has 4 LEDs offering considerable more brightness. As a solution I recommend upgrading to the Knog Skink (see below) for more lumens.

The other problem I noticed comes from the lack of bike mount. As the light is placed so close to the handlebars the beam is interrupted by the brake cables. The only way to correct this is to zip tie down the cables. You may be more lucky on your bike and your cables may rest further down but for me it was a slight issue.

Now the good news.

The Knogs are by far the most beautifully small bike lights I’ve ever owned. I love the quick setup and the forget about it operation. The lights weigh next to nothing and can easily fit in your bag or pocket. As a solution to the inadequate amount of light I’m opting to place two Knog Strobes on the front of my bike and use a Knog Skink on the rear.

£17.54	£17.99	£13.85

The Knog Skink

At the higher end of the Knog bike light offering is the Skink. It is a 4-LED bike light providing 60 Lumens of light and around 220 hours of flashing light. The damage to your wallet is £9.99 for each light.

This time let’s start with the good news.

Riding around London I felt comfortable with the Knog Skink bike light. It provides enough light to be seen. The different flashing modes provide good variety. Despite the larger size, setup remained easy and the light clipped on and off on my seat post in seconds. The light seems to be of excellent quality and I’ve not heard any reports of problems with water getting into it and so forth. Also in flashing mode the battery life is impressive.

Onto the bad news.

Like a typical English weather reporter of course I have some bad news to deliver. Fortunately it’s only a minor annoyance. Unlikely the Knog Strobe you cannot simply hold down the button to turn the light off. This means you have to cycle through the full range of lighting modes (of which there are 6) before the light goes off.

Other than that I couldn’t really fault the Knog Skink bike light and I’m impressed at the £9.99 price point.

£16.99	£15.99	£9.99

Knog Strobe vs Knog Skink

I took some pictures at night of the two lights using the same camera settings. Unfortunately it doesn’t really prove much but I thought it might be of interest to some people.

The first blurry picture is of the Knog Strobe.

The below picture is of the Knog Skink.

Overall review

I’m a big fan of the design of the Knog Lights. Unfortunately, the super small Knog Strobe just doesn’t provide enough light to feel safe. However, the Knog Skink provides considerable light and offers many of the same benefits without quite the same level of portability.

A special thank you to Moore and Large and Today’s Cyclist who sent me the Knog Skink and another pair of Knog Strobes after they heard that my rear one was stolen!

See also:

• A roundup of bike lights
• Ergon grips review
• Topeak Race Rocket review
• Winter cycling gear

It’s always good to do little informal surveys on Twitter. You find out what setups fellow cyclists are using. As visibility and the short days are on people’s minds I asked what bike lights everyone is currently relying on.

• cyclegaz front. Hope vision1 and magicshine mj-808. Rear. Magicshine mj-818, Blackburn mars 4.0 and 2x fibre flare.
• m1mbz 2x RSP Asteri 3 front lights, 1x Smart 1/2Watt rear led.
• dulwichparagon aye up on the front cateye on the back and two Electron Backupz.
• godefroidp Cat Eye TL-LD 130 front and rear light set. Looks cool and they do their job.
• Gloryhornetboy currently using exposure toro and a combination of cateye and bikehut at the rear
• MartinGamage Cateye – swear by them, used them for years and duracells in the LED lights last for ages
• stephenkhay Cateye Light set, HL-EL450 and TL-LD600-R. I think on your recommendation..? Super bright anyway, work a charm
• Chutzpah84 Hope Vision 1 on front with a Halfords light, Smart Lunar R2 on back with Halfords light and LED lights on backpack & helmet
• chrisbpr 5 LED bikehut light up front and topeak LED at the back..good enough for the dark parts of my ride.
• jmwollny hope vision 1 – 240 lumens of goodness
• lovely_jessica Knog Frogs…bright and easy to attach in the dark!
• els76uk cateye with 3 white LEDs on the front, red fibre flare on the back. wish fibre flare did a white one for the front -i love it
• PeterjHolland Really weak ones! x
• simondup Using a Exposure Joystick as a front light and flashing cat-eye tail light.
• suspectpackage cateye tl-ld1100 (i like) & hl-el500 (not so much)
• drakefelDebaser Smart Lunar at the back, Knog Frog and Cateye upfront
• FatCycleRider Cateye HL-EL130 and TL-LD130. Both good for well lit areas but no good for unlit sections.
• steff631 Highish-end single-very-bright-LED Cateye front, little 5-LED-in-blinky-pattern Cateye rear.
• jameogreig NiteRider Cherry Bomb – Good, Knog Frog – OK, Hope Vision 1 – Amazing.
• ExodusTravels Polaris flashing lights – difficult for drivers to miss those – but they still do…with a bright yellow tabard.
• TodaysCyclist We’re using @Knog Boomers (25% brighter than other hi-powered mini lights) or these http://bit.ly/a2vjRi
• WoollenTypist cateye front & back. Use two on the back to be seen!
• BernardJFlynn supernova_lights Thee best
• LiamFitz B+M ikon rechargable – outshines a truck!
• markbikeslondon The red ones and the white ones )))
• lindsey_dear A fab set of Cateye EL135/T150 lights I won thanks to @markbikeslondon and extra Knogs for visibility
• ruthclaire I’ve got knog lights. Love the clip on stretchy silicone.
• mategalleta knog frogs and knog gekko, as well as a set of cateyes, front and back. Christmas tree-style!

ROUNDUP: What bike lights London’s cyclists are using

In the more budget bike light range are the Knog lights (£13.90 Amazon) which are proving very popular. Moving up the price range a few people have opted for the slightly more expensive Knog Boomer (£31.92 Amazon) to provide extra light. Right up there at the top of the market I counted a total of 3 that said they opted for the Hope Vision 1 (Evans currently have this on sale at £71.99 – £10 less than anywhere else).

Of course the most popular brand was CatEye. Quite a few people said they have more than one bike light on the back to be sure they get seen.

My bike light setup

I’m currently using the Knog Frog Strobe Bike Lights. I’m enjoying the portable, shove in your jacket pocket and forget about it, size. The Knogs are the easiest bike lights to clip on and off with their unique design. The only complaint I have is that I would like them to be a little brighter. Therefore, I’ve coupled my Knog setup with some Cateye lights that have lasted me years. If I was to splash out on a more expensive light then I’m a big fan of the B&M Ixon IQ.

Also a bike light question I couldn’t answer in-case someone knows…

ehu @londoncyclist do you know of a make that has a constant light, with strobe at the same time? Saw one in Glasgow, but can’t find anywhere.

Related to bike lights:

• London cyclist’s Bike lights guide
• B&M Ixon IQ bike light review
• 7 dangerous mistakes you are making with your cycling

The kind of bike light most people tend to opt for is something around the £10 – £20 mark. This is where I say to you that its wrong and stupid to do that. But its not. Those lights are perfectly fine in most situations. Especially around central London where there is plenty of street lighting anyway and you just want to be seen.

However, if you have various particularly dark spots in your commute or you want to go on a few night rides, such as the Dunwich Dynamo, then you need to take things up to the next level. Now the next level doesn’t necessarily have to be £300 level such as the Light and Motion Seca. Those lights are extreme and only useful if you doing some crazy night mountain biking.

The right level is roundabout the £60 – £80 mark and the obvious light that falls into that category is the Busch and Muller Ixon IQ. This cheeky little number:

So when the guys over at Amba Marketing agreed to send one over to review I was pretty excited.

Luckily, it arrived in time for the Dunwich Dynamo. Installation was so easy even I could do it. My handlebars are fairly thin and I’ve had problems before with lights slipping around but this one accommodated just fine.

I happily rode off to the event with extra batteries in my bag just in case. Setting off at 9pm I used the low power setting. You have two choices. You can either put it on full power or low power. Of course with the latter you get more battery life.

The Ixon IQ light was quite incredible. It provided a decent beam that even as we cycled at high speeds down pitch black lanes I had no problem seeing around me and the road ahead. I found the high power mode largely unnecessary.

There were a couple of features I really liked about the B&M Ixon IQ. For one turning the light on involves holding down the button for a few seconds. This prevents it being accidentally pressed while it is in your bag. A problem that plagues a lot of rear bike lights. The other was the quick release mechanism and also the tool-less release of the bike mount. This is great for anyone who is alternating between two different bikes and doesn’t want their light to be stolen.

Upon arriving in Dunwich the light had coped the entire way. I used the B&M Ixon IQ for maybe around 6-7 hours and the beam was showing no signs of dying out and the unit hadn’t got hot to touch. Since then I’ve also used it a little when cycling around London. Despite not being entirely necessary for most London roads I did like having that extra light power and knowing that I would definitely be seen by pedestrians and drivers.

Here is a quick YouTube video someone else made showing the power of B&M Ixon IQ the beam. It doesn’t entirely do it justice but it is useful to watch:

What I liked

• Bright beam (40 LUX output)
• Good battery life (At lower power setting which was surprisingly bright you apparently get 20 hours)
• Good bicycle mount that doesn’t slip and quick to remove
• Doesn’t get hot

What I didn’t like

• Could have a slightly more compact design
• No blinking light mode

Overall review of the Ixon IQ

At £60 the Ixon IQ is the next step up from most low-priced bike lights. For that you get a very bright beam and well thought out design. A worthy upgrade if your commute involves a number of dark stretches.

Where you can buy one

The one place I managed to find the light at a decent price was Amazon.co.uk

See also:

• Guide to bike lights
• More Cycling Accessories
• Dunwich Dynamo Ride Report

I had a very scary experience recently. I was visiting my family and was cycling from Birmingham Airport. The problem was it was very late at night and the route involved tiny, pitch black country lanes. Cars tend to decide to speed around these lanes and to make matters worse visibility was even poorer as the heavy rain had just started.

With my bike light I could barely see much more than a few metres ahead of me. Whenever a car passed by my lights were completely drowned out. At some point during the journey, out of nowhere, I found myself pedal deep in water. Continuing to pedal, I soon realised I was pedalling through a ford. This is basically when a river flows over a part of the road.

Upon reaching home soaked, amazed I managed to avoid the open manhole cover and glad to have not been hit by passing cars I decided to re-evaluate my completely inadequate bike light.

So I had to think about how to choose a suitable bike light, how much to spend and which one is actually worth spending my money on.

Cheap bike lights (less than £20)

This is the most common type of bike light and is what I was riding with that night. If you are cycling somewhere such as central London then these bike lights are generally good enough to be seen but tend to do little to light up the road ahead.

At this low price point the Raleigh LED at £17.95 for both front and back bike light provides excellent value for money and just look at all of these positive reviews.

Mid range bike lights (~£30)

The bike lights in this category up the ante. They are good for those rides along routes with less light. Especially cycle paths and country lanes. They also provide better visibility for drivers to see you.

Currently I ride around London with a bike light from this category and I’ve been hugely impressed by it. It’s called the Knog Boomer and it is chargeable by USB. That means less money wasted on replacing batteries. I love this bike light because it provides plenty of light and it’s very easy to install and remove. The best price I’ve found for the Knog Boomer Rechargeable bike light is here for £23.39.

There is also a rear bike light version of the Knog Boomer. Although, personally for the rear I prefer the Blackburn Flea. Looking at the size of the Flea you’d never believe it could output so much light. At only £20 (available from here) and with the ability to recharge via USB it truly is an excellent package.

Higher end bike lights (~£55)

These bike lights provide a much stronger beam and are suitable in areas when there is no street lighting. One bike light that I tested recently was the B&M Ixon IQ. I was highly impressed with the light that combines a lot of brightness with low battery usage.

Stepping things up to this price point you also get better waterproofing, durability and a more sturdy stand for the bike. Checkout my full review of the Ixon IQ.

Alternatively, at this price point the CatEye HL-EL610 is a very popular bike light that comes highly recommended.

It provides plenty of light, has a solid mounting and uses NiMH batteries. Cycling Plus gave it 9/10 and commended its high visibility angle and solid mounting unit.

Best bike lights (~£250)

At the highest end of the scale you get the brightest bike lights. These are good for blinding people and night time mountain biking. The price tag is extreme but then so is the light output. At this price point the Exposure MaXx-D Mk3 is very highly regarded and all the positive reviews you can see here are a testament to its long standing respect in the cycling community.

Helmet Bike Light

Generally very useful for mountain biking as helps with avoiding obstacles such as overhanging branches.

A popular model that I’ve also tested out is the Exposure Joystick which you can also buy with a helmet mount. It provides a ton of light and is incredible useful for night time mountain biking.

Dynamo bike lights

These are lights that are powered through the pedalling motion. Unfortunately I have little experience in this area as I don’t have a Hub generator so I can’t recommend a good light. If you have suggestions then please leave them in the comments.

Innovative bike lights

Fibre Flare – An alternative way to be seen is to grab one of these Fibre Flare lights. They are very bright and are designed so you can be seen from all directions. Also they are flexible so can be placed anywhere.

Reflective Spokes – These reflective spokes that we’ve reviewed previously on London Cyclist provide an additional layer of side visibility and fit easily to your bike.

Conclusion – what did I go for?

I ended up with a BlackBurn Flea as my rear light of choice. For the front light I’m currently using a Knog Boomer which I’m more than happy with and would highly recommend.

See also:

1. How to choose a bike helmet
2. How to choose a waterproof cycling jacket
3. More bike accessory guides