Magicshine originally sent me a pre-production Seemee R300 Smart Radar Tailight, to give it its full name, back in the summer of 2024. However, before I’d even had a chance to mount it on my seatpost, they pulled it, blaming a few undisclosed teething problems. So, here we are now, about eighteen months on, with a production unit - let’s discover whether those issues have been ironed out. Can it compete with the best radar bike lights available today?

From what I’ve experienced of its products in the past, Magicshine makes some great kit; gear that doesn’t cost the earth. Its lights regularly feature in our Best Bike Lights Buyer’s Guide – we currently rate its Allty 1500s the ‘Best Smart Front Light’. So, I had high hopes for the Seemee R300.

Construction

First impressions are, quite frankly, stunning. If I were awarding prizes for packaging, the R300 would top the podium. It arrives in a premium box worthy of an upmarket electronics brand, such as Apple or Sonos, signalling that Magicshine is chasing down quality, established names such as Garmin and Wahoo. At £119.99, it sits well below the prices of radar products from both of these brands, promising early threat detection at a fraction of the cost. However, price aside, a radar is only as good as the trust you can place in it – that’s where the value lies.

Out of the box, the R300 continues to impress – it’s a handsome little device. It shares a sleek, loosely cylindrical aesthetic with Magicshine’s aforementioned Allty front light range, offering a refreshing and original take on radar product design. The upper part of the body is made from high-quality alloy, while the lower section features a transparent, wraparound polycarbonate lens. It feels both substantial and well-crafted in the hand, yet at 113g it is not unreasonably heavy. Interestingly, it feels more premium than many of its competitors, including Garmin’s radar products.

The light architecture is impressive. At the top, a focused central LED is encircled by a ring of ten mini-LEDs that animate clockwise, creating a distinctive signature light show. Additionally, flanking the radar sensor are two 40mm CoB (chip-on-board) LED strips. In combination, the single LED provides plenty of long-distance punch, while the CoB arrays add a claimed 270° of visibility. In high-day flash mode, a massive 300 lumens flash is triggered automatically when the radar detects a vehicle at 70 metres, dropping back to 100 lumens when the threat is gone. Other lighting modes include Low (15 lumens), High (50 lumens), Night Flash (50 lumens), Eco (10 lumens), and Group Ride (5 lumens).

A distinctive design feature is the inclusion of two large, illuminated buttons on top of the unit, which enable you to operate the light and the radar independently. It’s a niche requirement, perhaps, but useful if you’re riding in a group and want the advantage of radar without dazzling your clubmates. Or you simply want to save battery power.

Mounting is handled by a ‘mini’ quarter-turn system that resembles a Garmin mount that’s been doused in Pishsalver. It’s very small. Magicshine includes two of these mounts – one for round posts, the other for aero – both secured with 15mm rubber straps. While these look a little under-engineered compared to the robust, reinforced mounts we’ve seen from Garmin and Wahoo lately, they did hold the 113g unit surprisingly securely throughout testing. If you prefer a semi-permanent saddle mount, one is available at an extra cost.

Charging is via a USB-C port, protected by a snug rubber flap, and the unit has an IPX6 weatherproof rating – enough to survive wet winters, just don’t drop it in a puddle.

While most riders will probably opt to partner their R300 with their head unit via ANT+, Magicshine has a smartphone companion app that does the job too. Unfortunately, the app’s radar screen is quite basic and doesn’t make good use of the screen space, with half of it occupied by a few well-spaced setting options.

That said, the settings are quite useful. Using the app, you can enable motion detection (Magicshine calls this its ‘vibration function’), which turns the R300 on when it senses movement, and activate the light sensor, which automatically switches the unit between day flash and night flash depending on the ambient light. There is also a battery life indicator and a temperature gauge that will warn if the light overheats.

The Ride

Pairing the R300 was a refreshingly straightforward process. It connected to my iPhone via Bluetooth within seconds, and with my Garmin Edge 1050 and Wahoo Elemnt Roam v2 via ANT+ instantly.

I reviewed a handful of radar units during January and February 2026, subjecting each to the same testing protocol. Specifically, a predefined 13km circuit that included a variety of traffic conditions and reflections from buildings and structures likely to confuse a bike radar. Additionally, I set up a static rig on a long, straight section of road, which allowed me to accurately test range and record false positives and negatives with confidence. To put more miles on the units, I also rode out with them on my regular rides and commutes.

Out on the road, the R300 functions like any other radar – vehicles are represented as moving dots or icons on your head unit or phone screen. During static roadside testing, its effective range was sufficient. It consistently picked up smaller cars from around 85 to 125 metres. That’s less than the 160 metres or more that I’ve observed from the latest Garmin and Wahoo units, but it still provides plenty of time to react.

However, the ‘magic’ began to fade once I hit more complex routes. Along a long, straight stretch of Cotswold road on my 13km loop, it mapped a single fast-moving car as five separate vehicles. It also exhibited a curious effect, being triggered by vehicles travelling away from me on the opposite side of the road just as they passed vehicles approaching in my direction. Reflections, perhaps.

More concerning was its performance in urban settings. The R300 is particularly prone to false positives triggered by reflections from metal gates and larger parked vehicles, notably panel vans. The ultimate ‘no-no’ happened as I exited a village; a car approached from behind at a fair speed, but the R300 failed to alert me entirely. Frankly, a single false negative is one too many.

On a, ahem, brighter note, the light performance is superb. The smart dimming feature is excellent; as a car approaches, the light kicks into its 300-lumen "warning" flash, then dims as the car gets closer to avoid dazzling the driver. Cycling through the lighting modes is intuitive via a head unit, but clicking through them using the power button on top of the unit is even simpler.

The battery life is impressive. Magicshine claims up to 100 hours in Eco Flash, with the radar off, but since the output is so low – as little as 3 lumens – this stat isn’t particularly useful. Claimed battery life in High solid mode is 8 hours, and I achieved just over seven before the R300 automatically switched to a flash mode to conserve energy. So, Magicshine isn’t too far off – after all, I was testing in temperatures as low as 3° C. Day Flash will obviously be considerably more frugal, I suspect, good for two decent days of riding.

Value and conclusions

At £119.99/$129.99, the Magicshine Seemee R300 is significantly cheaper than the £259.99/$299.99 Garmin Varia RearVue 820, and it undercuts the Wahoo Trackr Radar by about £60/$70. On paper, the value proposition is high.

But we don't buy radars for the light, we buy them for the accurate detection. While the R300 is a beautifully made piece of hardware, I suspect its software – the detection algorithms – is still a work in progress. It lacks the precision and operating finesse of units from Garmin, Wahoo and Lezyne, and its tendency to cry wolf makes it hard to recommend as a primary safety device.

If Magicshine can iron out the detection glitches with firmware updates, the R300 could be a real contender, especially for the price. For now, it’s a brilliant light with a radar that’s not yet 100% dependable.

Specs

Price: £119.99/$129.99

Dimensions: 29 x 23 x 96 mm

Weight: 113g (radar), 13g (mount)

Max Light Output: 300 Lumens (Day Flash)

Detection Range: 140m (claimed), 85–125m (tested)

Field of Detection: 35°

Battery: 3350mAh

Battery Life: Up to 100 hours (Eco), approx. 16-24 hours (Radar + Flash)

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth, USB-C

Mount: 2x mini quarter-turn mounts (round and aero)

Weatherproofing: IPX6

Viewing Angle: 270° visibility

Warranty: 2 Years

I’ve found Lezyne’s Radar Drive Rear – also referred to as the Radar Drive 300 – among the very best radar bike lights available. That’s quite an achievement, because there are only a couple of brands – Garmin and Wahoo – that sit anywhere near the top of my list, so I’m excited that Lezyne is able to join them with its first radar release.

It impresses because, like its aforementioned competitors, it is reliably accurate, which is critical for a bike radar. If you’re not familiar with the concept of bike radar, these little units, which are not much larger than regular best bike lights, can detect vehicles approaching from the rear. This traffic information is typically relayed to a smartphone or GPS head unit mounted on the handlebars, warning the rider of any immediate threats. For these warnings to be of any use whatsoever, they need to be true and precise.

Lezyne has also earned my respect by designing a bike radar like no other. It looks unique, it behaves distinctly, and it offers features – one in particular – that no other radar has. The brand has really ploughed its own furrow with the Radar Drive Rear, which I applaud. I believe it’s currently the most versatile bike radar on the market.

That’s not to say that it’s perfect. There’s one feature that, fortunately, doesn’t affect its accuracy or rider safety, but it drove me nuts during testing.

Construction

The Lezyne Radar Drive Rear can communicate traffic conditions to three different types of receivers. While many of its peers require you to own or purchase a separate bar-mounted bike computer to display traffic threats, represented by animated vehicle icons proceeding up a thin lane on the side of a data screen, the Radar Drive Rear can display the same information on Lezyne’s free Radar Ally companion smartphone app.

Uniquely, it can also be purchased with a 1,200-lumen front LED light – the React Drive Front – which displays traffic alerts on a rider-facing illuminated panel. In fact, even when nothing is connected, the Radar Drive Rear will still warn passing traffic of your presence with an intense flash. Of course, in this scenario, it won’t – it can’t – warn you of a threat, but it does increase your presence on the road. You can buy both products separately, or pick them up together within Lezyne’s Radar React System bundle.

Essentially, if you have no other need for an expensive bike computer, there’s no requirement to buy one solely to display radar data. Just clip your smartphone to your bars with a phone mount and use the app. If you don’t have a bike computer and prefer not to use your phone, consider the front light option. It doesn’t provide as much information, but it’s a great solution for leisure riders and commuters who could benefit from a powerful front light but don’t want to get bogged down in too much tech. It goes without saying that, if you already own a GPS head unit, the Radar Drive Rear will play nicely with that too.

In fact, you can connect all three – light, head unit, and phone — simultaneously. While this might be overkill, linking your phone along with the light or head unit allows you to hear alerts through bone-conduction headphones. You can even tuck the phone into a pocket, where you’ll still feel it vibrate.

The Radar Drive Rear’s brutish aesthetic is dominated by a huge wraparound transparent polycarbonate lens that covers the entire rear-facing panel and sides. It screams ‘see and be seen’ – a bold look that prioritises safety over svelteness. At 104g for just the light alone, it’s a bit of a lump. However, the co-moulded construction feels incredibly sturdy and carries an IPX7 waterproof rating, which was well-tested during a particularly soggy British winter.

Aside from the smooth polycarbonate lens, the rest of the body is coated in armoured rubber, another unique feature for bike radar. I didn’t drop it, but its appearance exudes a tough confidence that suggests it would weather a nasty topple better than any other part – body or bike. It feels bombproof, but the rubber coating’s tactile yet slightly tacky feel is catnip for dust, as my photographs show.

A large illuminated circular button sits on top of the Radar Drive Rear, which is used to power the device on/off. Pressed repeatedly, it will manually cycle through the lighting modes, and it also functions as a status indicator, glowing or flashing shades of green, orange and red to denote charge status and other states.

At the base, you’ll find a USB-C charging port protected by a very sturdy rubber bung. Unfortunately, there’s no officially supported way to dismantle the unit in order to replace the rechargeable battery, which is a shame. Tantalisingly, there are two readily accessible Torx bolts in the base, next to the USB-C socket, but Lezyne says that any ‘attempt to remove electronics’ will void the warranty.

My love for the Radar Drive Rear’s distinctive, Tonka-Toy-esque design is tempered by its frustrating mounting arrangement. It’s both cumbersome and limited, which is ironic for an otherwise versatile piece of kit. Lezyne has chosen to omit the familiar, and frankly superior, quick-release quarter-turn mount similar to those used by Garmin, Wahoo, and pretty much every other brand. Instead, the entire unit is strapped to the seat post, cushioned by a removable rubber shim.

Fittingly, the ‘ladder’ strap is characteristically beefy and a doddle to adjust, which at least means the Radar Drive Rear is held very securely. However, when it comes to removing the radar – perhaps when locking your bike up in a garage or leaving it outside a café in a less salubrious neighbourhood – the whole lot has to be removed. Invariably, this means watching the rubber shim drop and bounce across the road as soon as the strap is loosened. Then, before you ride off again, everything needs to be reassembled. It’s a first-world problem, but I find a simple quarter-turn mount so much easier to manage when my brain is low on caffeine and depleted in sugar.

Lezyne includes two rubber shims in the box, one for D-shaped seat posts and the other for aero posts. It reckons the rubber-armoured coating provides enough purchase on a regular round seat post, which wasn’t my experience. I found that using either shim – D-shape or aero – significantly increased grip and security when fitting the Radar Drive Rear on round posts.

The rear light is a powerhouse. It outputs a whopping 300 lumens in Day Flash mode, which is exceedingly bright for a rear light, yet it should last for 18 hours before the battery fails. Behind the wrap-around lens are two stacked LED arrays, one on the left and the other on the right. Each stack comprises two vertical CoB arrays, with a single, very bright LED sandwiched between them. The four CoB arrays offer fantastic near-distance conspicuity – the wrap-around lens ensures they’re visible across 270° – while the pair of bright single LEDs adds long-distance reach.

The other five modes are more subdued, ranging from a 10-lumen solid mode (good for 16 hours) to an 80-lumen high mode (4 hours 32 minutes).

Strictly speaking, this review concerns the rear radar unit, but because they’re so closely associated, it’s worth running through the specs of the React Drive Front light too. It closely resembles many other front lights in Lezyne’s range, such as the Lite Drive 1200+, in that it’s elegantly crafted from machined aluminium and features multiple LEDs behind optical-grade composite optics.

Its 1200-lumen output makes it more than capable of serving as a primary front light for night road riding, as well as a great daytime running light. Rugged and long-lasting – battery life is claimed to be 70 hours when using 700 lumen Day Flash mode – and it’s rated IPX7, just like the Radar Drive Rear. Its unique feature is the illuminated panel on the back of the light, which communicates threats identified by a paired Radar Drive Rear.

When a ‘normal’ threat – a vehicle travelling less than 60kph relative to your speed – is detected, the panel flashes red once per second until the vehicle is within 50 metres, at which point it turns solid. A high-threat alert - triggered by a relative speed exceeding 60kph - causes the panel to blink rapidly with a distinct long-short-short pattern. Along with visual cues, the React Drive Front also emits loud warning tones when a threat is detected and again when the road is clear.

The Ride

I found the Radar Drive Rear to be the easiest bike radar I have ever set up, by far. Why? The instructions provided by Lezyne are simply outstanding. Where many brands provide little more than a hastily thrown together quick start guide, Lezyne has prepared a proper manual that provides detailed guidance on setup and radar best practice. What’s more, there’s a great selection of walkthrough tutorials on the brand’s YouTube channel.

The best place to start is Lezyne’s Radar Ally app, available for both Android and iOS, which pairs with the Radar Drive Rear over Bluetooth simply by having both devices within a few feet of one another. There’s no tiresome pairing sequence to battle through. Using the app, you can download and install the latest firmware and configure a multitude of settings, such as Vehicle Detection Flash and the audio and vibration options. The real meat is in the Radar display page, where you view threats and cycle through the lighting modes.

Pairing with a GPS head unit is a similarly straightforward, this time over ANT+. You cannot update the Radar Drive Rear’s firmware via a head unit, but it is possible to configure the light settings and, of course, view vehicle threats. Pairing the React Drive Front is initially completed through the app, but it’s a one-time only setup. From there on in, as soon as both devices are fired up, they’ll pair automatically. No settings can be configured through the React Drive Front, it’s all achieved through the app.

To judge the effectiveness of the Radar Drive Rear, I put it through its paces on the predefined 13km circuit I regularly use for assessing bike radar products. This loop features a variety of traffic flows and the kind of structural reflections from buildings and parked vehicles that often trip up bike radar. Part of the route includes a narrow, winding road through a local industrial estate that is chock-a-block with panel vans, large metal gates, and loading bay shutters – it’s super reflective.

To supplement active road-ride testing, I set up a static rig on a long, straight stretch of road to verify maximum range. All results were logged using the excellent Garmin ConnectIQ plugin from MyBikeTraffic.com.

In practice, Lezyne has done an excellent job developing its detection algorithm. No false positives or negatives were observed during my tests, and the maximum detection range of 150m was routinely exceeded by larger vehicles. Speed-matched vehicles – those travelling closely behind me at roughly the same pace – remained persistently on my Garmin Edge 1050 and Wahoo Elemnt Roam screens for as long as could be expected.

While the Lezyne has a relatively narrow 35° field of view compared to many competitors' radars, I’m not unduly concerned. I regard this as a trade-off that avoids extraneous detail rather than a fault – it may go some way to explain why the Radar Drive doesn’t suffer false positives from reflections.

Using the React Drive Front in place of my head unit offered a pared-down experience that took some getting used to. The front light provides almost no information about vehicle position; it’s only possible to ascertain from the display whether a threat is closer or further than 50 metres from your position and roughly how fast it is travelling.

However, I quickly realised that’s all that’s really necessary. After the initial warning tone sounds, you only have a fraction of a second to glance at the display before refocusing on the road. All you really need to know is whether a threat exists, something the React Drive Front communicates effectively enough.

Value and Conclusions

With an RRP of £170.00 / $179.99, the Radar Drive Rear presents tough competition for both Wahoo and Garmin. It falls within a similar price range to these brands, though it is noticeably cheaper than the new flagship Garmin Varia RearVue 820, while offering more versatility for riders who prefer not to invest in a head unit.

If you can overlook the somewhat awkward mounting process and its weight, which might be a consideration for some performance riders, you're left with a device that is just as accurate as the market leaders but notably more versatile.

Specs

• Price: £170.00 / $179.99
• Range: 150m
• Field of detection: 35°
• Light output: Max 300 Lumens (Day Flash)
• Light modes: 7 (including Car Alert Flash/Solid)
• Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth, USB-C
• Battery life: Up to 20 hours
• Weight: 144g
• Dimensions: 78 x 48.9 x 47.6mm
• Weatherproofing: IPX7
• Mount: D-post and aero post adapters included
• Companion app: Lezyne Radar Ally

In a market where the best bike radar lights can cost as much as £260/$300, a product that promises similar functionality for just £79.90/$79.90 is bound to pique interest. The iGPSport SR Mini isn’t just inexpensive, it’s also the smallest and lightest radar we’ve ever tested. But can a unit this compact and this affordable really be trusted to have your back when the traffic gets heavy? I spent the winter months of 2026 putting it to the test to see if it’s a genuine bargain or a budget compromise.

I pinned big expectations on the little SR Mini. I’m a fervent advocate for bike radar, having used a Garmin and, more recently, a Wahoo product on every ride I’ve ridden over the past five years or so. In the early days, my ride buddies viewed my Garmin with a mix of wonderment and scepticism, but now that radar tech has become thoroughly mainstream, those feelings have shifted to acceptance and enthusiasm. The only remaining barrier for many riders is price. Budget radars, like the iGPSport SR Mini and its slightly pricier competitor, the Magene L508, are accessible enough to make a difference. Provided they’re accurate and reliable.

Construction

iGPSport is no newcomer to bike radar. Its previous attempt, the larger SR30, was frankly a bit hit-and-miss, qualities nobody wants associated with bike radar. iGPSport still has photos of the SR30 on its website, but it appears to have been withdrawn from the market. The new SR Mini is a real departure, being so much smaller and more brightly illuminated than the older unit.

The ‘Mini’ moniker isn't just marketing fluff. Measuring a mere 77 x 37 x 19mm and weighing in at just 50g, it is, to my knowledge, the smallest and lightest bike radar currently available. Its rounded capsule cum lozenge shape is a near dead ringer for Garmin’s base model, the £129.99/$149.99 RVR315. The dimensions are almost identical too, as is the weight, with the IGPSport being just a gram lighter. The main difference, of course, is that the Garmin is solely a radar device; it lacks taillight functionality.

On its site, iGPSport touts the SR Mini as the most aerodynamic radar available, but I recommend taking these claims with a pinch of salt. iGPSport doesn’t provide any wind-tunnel data, and small isn’t necessarily more aero, especially for products mounted to a seatpost. However, it’s undoubtedly a featherweight, weighing 53 grams less than Lezyne’s chunky boy Radar Drive.

Instead of having a single, powerful LED as its primary light source, the SR Mini features a hoop of 12 LEDs around its edge. This allows for some entertaining animations, such as the ‘Comet’ mode pattern (where light orbits the unit) or the ‘Waterfall’ mode (where LEDs cascade downward). These are ideal for close-range visibility, but because the light is diffused across 12 small points, it lacks the oomph that enables some of its more expensive competitors to be seen from 2km or more away. With only 30 lumens on tap, in bright, clear conditions, the SR Mini will be visible from only about 200 to 300 metres away. If I’m cruising at 20kph and a car approaches at 50mph, that gives the driver about 12 to 17 seconds of reaction time before a potential impact. Which is adequate, but hardly outstanding.

It has eight light modes in all: High solid (12 lumens), Medium solid for group riding (6 lumens), Day flash (25/0 lumens), Night flash (12/2 lumens), Comet flash (30 lumens), Waterfall flash (30 lumens), Radar only (0 lumens), and Custom. There’s also brake light functionality and Team Sync mode, which entrains all SR Minis within a group to flash at the same frequency.

Charging is via a UBC-C port that’s securely sealed with a tight-fitting rubber flap, helping the SR Mini to achieve an IPX7 waterproof rating; meaning it can withstand harsh winter conditions better than I ever will. The low lumen output has one advantage, as it results in decent battery life – claimed to last 5 hours in the 12-lumen solid light mode, increasing to 11 hours in 30-lumen comet flash mode.

At the base of the front panel is a tiny LED status light that mainly indicates charging status, but also flashes green during a firmware upgrade, or blue if, God forbid, a fault is detected.

The mount is a headscratcher. It has a Garmin-esque quarter-turn interface (incompatible with Garmin, sigh), so no surprise there. However, the mount is a saddle-rail model, which is puzzling; a traditional easy-on, easy-off seat-post mount attached with a simple rubber strap or O-ring would have been a more versatile choice.

The SR Mini has a free iOS and Android-compatible companion app for setup and radar detection tracking. Or you can use it with any compatible GPS head unit or smartwatch. It uses Bluetooth to connect to the app and ANT+ to communicate with head units, so there’s nothing to stop you connecting to both concurrently.

The Ride

Initial setup is very straightforward. As with most head units, I recommend connecting the SR Mini to its companion app first to check for any firmware updates and to configure the basic settings. There’s not much to it, but from here you can select a lighting mode and turn on specialised features such as Team Sync and Radar Warning Mode, which triggers a flash when a vehicle is detected.

Perhaps I’m being dim, but I’ve never figured out how to set up a Custom light mode on the SR Mini; there’s no mention of it on the IGPSport website or in the app’s online instructions and FAQ section.

The app’s radar display is full screen, with an uncluttered design that makes it quick and easy to identify threats. From here, you can also change lighting modes and configure audio and vibration prompts.

Using a GPS head unit, in my case a Garmin Edge 1050, a Wahoo Elemnt Roam (v3) and iGPSport’s own BiNavi, is just as straightforward. The threat overlay can be positioned on the left or right of the screen, and the lighting modes are just a swipe and a tap away. However, I did find selecting light modes on my Garmin Edge 1050 a frustration; switching between them didn't always work reliably.

Mounting the SR Mini on my saddle rails was a complete faff. Overall, the built quality of the radar unit appears solid enough, but the mount is absolute garbage. It was fiddly to install, not least because the cheap, shiny plastic braces kept slipping on my metal saddle rails. This can probably be remedied with a couple of tiny sections of old butyl inner tube or bar tape to add some grip, but I was ready to throw it in the bin well before I even considered that solution.

Worse, if you own multiple bikes, you have to go through the frustrating process each time you want to switch your radar, and any saddle bag will render the unit useless. Why, oh why doesn’t iGPSport include a simple seatpost mount?

To test the SR Mini, I followed my usual testing routine – a 13km loop through varied rural and urban areas, including an industrial estate filled with metal shutters and parked vans. The ideal environment to confuse bike radar. This was then followed by a static test on a long, straight road.

All head units display radar in a very similar fashion. A narrow vertical bar appears on the left or right side of the screen, with your bike at the top. When a vehicle is detected, an orange overlay appears, and the vehicle icon moves upward. If a vehicle is closing fast – defined as a high-risk threat likely to impact within seconds – the bar turns a sharp, urgent red. Once the threat has passed, you see a clear green bar. Audio prompts also sound on detection to signal the ‘all clear’.

In my static range tests, the SR Mini was a star performer. It consistently picked up small to medium-sized cars at 125 metres, and sometimes as far as 160 metres, according to the excellent MyBikeTraffic.com ConnectIQ plugin. So eager was it to detect vehicles that I even rebooted it at one point to ensure my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me. To put its detection range into perspective, let’s use the same example as before. If I’m riding at 20kph and a car approaches at 50mph (80kph), that additional 25 metres of range buys me an extra second of reaction time, which is worth having. It also did a decent job of distinguishing individual cars within a bunched-up group.

Unfortunately, not every ride went swimmingly. Where I’ve found the top-tier units Garmin, Lezyne and Wahoo are consistently accurate, the SR Mini did suffer from a few false positives. For example, one was triggered by the reflection of an oncoming car bouncing off a stone wall, but the most memorable was a ‘ghost’ vehicle that persisted on my screen while cycling a long, empty rural road. There was nothing there.

False positives are annoying at best and disorientating at worst. They are unlikely to put you in any real danger – after all, there’s nothing there – but anything that diverts your focus from the road is a bad thing. They also undermine confidence in a radar unit, to the point that you may no longer trust it at all.

Fortunately, during testing, the SR Mini didn’t produce any false negatives, a fault when a unit fails to detect and warn of a car that is present. Clearly, this is a much more dangerous scenario, so I was relieved to find the SR Mini performed well in this regard.

Real-world battery life, riding in temperatures between 3° and 7°C, was 11 hours in Day Flash mode, which is bang on iGPSport’s claimed estimate. In the summer, it could well perform a little better.

Value and conclusions

The iGPSport SR Mini provides detection at a range that rivals units costing twice as much, all in a package that weighs less than most energy gels. However, this little unit has some drawbacks. Light output is on the weaker end of the spectrum compared to its pricier rivals. The saddle rail mount is a joke – a bad one at that – such a missed opportunity. Finally, and most importantly, the occasional false positive is far from ideal.

Are these faults forgivable in a premium £170/$200 radar? Absolutely not. But, in my opinion, the budget SR Mini deserves to be cut some slack. Sure, if you’ve got the funds, buy a Garmin, Wahoo or Lezyne. If, however, money is tight, this little radar is worth a punt. Faults and all, iGPSport has brought bike radar to a much wider audience, and for that, it deserves credit.

Specs

• Size: 77mm x 37mm x 19mm
• Weight: 50g
• Charging Port: USB-C
• Battery Life: 6h (High solid), 11h (Day flash), 20h (Radar only)
• Waterproof Grade: IPX7
• Wireless Protocol: BLE, ANT+
• Radar Detection Range: 160m
• Radar detection Angle: 45°
• Light Modes: High solid, Medium solid, Day flash, Night flash, Comet flash, Waterfall flash, Off, Custom
• Max Lumens: 30lm
• Companion app: iGPSport app

Brand spanking new for 2026, the Varia RearVue 820 has quite the reputation to live up to – its predecessor, the RTL515, was widely lauded as the gold standard among the best radar bike lights when it was launched in 2020. So much so that, for years, it was the only radar I ever saw, blinking from the seatposts of safety-conscious cyclists.

More recently, other brands began to appear on my radar, encroaching on Garmin’s territory. Garmin’s response? Nada; there wasn’t a hint of a replacement for years. Had it dropped the ball? I began to wonder if it even remembered it was still in the best bike lights game.

Six years is a long time in tech, but Garmin has redeemed itself. It has prevailed. This new Varia radar punches well beyond an obligatory cosmetic refresh and subtle feature tweak - it genuinely pioneers new levels of accuracy. I was so impressed with it, I awarded it ‘Best on Test’ in Cycling Weekly’s group test of the best bike radars.

If I have a criticism, it’s that ‘Garmin Varia RearVue 820’ is a bit of a mouthful, so from here on in, I will refer to it more plainly as the RearVue 820.

Construction

While the RearVue 820 clearly draws some design cues from the RTL515, Garmin has implemented a fresher, bolder look for this new unit. Gone is the black, slab-like aesthetic; replaced with deeper, bevelled edges, more scarlet-tinted transparent polycarbonate, and better-defined side lenses for improved visibility. The main lens now sits at the bottom, but you can rotate the unit upside-down if you enable this feature in Garmin’s Varia app.

A small, lozenge-shaped power button is located at the top of the unit, beside a tiny status LED. This button looks slightly more robust than previous versions, which, in my experience, were prone to early failure. At the back of the unit is a USB-C (hurrah!) charging socket, protected by a weatherproof flap, which also feels sturdier than the one on the RTL515.

Back in 2020, Micro-USB was already very long in the tooth, but for some reason, Garmin stuck with it for the RTL515, a poor decision that marred an otherwise excellent device. This design ‘faux pas’ really got users’ backs up, including my own. The legislation-mandated switch from Micro-USB has seemingly taken Garmin aeons to implement, but to be fair, the brand is now uncharacteristically well ahead of the curve. Not only does the RearVue 820 feature USB-C, but it also has a replaceable rechargeable battery, ensuring compliance with EU rules coming into force in 2027.

This is a welcome development. For keen cyclists who subject their RearVue 820s to frequent charging cycles each month, or those who reasonably wish to keep an expensive piece of technology operational for as long as possible, the ability to replace the battery is a significant advantage. The battery is accessed by removing the rear cover, which is secured with six teeny Torx bolts. Weatherproofing remains decent, rated IPX7.

Light output has also been increased as part of the upgrade. Compared with the old RTL515, the RearVue 820’s rear light now delivers 100 lumens in day flash, up from 65, and 25 in solid, up from 20. Night flash is also brighter – 40 lumens from 29, and peloton mode, a reduced output to avoid annoying your riding buddies, remains at 8 lumens.

All of these improvements are welcome, but they’re unlikely to blow your UCI regulation socks off. The seismic change is that Garmin has switched from low-resolution 24 GHz radar to significantly more precise 60 GHz waves. In practice, this makes it more responsive, more accurate, and better at tracking vehicles travelling at the same speed as you. In fact, the higher-resolution signal enables it to distinguish between vehicles – trucks, cars, and motorcycles – and display them accordingly. What’s more, with the benefit of a wider 60° sweep, it can identify a vehicle’s lane position on the road.

As you’d expect, the RearVue 820 works in conjunction with Garmin’s own Varia smartphone app, which is available for both Apple iOS and Android, and any contemporary bike computer that supports ANT+ Radar and ANT+ Smart Light protocols. I tested it with a Garmin Edge 1050, a Wahoo Elemnt Roam 3, and a Garmin Forerunner 970 smartwatch.

There is some bad news. Although still widely supported, ANT+ has been deprecated, so support for some of the RearVue 820’s more advanced features is limited. Garmin’s relatively new secure Bluetooth (BLE) protocol is required for lane positioning and vehicle size recognition to work at all, which restricts these standout functions to users of Garmin’s Varia app or its Edge XX40/XX50 head units.

Garmin’s quarter-turn mount has always been a triumph, but the rear ones have typically prioritised function over form – they often looked like an afterthought. The Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) securing loop (aka, rubber band) was fiddly to adjust, and even when mounted securely, the radar looked precarious. The new design is more attractive, similar to Wahoo’s mount for its Trackr Radar, and the rubber O-ring has morphed into an easier-to-handle, more robust rectangle reinforced with additional material at the centre. There are two bands in the box, of different lengths, along with two rubber bushings for round and aero seat posts. These can be inverted to match various seat post angles – 77°, 73°, and so on. Lastly, a lanyard and tether point are welcome additional features.

The Ride

Like all bike radars, the RearVue 820 requires a paired device mounted at the front of the bike – usually on the handlebars – to relay traffic information to the rider via visual prompts, sound, vibration, or all three. A GPS bike computer is the obvious choice for this task; a compatible smart watch works well, but the low-cost option, if available, is a dedicated smartphone app.

Garmin is one of the few brands that offers a proper, feature-rich companion app, and I’ve always regarded it as an excellent solution. Many of the apps provided by its competitors do little more than let you adjust settings, offering very limited functionality.

Whether you plan to use the app as your primary device with the RearVue 820 or not, it’s still a useful starting point for initial setup. Here, you can easily update its firmware, configure its orientation, and even create custom light modes to supplement the five (including ‘off’) modes it ships with. Want a daytime flash with 80% brightness and a duration of 200ms? You’ve got it. I don’t imagine many users will bother programming custom light modes, but it’s a valuable feature for ultra-endurance riders looking to optimise battery life over long distances.

Using the default settings, all lighting modes, including day flash, are super visible. Even in very bright conditions, the day flash can be spotted a good couple of kilometres away - that's well over a mile.

Essentially, the display page functions like every other radar smartphone app and head unit screen. You and your bike are represented by a fixed icon at the top of the screen, while approaching vehicles appear at the bottom and move upward as they get closer to your position. The rate at which they move depends on their speed. Your speed, the device’s battery level, and light mode are also displayed.

However, while other radars display vehicles with generic car icons (Wahoo) or simple dots (previous Garmin units), the RearVue 820 shows a long rectangular icon for large trucks, a shorter icon for cars or small vans, and a narrow icon for motorcycles and bicycles. Their lane position is also indicated, helping the rider to better judge the relative risk they pose. Threat level, determined by vehicle size, speed, and lateral distance from your path, is shown by a warning triangle superimposed on each vehicle icon plus a shaded halo beneath it. These are coloured orange for a mid-level threat and red for a high-level threat.

The display on a modern Garmin XX40/XX50 series head unit is very similar, with the option to show a dedicated Radar Data Screen or a column overlaid on the side of an existing data screen. This overlay can be positioned on the right or left, and there are two column widths to choose from, large or small. Selecting the smaller width makes it easier to see the underlying data screens, but it becomes harder to gauge traffic approaching from behind. Optionally, the overlay can be set to display orange, red, and green colours to indicate when a threat is detected, the severity of the threat, and when the threat has passed.

Both the smartphone app and the head unit will emit sounds when a threat is detected and cleared. These can be customised or, if you prefer, muted. Additionally, a smartwatch, such as my Garmin Forerunner 970, will vibrate on detection. It is possible to pair the RearVue 820 with both a head unit and a watch at the same time, giving you the best of both worlds – useful on noisy, traffic-heavy routes. Similarly, it’s possible to pair a head unit and the smartphone app, enabling you to listen to the tones through bone-conducting headphones.

To test the effectiveness of the RearVue 820, I rode a predefined 13km circuit that ensured a variety of traffic conditions and numerous reflections from buildings and structures likely to confuse a bike radar. I also set up a static rig on a long, straight stretch of road, allowing me to accurately test range and log false positives and negatives with confidence. The RearVue 820 also accompanied me on my regular rides throughout January and February.

On the road, I found that riding with the RearVue 820 is like switching from a grubby pair of glasses to a fresh, clear pair. Thanks to the higher resolution, much more detail is visible; the range has increased – regularly exceeding 160 metres during my static test, even for smaller cars – and the RearVue 820’s ability to distinguish individual vehicles within a group has improved. Vehicles travelling at the same speed as me are tracked with greater persistence, rarely dropping out at slow-moving roundabouts or at the approach to road junctions.

Less convincing is its ability to classify vehicles by size. Knowing whether you’re being followed by a truck, a car, or a motorbike is an appealing idea, but in practice, it's not yet fully reliable. I did find that very large vehicles were often identified correctly, which is a positive, as being forewarned enabled me to prepare for the strong air currents that accompany a swift overtake.

However, cars shown on my head unit would occasionally turn into motorcycles and vice versa. I wish the unit could better distinguish motorcycles and bicycles from other vehicles because, riding on my narrow Cotswold lanes, I often pull over only to find it’s just another cyclist spinning past rather than a car. Hopefully, future firmware updates will improve its accuracy.

On a more positive note, I found that lane detection worked very well, enhancing my situational awareness in complex major road systems and urban areas.

On the face of it, the additional traffic information provided by the RearVue 820 marks a significant advancement for bike radar. Ironically, my only concern is that sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. A large part of my time in the saddle is spent looking ahead or scanning left and right for hazards. I rarely look down at my head unit. Even when I do, I give it a quick glance, and only after an audio alert tone prompts me to do so. In that fleeting moment, I have just enough time to gauge the approximate position of the threat relative to mine, which is enough. Trying to identify exactly what type of vehicle it is, or pinpoint its exact position on the road, feels like it’s demanding more of my focus than is warranted.

Off the bike, battery life is exceptional – I achieved an impressive 11 hours 15 minutes in solid light mode, and Garmin reckons it’s good for 24 hours in day flash mode, which I can well believe. Charging time is roughly two and a half hours from empty to full.

Finally, a quick note about the mount. It’s a small detail, but the new rubber strap is an improvement over the old one; it’s now easier to attach the mount to any seat tube. The action of the quarter-turn action remains, without doubt, class-leading.

Value and conclusions

With an RRP of £259.99/$299.99, the Garmin Varia RearVue 820 is very expensive. You’re paying a £100/$100 premium over the street price not only for the somewhat outdated Garmin Varia RTL515 but also for Wahoo’s Trackr Radar and Lezyne’s Rear Drive 300. All excellent products.

However, in terms of accuracy, the RearVue 820 is unrivalled. Even after testing the unit for several months, I’m not entirely convinced that I need the level of traffic information it can provide, but I am captivated by the precision it offers and the persistence with which it tracks vehicles.

Can you get away with using the cheaper Wahoo or Lezyne radars? Yes, absolutely. Both outperform the old RTL515 that I’ve been happily using for years. Nevertheless, if you can afford it, you’ll find the RearVue 820 next level.

Specs

• Dimensions: 98.9 x 25.9 x 43.2 mm (3.9” x 1” x 1.7")
• Weight: 90 g (3.2 oz)
• Light modes: solid, peloton, night flash, day flash
• Custom light mode configuration: Yes (with Varia Mobile App)
• Radar-only mode: Yes
• Lumens: 25 solid, 8 peloton, 40 night flash, 100 day flash
• Water rating: IPX7
• Battery life: 10 hours solid, 15 hours peloton, 10 hours night flash, 24 hours day flash, 30 hours radar-only
• Ant+®: Yes (radar, bike lights)
• BLE: Yes (radar, bike lights)
• Viewing angle: 220°
• Visibility distance: 2 km
• Rear tail light: Yes
• Brake light: Yes
• Rear radar: Yes
• Lateral vehicle positioning: Yes
• Vehicle size classification: Yes
• Vehicle threat classification: Speed-, size- and lateral range-based
• Maximum vehicle detection range: 175 m
• Radar beam width: 60°
• Companion app: Varia Mobile App for iOS and Android

The Magene L508 enters a market that was, until very recently, almost entirely dominated by expensive radar units from Garmin and, more recently, Wahoo. To be fair, Bryton offered a few reasonably priced products, but, in the main, the best radar bike lights were considered purchases rather than impulse buys.

Times have changed. Chinese brands, such as Magene and iGPSPORT, have swept the low tide mark below £100/$100, signalling a shift towards greater accessibility for everyday cyclists. It’s a move to be applauded, provided these products prove reliable, accurate, and competitive with others in the best bike lights market.

In terms of specs, the Magene L508 pretty much matches premium radars, such as Wahoo’s Trackr Radar and Garmin’s (aged, but still available) RTL515, feature-for-feature. The question remains, does it offer the reliability and accuracy required to earn a permanent spot on your seatpost?

Construction

I don’t want to get involved in baseless discussions that judge brands on their country or region of origin. Yes, Magene is Chinese, but it’s no Johnny-come-lately. The brand is a sponsor of the XDS Astana Team this season, so you’ll likely see the L508 sitting on the seatposts of Alberto Bettiol and Christian Scaroni during their training miles. More relevant, as a long-time OEM supplier to the likes of Decathlon and Wahoo, Magene arrives with a pedigree that belies the L508’s budget price tag.

Peering into the box for the first time, I immediately see that the Magene L508 is well-packaged and attractively presented. Besides the radar unit, you’ll find a mount, three O-ring style straps, a USB-C cable, and a lanyard. Magene also includes a small printed manual, a rarity in 2026, which offers a clear starting point for setup.

Visually, the L508 is somewhat derivative. Its simple, lozenge-shaped black plastic body is clearly inspired by the esteemed Garmin RTL515. However, there are some distinctive flourishes. The circular lens houses a ring of sixteen LEDs that can be configured to shine solidly, flash, or rotate clockwise in an animated fashion. The front bezel is slicker than a Garmin's. It’s made from bevelled, high-gloss polycarbonate that looks upmarket and feels sturdy.

Another area where the Magene shines, is the humble power button. Located in the centre of the lens, it is considerably larger than the minute, fiddly buttons found on most radars from other rivals. It offers a reassuringly mechanical ‘click’ when pressed, which is a small but significant win when wearing thick winter gloves.

The mount is also very reminiscent of vintage Garmin (as opposed to the latest version, bundled with the new Varia RearVue 820, which has had a welcome refresh). It’s a basic quarter-turn chuck with a rubber bushing, secured by a stretchy silicone O-ring. It’s simple, effective, and the included contoured bushing accommodates both round and aero seatposts. However, although the mount looks similar to Garmin’s, it isn’t fully compatible. The diameter is correct, so a Garmin unit will click into place, but the orientation is off by a full 90°.

Charging is handled via a USB-C port located at the base of the unit's rear, protected by a thick, weatherproof rubber flap. The L508 carries an IPX7 rating, so as long as you’ve pressed that flap firmly into place, it should happily shrug off heavy rain and the inevitable deluge of road spray. God forbid British potholes should ever get deep enough to submerge a seatpost, but if they do, the Magene will survive immersion in filthy road runoff for up to 30 minutes.

As well as the main LED array, there is a tiny pinprick of a status light on the front of the unit, to the right of Magene’s logotype. It indicates different states – charging, upgrading firmware, low battery, radar fault, and so on.

The L508 features seven distinct light modes: Solid (up to 40 lumens), Flash (20 lumens), Pulse (20 lumens), Animated Rotation (20 lumens), a reduced-output Peloton setting (6 lumens), a new Quick Flash mode (40 lumens), and dedicated Brake Light functionality. On paper, a maximum output of 40 lumens looks decidedly anaemic compared to the 300-lumen Day Flash modes found on the Lezyne Radar Drive 300 or the Magicshine Seemee R300. In the real world, however, the Magene is still perfectly visible to approaching traffic, even in bright sunlight. In good visibility, its 40-lumen pulse can be spotted from up to about 1.2 km away. Assuming I’m cruising at 20 km/h, a car approaching at 50 mph will have over 70 seconds to react, which should be plenty.

Side on, the L508 appears less impressive. While the glow from the LEDs is visible, the effect is somewhat lacklustre; it certainly lacks the visual clout of the dedicated CoB arrays found on the Lezyne Radar Drive 300 and the Magicshine R300.

Where the L508 truly punches above its weight is in its customisation. Using the Magene Utility App, you can tweak every lighting parameter to an obsessive degree. For each mode, brightness can be adjusted on a 0–100% scale, and you can independently toggle the radar, brake light, and the ‘warning flash’ (which triggers as a car approaches) on or off. For the flash and animation modes, it’s possible to fine-tune the flash interval down to the millisecond and adjust the contrast between the brightest and dimmest points of the output.

Cycling through these modes is straightforward: you can use the physical power button, the app, or a compatible head unit. It is also possible to run the L508 in radar-only mode with the LEDs deactivated; useful if you’re looking to squeeze every possible last drop of juice out of the battery on a long summer ride. Conversely, the app also allows you to run the light without the radar enabled, handy perhaps for cycle paths where you don’t need to be alerted to passing traffic.

Enough about the light, what about the radar? The L508 has a 40° radar field of view, which is pretty standard, with a claimed range of 140 metres. It supports both ANT+ and Bluetooth, ensuring it plays nicely with almost any modern head unit, from my Garmin Edge 1050 to Magene’s very own C606 Pro Smart.

The Ride

I had no trouble pairing the L508 with either my Garmin Edge 1050 head unit or the Magene Utility App. The included 94-page manual isn’t very comprehensive – only nine pages are in English – but it’s easier to flick through for first-time setup than an online manual.

It was quickly obvious that the Magene doesn’t have a dedicated pairing mode; you simply switch it on and add it via your head unit’s sensor menu. Pairing it over Bluetooth to Magene’s Utility App is just as simple. However, the app experience isn't without its quirks. Bizarrely, Magene tries to extort a $1.99 fee to unlock the radar display within the app. You can sidestep this by registering for an account and subscribing to its email newsletter – I did – but requesting extra money from new users feels misjudged.

Out on the road, the L508 is a mixed bag. Throughout January, February and March 2026, I put a selection of radar units through their paces using a consistent testing framework. My primary evaluation centred on a predefined 13km loop featuring a variety of traffic flows, together with the kind of structural reflections from buildings and parked vehicles that often trip bike radar up. Part of this loop included a narrow, winding road through a local industrial estate that’s chock-a-block with panel vans, large metal gates and loading bay shutters.

To supplement the road testing, I set up a static rig, on a long, straight stretch of road; a controlled environment essential for verifying maximum range and logging any false alerts or missed detections. To log range, I used the excellent Garmin ConnectIQ plugin from MyBikeTraffic.com. Finally, to build up a fuller picture, I used the radars on my daily commutes and weekend training rides.

During my static rig testing on a long, straight stretch of tarmac, the L508 matched Magene’s claims, reliably picking up smaller cars at 80 to 125 metres and larger vehicles – vans and trucks – at the full 140 metres and slightly beyond. However, in common with many radars, it lacked the ‘resolution’ of Garmin’s new Varia RearVue 820, which operates at almost triple the frequency (60 GHz) and twice the sample rate (20 Hz). When faced with a tight group of three or four cars, the L508 often represented them as a single threat, rather than individual vehicles. Nonetheless, we have to remember that the Magene costs almost a third of the price of the Garmin.

More concerning was an incident on my circuit ride where a car approaching from behind was momentarily "dropped" from my screen as it was passed by two cars travelling in the opposite direction. It reappeared, but that false negative, probably lasting a second or two, is exactly what you want to avoid when relying on tech for safety. That said, outside of that specific scenario, the unit was generally stable and free of false positives from ‘ghost’ cars.

All the lighting modes worked as expected, including the flashing warning light that’s triggered by approaching vehicles. The brake light functionality proved reliable too; the L508 consistently triggered a high-intensity flash whenever I braked abruptly. While I’m sceptical whether motorists interpret a flashing bike light as braking, it does add another layer of conspicuousness, which is never a bad thing.

Amusingly, Magene hedges its bets with the battery life figures for the L508. For example, on solid light mode, it claims 4 to 11 hours, which is poor at one extreme but excellent at the other. Of course, environmental conditions – especially temperature – greatly influence these figures, so kudos to the brand for not boasting unrealistic maximums and instead offering some practical, real-world estimates. Most of my riding was done in temperatures between 3° and 7°, and I achieved over seven hours in flash mode, which is good.

Value and conclusions

At £99/$119, the Magene is a fraction of the price of the Garmin Varia RearVue 820, which is currently the most accurate and also the most expensive bike radar unit on the market at £259.99/$299.99. The L508 is a blunt instrument in comparison; it lacks Garmin’s pinpoint accuracy and its sophisticated vehicle categorisation feature. It also cannot match the persistence level of the RearVue 820, which can reliably track same-speed vehicles, traffic that simply drops off the L508’s awareness.

However, on a more positive note, its performance is not that far behind premium radars such as the Wahoo Trackr Radar, Lezyne Radar Drive, and the outgoing Garmin RTL515, all of which retail for around the £170 / $180 mark. To clarify, in my experience, these radars are better at detecting individual vehicles, and I’ve never known them to report a false negative, which the L508 did briefly during testing. If Magene can resolve these issues with future firmware updates and keep the price low, the L508 has significant potential.

Specs

• Price: £99/$119
• Dimensions: 38 x 94 x 25 mm
• Weight: 65g (unit only)
• Max Detection Distance: 140 m
• Radar Angle: 40° (horizontal)
• Light Modes: 7 (Solid, Flash, Pulse, Peloton, Quick Flash, Rotation, Radar-only)
• Max Lumens: 40 lm
• Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth
• Water Rating: IPX7
• Battery Life: 4-11h (Solid), 10-16h (Peloton), 19h (Radar only)
• Charging: USB-C

If you’ve never heard of Magicshine, you’re missing out. If you have heard of them but ignored them, you’re also missing out on some of the best bike lights. They produce an impressive range of feature-rich lights, and this one, the catchy-titled ALLTY 1500s, is no different.

Design details & specifications

The ALLTY 1500s is fancy. It features an OLED screen, similar to those found in your best smartwatches. It also features a Garmin-style mount and a decent bar-mounted clip with ample adjustability. It displays the battery level in clear percentages, and while the Raveman, possibly its nearest competitor, felt a little ‘edgy’ in some areas, this one, with a similar design in many respects, simply feels of better quality.

Performance

This spec sheet on the Magicshine Alty stands out amongst other lights on the market because the modes are all customisable via a pretty decent app.

Although I initially thought this was entirely pointless—partly because of how easily I can cycle through the settings using the screen—I find it fun to play with. I still believe it’s a bit overkill, given that the integrated screen shows you exactly what power output you’re accessing, which is very straightforward and genuinely helpful. I found that you can switch to the setting that best suits you, reducing the power where you feel you have plenty of visibility, and it provides a much clearer sense of control than almost all the other lights I tested this year.

The fitting system is a little fiddly, but once it’s in place, it remains secure and functional. This light earns extra points for having a swappable battery. Given that the internals of an LED light are quite ‘solid state’—without free-moving parts that might wear out—it seems likely your main concern will be a battery malfunction. The fact you can swap in a new battery without having to discard the whole unit is a big win for common sense. And a huge advantage over other lights which aren't replaceable in that way.

Value

At £89.99 and weighing 143g, it’s light in both weight and price, but it cannot quite top the Raveman, which has a better beam and whilst it does have less features, is a tenner less expensive than this unit.

If that pricing difference isn't an issue for you, this unit does feel better quality and whilst there was no issues with either unit on test, add that slightly higher quality feel into the equation, and the replaceable battery feature, and this might be the best choice in the market at this price point, and beyond.

Verdict

If the Raveman equivalent wasn't so close to this one, and a tenner cheaper, this would be the stand-out unit and my absolute recommendation.

It's the best quality to look at and easiest to use, and if you're looking for a feature rich, tech-heavy, lightweight and serviceable light for commuting, this would be my choice, and despite it being slightly more expensive, it still represents cracking value compared to almost anything from more established brands like Cateye and Blackburn.

Specs

• Power: 1500 lumens
• Running time: 1.45 on full power
• Price: £89.99
• Weight: 143g

I’ve been riding with the best radar bike lights for about five years now. Initially, when both of my brothers recommended early Garmin Varia units to me, I thought their suggestions were a lame joke, but I’ve since become a keen advocate. Recently, I’ve been trying to pare down the sheer amount of gear I take on my everyday rides, but I’ve found radar so effective it’s the one piece of kit I now feel uneasy leaving home without. So enamoured am I with this tech, I’ve even bought Garmin Varia RTL 515 radar units for my wife and two grown-up children.

So, when Wahoo entered the radar market with its Trackr Radar in the spring, launched alongside the new Roam 3 and the Bolt 3, I simply had to take a look.

Essentially, all bike radar systems emit a millimetre-wave radar signal from a small device mounted at the rear of the bike, which bounces off approaching vehicles behind the cyclist. A receiver in the unit detects these reflected signals to identify vehicles and calculate their distance and speed. This information is then transmitted wirelessly to a compatible head unit, such as a Garmin Edge or Wahoo Elemnt, which provides visual and audible alerts to the cyclist. Most radar devices, including the Trackr Radar, also serve as lights,

Unfortunately, poorly executed bike radar devices can throw up false positives, warning of non-existent traffic, which is extremely irritating. Worse still, they can fail to report vehicles altogether, making them worse than useless. Dangerous even. Garmin’s Varia units have a fantastic track record in this regard, so I was excited to see whether the new Wahoo Trackr Radar could match, or even exceed, their performance.

The launch of the Trackr Radar coincided with an epic coast-to-coast ride across France I had planned with my brothers, giving all three of us ample opportunity to test sample units provided by Wahoo, alongside a trio of Roam 3 head units.

Construction

The Wahoo Trackr Radar is a sleek-looking device, that’s more organic in shape than the sharp-sided Varia units most of us are familiar with. In the hand, its smooth, rounded edges give it a pebble-like vibe.

It features dual LEDs, with a primary light at the top centre and a secondary light at the bottom centre, which also illuminates the sides of the device. The unit offers four distinct light modes, each with two brightness levels – high and low – for both steady (aka solid) and flashing outputs: high steady, low steady, high flash, and low flash. Regardless of the mode – steady or flashing – the lower light continually pulsates. Maximum output is 53 lumens in high flash mode, reducing to 10 lumens in low steady mode. Wahoo claims a battery life of 20 hours in low flash mode (18 lumens).

Like many radar units, the Trackr Radar can be configured to flash continuously when it detects a vehicle, a mode Wahoo calls Quick Alert. Similarly, when Battery Extender Mode is enabled, output is reduced by up to 50 percent when no vehicles are detected, helping to save battery life. Alternatively, in Auto Light mode, the light defaults to off and only turns on when a car approaches. Uniquely, the Trackr Radar’s built-in accelerometer will trigger a bright, solid ‘brake light’ if you decelerate quickly.

Radar pickup range is excellent, with a claimed 150m (164 yards), outperforming the Garmin Varia RTL 515’s 140 metres (153 yards). However, its detection angle, or field of view (FOV), is narrower at 35 degrees compared to the Varia’s 40 degrees, a 13 percent difference.

The Trackr Radar connects to compatible cycling computers and smart watches, including non-Wahoo models, via ANT+. It also communicates with the Wahoo smartphone app over Bluetooth for firmware updates and light mode selection, but that’s all. The Wahoo app cannot be used during riding to detect vehicles.

Charging is via USB-C, which is convenient; Garmin still uses the older Micro-USB standard. The claimed weight, including mount, is 99g (3.5oz), which matches the reading on my scales. The unit ships with an aero-inspired, faired seat post mount, along with long and short adjustment straps and three rubberised wedges to ensure a secure fit on round, aero, and D-shaped posts.

The mount is a quarter-turn twist-fit, which may look very similar to Garmin’s standard, but annoyingly it’s not; there’s about a mm difference between the two. However, if you have existing Garmin mounts, it’s possible to repurpose them using replacement pucks available from Wahoo, Framesandgear, and KOM.

The ride

I found the initial setup very straightforward. It’s best practice to pair the radar with the Wahoo smartphone app first, to check for firmware updates, but you can skip this step if you’re in a hurry to get started. Connecting the Trackr Radar to my Wahoo Roam 3 was similarly smooth – it just works.

You can cycle through the four light modes by briefly pressing the single power on/off button at the top of the unit, but configuring the Trackr Radar via your head unit offers additional options, such as the Auto Light feature. For some unexplained reason, the brake light, quick alert mode and battery saver mode must be enabled through the Wahoo app, rather than via your head unit.

I also successfully connected my Wahoo Trackr Radar to various Garmin bike computers, including the Edge 1040 and 1050. The radar functionality worked as expected, but I had to control the lighting modes manually via the button on the radar unit. This meant I lost some additional light features, such as the brake light, Battery Extender mode, and others.

If you’ve used a radar system before, the way the Trackr Radar displays the presence of vehicles will be very familiar. Vehicles detected up to 150m away are represented by small, movable icons that advance up a strip that appears on the right or left-hand side of your head unit (the position is configurable in Wahoo and Garmin computers). As they get closer, they appear further up the strip until they eventually pass you. If you or they turn off onto another road, they’ll disappear from the strip.

The Wahoo system uses colour-coding to signal the threat level: the strip is typically green when the road is clear, changes to amber when a vehicle is approaching, and flashes red alongside an audible alert if a vehicle is closing at a high rate of speed.

Frankly, radar doesn’t eliminate the need to look over your shoulder when making critical manoeuvres, such as changing lanes in traffic, but it does allow you to continually assess traffic conditions. After initially dismissing this tech as a gimmick, I now believe it greatly improves my situational awareness, which, in turn, boosts my confidence and safety while riding. This is particularly true on fast, relatively empty country roads where potholes and debris must be constantly negotiated, and cars can appear unexpectedly from nowhere. It’s empowering to be able to ‘see’ them and plan evasive action if necessary before I even hear them.

Counter-intuitively, I find radar less useful in busy, heavily built-up areas, where my screen is always filled with slow-moving cars. Unfortunately, bike radar won’t detect vehicles travelling at the same speed as you and your bike because it operates using the Doppler effect, which won’t register anything that isn't actively approaching or moving away from your rear wheel.

The Wahoo Trackr Radar works remarkably well, with a few caveats. Firstly, during our ride through France, none of us experienced any false positives. None at all, which is impressive. Secondly, detection on long straight roads is excellent, comparable to, or even better than, Garmin’s Varia units. However, detection on very twisty roads or when riding in a group sometimes lags – occasionally, vehicles triggered our head units slightly later than expected.

The straight-line performance can be explained by Wahoo’s superior range, while our experience on the twisties, or when the Trackr Radar is temporarily blocked by a following rider, can be attributed to its slightly inferior field of view.

We used a variety of lighting modes during our ride, completely forgetting that flashing rear lights are now illegal in France. As the rider dropped most frequently by the group, I can confirm that visibility presented by the Wahoo Trackr Radar is superb. Even in bright daylight, I could see my ride buddies way off in the distance, at least 800 to 1,200 meters away.

The brake light is a nice touch, although we found it only triggered during sharp deceleration. Since the Trackr Radar’s accelerometer relies on detecting a significant change in speed, it won't illuminate the brake light when a rider coasts gently to a stop. However, its primary value is for sudden, hard braking, which is precisely when you need any following traffic to be alerted.

Battery life appears to be very good; we were putting in some long days in France, and I didn’t ever come close to exhausting the device. I tended to charge it every night, but my rough calculations suggest I could have got around 15 hours from it.

Value and Conclusions

There are quite a number of inexpensive bike radar units on the market, but none offer the feature set of the Wahoo Trackr Radar. Its closest competitor is the Garmin Varia RTL 515, which, at £169.99/$199.99, is slightly cheaper than the £179/$249 Wahoo. However, the Wahoo has a more impressive radar range, features dual lights and has some unique features, such as the brake light. It also charges over USB-C, an upgrade we’re still waiting for from Garmin.

Its Achilles heel is its narrow field of view. My brothers and I all agree that, while the evidence is only anecdotal, it warns slightly later under some conditions than the Garmin Varia units we are used to. In every other area, its performance is exemplary, so I highly recommend it.

Specs

• Weight: 99g (3.5oz)
• Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion
• Battery Life: Over 10 hours
• Water Rating: IPX7
• Connectivity: ANT+ and up to three simultaneous Bluetooth connections. Third party ANT+ bike computers are supported but may not be compatible with all features.
• Radar sensitivity range: 150m (492 ft)
• Radar beam width: 35 degrees

This spring, KOM Cycling announced the launch of a set of front lights and a mount that simplifies cockpit accessories all in one place.

While the mount is similar to others on the market, with a computer quick release stacked on top and a bolt-on mount for a light or a camera, the KOM Cycling mount does it differently. Not only is there a quick release on top for the computer, but there is also the same type of twist-on, twist-off clamp on the bottom to hold one of two lights.

Beyond the simple dual mounting structure, the light also mounts on other standard GPS mounts and is broadly compatible with both Wahoo and Garmin mounting standards. It has an interchangeable elevated mount on the top. This means the light can be attached to the bottom of the KOM Cycling mount or on the top of a different company's mount if you are a rider with a one-piece handlebar.

Specs

• Light tested: 1,000 lumens
• Compatible computers: Wahoo, Garmin, and Hammerhead (with an adapter)
• Battery life:
  • seven hours at low light setting (300 lumens),
  • two hours at high light setting (1,000 lumens)
• MSRP: $119.99 for the 1,000 lumen light, $29.99 for the mount

Versatility over everything

Everything with the KOM Cycling mount and quick-release lights is built around versatility. That versatility is found in both the mounts and the lights themselves, but generally, the functionality of the system is built around stacking cockpit components.

The most elegant way to “stack” is with the KOM Cycling mount in the middle of the equation, with the light on the bottom and a GPS head unit on top. With interchangeable parts, the mount uses the same plastic body to support both Garmin and Wahoo quick-release systems, depending on the insert that gets bolted into the plastic body. The bottom quick-release mount is also able to take a camera mount to attach a GoPro or Insta360 action camera.

With interchangeable parts across the board, the light itself can go both below the mount or be stacked on the upper side of the KOM Cycling mount. In addition to the light fitting on other computer mounts, oriented to both a Wahoo or Garmin configuration, it can also act as a computer mount itself, with both computers neatly fitting on the quick-release indent on the top of the light's body.

All the interchangeability makes things a bit confusing, and when the mount arrived, there was no shortage of small parts that made getting the mount and lights set up a bit of a chore. When the mount and light are set to the right settings, however, it becomes a great addition for the everyday rider who needs a reliable light without the fuss and aesthetic clutter of multiple mounts along the bar. The light itself is also aesthetically pleasing with a clean angular design and a neat pivoting head, which allows for an adjustable beam without changing the angle of the mount.

Conclusion

While the mount is bulky and its looks are a far cry from the slick integrated mounts that are almost standard these days, it transforms when the accessories are added. When the system is being used at its capacity, it looks its best and is extremely functional.

Throughout my testing, what became clear was that easy-to-use lights make night riding far less daunting. As a rider from the deserts of Arizona, lights are truly a year-round need. In the winter, lights are for squeezing in rides before or after the workday, as the temperature is more forgiving than the daylight. In the summer, lights are for the early morning rides to beat the heat.

Across the calendar, having an integrated system that makes it easy to grab a light at any moment or even throw the slim light in a pocket or a bag for later and have plenty of lumens to get home safely. While it may not be the best-looking mount, it certainly will stay on my bikes going forward, just maybe not for racing.

When it comes to visibility on a bike, the obvious consideration is how well we are illuminated at night. However, the best bike lights now offer a focus on the importance of using daylight bike lights—something we discovered when we inquired whether cyclists should use daylight running lights (DRL), with evidence indicating that the incidence rate was 19% lower for DRL-equipped cyclists.

With rear LED lights being lightweight and having little to no performance impact, the only barrier is the cost of yet another set of bike lights.

So could the Zefal Supervision R150 rear daytime and nighttime running lights be the answer?

Construction and features

When it comes to bike lights, the two most important elements to discuss are brightness and battery life between charges.

The Zefal Supervision R150, rear light boasts 150 lumens as the naming convention suggests. In context, the most potent front lights, such as the Exposure Strada MK12 RS AKTiv front light, state a 1450 lumen output, while the brightest rear lights often quote 300 or even 500 lumens. Although a deeper look at the numbers can reveal that the brightest function is reserved for integrated accelerometer-powered brake lights, so check that when you're comparing specifications back-to-back.

If you ignore that feature, a decent bright rear light's lumen range will be between 90 and 170 lumens on a high setting.

Lumens (lm) refer to something called, luminous flux, which is the total amount of visible light emitted by a light source. We don't use watts like we might with an old domestic lightbulb because as LED lights –like those found in all our bike lights these days, and most domestic settings – have got more efficient, they emit more light, for less power.

It's also important to remember that whilst it should be a simple case that the higher the number, the brighter the light, there is no standardisation for testing lumen output. For example, was the lumens test undertaken before or after the lens was added to the light? Manufacturers aren't obliged to tell you. So this means it's crucial not to make a decision based on the lumens claim alone.

Another important factor to consider regarding a light's lumen output is how long it maintains that brightness. The Supervision R150 rear light offers five operating modes: three constant (low, medium, and high), two flashing, and one automatic backup flash mode.

The product information claims that to gain the full 150 lumens, you need to select 'Flash 2 ' mode. According to Zefal, this should give you up to eight hours of run time. The brightest light available from this light, on a constant setting is 80 lumens. It will run at 80 lumens for three hours on a fully charged battery. The light will run for longer, at less lumens, with 'Low' mode delivering 15 lumens, or Flash 1 mode which delivers a very reasonable 50 lumens of light, for up to 16 hours!

However, when the battery capacity falls below 20%, the light automatically switches to 50-lumen flash mode.

I clarified this with the brand, and Zefal confirmed that it means, that after six and a half hours of running the Flash 2 mode, it will automatically switch to the 50-Lumen Flash mode.

The same goes for any of the light settings once the light hits the 20 percent battery life zone, unless you recharge.

When discussing light charging, it's important to note that Zefal has a quirk: none of the Supervision range of lights comes with a charging cable. Instead, they require you to already own a USB-C cable to charge the 1200mAh 3.7V Polymer battery.

We're going to be needing more of these cables at home, thanks to an EU standard, which came in December 2024, which dictates that all electronic devices of this type, including phones, laptops, speakers, must have a USB-C charge port. From Spring 2026 all laptops will need to be USB-C too.

That's welcome, sensible – possibly overdue – standardisation that should mean we have far fewer redundant cables laying around at home, but for now, do check you have a cable to charge this range of lights, and if you don't have one yet, you'll need to budget for buying one.

I'm conflicted about this policy, as in this case Zefal seems to have used the assumption that you have one at home, to get out of including one. Longer term I guess this means brands will be shipping less cables around the world to people that already have them, and that's a good thing, but not everyone is lucky enough to have one laying around like I was.

Providing 270° visibility, the LED light measures 78x47x28 millimeters and weighs 65 grams. When theoretically positioned next to the rear Raveman TR500, it is smaller by a few millimeters in every direction and weighs about 10 grams less.

My uncertainty about the exact dimensions stems from Zefal's ability to adjust its mounting positions. The Supervision R150 rear light features a no-tool silicone strap that fits any tube with a diameter between 15 and 36mm, or a clip that can be positioned almost anywhere and in any orientation, making it highly versatile.

Considering this, it’s important to remember that the light is waterproofed up to an IPX6 rating, which means it is protected against high-pressure water streams from any angle. This rating ensures that the light is safe from water ingress as long as the USB-C port is securely covered.

The ride

Fitting the Zefal Supervision R150 is a doddle. It was perfect for the Fara F/Gravel bike I'm riding at the moment, with its 27.5 mm seatpost. I grimaced at the idea of strapping the silicone straps around a dropper post, worrying that abrasive material would be trapped and score the piston. So, I opted instead to use the clip adaptor and try the light worn about my person.

However, it was so lightweight, I couldn't feel it sufficiently to feel content about it hanging off the rear pocket of the loose-fitting Santini Alpha Pack Vest, and I found myself constantly checking it was still there. That reads like a backhanded compliment for the Supervision's barely-there weight penalty, but, it is something to consider if you are selecting based on the clip mount, eg, if you have an aero seatpost.

When it comes to light output, I found the constant light on high to be the best option. I would have liked to use the flash setting, but I felt that the 'off' element was just too long. I personally believe that any flash setting on a bike should be a brighter flash or strobe so that you are never plunged into total blackout.

Even a single second 'off' is enough to make you invisible to a car. If it is driving at thirty miles per hour (48 kph), the national speed limit for most built-up areas in England, a car will travel 44 feet (13 meters) in one second, and, according to the Automobile Association, take 75 feet (23 meters) to come to a stop.

France has banned rear flashing lights altogether. Although the reasoning is more car-centric (flashing lights could dazzle and distract drivers), I’m curious to see the next iteration of lights from the brand now that this law is in place in its home country.

Value and conclusion

With much of my thoughts focused on the perils of the Zefal Supervision R150 flash setting, you would be forgiven for thinking I didn't like the light.

On the contrary, I think it's a great option for anyone wanting a robust rear light. Its design allows for excellent side visibility for the rider and a clear view from behind.

It's a breeze to fit and charge, assuming you have a charger, and the simple mode cycle button is easy to operate even when wearing thick gloves.

Focusing on all these positive aspects, and then factoring in the price of £35.99/ $48 and, it's bang in the middle of other similar functioning lights such as the Knog Mid Cobber a great option for many cyclists.

I believe it offers sufficient illumination to function as both a daytime and nighttime rear light, but the one issue I have is that the flash setting is just too slow.

Radar? Seriously? What kind of cyclist needs that? This was my reaction when, just a few years back, my older brother, an Englishman who has made Connecticut his home, told me he and his US riding buddies were all riding with Garmin radar-equipped rear lights. “Try it,” he urged me, “I now hate riding without it.”

His was an earlier unit than the Garmin Varia RTL515 I’ve found heavily discounted for Black Friday, but it worked in exactly the same way. Essentially, the Varia RTL515 is no bulkier than a typical super-powerful rear light – it’s visible from up to a mile away, and in bright sunshine – but the housing contains a radar sensor. This can detect cars, motorcycles, vans and other vehicles from 140 metres away.

Being stubborn, stupid and wanting to appear superior I remember declining his offer to try what I mistook for a lame joke. Fortunately, my younger brother, who lives and rides in the English Lake District didn’t. So, when I caught up with him a few weeks later he told me: “Try it, I now hate riding without it.” So, I tried it, and you know what? I now hate riding without it.

Here's why. Every time a car approaches from behind, its position and speed are picked up by the Varia unit, which relays that information to your head unit or phone via Bluetooth. No, it doesn’t have to be a Garmin head unit and the phone app is free - all you need is a suitable handlebar mount.

The location of the vehicle is indicated by a dot on a slender line running up the side of your screen and, of course, it changes position as the car gets closer or hangs back. If the vehicle turns off at a junction then the dot simply disappears. If a car is approaching particularly quickly then the line turns red to alert you. Audible warnings, which can be muted, are also sounded.

It goes without saying that the Varia RTL515 can locate multiple vehicles, not just one, so it works brilliantly on roads with quiet to moderately busy traffic conditions. Being able to tell exactly what’s behind you on a fast, busy A-road or highway is a godsend. Similarly, being warned of occasional fast-moving traffic on otherwise quiet country roads is so reassuring when dodging potholes, especially if wind or rain noise makes it difficult to hear the sound of an approaching engine or electric vehicle.

Quite honestly, in heavy traffic, it’s not really a viable solution because your screen will always be filled with moving dots, so bear this in mind if you’re an inner-city commuter.

How much of a convert am I? Well, not only do I never ride without it, but I’ve since bought Garmin Varia RTL515 units for my wife, my son and my daughter. I have no solid evidence that we’re any safer, but I do believe in the idiom ‘forewarned is forearmed’. If you know in advance that something is about to happen, at least you can take action. Better that than riding blind.

Other brands that offer bike radar, discounted this Cyber Monday

Of course, Garmin doesn't have the market solely to itself. Bryton also makes bike radar products, which are currently discounted this Cyber Monday. Its Gardia R300L is great value.

The Knog Blinder 1300 is a front bike light that goes toe to toe with some of the best bike lights on the market, blending solid performance with a sleek, compact design.

While its 1,300-lumen output could be considered slightly modest compared to higher-powered rivals we have had on test recently, it excels with a focused beam, wide viewing angles, and impressive build quality. If you're after dependable performance without breaking the bank, the Blinder 1300 is worth considering.

Knog Blinder 1300: Construction

The Knog Blinder 1300 is a compact, stylishly designed front bike light with a CNC-machined 6061 aluminum body that feels both premium and durable. Its slim, rectangular shape is great for conserving handlebar real estate, and looks a little bit sleeker than rivals such as Lezyne's Drive range.

With six LEDs delivering a peak output of 1,300 lumens, the Blinder is equipped to handle a variety of riding scenarios. While it doesn’t boast the sheer lumen power of competitors like the Cateye Amp 2200 (2,200 lumens) or Exposure Strada MK14 lights (1,700 lumens), it compensates with a wide, even beam and excellent peripheral illumination.

The Blinder offers six light modes: three constant beams and three flashing settings, including a rapid strobe for daytime use. Switching between modes is intuitive, with a single button controlling all functions. A long press turns the light on, short presses toggle between modes, and a double press switches between constant and flashing beams. The button is backlit, providing a handy battery level indicator.

Knog includes a rubber strap for bar-top mounting and a GoPro-style mount that allows for under-bar positioning, keeping your handlebars clean and organized. I found the GoPro mount to be fantastic for when you want something a little more secure. Rougher bike paths can shake rubber straps and cause the light to dance around a little bit on the floor, and the addition of a more permenant fixing option does help to reduce theses vibrations.

The compact design was particularly useful during testing, where the Blinder’s narrow profile fit alongside a bike computer without crowding the cockpit.

Charging is handled via USB-C, although Knog doesn’t include a cable, which feels like an oversight for a product at this price point. Run times range from 90 minutes on the highest constant mode to 120 hours on the most economical flash setting, offering flexibility but leaving some room for improvement for extended unlit road rides.

Knog Blinder 1300: The ride

Out on the road, the Knog Blinder 1300 impressed me with its balance of practicality and performance. During testing, the broad beam pattern proved ideal for unlit bike paths around Oxford, where ambient lighting is sparse. The focused central beam provided excellent forward visibility without overpowering or blinding oncoming road users, while the peripheral illumination made it easy to identify hazards lurking on the edges of the path. This level of control offers a welcome sense of confidence, especially on winding routes or decrepid bike paths.

The slightly yellow tint of the light is less harsh than the stark white beams of some competitors too, making it more comfortable for prolonged use. Depending on the application, 1300 lumens can sound like a huge number, or a little bit on the weak side, but generally speaking for varied use I didn't find the Blinder 1300 was underpowered. It excelled in scenarios where even, consistent lighting was more important than sheer brightness.

Mounting the light was equally seamless. The slim design and versatile mounting options allowed for easy integration alongside a bike computer without compromising handlebar real estate. The GoPro-style mount stood out as a convenient feature, keeping the light centrally positioned and secure when required.

For daytime use, the flashing modes are more than adequate. The rapid strobe performed well under bright sunlight, ensuring visibility to other road users. However, the runtime on high-power constant mode (1hr 30mins, stretchable to two hours in my testing) might not suffice for riders tackling extended unlit commutes, where a recharge during the working day could become necessary.

Overall, the Knog Blinder 1300 is a thoughtfully designed, reliable companion for both urban and off-road riders. While it might not rival the outright brightness or runtime of higher-powered options, its compact design, broad beam, and versatile mounting make it a strong contender for anyone looking for a high-quality, mid-tier light.

Knog Blinder 1300: Specification

Bryton have been making some of the best cycling computers for a number of years and have decided that now is the right time to release their first rear light and radar unit. 

The R300L features compatibility with ANT+ bike computers as well as Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone, along with innovative alert functions. When using a compatible front light (and computer), ANT+ will allow a network to be formed whereby all the lighting functions can be controlled from the head unit. A built-in G-sensor can detect braking and change the light mode to show this too. 

However it is the addition of a radar unit that is really interesting with its ability to alert a rider to approaching traffic (from behind), how fast it is approaching, how many vehicles there are, as well as their relative closing speed. Alerts are visual on the head unit accompanied with bleeps so that you can keep your eyes on the road.

Bryton Gardia R300L: construction

The R300L is a compact unit measuring 97mm high, 40mm wide and 20.9mm deep. On my scales it weighs 69g, some three grams heavier than Bryton's claimed number, and its bracket came in at 26g using the 27.2 round seat post option. 

It is nicely made from a matt finish black plastic, which feels grippy enough in gloves when fitting to the mount. It attaches with a quarter turn and feels securely locked in place on the bracket. The unit is IXP7 water proofed with a well fitting rubber flap over the USB-C charging port. There is a single button on the top of the unit to power it up, as well as to change the light modes. The light mode may also be changed on the head unit too.

It's worth noting that I found that while the Bryton interacted excellently with its own brackets, it didn't always play nicely with Garmin/aftermarket ones. The two indents on the rear of the unit appear to be a fraction shorter, and so don't lock on to the tangs of the other brackets. I had assumed that there was a standard for these fixings, but I must've been mistaken. 

Bryton Gardia R300L: the ride

The R300L comes boxed with everything that you need to get riding straightaway. Included were the light/radar unit, the bracket (with additional inserts for aero and D-section seat posts) and a USB-C cable. 

I downloaded the 'Bryton Gardia' app to my iPhone and also powered up a Bryton Rider S500 head unit. Both devices found and paired to each other very easily, and have been completely robust in terms of speed and linking together each time that they are powered up and in use. 

As a general comment on radar, I have been very impressed, and continue to be so, with radar functionality. I have been using it for over 6 months and it has become essential kit for me, to the point where it feels a bit strange when I ride a bike and don't have it fitted.

The Gardia R300L has also been paired with the Garmin Epix 2, where it worked well, and the Wahoo Elemnt Roam. All paired easily and reliably. However I have ridden primarily with the Bryton S500 head unit linked via ANT+ to the R300L light. They have been super reliable in terms of wireless connection but also software. 

Both units are water resistant with the R300L being IXP7 rated, which implies that it is waterproof and that it can be fully submerged into 1-meter deep water for up to 30 minutes and still be able to work properly after that. There has been a lot of rain recently, and having to also test a new bike that comes without mudguards means a lot of spray from the back wheel. The Gardia has been able to cope with this without problem. If you look at the photo below you can see that the port has been well protected from the road spray. A residue of grime is sat outside of that area as you'd expect. 

The displaying of a car approaching is pretty similar to the Garmin. On the head unit you get a green bar on the righthand side of the display along with a double beep, then the bar turns yellow (or red if the car is particularly fast) and a car icon moves up the screen from bottom to top. When the icon is near the top it means that the car is a short distance behind and possibly about to overtake. Once it has passed you the display bar turns green and single beep is emitted to show that the 'threat' has cleared. You can have several car icons moving up the bar as the unit is able to detect several vehicles at a time. On a busy main road I noticed that a single car icon was actually three cars bunched together closely. So you still need to keep your ears and eyes open to the reality of the situation.

I believe that I initially had an early firmware version. This gave quite a lot of false positive signals. That is to say that it would bleep to say that it had sensed a car and then very quickly say that the threat had cleared. It never didn't sense an actual car, but it did sense a lot of things that weren't cars... This was in contrast to the Garmin unit, which over six months of use, has been very accurate with its detection and alerting. It was a little frustrating and meant that I couldn't trust the Gardia quite as much. A firmware upgrade to R0.2.8 has helped, and now the unit performs very similarly to the Garmin Varia unit. It's not quite as accurate but we're talking about 5% of difference.  

The Bryton light emits with a viewing angle of 220 degrees and it is nicely visible from a distance. There are 6 modes available:

High - 20 Lumens and 8 hour battery life

Low - 5 Lm / 12 hours

Day Flash - 73 Lm / 17 hours

Night Flash - 12 LM / 17 hours

Group/Peleton - 12 LM / 11 hours

Off & Radar only - 24 hour battery life

Compare the Bryton's lighting functionality to the Garmin RCT715 & RTL515 and you find many similarities and a few differences. Broadly speaking the lights are really similar in visual output. This is to say that they are all good lights and that they can be seen from a distance. In absolute terms they aren't quite as good as my benchmark lights; the Exposure TraceR ReaKT and Knog Cobber Mid. However where the Gardia wins out is in terms of battery life.

Bryton Gardia R300L: value and conclusion

The Bryton Gardia R300L and S500 pairing has worked well with good information being displayed on the screen. The ANT+ link has been rock solid and pairs up reliably every time. The firmware upgrade has improved the experience massively too, to the point that it is very, very close in terms of performance to the Garmin Varia offering. 

The Garmin just nudges it in terms of its rear light performance as well as radar alerts, but by a minimal amount. However the Bryton has better battery life. At $129.99 / £119.99 is priced very keenly compared to the Garmin RTL515 ($199.99 / £169.99), which means that it undercuts it by an impressive $70 / £50. Quite a saving. It even manages to undercut the Garmin RVR315 radar only unit by $20 / £10!

I have switched between the Bryton and Garmin radar units many times now trying to compare and contrast, and found very subtle differences between them. 

In general I've become a big fan of the extra information that a radar gives you, and I like the safety of a rear light flashing, even on sunny days. To combine the two functions into one unit, with a good battery life as well as a keen price point makes this little unit well worth consideration.

The Knog Blinder rear lights have a sense that someone has thought about both the form and function. Just like some of the other newer rear lights, these use Chip On Board (COB) LEDs to keep the weight low and brightness high.  

We tested the standard Blinder Square rear light alongside the longer V Bolt version. They’re neat, compact and have a sense of quality as well as hosting a myriad of different flash patterns in funky shapes. Is this enough for the Blinders to stand up to the rest of the best bike lights competition?

Knog Blinder rear light: design and mounting

Both the Blinder Square and Blinder V Bolt feel really neat and compact lights. The standard, square-shaped model measures 40mm square and the longer V model 75x25mm. Including fittings, they weighed in a 34g and 42g respectively.

The Blinders mount directly to your bike with the grippy rubberised underside of the light holding firmly to a range of seat post diameters and aero shaped posts too. There’s a really simple and effective little clasp that clips the band onto the light - it’s by far the easiest and most secure light fitting I’ve ever used. 

On the downside, you need to swap over the bands for different sized seat posts which can be a bit of a pain if you have a wide range of post diameters like I do.

One of the more unusual features of the Knog Blinder is the integrated USB-A connector which forms part of the fitting. This connector allows you to plug your light straight into a USB port without a wire and there are no port covers to lose or connections to get water into. 

It does feel like the contacts are a bit too exposed to the elements and there’s a little wear on one of the lights already but it’s performed without any issues so far so perhaps it’s more robust than it looks (and Knog has a two-year warranty if not).

One drawback of this design is that it can make it difficult to see the indicator lights when the Blinder is on charge; most of my USB sockets seemed to hold the light the wrong way round to see it especially the Square version where the indicator light was on the side.

Knog Blinder rear light: lights and action

Each of the Blinders has eight different light modes, some flashing and some steady. As to why you need six flashing (of various combinations of pattern speeds and shapes) and two different steady options I’m not entirely sure. Given the standard Blinder comes in square, alien or grid patterns and the V in ‘traffic’ or ‘electric flash’ there’s even more light patterns to think about.

The dizzy array of light programmes feel more like something that you’d be proud of wiring together during a school electronics project than a useful feature on a bike light. If you needed, you could use the different programmes to extend the run time of your light (4.5hrs or 8hrs steady; 5-50hrs flashing) but I wouldn’t be confident I was selecting the right one without going back and checking the online chart each time. 

It also means you need to scroll through a few different patterns to switch from flashing to solid – although it does turn back on to the last pattern you used, so you don’t need to scroll through them all every time. But, despite my cynicism, riding with a flashing ‘electricity’ light has obviously made me a much more awesome rider (as yet an unverified claim).

The Blinder has 100 lumens of output which is a good amount for a rear light although there are many others that now boast more. Of course, the output is also dependent on which mode you’re using. On full, the standard Blinder Square is visible at a claimed 450m and the larger V model at 900m.   

There’s some lateral light emission but this isn’t huge and certainly nothing in comparison to lights such as the Moon Cerebus or CatEye Viz300.

The on-off switch is a little hidden, but very easy to operate with a long press to switch on/off and a short press to scroll through the different modes. On the standard model it’s on the side which makes it easy to get to. However, on the longer V model it’s at the top which means it can be a bit hidden under your saddle and so you need to jiggle the light to get your fingers to it.

There are two small indicator lights next to the on/off button which indicate when the battery is low, charging or fully charged. These are quite discrete and I’m not convinced I’d notice them if I wasn’t going looking for them. Certainly either the low battery indicator never came on or I never noticed when it did. On the subject of battery, we found that the run time of the standard Knog on full brightness was in line with Knog’s claimed 4.5hrs.

Knog Blinder rear light: value and conclusion

The Knog Blinder lights are bright and well-designed lights with some nice stand-out features such as an integrated USB-A connector, easy to operate and effective mounting and quirky light patterns. The neatness of the design makes the on/off switch and the battery indicator lights a bit more difficult to use than they should be.

The on/off switch was more accessible on the side of the standard Blinder Square than on the top of the V Bolt Blinder which makes it our preferred version. 

At $45.00 / £40.00 (Square) and $50.00 / £45.00 (V Bolt) the Blinders a little more than other high output rear lights such as the Moon's Cerberus rear light ($46.99 / £35.99) and the competitive CatEye ViZ300 ($39.95 / £39.99). But then no other light will give you extra awesomeness from flashing electricity or squares like the Blinder will.

Knog Blinder rear light: specs

• Max lumens: 100 
• Visibility at (claimed): 900m (V model), 450m (standard model)
• Max run time: 50hrs (V model), 60hrs (standard)
• Size: 70mm x 25mm (V model), 40mm x 40mm (standard)
• Weight: 42g (V model), 34g (standard model)
• Waterproof: IP67 rating
• Integrated USB A connector (cable-free)

The Ravemen TR30M is a good option for those looking for a lightweight, versatile rear light. 

Boasting a 360 degree viewing angle - and different mounting options - it is certainly worth a look. But in such a competitive spot in the market, it's hard to recommend it as one of the best bike lights we have had on test.  

Ravemen TR30M rear light: lighting spec and brightness

The TR30M has a predictable 30 lumen output, which is more than enough for commuters on street lit roads or some extra visibility on country lanes. But crucially for some riders, it's not really enough to be considered a 'full' daytime running light.

But when it comes to the visibility in the pitch black of night, I found that the Ravemen TR30M did stay noticeable at distances of over 150 meters - which is truly a testament to the lensing of the light, really getting the most from each and every one of those 30 lumens.

Perhaps the best feature of this light, though, is the 360 degree viewing angle which is particularly good for riding in traffic. Having such great peripheral visibility really helps around junctions where cars won’t always be directly behind you. Coupled with a good range of flashing options, I did feel safe riding around town. I found angling the light slightly out towards the rear allowed for maximum visibility from all angles.

When it comes to battery life, the Ravemen did respectably, but not the best in class. That being said, the 200mAh battery reaches after 1.5 hours charging off the included micro USB cable - which is quite quick. 

During testing, I found 2-3hr rides to be no problem with the lower flashing modes, and the 15 hour quoted runtime proved no exaggeration either. But a sub two hour run time on the high powered mode reinforces this light's position, in my view, to the commuter or time-trialist market.

Ravemen TR30M rear light: mounting and build quality

The versatility of mounting options is a strong point for the TR30M. Ravemen supplies a silicone band style mount for the TR30M - an ever more common method for manufacturers in recent times but, unlike many other brands, you also have the option to disregard the mount and clip the light straight onto a jersey pocket. For this purpose, the clip was effective. 

On thicker winter jerseys, I never found myself having to do the awkward 180 degree turn in the middle of the road to collect the light. All my testing was on Oxford roads, of which many are in a pretty poor state. So, whilst I didn't test the light's staying power on any full-fledged gravel tracks, it wasn't too far off.

The mount itself, however, does not get top marks. After some extended use, the hinge started to come loose, and although this was easily tightened with half a turn of the Phillips screwdriver, the light moving around mid-ride certainly isn't ideal.

On top of this, the materials used in both the light and mount just don’t have the same quality feel as some of the competitors like Cateye's Viz 300. Whilst assessing their true longevity will require further further testing, button tactility and plastic choices aren’t as premium as the competition.

During my test period, I was pretty lucky with the weather, with the UK treating me to some mild autumnal rides without too much rain. That said, the light did see some poor weather and stood up no problem, but this is to be expected with an industry standard IPX4 rating.

Ravemen TR30M rear light: value and conclusion

The light market is a tough place to get noticed with so many strong options from the likes of Cateye, Lezyne and many other brands too. Unfortunately, I think for a lot of users there is better value for money to be found with some alternative options. 

For example, for $39.95 / £39.99 you can pick up Cateyes' Viz 300, which offers a considerable 150 lumen brightness, along with a maximum 70 hour battery life. That said, for commuters who would value the unrivalled viewing angles, the Ravemen TR30M is still a competitive option. 

The best application I can think of for this light however, lies in time trialling. I found mounting the light high up on the seatpost and angling it up allowed for a very neat solution for keeping the light out of the wind, but still being visible. And for all of the hill climbers out there, it only weighs 22g - marginally less than some of the competition.

Cateye’s ViZ300 rear light is seriously bright for the money, boasts good run times and the viewing angles are up to the mark. It’s one of the best bike lights we have tested and a great option for those looking to tackle some long winter miles. 

CatEye ViZ300 rear light: brightness and spec

CatEye treats us to four different modes with the ViZ300, each mode offering an increasing level of chaos! At a constant 30 lumen beam, you’ll get five hours of runtime which isn’t a great deal for daytime running. But the moment you swap out to the 30 lumen flash you’re looking at an impressive 45hrs of claimed battery life. 

For commuters going into winter, this makes life super easy, almost fit and forget for a while – at least until the battery indicator in the on button reminds you to recharge. It’s a good job though, because that mount can be a bit finicky to use. More on that later.

The group ride setting is what I found myself using more often than not when riding. It provided me with a good combination of a distinctive flash – going up to 100 lumens – all with a slightly easier on the eye pattern than the quite frankly chaotic ‘Daytime Hyperflash’. 

Personally I didn’t find myself using this mode all too often. It’s definitely great to see 10 hrs of battery life even with the 'Hyperflash' peaking up to the full 300 lumens, but I fear that whilst drivers will see you more readily, they may also loathe the strobe-like attack on the retina! Maybe save this for brightest days and when you're riding into the sun.

On all modes, the ViZ300 passed with flying colours on my 'dark test' on a local road. I remained visible with ease up to a distance of 150m+. 

It’s also worth noting that especially on the 50 and 150 lumen settings, the difference to another light I have on test that only puts out 30 lumens was really quite significant. Perhaps not surprising, but worth mentioning considering the difference in price.

The 800mAh lithium ion battery also held up well. I flew through two longer 3+hr rides before seeing the low battery indicator and accompanying low power flash mode kick in, signalling one hour left until the battery dies.

CatEye ViZ300 rear light: mountiing and build quality

Now then. That mount. 

I can't argue with its security or versatility. It fits aero seatposts and round posts alike, has a long enough silicone band for most circumstances which feels sturdy, and it angles the light up enough for really good viewing angles. 

But it sure is a pain to fit. Plus, given the length of the charging cable included, there isn't much scope for just leaving it attached to your bike when topping it up.

The mount itself is made of three components, the plastic click mechanism, the strong silicone strap and the rubber block which angles the light up. My issue is that they are not fixed together - meaning I found myself dropping bits when first putting the light on. 

Okay, everything is fine once the mount is on – and with a bit of practise it came with ease – but lose any one piece of the puzzle and that's a new light bracket you're going to have to source. 

All that said, CatEye does offer a whole load of different and more permanent brackets – if you have different bikes it might be worth looking into an extra mount or two to save the hassle.

The overall build quality is up there though, and I like the angular style CatEye has gone for on their higher models. It looks at home on a modern aero frame, so won’t be cramping your style for the pursuit of safety (nor performance at only 47 grams)!

One thing I did notice though is still the use of micro USB. With the move of many electronics now to USB C, it would be nice to see companies making this change on bike lights as well. Plus with the higher potential power draw for faster charging, there is an additional upside beyond just being able to plug the cable in either way up.

Still, the three hour charge time of the CatEye ViZ300 isn't too long in any case.

CatEye ViZ300 rear light: value and conclusion

At $39.95 / £39.99, the CatEye’s pricing is really competitive. 

Moon's Cerberus rear light costs $46.99 / £35.99, which is probably not worth the extra spend in the USA but in the UK is a viable alternative – it has its own issues with mounting, but not to the same extent as the CatEye ViZ300.

For anyone trooping through gloomy winter miles, or partaking in dark winter commutes, I really recommend a light around this brightness. And saving, in some cases, more than a tenner over the competition at this brightness, I think the ViZ300 is a great option.

Moon’s Cerberus rear light has been around for a few years now. The innovative design was recognised when it launched in 2018 by Taipei Cycle d&i awards and again in 2019 by iF Design. 

It certainly enhances visibility on the road, but is it still a worthwhile investment fours years on, with so much more competition from the best bike lights on the market?

Moon Cerberus rear light: construction

A built-in 500mAh Li-PO battery powers three LED COBs – two lateral units and a conventional rear-facing unit.

The compact unit measures just 18 x 27 x 64mm and tips the scales at 35g. The Cerberus is mounted by way of two hinged wings, a rubber pad and an o-ring. Three different sized O-rings are supplied: 20-26mm, 26-35mm, 35-52mm.

The rubber pad acts as a cover for the USB-C charging port and a short charging cable is supplied. The unit has an IPX7 rating. 

Moon Cerberus rear light: mounting

The mounting system is possibly the most versatile I’ve come across. Two hinged wings ensure that the light fits any shape and size of seat post without compromise. The range of supplied o-rings allows you to mount on narrow frame tubing if space is tight. 

For me, the hinged wings could be longer, or placed further down the unit to offer a more stable mount; they sit at one end leaving the other a little less secure. So, while it might be versatile, it's not as secure as it could be and this is a real let-down, in my opinion. 

The shape of the light adds to its versatility. I’ve actually mounted it upside down on some bikes; depending on your seat post angle the beam may shine downwards rather than to the rear if mounted the 'right way up'. 

Since the Cerberus doesn't come with a clip it can’t be hooked onto a rucksack. I've had it on a pannier rack (with the hinged wings flat) and a helmet. Off the bike, it's clearly not guaranteed to 'fit all'.

The rubber mounting pad isn't fixed in place, it sits atop three nipples on the back of the unit. The bung for the charging port also helps hold it in place. The pad can easily detach when you remove the light. A bit of strategically placed glue would prevent it from becoming detached and avoid you losing it, I can't say how it might affect the light or materials though!

The poorly placed hinged wings and free-to-move rubber pad have existed since the launch of the Cerberus, it’s a shame not to see them addressed by Moon. Using the smallest o-ring possible for the post you're attaching to helps reduce wobbles, while taking care when you remove the light will hopefully avoid loss of the pad.

Moon Cerberus rear light: the ride

The Cerberus has two buttons that sit plush to the unit, they're not the easiest to locate and/or operate, particularly with cold or gloved hands. This seems to be a trait of Moon lights, it makes for a neat looking unit but patience is certainly required to locate and operate them.

A short press switches on the light and you can access 5 different modes, all of which are customisable thanks to the Variable Lumen System. Like so many lights, getting used to how the Cerberus works is paramount to getting the best out of it. Once you’ve got to grips with it, it can genuinely cater for any kind of riding.

The main power button does everything you need to get riding:

· short press: turns light on/off and switches between modes for the selection (constant or flashing)

· double press: switches between constant and flashing selections. 

· 8 second hold (with the light off): enables or disables the lock function.

The second button is primarily used to vary the lumens. A long press activates the VLS mode and ramps the output from minimum to maximum, just release it at the required setting.

All lumen settings can be restored by pressing both buttons simultaneously.

It’s nice not to be overwhelmed with modes. Moon have nailed this aspect with just two constant (high and low) and three flashing (1xday, 2xnight). Having them separated helps reduce scrolling too.

In terms of visibility, the Cerberus is great. Road users to your rear, left and right get a decent blast of light in all modes. From a great distance it's not as visible as some others, but it casts its beam far enough for you to feel safe.

Run times have been consistent and you can really squeeze hours out of it with the VLS; 18 hours in steady mode at the lowest setting, 100+ hours on day flash in the lowest setting. Even without adjusting the output you can get an impressive 19 hours on day flash (150 lumens). The 50 lumen steady mode gives a more modest 1 hour 45 with the VLS coming in useful here if you are planning a longer ride on a winter night. 

The light operates a memory mode; switch it off in a particular mode and it'll be in the same mode when you switch it on again.

There’s also a 'lock' function so there's no danger of it accidentally switching on if you've dropped it into the bottom of a bag. 

The USB-C has reliably charged inside 2 hours. There's a tiny LED on the side of the light that will glow a steady purple when the battery level is low.

Moon Cerberus rear light: value and conclusion

$46.99 / £35.99 gets you slick looking light with excellent visibility and an adaptable mounting system. However, four years since its launch, the Cerberus is no longer so unique; there are plenty of other lights offering side visibility now. 

It stacks up well against the competition. The Lezyne Laser Drive rear comes in at  $64.99 / ‎£54.49 and boasts more lumens as well as laser-beam strips – which sounds flashy, but doesn't actually add too much to the experience or performance. 

Similarly, the Knog Blinder R70 rear light costs $79.95 / £56.99 and does have some handy features, such as an integrated USB plug. But the price is a fair bit more than the Cerberus. 

Over the years Moon has added a few extra lumens and a third o-ring to the Cerberus. The mount's lack of stability and security where the rubber pad is concerned, niggles that could easily be addressed by Moon, may leave it lagging behind the competition.

Moon Cerberus rear light: specs

• LED: 3 COB RED LEDS
• Max. Lumens: 150LM
• Max. Runtime: 120:00
• Batter Type: 500mAh Li-PO Built-in
• Recharge Time: 2 hrs
• Size (W x D x H): 18 x 27 x 64mm
• Weight: 35g

Knog was originally known for the funky frog-shaped bike light that wrapped its rubber legs around your handlebar and winked: with the Knog PWR Trail 1100 the Australian brand has got more serious but no less innovative. 

We tested this light as part of a four-up group test, alongside the Exposure Strada MK10, the Blackburn Dayblazer 1500 and the Lezyne Macro Drive 1300XXL

The Knog PWR Trail 1100 is a modular bike light. It breaks down into the light head, the battery and the clamp, which are all are part of Knog’s PWR system that can be used with other components in the range to become head torches, helmet mounts, camping lanterns - and the battery itself can be used as a power pack to charge other devices if you’re away from mains power.

The PWR Trail 1100's maximum output is 1,100 lumens - which lasts a claimed 1.7 hours (1h 42min) and it comes with six preset modes, but you can plug it into Knog’s ModeMaker app and customise everything if you don’t like what’s on offer.

To switch between modes there's no switch - you twist the light head itself. This works well, especially with gloves, but it’s a shame it only twists one way: you have to scroll through all the modes before getting back to the one you want.

‘Trail’ suggests off-road but other than the name there’s nothing to suggest this light is not for Tarmac, and the slim cigar shape and relatively light weight seem well suited to the road.

The mount is a little bit fiddlier than a strap mount like the Blackburn’s or the Lezyne’s but on the other hand the clamp and thumbwheel design are less likely to break. The light is also held nicely in balance with no nosediving on rough roads.

The Knog PWR Trail 1100 charges via a standard micro USB cable and takes 3.5 hours to charge.

The battery indicator consists of four red LEDs on the side of the casing, one for each 25% of charge. These are perfectly effective, but it's a pity they're tucked away around the side of the light, and I also find a colour-coded 'fuel gauge' is more intuitive - one that's red all the time doesn't quite instil the same sense of urgency when it's down to the last bar.

The build quality is excellent - this CND'd aluminium light and its accompanying parts are really nicely made, and it's waterproof as you'd expect.

Knog PWR Trail 1100: the ride

The beam of the Knog PWR 1100 is suitable for any kind of terrain. It doesn’t have a concentrated spot; rather a broader distribution, lighting up potholes very effectively, but we also found it penetrated the darkness in the distance as well as any of the lights. We were able to descend with total confidence down twisty tree-lined, lanes at night. 

The light was yellower and less stark than that of the other three lights we tested at the same time - which included the Exposure Strada MK10 SB. Despite the lower lumen count and the warmer light quality, brightness was superior to all except the Exposure. You can see in the gallery above how it compared when we rigged them all up in our studio.

When your time is up on full beam (we got just a few minutes under the claimed 1.7 hours) the Knog plunges you into darkness rather than automatically switching to lower power, and that’s a shame - but that’s really our only criticism of an otherwise cleverly designed, versatile, bright and feature-packed light.

At £119.99, Knog's offering is more expensive than the joint grouptest winner from Lezyne, but it does come with some neat extra features so is still a recommended option. 

Lezyne has been producing LED bike lights for close to a decade now. I was actually able to test one of the very first incarnations. I wasn’t impressed, the light was fairly heavy and its mount insufficient, the result being that I sent it flying off into a ditch somewhere. But that was - if my memory serves me correctly - seven years ago now, and Lezyne’s lights range has come on in leaps and bounds, to the point that I’d consider them one of the best bike light options on the market.

The Macro Drive 1300XXL emitted a notably more ‘floodlit’ beam when compared to the competition, and comes with a rubber mount that ensures it doesn’t budge. 

We tested this light as part of a four-up group test, alongside the Knog PWR Trail 1100, Exposure Strada MK10, and Blackburn Dayblazer 1500. 

The Macro Drive 1300XX: construction

The Macro Drive1300 XXL, as its name suggests, puts out a maximum of a claimed 1300 lumens. Lezyne calls this the ‘Overdrive’ mode, and the brand has used its LED placement to create a beam that is much wider than most. However, a third LED in the centre provides a spotlight if you need it, and angling the light downwards will give a more focused view of the road.

The body is constructed from hard-wearing CNCed aluminium, and this contributes towards the 226g weight; Lezyne claims 208g, I can only assume that's minus the mount. Whilst not light, the heft does make for a light that feels robust. The body is adorned with ‘cooling fins’ and Lezyne has also built in a feature that ensures the light changes into a lower mode if it overheats, typically if you’re stood still for a while.

Lezyne offers seven modes: five different brightnesses, from 1300 lumens to 15, and two flashing modes. You can choose to use the 'Race' mode, where you can cycle between the Overdrive (1300 lumen) and Economy (150 lumen) modes. To activate this setting, press and hold the start button for five seconds; it is something Lezyne says can cause confusion if users activate the mode accidentally and then find themselves missing the other five steps. To return to the normal set-up, press and hold for five seconds again. 

Whilst the 1300 lumen option lasts a claimed 2.5 hours, the 15-lumen mode will burn for a claimed 148 hours, but it is a minimal output, and I can’t see many riders opting for the Macro Drive putting this to good use. 

The battery indicator light stays on throughout the ride, and is green when you have 50-100% battery, orange at 10-50%, red at sub 10% and flashing red when you have less than 5% juice and need to get home. 

Lezyne’s range uses rubber straps to mount the lights to the handlebars, and all of its lights charge via a micro USB.

The Macro Drive XXL1300: the ride

Out the box, the Macro Drive 1300XXL is extremely easy to fit and get going with. The rubber strap snapped onto my handlebar with no issues, and it swivels on the mount too. I did find that the USB port cover didn’t slot into place easily, I had to push it quite hard and wiggle it into place, however, this does mean it’s unlikely to eject itself and let water and grit in.

The light was the second heaviest on test, at 226g, with the 228g Exposure being the heaviest and the Blackburn Dayblazer at 143g the lightest. It’s also relatively bulky, taking up a reasonable amount of real estate on the handlebar, though it didn’t get in my way at all.

The Overdrive beam is very wide, much more so than the Dayblazer I also tested. This gave me an excellent field of vision, and if I wanted a more focused view, I could just angle the light downwards to make more use of the central LED.

Activating and de-activating the Race mode takes a little bit of getting used to, but once I had the process nailed, it was simple to use. The 150 lumen Economy mode which is paired with the 1300 lumen Overdrive setting represents quite a big step down, however, I used this a little like turning the full-beam mode off on my car headlights, dipping into Economy for oncoming vehicles. If you wanted to swap between the Overdrive and something like the 800-lumen setting, I'd recommend steering away from the Race setting. 

The claimed battery life is two hours 30 minutes. Charging the light to full and leaving it on, I found it lasted just over two hours 20 minutes before switching to a lower mode, with a red flashing light. A second test yielded a solid red light after two hours 20 minutes - indicating I still had between 5 and 10% left. The Blackburn Dayblazer had a claimed life of two hours, but it actually lasted over two hours 20 minutes which was impressive. Bear in mind that there are many factors that impact burn time, heat being a major factor. 

The Lezyne's battery indicator light was a plus for me, this stays on throughout the ride, as opposed to displaying only when you change modes. 

At £90/$99.99, Lezyne’s offering provides a reassuringly wide beam, secure mount and long battery life, adding up to a high-scoring package that we’d thoroughly recommend.

Ravemen says the PR1600, which is the most powerful in a range of four PR lights, is for trail riding, road cycling and bike travel. The Chinese company also says “it is the best bike light you could ever find in the market”. They’re biased so they would say that, but it's true that the PR1600 has an impressive array of useful, well executed features, loads of power and a perfectly judged beam pattern that’s evenly spread but at the same time punchy enough for potholed lane riding at high speed in the dead of night (if that’s your thing).

With its competitive pricing it undercuts the established light brands too.

Construction

The Ravemen PR1600 is a chunky little unit with a sturdy anodised aluminium casing and plastic ends. There are twin CREE LEDs that have a claimed lifespan of 50,000 hours. At 100 x 48 x 27mm its dimensions are much the same as any other front road light but at 215g it’s pretty solid, and that’s because it needs a decent battery (a 6,000mAh) to supply a reasonable run time at its maximum 1,600 lumens – a claimed 1.4 hours.

You get a fixed plastic handlebar mount that’s compatible with 35mm and 31.8mm bars (shim supplied and Allen key to tighten the bolt), plus the remote control switch and a USB-C charging cable.

Features

The Ravemen PR1600 seems to take its inspiration from the Blackburn Countdown 1600, which also has a digital display letting you know how much burn time is left in each of its modes. The Ravemen’s retro-alarm clock display is a bit more basic looking than the Blackburn’s, but it does the same job, and either way gives much more information than the standard switch that changes colour.

However, the Ravemen outdoes the Blackburn by supplying a wireless remote control switch whose two buttons (one large, one small) work like those of the main unit. For road cycling it’s generally no problem to take one hand off the bars to change the setting, but this is useful if you want to ‘dip’ full beam for an approaching car and then power up again quickly.

That ability to toggle between full power (both LEDs) and the other modes (single LED) is one of the best things about the Ravemen. There’s nothing more boring than having to cycle through all the modes to get to full power, but the Ravemen actually supplies two options via its two buttons to cut straight to 1600 lumens and back again.

There are ‘road’ and ‘mountain’ settings, differentiated by an illuminated symbol below the display. The five road modes go from 800 lumens (2.5 hours) to daytime flash (24 hours), using a single LED, with the full 1600 (1.4 hours) 'turbo' using both LEDs.

There are three mountain modes, all of which use both LEDs for a broader spread of light going from four to 1.4 hours.

There are USB-C in and out ports at the rear: you can use the Ravemen as a power pack to charge a phone or Garmin, for example, useful for a bikepacking trip.

Although Ravemen doesn't specify commuting in the list of intended uses for the PR1600, and indeed on streetlit roads it would be overkill, it's still worth pointing out that it doesn't have any side visibility features – the LEDs are completely shrouded from the side with no opaque panels or cutaways.

Ravemen PR1600: the ride

Let’s start with the mount: it’s a pity there’s no 26.0mm version. Am I the only one who rides an old-school bar but still wants a decent light? I shimmed it no problem with some rubber and it stayed in place (it's on a bike with a 31.8mm bar in the pictures). I’m guessing that because it’s fairly heavy Ravemen decided to use a bolt rather than a QR – so that means it’s not quickly transferrable between bikes. It’s a thoughtful touch to supply a small Allen key to tighten the bolt, though. The light itself clicks into and out of the mount smoothly, and is held securely once in, with no rattling, vibrating or nosediving over rough terrain, even though the mounting point is towards the back of the light rather than in the middle.

The remote control switch uses a Velcro strap to mount to the bar or shifter. With repeated sticking and unsticking this will lose stickiness.

The Ravemen PR1600 is easy to learn. I won’t go through the manual but the only thing to actually ‘understand’ is the difference between road and mtb modes.

The beam pattern is a real, ahem, highlight. As a roadie and having mostly tested road lights, I was seriously impressed by its ability to turn night into day. The full beam mode with both LEDs is incredible. Not only that, it’s a very even distribution of the lumens with no bright centre and weak edges. It’s probably better than my car’s headlights for that.

In addition, the Ravemen LEDs supply a slightly warmer light than some – it's more yellow than that very stark blue.

The single LED of the road mode supplies a more focused beam while the twin blaze of the mountain bike mode illuminates verge to verge. For shorter road rides I preferred the twin beam – who doesn't want maximum brightness in a dark lane? – but for a longer night ride the 'mid' road mode (400 lumens, four hours) with a single LED is more than sufficient.

>>> Best front and rear lights: buyer's guide

Ravemen has also done a great job of containing the glare so that oncoming traffic isn’t dazzled. It’s normal to get flashed by a driver who decrees that your bike light shouldn’t be as bright as his or her car headlights, but with the Ravemen I haven’t been flashed once.

It’s difficult to say whether the quoted burn times are accurate or not, because riding in the real world you tend to change modes, use full beam when necessary and generally mess with the settings. However, the counting down on the display seems in line with actual time.

When charge gets low, you get a flashing ‘LO’ on the display but, testing this in the safety of my own home, there’s a generous amount of reserve in there  – a good few miles’ worth. It doesn’t automatically disable the brighter modes, as some much simpler lights do, but you hope most riders will use their common sense at this point and power down to the lowest mode.

Value

The Blackburn Countdown 1600 has an RRP of £149.99 so the Ravemen undercuts that. There are lower-priced lights around that are still very good, such as the Exposure Sirius Mk9 that costs £100 and has a lumen count of 850. But the Exposure Strada Mk10, with 1500 lumens, costs £300 and weighs 10g more.

The Topeak Powerlux USB Combo lights are intended to increase visibility for night time city riding as well as during the daytime.

>>>Read more: Best bike lights

But do bear in mind that, although 100 lumens is fairly bright, you would still want something with more power for riding unlit country lanes, we usually suggest 500 lumens as a starting point, though around 1,000 lumens will allow you to ride at with a similar level of speed and confidence as you might during daylight.

This set definitely falls into the “for being seen” end of the spectrum, as opposed to the "for seeing end", it is designed for use on lit roads.

The construction

Both the rear and the front lights feature built-in USB charging, which has its positives and negatives. On the one hand, you don’t need to worry about remembering to bring any cables with you to work. But on the other, depending on the arrangement of the USB ports on your laptop or charging block, it can be difficult to get the lights to fit nicely.

The silicon straps that attach the lights to the handlebars come in a useful range of sizes for pretty much any handlebar/seatpost combination you could throw at it. The tool free nature of this system makes it incredibly easy to swap the lights between bikes and to take them off, if leaving your bike unattended.

I found the front mounting system to be unintuitive, requiring consultation of the manual to see how it should be done—which I can’t say I’ve ever had to do with a light before. When you’ve learnt the trick though, it isn’t too much more of a faff than other systems, though.

I did have issues in taking off the front light’s cap for the USB stick. I thought that this would improve with use, and maybe it still will, but for now I’m still having to grip it using my shirt for extra purchase and then pulling with a vigorous twisting motion to get it off.

The ride

Once mounted, the lights do a good job at staying in place, even when bouncing over cobbles. The rear light also comes with a clip for attaching to a saddle bag, which proved useful on bikes which only expose a little seatpost.

Both lights only have three modes, the front has high, low, and flashing which have claimed run times of 1.5, 3.3 and 40 hours, respectively. The rear has high, alternate blinking and flashing, which have themselves claimed run times of 3, 30 and 40 hours, respectively. During my time using the lights, I found these times to be broadly accurate.

Personally, I found the flashing mode on both lights obnoxiously fast - more so than any other lights I've used, and I didn't feel comfortable with utilising this strobe-like effect on the road. A flashing light does significantly increase visibility when cycling in daylight, but in this case, I stuck to a solid beam.

The rear light is really the standout performer of this set. At 25 lumens, the brightness is all that’s necessary for day and night time riding, and the alternate blinking pattern stuck the perfect balance. A flashing light is more noticeable to other road users, but when a light is turning on and off, it makes it quite hard for the people behind you to judge your distance ahead. By alternating which LED is lit — but never having them both off at the same time — the rear light provides the best of both worlds.

Value

The Topeak Powerlux USB Combo is more expensive than the Beryl Pixel Dual Lights, which come in at £35.99 for the pair. But then the Topeaks are brighter and have a longer run time, which does justify their higher price.

Exposure’s Trace and TraceR lightset is perhaps the definitive choice for lights of this class, with a host of clever features and a great build quality. However, they are significantly more expensive at £85.

Perhaps the most direct competition comes from the Giant HL 100 and TL 100 combo which have a very similar functionality to the Topeak Powerlux USB Combo but significantly better flash settings. They are more expensive at £44.99, but considering the usefulness of a good flash setting, I think the extra £7 is definitely worth it.

Cateye’s latest AMPP range of lights has upped the build quality and power of its existing range considerably. The Cateye AMPP 800 front light offers, unsurprisingly,  up to 800 lumens of visibility in a fairly streamlined package.

Bike light operating

The single LED has five operating modes, including a daytime hyper-constant and a flashing mode which recruits all 800 Lumen for a claimed four hours of burn time, and a standard flashing option, which drops the light to the lowest 200 lumen setting for up to 30 hours.

>>> Best bike lights: best front and rear road bike lights

Operating the Cateye AMPP 800 front light is via a simple push button on top of the light, with a double tap instantly setting the highest mode without the need to cycle through all the lighting options.  It's a shame it doesn't link up with the CatEye Sync system, which is a great one touch wireless lighting solution, which at present only goes up to around the 500Lumen mark.

I personally found the Cateye AMPP 800 front light operating button the most tactile of any lights I've tested of late, and, unlike the Knog Blinder Road 600 buttons, easy to activate even when wearing gloves. 

Much like the NiteRider Micro 650, the push button on the Cateye AMPP 800 front light also displays the battery level via a three colour system, a handy at a glance warning system.  

Mounting wise, the Cateye AMPP 800 front light comes with the brand's own Flextight bracket system, which fits bars up to 35mm, including flatter aero ones, as well as providing less obtrusion into valuable bar space. Cateye also produce a helmet mount for the AMPP 800 which extends its versatility, however at over 150 grams it would be a noticeable weight to add to your head. 

Rechargeable bike lights

Charging is via a USB-B port, like most lights these days, and is situated at the bottom of the light. 

The five modes of the Cateye AMPP 800 front light are pretty much ideal for mixed urban/rural steady commuting, and it has a similar daytime constant/flash as the Exposure Sirius Mk9 Daybright bike light, although I did find the light can be slow to react to button pushes.

Bright bike light

The beam pattern is also similar to the Exposure Sirius but just has a less focussed bright spot in the centre. This results in a more even spread of light, but at the slight expense of depth perception at speed meaning that you can't quite travel as fast as when using the afore mentioned light. Although sharing a similar green hue as the Lezyne Micro Drive Pro 800XL means bounce back glare is minimal.

The lens also extends further down the sides of the body bringing a little extra side visibility to be seen by other road users, a notable extra over it's lighting peers. 

Value

It’s not quite on par with the Exposure Sirius or the Lezyne Micro Drive Pro 800XL, which are both rated with similar Lumens, but the Cateye AMPP 800 front light output is noticeably better than similarly priced lights with lower Lumen numbers on offer, which makes it a great option for riders with a set budget.  

Around since 2012, a 2020 redesign sees the Knog Blinder Road 600 front bike light gain an extra couple hundred Lumen, making it Knog's most powerful front light to date.

Knog say that by utilising two independent LEDs on the Blinder Road 600, each capable of 400Lumen, the joint beam is then calculated at 600 Lumen. The left hand side optic has a 12-degree beam, which is said to create the spotlight, whilst the right hand side optic has a 32-degree beam pattern, providing more of a flood light.

>>> Best bike lights: best front and rear road bike lights 2020

The Knog Blinder Road 600 front bike light uses the same rubber band and clip as almost all Knog lights. There are two sizes in the box, which should fit bars either 22-28mm and 29-35mm. I can also confirm it's pretty stretchy and I've had no trouble securing it to fit an aero shaped handlebar. 

How do you charge a Knog light?

Charging is really neat with the Knog Blinder Road 600 front bike light, especially when compared to the Exposure Sirius MK9 Daybright front bike light, which requires it's own specific cable.

At the rear of the light sits a flip up USB socket allowing you to plug the light directly into a USB port. This can be a little fiddly so Knog supply a USB adapter cable to make things easier, but if you find yourself out without charge and cable, it's good to know that a standard one, that most people have kicking around, will do the job.

Enough Lumens for cycling at night?

Out on the road the beam pattern of the Knog Blinder Road 600 front bike light is a nice even flood, with plenty of contrast without relying too much on a single central spot. There's an adequate throw of the beam for a steady street light lit commute, with road signs well reflected.

On unlit roads at a faster pace however and it did struggle to throw out enough light to make me feel fully confident at reading the road, unlike the £20 cheaper Lezyne Micro Drive Pro 800XL, or aforementioned Exposure Sirius light. 

The rubberised rear half of the Knog Blinder Road 600 front bike light helps to keep it in place when riding on rougher roads. This steadying is also helped by the wide, rather than long design, keeping the centre of gravity as close to the handle bars as possible, reducing the end of a pole wobble effect.  

Controlling the double LED light is done via two tiny buttons at the rear of the light body. 

The left hand button controls power and switches through the light settings; either single LED, double LED or flashing. The right hand button then gives three brightness levels for each constant mode as well as two settings for flashing.

In theory it's a good idea to have separate light levels and functions, but in practice the buttons are near on impossible to use when wearing gloves, so it's not really a feature that you can really benefit from when riding.

What was more helpful is the small coloured LED that indicates battery level, although with decent burn in all modes, it didn't require constant topping up.

Town Vs Rural

The out front design of the Knog Blinder Road 600 front bike light will appeal to many riders, who's handlebars can become especially cluttered when night riding.

The brightness is certainly adequate for most urban commutes, but you might find yourself tapping the breaks a bit more when out in the rural darkness.

The Exposure Sirius Mk9 Daybright bike light is the gateway light in the brand's road range and is aimed at all road users. It’s by far the smallest light in a comparison with similar power lights in terms of physical size and weight but it manages to pack a punch far better than all of its rivals.

>>> Best bike lights: best front and rear road bike lights

Exposure manufactures all of its lights in-house in the UK and the build quality is exceptional, backed up with superb customer service that should ensure your light lasts a lifetime. I personally have Exposure lights that are still functioning flawlessly after twelve years of constant use and abuse.

Bike light mounts

The light mounts to the bar using a simple plastic clip and rubber strap. It's a system Exposure hasn’t changed for well over a decade, that’s how well it works.

Unfortunately the as standard the strap isn’t long enough to fit aero bars so you will need to factor in an additional band when purchasing the light if this applies to you and your bike. These are only £5 but it does add to the initial, relatively high, outlay.

>>> Exposure's 2021 lights are here with boosted brightness and featured updates 

Talking of additional brackets, the Exposure Sirius Mk9 Daybright bike light that can also be used as a helmet light, again you need to purchase the right mounting bracket. It then becomes an excellent light for venturing out on the gravel bike, enabling you to put the light wherever you’re looking, giving it great versatility. 

Flashing Vs Steady

Operation is via a rear mounted button and offers a traffic light system to indicate which mode is engaged, it then switches to indicate battery level.

The Exposure Sirius Mk9 Daybright bike light uses the brand's own OMS programmable mode setting to enable the end user to set the power and number of light modes dependent on preference.

A long press of the button engages the Daybright flash mode, recommended for daytime running, a setting that harnesses the full 850 lumens and is hard to miss even from a significant distance.

The best bike light?

The lens of the Exposure Sirius Mk9 Daybright bike light focuses the beam into a super bright spot that over shines all other similar lights when compared. This is surrounded by a good spread of light on the peripheral to enhance road and hazard perception, while also delivering excellent side visibility.

The only downside is that charging is via a dedicated cable rather than the usual universal USB-B cable. This might put some people off as it means you need to carry a dedicated cable rather than rely on the usual one that everyone has everywhere. But the upside is that the charge port is well protected from the weather, as long as you insure that the fiddly rubber cap is shut properly. 

If your budget allows, then the Exposure Sirius Mk9 Daybright bike light is top picks, with it's versatility and well know durability future proofing your riding.  

A brand that offers an almost bewildering array of light options, many of which sit within a pretty narrow power bracket, the Lezyne Micro Drive Pro 800XL looks to provide one of the best power to price ratios on the market.

The Lezyne Micro Drive Pro 800XL is a hefty unit but one that feels bombproof and quality. Constructed with an aluminium body to aid heat dissipation it features two LEDs situated side by side to provide a much wider throw of light. 

>>>The best lights for road riding

Bike light mount

The 800XL has a non-removable rubber strap based mounting system that rotates to make it easier to fit and remove from the bar. An adapter is supplied to fit smaller diameter round bars but when removed I had no trouble fitting it to wider aero profile handlebars. 

Best light for commuting?

Lezyne Micro Drive Pro 800XL functions are controlled using the top mounted illuminated button. A quick press will indicate battery life and a longer press turns the light on and off.

When on you can cycle through the modes or a five second press when the light is off activates the Overdrive mode which reduces the options to just two.

During use I found the multiple modes frustrating as it was too easy to forget which you were in and would need to click through multiple options before finding the one you actually wanted.

For me four solid light modes is just too many, which is why I tended to stick it in Overdrive mode and limit my options, making it way faster to find the ideal light beam for my commute.   

The beam pattern is excellent with a bright central spot surrounded by a nice spread of diffused light. Even when angled to illuminate further down the road it provides plenty of coverage to allow you to read the road effectively and in flash mode will illuminate signs a significant distance away.

The slight green cast of the LEDs I found to be slightly easier on the eyes than the brighter white often used by brands such as Exposure. 

Value

Run time was excellent for the power delivered and the ability to add a remote switch for an extra £14.99 will appeal to regular users. Side visibility is limited to a slight cut out in the LED housing which enables some light to be thrown sideways, but this could be a little better in my opinion.

Knog arguably invented bike lights that were fun as well as functional and now other brands are joining in: the Giant HL 100 and TL 100 combo could easily take their design cues from a pair of casino dice.

Needless to say, there's nothing dicey about their performance – quite the opposite. As 'be-seen' commuter lights they are powerful considering their tiny 3cm cubed dimensions, are great for adding extra visibility to a lightweight road bike and are stashable in a jersey pocket.

The Giant Recon HL and TL 100 come as a combo or individually. At the time of writing you save a fiver if you get them both together. The ‘100’ in the name stands for 100 lumens, which is ideally the minimum you’d use for a main light (as opposed to a backup). They’re Giant’s lowest priced as well as lowest powered lights.

>>> The best front and rear lights: buyer's guide

The HL (headlight) and TL (taillight) have five modes that supply run times from 2.5-3 hours on ‘high’ to 18 hours on ‘low flash’. There's a daytime running light mode, where every fourth flash is blinding, that lasts 7-8 hours.

The power status indicator is a small LED surrounding the on/off switch that changes from green to amber then red, with the light at that point automatically reverting to 'low flash' to get you home.

Charging with the supplied micro-USB cable takes around two hours.

Tool-free rubberised mounts are supplied, that stretch easily around handlebars and seatposts (other helmet, saddle rail and under-stem mounts are available separately). The TL’s mount is angled so that it points directly backwards when fixed to a standard round-profiled seatpost at about 73°, whereas the HL’s is parallel with the light casing.

And finally, waterproofing is IXP7, meaning they can be submerged in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes.

The ride

The Giant Recon HL 100 and TL 100 are very simple to operate, with no long presses, counting flashes to determine brightness level or anything like that. You just cycle through the five modes by short-pressing the on/off button and it’s the standard long press for on and off.

The switch, however, is a small oblong that needs a direct pressure in exactly the right place. A protruding, rubbery switch would be easier but it would wreck the cube’s symmetry. I can live with form over function this time, but sometimes it takes a couple of attempts to activate it, especially with gloves.

The TL is surprisingly bright – blinding even – for such a small light. It’s really all you’d ever need from a rear light. The HL is fine for streetlit commutes but is not enough for seeing on unlit roads – it is strictly a ‘be-seen’ light, and to be fair Giant does not claim it is any more than this.

I’ve been especially impressed with the daytime mode of these – the very bright single flash every four lower-level flashes definitely increases a rider’s presence on the road and I've felt a lot safer in traffic with it.

Value

The Giant Recon HL 100 and TL 100 combo is more expensive than a set of Beryl Pixels (£35.99 for two) but the Giants have over twice the lumen count. The Giants are cheaper than a set of See.Sense ACE lights (£80), which are more powerful and ‘smart’, reacting to surroundings.

So the Giants are not the cheapest nor the most expensive, but I would say they’re priced well for what they're designed to do, and would recommend them as a lightweight, versatile, good-looking, commuter lightset with a very useful daytime mode.

Who needs a rear light with a built in radar? I was ready to be underwhelmed by the Varia RTL515, but came away impressed by its capabilities. After all, I’m able to hear approaching vehicles and it’s easy enough to look around and check what’s coming.

But the Varia rear light does it so much better. Garmin says that its built-in radar will detect an approaching vehicle up to 140 metres behind you. I’d reckon it’s much further than that on a straight road - perhaps as much as 400m. 

>>> Would better rear view vision make cyclists feel safer?

Looking round once alerted to a vehicle behind on a fast open road, in some cases it was barely in sight. The Varia was also an asset on sinuous roads, where it might flash up an alert before I’d had a chance to look around.

>>> Best road bike mirrors

The Varia rear light pairs up with a Garmin Edge computer, many Garmin smartwatches and/or with your smartphone using either ANT+ or Bluetooth. 

I paired it with a Garmin Fenix 6 smartwatch. That involved uploading a widget to the watch via my computer. Pairing was straightforward, although I spent a long time trying to work out what the “No lightnetwork!” alert on the watch meant. 

In fact it was a red herring, the light and watch worked fine together. You can buy multiple Varia front and rear lights and set them up so they’re all controlled together - hence the network message.

Once the Varia detected an approaching vehicle, the watch vibrated, gave an alert tone and showed a red, amber or green band around the edge of the face, depending on the speed of approach. If you’re using an Edge, the unit shows a bar up the side of the display with white dots denoting the relative distances of vehicles.

The alert is also useful if you’re making a turn, as you may not be sure that a following car has turned too rather than driving straight on. In such cases, the Varia rear light would re-alert me that the car had made the turn.

Not just a warning

The Varia doesn’t just alert you to what’s happening behind, it reacts too.

There are four light modes: one continuous with 20 lumens (6 hours claimed battery life), an 8 lumen continuous mode to stop you dazzling riders behind you on the club run (8 hour claimed run time), a 29 lumen pulsed/always-on night flash (6 hours claimed) and a 65 lumen irregular day flash (16 hours claimed). 

>>> Best front and rear road bike lights

Once the light detects a vehicle, its behaviour changes, starting to flash if in continuous mode and flashing more quickly if already set to a flashing mode. Garmin reckons that on its day flash setting the light is visible up to a mile away.

>>> Daytime running lights: should you be running them?

It’s not all good news though. If there’s a convoy of vehicles, I got one alert on the Fenix 6 smartwatch, so I couldn’t assume that once one or two had passed me the road was clear behind. And once or twice I didn’t get an alert for a vehicle approaching, I'm not sure what caused this. If a following vehicle is going at the same speed as you, it won’t be detected either.

As with all things electronic, there’s an app that comes with the Varia. That lets you use your smartphone to get a visual warning of approaching traffic. The app is fairly basic, with just a schematic of the road behind you, but it does differentiate multiple vehicles. 

It also means that you can use your smartphone mounted to your bars in place of a Garmin computer. You can see the info from the Varia on the Ride With GPS phone app too.

The Varia rear light is pretty chunky. With its substantial mount - necessary to keep it pointing back horizontally so that its radar will work - it comes in at exactly 100 grams. The mount is attached to your seatpost with a rubber band. There are rubber inserts for different shaped seatposts. They’re not that closely connected to the mount, so there’s a risk of losing them.

The Varia light attaches to the mount via a quarter turn, making it secure and easy to take off - a necessity for a piece of kit costing £170.

Whilst I’d gone in thinking that the Garmin Varia was an unnecessary gadget, I’ve come away impressed with its ability to make my rides feel that bit safer. 

When riding, I’m amazed how often I’ll see riders who never look behind, even when making an (often unsignalled) turn. If you’re that rider, buy one. 

The Exposure Trace and TraceR lightset was selected for an Editor's Choice award in 2020. This year's list contains 78 items which scored a 9 or 10/10 with our tech team - this gear is the best of the best, and has received the Cycling Weekly stamp of approval. 

The Trace and TraceR lights are the smallest and most featherweight units Exposure produce and at first glance it's hard to imagine the sort of performance they are capable of. But just like David against Goliath, size isn't everything.

As with all Exposure lights the build quality is second to none. Each light is machined from aluminium and uses durable and high quality materials for the lens. Each part of the build process is done in-house in the UK and the lights carry a two year warranty and the reassurance of Exposure's excellent customer service. If there is any doubt as to which light is which, the rear TraceR is anodised red to avoid mounting mistakes.

The best lights for road riding in 2019

The front Trace is capable of pumping out up to 110 lumens of light in both constant and flashing modes, whilst the rear TraceR tops out at 75 lumens. In the war to build the brightest lights this might not sound like a great deal but Exposure has been able to make this output seem far superior than many supposedly brighter units thanks to clever lens technology. Dependent upon which setting each is running you can expect burn time to be anywhere from 3 hours in the brightest constant mode to 24 hours in lowest flashing mode. I didn't test the 24 hour claim but did run the lights at the brightest setting and can attest that Exposure are pretty damn accurate with its claim.

The beam pattern and visibility for both lights is exceptional. The front throws out a good spread of light and in flashing mode easily lights up road signs for a few hundred metres ahead and the rear daybright mode is searingly bright. Both lights also have an extended lens that enables it to throw out a good level of side visibility, extending the safety levels.

Top tips to make the most of your winter riding

Each light has the same OMS (Optimised Mode Selector) programmability that allows you to switch between three output levels to customise your own lighting requirements. Switching between modes is simply done by holding the on button, which will flash up to three times, then letting the button go after each flash to choose between the programmes – each program has one constant and one pulse mode and accompanying run times. Operating the lights is simple even with gloves on with two presses turning the light on, holding the button down turns the light off. A really neat touch with the Exposure Trace and traceR is the way remaining battery level is indicated by a green, amber or red LED when the light is turned off.

The tiny units use simple but effective clips and rubber o-rings to mount them to the handlebar and seatpost. The seatpost mount will easily accommodate an aero post but the one thing to be aware of is it can spin off line when used with angled or square seat posts. Additional silicon straps and brackets are available from Exposure if the strap doesn't suit your requirements.

Buy now: Exposure Trace and TraceR for £59.99 from Tweeks Cycles

Charging is simple and it takes just 1.5 hours to charge each from empty. A USB charging port is located under the rubber band that encircles the light. It can be a bit fiddly to pull it out of the way but you soon get used to the process. I'm yet to have any water ingress so despite its flimsy appearance it works really well.

Vel is a new player on the bike light scene this winter, launching with a range of beams from 100 to 500 lumen fronts, with a 20 lumen rear completing the collection.

>>> Best bike lights 

>>> See the range at Sigma Sports 

Available exclusively through Sigma Sports, the lights come with a selection of clever features and various mounting options.

The alloy bodied front light arrives sitting on a rubber strap, with alternative sizes to suit different handlebar widths. The strap slipped onto my bars easily, and can also be threaded through a helmet vent.

The unit swivels on the mount, allowing for adjustment as you ride, with a simple one-press button on the top and a battery life indicator (green is good, red is bad - sub 25% - so far so normal).

A rubberised USB port is located in the rear and the construction is fully waterproof, weighing in at 62g.

Rather incredibly at this price point, the light features an automatic environment response sensor - which will offer a full-beam in the dark, and flash in daylight.

To turn this feature on, you hold the button for 3 seconds, the indicator light will turn blue and away you go. I didn't really use this mode a lot, tending to opt for a solid output at all times, but I can see it being useful should you want to preserve battery for when it's most needed.

Five further modes range from 500 lumens, lasting an hour, to Dayflash which will last around eight hours per charge.

At 500 lumens, the brightest mode is more than enough to be seen from a distance, and I felt confident riding at night on lit roads. Personally I'd want more if I were riding anywhere unlit (around 1000 lumens).

Having removed the rubber strap to sample swapping the mount, I was initially a little miffed to discover I couldn't stretch if far enough to re-fit it - however after some fuss managed to find a small Allen bolt which unscrews to make doing so easier.

The rear light was my favourite of the two beams.  The 20 lumen output is made up of 38 COB LEDs - which use more diodes to emit a much higher light density than standard LEDs. The difference is marked - I was impressed as soon as I clicked the rubberised 'on' button.

Again, there's plenty of modes - seven in this case, with life lasting between 1.5 and eight hours.

The rear light is water resistant, not waterproof as per the front - with a rubberised cover over the USB port. I used it in some pretty grim conditions, with rivers running down the sides of the roads, and it continued to work so I doubt any more weather protection is needed.

Vel ships this light with multiple mounting options. There's two plastic seatpost brackets (one round, one aero - both suited to 19-32mm diameter). These are paired with a rubber strap, before the light twists on with a quarter turn (a bit like a Garmin or Wahoo fits into its mount).

The light itself also features a clip, which you could attach to a saddlebag or pocket, and there's a velcro strap you can use on your helmet. Two zip ties come in the packet, as well.

I opted for the seatpost mount. The system worked for me - however the rubber strap doesn't stay sitting in the mount when removed, which is a downside if (like me) you spend your life chucking gear in kit bags. I'm also not sure I trust the longevity of the plastic twist mechanism, though admittedly it's not failed yet.

Personally, though I appreciate the vast array of options, I'd prefer a fixed mount as per the front light - and arguably though we could say the same of many things the bicycle industry does, sending quite so many options in every packet isn't very eco friendly.

Including the mount and strap, the rear weighed in at just 24g (19g without the accessories) - and it certainly packs a punch.

With an RRP of £55 for a set, these lights represent good value for money, you could pay a lot more for a similar lumen count. If you just want one, the front comes in at £40 and the rear at £20.

With a large LED surface and smart functions, the See.Sense Ace lightset is a great setup for those looking to increase their ‘be seen’ ability. We’ve been impressed with how they work and how bright they are, the only set to make it into this years Editor’s Choice.

At first glance, the See.Sense Ace lights are compact blinkies, to up your road presence when commuting or on longer rides. They have a large array of LEDs and a lens that provides good sideways visibility, to help you to be seen by merging traffic. There’s a range of flashing and constant modes, which you toggle through after switching the light on.

So far, so predictable.

But the See.Sense Ace lights are a lot smarter than that. For starters, there are accelerometers and light sensors within the units. These allow the See.Sense Ace lights to change brightness as it gets brighter or darker. And typical rider behaviour when negotiating a roundabout, for example – deceleration, a left then a right turn, then another left can be used to adapt brightness and flash rate to up the rider’s road presence when riding through junctions.

See.Sense can identify other road obstacles eg a rider swerving around a pothole or the increased vertical movement when riding over a poorly finished road surface.

App control

See.Sense also has a phone app for iOS and Android, that links to the See.Sense Ace lights via Bluetooth. This lets you switch the lights on and off, control lighting patterns and brightness level and see battery state. In the case of the rear light, you can set it up to work as a brake light when you decelerate too.

The accelerometer built into the lights means that the See.Sense Ace lights can identify a sudden deceleration as a potential crash. You can set up the app to send a text to a designated number with a pre-defined message and provide a clickable link to your location.

The lights can also be set to identify when your bike is moved, when you’re not with it and send an alert to your phone. This only works within range of Bluetooth coverage – about 100m – but is potentially useful if you want to leave your bike outside while you pop into a café or shop. Plus you can set your home location, to stop the alarm going off when you’re within 30m of it.

Data sharing

You can also opt to share data collected by the lights. This data is anonymised and aggregated and merged with GPS location data from the phone, to provide insights into locations of poor road conditions, sudden braking, proportion of cyclists stopped at a location and their dwell times. See.Sense knows, for example, that cyclists at the lights at the end of Westminster Bridge in London are likely to be stopped for around 2 minutes before getting a green signal.

This functionality is now being used actively in trials in Manchester, Dublin and Antwerp to assess where investments or tweaks is infrastructure will make cycling better.

Back to the See.Sense Ace lights, they’re charged up via a mini USB plug. One oddity is that you can’t see the charge state without disconnecting the power supply, when a set of five green LEDs on the top of the unit show battery status. Press the on/off button briefly and this has the same effect.

As well as Bluetooth connectivity, there’s ANT+ built in, so you can control your lights via a Garmin head unit and use it for auto on/off based on the activation of the Garmin.

See.Sense’s mounts are clever too. They use a conventional rubber ring to attach to your frame and then clip securely onto the sides of the light. There are three different positions at different angles, which means that you can set up the light to point horizontally on your seatpost, for example. You can also mount the lights in landscape or portrait orientation. They come with an aero seatpost adapter and a clip to mount the light to clothing or a pack.

In summary, the See.Sense Ace lights are a lot smarter than your average blinky, adapting their lighting pattern to help keep you safe, but also providing crash and theft detection, as well as the option to feed back ride experience data, which might just be used to make cycling safer and easier. See.Sense has partnered with British Cycling to help make this happen.

Lezyne burst onto the 'big lamp' lights market in 2016, with the Deca Drive. It was a huge step up from the initial 2011 collection of blinker beams, and when the lump of metal smashed off my handlebars for the second time and started emitting a faint hum, personally I was ready to throw in the towel.

• Read more: best front and rear bike lights 
• Buy now: Lezyne Lite Drive 1000XL and KTV Pro rear light set at Wiggle for £90

If you were an early adopter, and like me were put off by the experience, then I'm here tell you that it's now entirely safe to return to Lezyne's offerings.

The 1000 lumen option in the line up is now called the Lezyne Lite Drive 1000XL, and the range has completely transformed itself into an attractive yet affordable offering, promising the reliability and usability that we all crave come the winter months.

The front light puts out 1000 lumens and Lezyne has used its own 'Maximum Optical Reflection' to ensure that the illumination is evenly dispersed.

I was able to ride on unlit streets at a decent pace with this, though I'd suggest you'd need closer to 1500 lumens to really hammer it and be sure of seeing potholes in plenty of time; the collection goes up to 1800 lumens so there's ample choice available.

As per the brand's trademark aesthetic, the body is made from CNC machined aluminium, promising a good degree of in-backpack smashability. Ridged cooling fins along the outer edges are designed to prevent heat build up from the LEDs.

Battery life lasts anywhere from 1.5 hours on the highest mode to 87 hours if you go right down to the 15 lumen emergency option. There's a 'day flash' option for use when the sun is up, and switching modes was easy via the top mounted button which also serves as an indicator of how much juice is left in the tank.

When it's time to top up, the unit is USB rechargeable via a rubber covered flap at the rear, and a full charge takes around four hours.

My greatest dissatisfaction with the 2016 model was the mount and its ability to cope with the weight of the light. Lezyne moved on from the original design pretty quickly and now uses a rubber strap. This is infinitely better.

However, in order to be effective it has to be quite tight, and personally I'd prefer an option that allowed me to remove the light and leave the mount attached to the bars for ease of use, especially when gloved up, I found this a bit of a struggle.

The light came in on my scales at 152g. This is not the most featherweight on the market. However, when considered alongside the RRP - £90 for a front and rear set - it's excellent. As an example, the Exposure Axis MK7 puts out 1150 lumens and hits the scales at a luxurious one third less (102g), but costs £190 for a front light only.

The  KTV Pro rear emits up to 75 lumens and lasts anywhere between 4 to 19.5 hours, with a daylight mode available and promised 270 degree visibility. It came in at 52g.

A simple on/off button is easy to activate even in cricket batting worthy gloves, and it's shaped to fit an aero or round seat post - though I did find on my round post the unit had a tendency to sit slightly off-side unless carefully positioned.

Whilst the front light uses a USB cable, the rear comes with an integrated, rigid USB stick. Initially, this method seemed like an excellent idea.

In practice, I found that plugging the light into a laptop meant I had to bend it awkwardly or dangle it vulnerably over the edge of a desk whilst inserting into a wall mounted version meant the second USB port (which I wanted to use for the front beam) was covered.

The standout feature for this light set has to be quality at a value for money price point. I'd not proclaim this 'the best 1000 lumen light', but as a set it's certainly the best I reckon you'll get for under £100.

The Blackburn Dayblazer 400 front and 65 rear lights sit in the brand's 'be seen' light category

The Blackburn Dayblazer 400 front and 65 rear bike lights are a set from the brands 'be seen' category, putting out 400 lumens and 65 lumens respectively.

Encased within plastic bodies (as opposed to metal ones), the Blackburn Dayblazer's are able to withstand being dropped on tarmac and have the added benefit of being light, weighing just 59g for the front and 48g for the rear. However, they don't have the same machined build quality of rivals lights from Lezyne or Exposure.

>>> Best front and rear road bike lights

Both lights charge using a micro USB-C cable, and the set has the added benefit of coming with a two-headed cable so you can charge both lights from one port.

The front Dayblazer uses a standard rubber strap attachment, sitting comfortably on a round bar. It also has the added benefit of twisting on its mount so that it's easier to fit, turn out of the way or attach to different parts of a bike.

The rear Dayblazer has a built in clothes or rucksack clip that, while adding versatility, makes it difficult to sit flush with the rubber mount that's needed for putting it on a seat post.

The rear light's output is very impressive and is easily the best of the two. Its two LEDs give the light a great spread, and on its highest flash mode it's brighter than its 65 lumen rating would suggest and has a decent three hour run time. In total, it has three modes, including a 'low strobe' mode that has a six hour runtime.

The front light's 'Blitz' mode uses the full 400 lumen capacity of the light although I didn't find its spread as good as other light's I've used, and it didn't illuminate street signs or other rider's reflective attachments as powerfully. In this mode, Blackburn says that the front light should last 1.6 hours and on my dark evening rides I found that to be accurate.

The rear light especially would be improved by a more tactile button that offers a greater amount of feedback when pressed because currently it's difficult to tell when riding if you've been able to activate it or not.

NiteRider has a reputation for producing some incredibly well functioning, if a little traditional looking, lights to suit any budget. This Micro 650/Sabre is no different and has proven to be reliable performers.

The front Micro 650 has a solid feeling aluminium and composite body designed to minimise heat build up from the single, high powered LED. A large illuminated button on top takes care of control and allows you to cycle through the three main settings. A longer press of the button activates the single flash mode and a lower power 'walking' beam. As its name implies it can pump out up to 650 lumens in a nicely diffused pattern that illuminates a large swathe of the road ahead. At full power you get up to 1.5 hours of burn time, lower settings can provide up to seven hours of light at 150 lumen output.

The unit itself is pretty chunky at 156 grams including the mount. Talking about the mount, this is probably the only thing that lets the Micro 650 down. It's pretty over-engineered, large and very plasticky and needs to be kept on the bike due to the added faff of fitting. There are no issues with it holding the light solidly but other methods are far simpler and less restrictive.

The rear Sabre 80 uses a line of tiny LEDs to pump out a piercingly bright line of light. Side cutouts illuminate orange when the light is on and the body also features chrome detailing to reflect light even when the light is off. A large front mounted button has a loud click when pressed and is simple to find even when riding. Three solid settings are the default, if you want flashing modes you need to press and hold the button for three seconds to access the three flashing modes.

The Sabre 80 uses a chunky rubber and plastic strap to mount to the seatpost and this also benefits from angle adjustment to set it properly. A clothing clip on the light doubles up as the mounting point but this and the recess it docks into feel a little flimsy.

Buy now: NiteRider Micro 650/Sabre 80 Combo at Tredz for £44.99

Both front and rear light use a separate USB cable to charge and the ports are held under simple but solid rubber bungs. Durability has been excellent and weather proofing again hasn't been an issue.

Boasting a combination of 600 Lumens at the front and 75 Lumen rear output, the Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL/KTV Pro lightset has more than enough power to keep you safe and seen in the dark.

The neat, compact design of both front and rear lights makes fitting even on the the shortest seatpost or cluttered handlebar a doddle and multiple attachment options for the front 600XL make finding space even easier. The front 600XL uses a permanently attached rubber strap to wrap it tight around the handlebar but it also rotates on the clamp allowing you to fit on fork leg or any odd angled position.

Despite being used on the fork leg for a recent multi-day trip I had no issues with the light remaining steadfastly in place.

The MicroDrive 600XL utilises a CNC machined aluminium body incorporating ridged cooling fins aimed at getting rid of the excess heat that can build up with high power LEDs. Said LEDs are arranged in a side-by-side pattern and push out a decent spread of light that in most modes works as a flood light to light up the road ahead evenly.

Only in the two brightest modes does it take on more of a spot pattern, highlighting a smaller but brighter patch of the road ahead. The four flashing modes offer two separate brightnesses, with the Day Flash option pushing out the full 600 Lumens.

I can attest, after riding LEJOG that even the lower flashing modes are bright enough to light up road signs from over five hundred meters away easily.

Burn times from such a compact unit are around average with the brightest 600 Lumen setting lasting for approximately 56 minutes of continuous use. The lower 400 Lumen setting still provides more than enough light for most urban riding and lasted nearly two hours.

Flashing settings obviously last longer and the super bright Day Flash mode provided more than enough charge to cover a week of hour to two hour commuting per day. The clear top mounted power button displays the charge level with a single click and is easy to use with gloves. Charging is done through the attached USB plug found behind a secure and weather proof rubber bung and the best part of this design is you don't need to carry an extra cable to take care of charging duties.

Buy now: Lezyne Micro Drive 600XL/KTV Pro lightset at Wiggle for £49.99

With regards the rear KTV unit, it follows in a similar vein to the front light with regards charging, control and weather proofing (10 hour+ rides in constant rain can attest to both front and rear weatherproofing). The light boasts 270 degree visibility thanks to a cut away design and raised lens but this side visibility is, in reality, quite minimal at best. Five modes are available including a full 75 Lumen Day Flash setting that is more than bright enough for night time use. Run time in the highest setting measured in excess of nine hours, again perfect for a five day commute without needing to recharge.

Mounting is reliant on the thick rubber strap and slightly compliant rear recess on the light body. This recess is a little too narrow and the rubber a little too stiff to hold it tight against a standard seatpost. This does result in the light spinning of centre during a ride and reduces rear visibility. Something you will need to keep an eye on.

Knog has produced some outstanding lights in the past, offering great, easy to use light sets for typical urban cycling. The Knog Mid Cobber does just that.

The relatively small design allows the lights to be positioned pretty much anywhere. For this test, on a standard drop handlebar road bike, we chose the classic seatpost position  for the rear and handlebar for the front.

>>> Best front and rear road bike lights for 2019

The main downside to the Knog Mid Cobber comes in the form of the front light and its positioning on the handlebar. Firstly it can be annoying if you like to hold the top, as I do, as when mounted length-way on the bar it can interfere with hand position. In pulse or flash modes, with the full 320 lumens being pumped out, the top part of the light flashes pretty much in your face.

As you can imagine this is a little jarring at times, especially when you need to concentrate and even more so when it really is dark and there is minimal street lighting. Arguably, you could position the light lower down on the headtube (a difficult prospect on any modern road bike) or on the fork. However putting a light so low would question its effectiveness in being seen.

However, as a 'be seen' front light it is very effective. Filtering through traffic I even had cars move out a little to let me through, such is the brightness this unit kicks out.

The rear is an entirely different story and I'd go as far to say it is one of the best I've used. Its shape lends itself to being seen very well from directly behind and pretty much all round on either side.

It pushes out a whopping 170 lumens on the pulse and flash modes, which is plenty. Seeing it in action you could never excuse the "I just couldn't see you" remark!

Both units are 100 per cent waterproof, according to Knog, and riding through some dire weather recently the lights haven't stopped working. Max output offers 2.5 hours of burn time for the front and two hours on max for the rear. I pretty much always use a flash setting whilst riding in urban areas so a week's commuting is seen off easily without the need to recharge.

Buy now: Knog Mid Cobber twinpack at Wiggle for £82.00

Great set of lights, just the front letting the side down a little.

Knog may have started out selling compact blinkies for commuters, but its range of lighting options has become ever-broader and more sophisticated. Its acme is the Knog PWR light range.

There are actually five different PWR lights, ranging from the 450 lumen Knog PWR Commuter at £49.99 to the Knog PWR Mountain, pumping out 2000 lumens peak and costing £179.99.

In between are the three units we’ve tested: the PWR Rider, also with 450 lumens (£57.99), the PWR Road with 600 lumens (£84.99) and the PWR Trail with 1000 lumens (£109.99). Plus, there’s the Knog PWR Rider Duo, with a plug-in red rear light and a helmet mount priced at £79.99.

So Knog has a comprehensive range of different lights to meet different illumination needs.

All have the same cylindrical black alloy body and all have a pull-off waterproof cap which hides a USB port, allowing the light to be used as a power bank, by plugging the supplied USB lead into a phone or other device. It’s a neat trick if you want to recharge your phone or Garmin while on the move, as well as using your lights. The cap also covers the light’s charging port.

In the case of the PWR Rider, the USB port is at the rear of the light, so you can potentially charge your phone and run your light at the same time. Knog says that if you run the PWR Rider at its peak 450 lumens for an hour, there’s still enough charge left to add 35% charge to an iPhone, so you get a reasonable level of performance for both. Used just for lighting, it will run for around two hours at 450 lumens.

The Knog PWR Rider attaches to the bars with a rubber strap, which is adequate to support its 114g weight. Charge level is indicated via four red LEDs on the top of the light. There’s also a shield built into the light’s top edge, to stop you dazzling yourself, whilst still providing side illumination.

There’s plenty of light output in the highest 450 lumen constant mode to ride steadily on unlit roads, or a bit faster if there’s street lighting. The beam is elliptical, so you can point the light down a bit, get wide coverage to make turns safely and avoid dazzling oncoming vehicles. The front lens has a round depression in its centre, which I found tended to accumulate dirt. It’s pretty easy to clean, but I did have to wipe it out occasionally to keep output at its best.

The Knog PWR Rider comes with six preset constant and flashing lighting modes, ranging down to 50 lumens, with run times up to 16 hours constant and 90 hours flashing. Pressing the on/off button switches the unit on and cycles through these modes. There’s a mode memory so that the light starts in the mode you left it on, once you switch it back on again.

But you can also use Knog’s ModeMaker app to set up your own lighting preferences and drop ones which you won’t use. Knog includes some whacky flash patterns. Configuration is via an intuitive drag and drop interface. It’s useful if, for example, you’re planning to go off road and only want a high and a low beam option.

Knog PWR Road and PWR Trail additional features

Step up to the Knog PWR Road and Trail lights and, although the cylindrical design is superficially similar, you get some nice additional features. The lights' diameter increases too.

As well as the larger battery, for longer run time, more light and more charging power, the USB port is concealed behind the light’s replaceable head unit. At max output, the Knog PWR Road will run for 2.3 hours, while the Eco Flash mode runs for 195 hours. For the Knog PWR Trail, the equivalent figures are two hours and a whopping 300 hours.

Again, there are configurable output patterns as well as the six standard modes. Swapping between modes is by twisting the head unit. It’s a nice, easy way to switch between lighting modes, which works well even when wearing gloves. It also needs to be twisted, while pushing the on/off button to switch the light on and off. In the PWR Trail, this ring is knurled, which helps with grip too.

Battery level is indicated in all the PWR lights via four red LEDs on the side of the unit. You can use these to check how much juice you have left, even when the light is not switched on, by twisting the lighthead or just by moving the light around.

The removable lightheads can be paired with other power banks, which you can buy separately, for even more off-grid run time, if you’re heading out into the unknown. Knog’s largest power bank stores 10,000mAh of power.

>>> The best front and rear lights tested

The PWR Road and Trail lights get a more sophisticated hard plastic mount, which tightens onto the bars with a cam lever. The mount slips into a groove in the side of the light unit and is tightened in place with a thumbwheel, so you get a secure connection. The mount is also designed to position the light over or under the stem, so that it takes up less bar space.

Unlike the Knog PWR Rider, the lightheads have flat lenses, which stay clean. But instead, there’s a tendency for the groove to mount the light to get mucky.

The new CatEye Sync range is the next step in bike lights where three units are connected together wirelessly so that when one is switched on, the others light up too.

Equally, when a mode is changed or the lights are to be turned off, one press of a button on one unit will change all the lights too.

>>> Best front and rear lights this winter

It may sound like something we don't need but spending much of this winter using the new CatEye Sync, it completely makes sense and does indeed make commuting easier, especially if like me, you have a train journey in between and don't want to faff with three lights if you are in a rush.

The CatEye Sync system works via your smartphone in conjunction with CatEye's companion app. Simply switching on each light whilst the app is running will allow your phone to discover and pair all three lights; Core, Kinetic and Wearable. Seven lights in total can be paired with one smartphone.

Once connected you'll be able to switch the lights on and off via the app, change modes and see how much battery life each unit has remaining. I didn't think I'd use the phone to switch the lights on or off but seeing that all are active on screen is a reassuring feeling, I don't have to faff with any light buttons - it isn't always easy to see that both rear lights are active, especially during the day.

Not only are the lights technically cool, they have some nice details with each unit offering a number of aspects for better visibility from other road users.

Firstly the rear Kinetic has an inbuilt accelerometer, which automatically turns on high mode when it detects a deceleration. This is very bright at 50 lumens and works very well to attract attention of road users behind.

The front light, which is 500 lumens, has extended side illumination for added 'be seen' credentials. It has five light modes and seems to super bright during night time commuting. I've been especially impressed by its quality build and the Daytime HyperConstant mode.

The Wearable is a nice addition too. It is a small light but still knocks out 40 lumens. Its shape lends itself to be seen from the side also and placed on the back; clipped to a pocket or bag, gives you some extra peace of mind that you'll be seen.

The down side to that light is the battery life and much of that could be said for the rest of the range, which all need a charge after a couple of commutes. Although, the quality, usability and functionality of the lights far outweigh this small issue. These lights are great and give me great assurance I'll be a little safer on my way home.

Bontrager has, for a long time, made some seriously impressive bike lights, but now with the Bontrager Flare RT it has shrunken the design and increased the performance. The small unit is a treasure of smart technology, earning this little light a spot on our Editor's Choice list.

Despite its small size, the Bontrager Flare RT rear light manages to pack a punch thanks to the amount of technology packed inside the tiny unit.

For starters, the bike light has five different modes that riders can use, each one varying in intensity anywhere from 5, 25, 45 and 90 lumens.

At first, I found that the Bontrager Flare RT wasn't as bright as the old Bontrager Flare, a light I really rated. However, it turns out the Flare RT's in-built ambient light sensor was auto-adjusting the lumen output depending on my light conditions.

You can actually turn this feature off by holding the power button for 8 seconds when the light is turned off. The light will flash and when you turn it back on you'll find the old Flare's reassuringly bright output returned. I tend to only do this if I'm commuting home at night when I prefer the re-assuring brightness of the un-adjusted rear light – I like to think of it as turbo-charging the light.

However, if I'm riding in the daytime, I'm happy to let the light do its own thing. It's worth bearing in mind that the ambient sensor is also a battery saving feature and running the light full blast will drain it faster. A small flashing LED lets you know how much you have left.

It is possible to get a little lost in the array of modes, but you can 'lock' in the one you want, meaning next time you start up the light, the same mode is used automatically. Simply put the light in the desired mode and then hold the power button for eight seconds to lock it in.

The light also has smart connectivity to Garmin Edge devices, and I currently have mine setup so that it turns on or off when I turn my Garmin Edge 820 on or off. I also have a data screen showing the light's battery level.

I've found the Bontrager Flare RT to be a reliable winter bike light, riding through sopping wet roads and pouring rain has done nothing to dampen its spirits. The micro-usb charging flap is impressively well sealed, although it does sit on the bottom of the unit facing the wheel spray.

I'm also pleased to see that Bontrager has improved the light's mount which on the last Flare broke quite easily. Now the light comes with a sliding plate design and rubber strap, although it's better suited to standard seat posts over aero ones.

All of this inside a unit that weighs just 33g, strap and all. Pretty good going by our books.

The British light brand has been producing some great product over the years and has become a go-to brand for anyone after powerful, well machined lights – a lot like the Exposure Blaze MK2 DayBright.

>>> Best front and rear lights this winter

Exposure says this light is great for a number of disciplines and users. Commuting, road cycling and time trials it says, offering six different burn times along with side illumination for added be-seen touches.

To access those six different burn modes or to access the REAKT or Peloton function is quite complicated, so much so I needed to read and watch the Exposure Explain videos to help me through it. REAKT is a motion sensor that adapts the light to the conditions and speed, acting as a brake light when you slow down – which is amazing by the way – and Peloton is a low-level mode for when riding in a group.

Basically it comes down to how many flashes you get when holding down the function button when the light is switched off. One flash program one (high with DayBright), two flashes program two (medium) and so on. Program one contains the DayBright function and program four activates the REAKT function described above. To access the Peloton mode you need five flashes.

Make sure you read up on which program offers what mode for total piece of mind and try not stare into the light whilst doing it (I'm writing this with a few spots in my vision).

The DayBright function is amazing. I've used this light for my commutes into work and found that it totally helps counteract the effect of a low sun and seems to aid drivers when almost blinded by sunlight, which can make you as a rider almost invisible.

The lower modes still offer plenty of power for a rear light and at night I can often see the rear light in my peripherals, again giving me peace of mind that I should be noticed.

The Exposure Blaze MK2 DayBright unit isn't the best looking unit on the market and I wouldn't say it was sleek, but it does feel well built and the mount feels secure. Depending on what bike you ride the mount can be fairly limiting and although I found it did fit most bikes, with aggressive aero seatposts the mount tended to sit to one side rather than directly behind.

The Exposure Blaze MK2 DayBright weighs in at 77g which is fairly heavy for a light; it will fully charge in three hours which is excellent considering you could get up to 48 hours of run time with this light and it is durable enough to stand the test of time. That all goes some way towards making the £90 outlay worth it.

Knog’s light designs usually come with a twist. In the case of the new Knog Plus wearable lights, that’s literally true.

The long, skinny profile of the Knog Plus lights is similar to quite a few other “be seen” type lights. It sits conveniently in line with the bars and the seatpost, so it’s unobtrusive. In the case of the Knog Plus lights, attachment is via a rubber strap which hooks over a clip at one end of the light unit. The light comes with two straps to suit different diameter fixing points.

So far, so conventional. But a twist of the light unit divides it in two, separating the light itself from its mount. The detached light has a USB plug built into the end of its USB array. And there’s a groove between the light and its battery, allowing you to use the Knog Plus as a wearable, clipped over a pocket or pack strap.

The two part design means that you can also leave the mount in place on a bike but remove the light for charging and security. The whole is held together by a strong magnet, so the light just clips back into the mount when you’re ready to roll again.

On to the lights themselves. There’s an arms race in lighting, with headline rear light outputs of well over 100 lumens for the most powerful units. The Knog Plus: just 40 lumens. But for a to-be-seen light, that’s plenty in most situations and the chip on board lighting tech used means that there’s a larger illuminated area than with a smaller number of brighter LEDs, so the Knog Plus is still quite noticeable. There’s pretty good side-on visibility too from the convex lens.

>>> Daytime running lights: should you be running them?

Run time is also good for such a small unit weighing just 18g with its mount and strap. In constant mode you get around 2 hours. But there are five modes in total, with run times extending up to 40 hours. Some of the flashing modes, like the strobe option make more efficient use of the battery than always-on and are much more eye catching too.

The only problem I had with the design, particularly when mounting the rear light on the seatpost, is that there’s a slot in the side of the unit and a hole in the top of the mount. In the usual rear wheel spray from damp roads, these soon accumulate muck, as does the groove between the light unit and the mount.

Wear the light and it’s less of an issue though, as there are fewer crannies and you can slip it over a rear pocket off centre to avoid spray. It feels pretty secure worn, with a robust clip and the bulk of the unit within the pocket. It’s IP67 rated for water resistance, so ingress into the light’s workings isn’t an issue.

>>> Best front and rear lights for 2018/19

Knog quotes a recharge time of 4 hours, but we managed 3 hours from flat. That’s quite long, but if you are selective with your lighting mode you’re unlikely to need to recharge every day. If you’re using a Macbook Air, it’s also worth noting that the magnet built into the light unit can cause the computer screen to turn off, unless you use a USB extension cable.

But overall, the Knog Plus lights provide a versatile, compact, lightweight option to get you noticed when you’re out riding by day or by night. A front and rear pack costs £31.99 and you can buy separate front and rear units for £17.99 each.

While it may look like an ion cannon in miniature, this is actually the UltraTorch 500lm Headlight from Oxford Products. The UltraTorch is Oxford’s mid-level ‘be seen’ front light, that comes with four modes, a rechargeable battery and a Cree T6 LED.

>>> Best front and rear road bikes lights

At £39.99, the UltraTorch may not be the cheapest light on the market (larger lumen output lights costing more of course), but it’s far from the most expensive. For the price you get a sturdy bit of kit, but not a pretty accessory due to its utilitarian design.

The 500lumens put out by the UltraTorch do more than enough to keep you visible on the lit streets and even puts out a decent amount of glow if you happen to find yourself on an unlit detour.

Twinned with a nifty rim of light around the edges of the unit, Oxford has clearly thought about keeping riders seen from all sides. The UltraTorch does feel a sturdy and reliable if a little on the heavy side.

It comes with a flimsy plastic holster that is fitted to the bars with a rubber strap.

When taking some of Britain’s more weathered roads, the UltraTorch did not fare too well with potholes and rough surfaces, the light often moving in its plastic unit and offering some unwanted strobe effects from the light ahead.

The battery life varies hugely, depending on the mode – high constant one and a half hours, medium three hours, low six hours and flash 12 hours.

A 90-minute run time for high constant may fall a little short of the mark, particularly if you’re commuting in the dark both ways.

However, the UltraTorch has a battery test mode and a red light will alert you when you need a recharge – a handy feature that will give you plenty of warning before you’re left in the dark.

It’s also micro USB rechargeable – a welcome addition as more and more reusable electrical goods are coming with the micro USB charging ports and cables.

Light brand Beryl – formerly Blaze – is better known for its partnership with the London hire bikes (Santander Cycles) that are equipped with the futuristic Laserlight that beams a bike symbol onto the road in front of you to help catch drivers' eyes before you're even in their field of vision. Its latest offering comes in the form of the Pixel, which is more of a safety light to help you be seen rather than to see with.

>>> Best front and rear lights for autumn and winter

The Beryl Pixel weighs in at 18g, is only 48mm by 32mm and certainly goes unnoticed on the bike when not in use.

The USP of the Beryl Pixel is not its size though – it's that it's two lights in one and can be used as a front or rear light. Which makes the Pixel a great back-up light or an enhancement to the rear or front dependent on the scenario you are faced with on the commute.

OK so the lights are not kicking out a huge amount of lumens and won't let you pick out potholes on a country lane, but there are uses for lights like these. For example, they're ideal if you're riding back from a midweek evening race or a later-than-planned-day at the office.

There have been plenty of times riding back from Herne Hill Velodrome, Crystal Palace or Hillingdon where these would have been easy to keep in my small rucksack and quick to stick on my bike for when it starts to get dark.

The mount for the light is made from a robust plastic that locks the light into place. This mount is a clip so can be attached to a bag or pocket if need be. The kit comes with a rubber band, again sturdy, which can wrap around bars or seatposts. It's even comfortable on some aero-shaped bars and posts too. There's also a Velcro strap so you can attach it to a helmet.

The Beryl Pixel has four modes: two red and two white, both of which have 'heart beat pulse' and constant. It'll fully charge in an hour and a half and should give you up to 10 hours' burn time.

This is a great little light to get you home and the price feels reasonable at £19.99 (per unit).

The Light & Motion Urban 1000 is a very compact front light that has great safety features that'll suit many types of commutes and commuters.

>>> Best front and rear lights

Costing well under £100, though still fairly expensive for only a front light, the Light & Motion Urban 1000 sits at the top end of lights available for road riding. Of course you can get more expensive lights but those are designed for off-road or pure unlit road riding in the country.

So if your rides consist of a good mix of lit and unlit rides read on, as this Light & Motion Urban 1000 should be top of your list.

One of the key features of the Urban 1000 is, you guessed it, the 1000 lumen max output which will see you for a good 1.5 hours. This will be plenty of power to see you through the darkest of lanes if your ride takes you that way. The beam has a good focused point and floods out nicely to help see some periphery bits of road.

Heading out of the dark lanes into the city you'll have three other choices of light modes. Medium, which is 500 lumens, low which is 250 and pulse mode. That pulse mode lasts a staggering 12 hours and pulses between 250 and 500 lumens and emits a burst of 1,000 lumens every seven to eight seconds. This is designed not only to help you to be seen but helps other road users' depth perception enabling them to better gauge how far away or how close you are.

It really does work well and it's something I'll use in town all the time.

The Light & Motion Urban 1000 also has two side indicators so that you can be easily spotted side on. I wasn't sure how effective two small dots on either side are but anything that improves an otherwise dark spot is good in my eyes.

Overall the unit is compact and relatively lightweight at 121g. It'll take up to six hours to fully charge via its micro USB charger underneath the light. This is a little fiddly and awkward to get to with the mount predominately fixed on.

The mount itself is also a little fiddly: the tough rubber strap doesn't stretch and is awkward to get into place, especially on aero handlebars. It isn't very quick release either. However, the mount does swivel, so it can be placed at multiple points.

The Exposure Sirius Mk7 DayBright is the latest edition of the long standing and very well received Sirius road and commuting light but it's now more feature packed than ever, pumping out a whopping 750 lumens.

Holding the bike light, you can immediately feel the machined quality of the lightweight metal body. Its design is long and sleek and it weighs 86g so it doesn't feel bulky or cumbersome on the handlebars of your bike.

The Exposure Sirius Mk7 DayBright is the most technologically advanced light I've used, offering a boggling array of modes. A laser-etched box on the body of the light details the settings and run times; there are seven setting in total. Each setting operates the light in a different way whilst the mode determines how bright it is; either high, medium or low. Inside the laser-etched box is the battery runtime of each mode.

To access each mode hold down the button on the back of the light until it flashes three times. It will then flash, with each flash indicating the mode. Release the button on whichever mode you would like and it will then be remembered, including if the light runs out of battery or turns off.

Watch: Top six new cycling computers of 2018

It also has Exposure's 'DayBright' technology that outputs a series of flashes and pulses designed to alert drivers in the day time, it's accessible via the first setting.

I found it complicated to get my head around and you could argue a bike light doesn't need so many settings. To properly get to grips with it I'd recommend spending half and hour with the light and going to the Exposure website and watching their tutorial videos.

Once you've mastered the dazzling array of modes you have a light that you can accurately programme to your riding needs depending on the length of time you'll be riding.

The light comes with a standard plastic mount which attaches to the bars of the bike via a rubber strap. The light sits in the holder securely, although it can still forward and back. It is a simple mount but testing in the past has showed it is robust to last a decent enough time and if it does break, it'll easily be replaced.

Using a proprietary charging cable it takes four hours to charge the light completely, either from the mains or USB, which is also very good.

The Lezyne Strip Drive Pro is the company’s highest output rear light. In its brightest daytime flashing mode, it’s good for 300 lumens. Lezyne quotes a three hour run time, which is about right; the light steps down to a lower output flashing mode before it expires.

But that’s not the only trick from the Strip Drive Pro, which has a total of 11 different output modes. There are three constant modes, giving up to a claimed 14.5 hours run time, six flashing modes and two daytime flashing modes. Even the less powerful day flash pushes out 150 lumens for a claimed 4.5 hours.

Lezyne has also gone for a flashing sequence with two lower intensity flashes followed by a single 300 lumen pulse, so there’s even less excuse for not seeing you ahead.

Fortunately, there’s a mode memory, so the light switches on to whatever mode you last set, so there’s no need to scroll through all the options to get back to your preferred output setting.

>>> Best front and rear road bike lights reviewed

The Strip Drive Pro has an elongated profile, so it will fit flush with the back of your seatpost, and it shouldn’t add too much drag. It’s held in position by two flexible rubber wings and a chunky rubber band which can cope with different seatpost diameters. This works with both round and flat backed and pointed aero seatposts, although there’s a tendency to end up not pointing directly backwards on a kammtail aero post with a flat rear face.

Side visibility from the five LEDs is good too. The lens wraps around enough that you can see the light at well over 90 degrees to the direction of travel.

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Charging uses a built in USB plug under a rubber bung at the base, so there’s no need for an extra cable. But the positioning can be a bit awkward with some laptop and computer USB sockets, where you may find that the chunky body gets in the way. Recharge takes around 2.5 hours.

The Cateye Rapid X3 is Cateye’s top-of-the-range rear light, pushing out 150 lumens on its top power setting. It achieves this using twin arrays of chip on board (COB) LEDs.

COB is the latest LED tech, where the light-emitting LEDs form part of the chip rather than being separate components soldered into the circuit. Although the power of each LED is less, COB can achieve much higher LED densities resulting in a larger array for a given output.

Like other high-intensity rear lights, the Cateye Rapid X3 is a strip-shaped unit, attached to the back of your seatpost by a rubber band that hooks over a protuberance on either side of the light’s body. Side wings keep the unit pointing in the right direction and allow it to fit on aero or round seatposts.

>>> Best front and rear lights reviewed 2018

The Cateye Rapid X3 is essentially two lights in one body, each with its own on/off/mode switch. This gives you a lot of lighting options: for example, you can have one constant high intensity and one flashing LED array. With six different modes for each array, there are endless different combinations.

All the LEDs in each array flash simultaneously, giving a large area of illumination. There’s evidence that drivers find it easier to range a constant than a flashing light, so the option to have both is also a plus.

The highest 150 lumen output of the Cateye Rapid X3 is only achieved in the highest output constant mode. This reduces run time to just one hour. The four flashing modes produce fewer lumens: two at 30 lumens, one at 20 and the highest intensity rapid flash 50 lumens, but nevertheless are bright enough to be easily visible even in bright sunlight. There’s also a low intensity constant mode of 20 lumens with five hours run time.

Charging takes around three hours, with a USB cable plugging into a socket on the top of the unit, under a rubber bung. There is a mode memory function, so both lighting arrays will start in the mode which was last used.

You get a low battery indicator – not so useful when you’re riding the bike. But the unit also switches to a power-saving flashing mode when it starts to run down. With a claimed run time when fully charged of 30 hours, even with a depleted battery this should be more than enough to get you home – we reckoned it ran for over two hours after switching from the high intensity constant mode, which itself managed more than the headline one-hour burn.

>>> Daytime running lights: should you be using them?

Run time for flashing modes varies between 8 and 30 hours, so battery life isn’t an issue. Although the headline flashing output isn’t as great as some other rear lights, the large array and option to mix it with other modes makes for a very noticeable rear light.

The translucent casing means that the Cateye Rapid X3 has good side-on illumination too, with the light visible from all angles not shaded by the seatpost. It’s a clever unit that punches above its headline outputs.

The Knog Blinder R70 pushes out 70 lumens of illumination on its peak setting. It’s another long, thin unit which sits flush behind your seatpost. Knog packages the Blinder R70 with three different rubber straps, to fit both standard and aero seatposts.

The strap of the Blinder R70 comes with a plastic insert that helps to hook it to the unit more easily. It gives you something to hold onto when taking the light on and off the bike.

>>> Tips for cycling and training in the dark

At the far end of the strap’s attachment is a built-in USB plug, which forms a sealed-in part of the unit. This makes charging very easy, as there is no separate bung to take off and potentially lose. But you may find that you need to use the supplied lead to plug the unit into a computer’s USB port, as the light is quite large and potentially an awkward shape to plug in directly.

The Blinder R70 uses four LEDs to provide illumination. The bottom one is brighter, with a larger lens and is positioned so that it shines more along the direction of travel than the three top ones.

All the lenses are slightly recessed into the unit. Knog says that the largest is collimated, to limit dispersion of the high intensity beam and ensure that it’s visible for a longer distance behind – it claims over 1km. But there’s a red translucent strip around the side of the housing, which means that there’s plenty of side illumination too.

>>> Best front and rear bike lights reviewed

There are five lighting modes: a full power constant with a claimed 3.5 hour run time and a less bright constant mode called peloton, which just illuminates two of the smaller LEDs and should give you around 13 hours run time.

The three flashing modes start with a bright fast flash with 4 hours burn time. There’s a second mode with 5 hours run and an Eco Flash mode which should be good for 20 hours. There’s also a storage mode which stops you turning the light on accidentally. But you need to plug it into a USB port to reactivate the light.

>>> Daytime running lights: should you be using them?

In use, the Knog Blinder R70 is reassuringly bright and its flash patterns noticeable even in bright sunlight. It’s designed so that its brightness won’t diminish over its run time either.

So although its headline lumen figure isn’t as eye-catching as some other daytime running rear lights, the Knog Blinder R70 is a nice option for rearward visibility that’s also long lasting in lower power output modes.

There’s always been a bit of an arms race in the front-light arena. Now that seems to have spread to rear lights, with the Lezyne KTV Drive Pro upping the game for Lezyne.

Although it’s not the company’s most powerful rear light – that honour goes to the 300-lumen Strip Drive Pro – the Lezyne KTV Drive Pro pushes out quite an eyeful of rear illumination on its 75-lumen daytime flash mode. It’s also surprisingly efficient for what’s quite a small unit, with a quoted run time in this mode of seven hours.

Go for the 20-lumen Blast constant mode and you’ll get around three hours. There’s also a three-lumen Economy constant mode with 13 hours' run time and two other flashing modes, also giving you up to 13 hours' run time. Recharge time is about three hours in a standard USB port.

>>> 19 best front and rear lights reviewed

The shape of the Lezyne KTV Drive Pro is like the lower output KTV Drive lights, so it attaches with a rubber band mount to your seatpost with the two flexible rubber wings on the rear ensuring that it will work with aero seatposts as well as round profiles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZOr-A34xGc

And also like the other KTV Drive lights, the Lezyne KTV Drive Pro recharges with an integrated USB plug under a rubber bung in its base, so there’s no need for a separate charging cable. This does make fitting into a computer’s USB port a bit fiddly on some machines though and may make it difficult to plug anything else, like a front light, into adjacent ports at the same time.

>>> Highlights of Lezyne's 2018 light range

The lens of the Lezyne KTV Drive Pro is designed to give good side-on visibility and you get quite a bit of illumination at angles well over 90° – an important consideration when riding in traffic.

This year, the Lezyne KTV Drive commuter lightset has been redesigned, with a new format. This makes the front light more of a conventional shape than its predecessor, with a rubber band mount on the bottom of the unit attaching it to the bars.

The new format means that the light takes up a bit of bar space, although the light is still very compact. Maximum output is 70 lumens, with a claimed runtime of 1.5 hours. Drop down to 15 lumens constant output and you should get up to 5 hours run time.

There are also three flashing modes: a new high intensity 180 lumen daytime flash mode gives you 5 hours claimed run time, which can be extended up to 12 hours on the most economical flash. There’s some sideways visibility, with windows in the side of the lens.

>>> 19 best front and rear lights reviewed

Recharge takes around 3 hours. There’s a USB plug under the substantial rubber bung at the rear of the unit. Because of its position, it’s slightly awkward to fit the USB plug into some laptops’s USB ports and I found that I couldn’t fit the front and rear lamps into adjacent ports, as the light units are too large. Because the bungs are separate from the light units, there’s also the risk of losing these.

Lezyne KTV Drive rear light

The rear light has a vertical seatpost mounting position, fixed in place by a rubber strap. There are two flexible rubber guides to make sure that it stays in place and continues to point rearwards.

Maximum output is 10 lumens, with a 3 hour run time constant, there’s a lower output constant mode, two flashing modes and a 10 lumen pulsed mode, where the lamp is always on, but with intermittent higher intensity flashes. Lezyne says that this last mode, new in its lights this year, helps make the light more noticeable to other road users.

If you’re worried about rear visibility, Lezyne also now sells a high output KTV Drive Pro, as well as its Laser Drive, and there’s a version, not sold in the UK, which complies with German lighting regulations too.

For a bit of variety from plain black, the Lezyne KTV Drive is now available with its plastic body in white, red or blue as well.

The Blinder range keeps expanding, with Knog also making a larger format light set with a similar shape and profile to the Knog Blinder Mini light set we have here, which gives you a good level of “to be seen” lighting in a compact format.

The Knog Blinder Mini Niner variant has nine LEDs within the casing, but there’s also the Chippy which uses Chip On Board tech and the Dot which has a single more powerful LED. All are priced at £45.99 a pair, with the front emitting 20 lumens and the rear 11 lumens in each case.

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You get five lighting modes from the Knog Blinder Mini: constant, fast flash, slow flash, long flash with a short flash afterwards and a rather weird decaying flash. The non-constant flash modes are designed to draw the eye more – it’s been found that motorists have got used to consistently repeating flashes and don’t notice them as much.

The lighting mode is controlled by a small switch on top of the unit. It’s easy to operate and toggles between the five lighting modes. There’s a mode memory, so you switch on in the same mode as you last switched off.

>>> Tips for cycling and training in the dark (video)

Although 20 lumens doesn’t sound like a lot, it’s quite an eyeful and there’s no excuse for drivers not to see you. There’s reasonable side-on visibility too, although the lenses are quite flat.

Attachment to the bike is via a chunky rubber band – Knog supplies different length ones with the lights to suit different size bars and seatposts. There’s a clip at one end, which helps secure the light and makes it easier to get on and off, although lifting this tightens the band rather than loosening it. The lights are fully waterproof.

The Knog Blinder Mini lights are rechargeable. There’s a built-in USB plug built into one side of the casing which fits flush against the bars or seatpost when the lights are in use. It’s weatherproof, so it doesn’t need a cap.

>>> 18 best front and rear bike lights reviewed

The USB plug is neat, but can be difficult to fit into some computers – you may need to decide whether you want to recharge your front or your rear light if you can’t fit the two lights side by side into your USB ports. There’s a small LED behind the charger that changes from red to green once fully charged.

Battery life is pretty good for such a small unit: between around 2 hours and 10 hours dependent on mode. There’s a low battery light built into the lens – in practice, this is difficult to see when riding. It takes a couple of hours to fully recharge.

With close passes a persistent problem, the Lezyne Laser Drive is designed to improve visibility and encourage a safer passing distance. As well as a standard rear light, the unit emits two beams of light along the road surface. Angled slightly outwards from the bike, they are designed to increase the chances of drivers noticing the rider and encourage them to pass at a wider distance.

The Lezyne Laser Drive also comes with a range of no less than nine different light modes, three constant with up to 40 lumens output and five flashing with the brightest giving a 250 lumen pulse.

Pressing the top-mounted button toggles through the modes, but the light turns on in the mode which you last used, which is helpful as most of us won't alter this often between rides. You can also set the laser guides to constant, flashing or off.

Lezyne is building pseudorandom pulsed modes into its lights this year. The inconsistent pulse has been found to draw attention better than a consistent blinking pattern. There’s certainly no excuse for a SMIDSY with the Lezyne Laser Drive’s higher output flash modes.

The lens extends quite far around the body, which provides 180° visibility, too.

>>> 15 best front and rear lights reviewed

To blast out so much light, the Lezyne Laser Drive uses four LEDs. It’s quite a heavy, large unit for a rear light, to accommodate all that functionality and the battery to drive it. Quoted run times vary between 2.5 hours and over 17 hours depending upon the mode used.

Seatpost attachment is via a rubber band, with two flexible rubber guides on the back of the light helping to keep it in place, even on aero seatposts. It’s also designed to take account of the angle of the seatpost, so that the light unit shines more or less horizontally and the laser guides shine onto the road surface.

Recharging is via a concealed USB port, covered by a rubber bung. It’s reasonably sealed against water ingress and tucked away against the seatpost at the top of the unit too, adding to its protection. Lezyne says that the unit is fully waterproof.

The price, at £57.99, is admittedly higher than most on the market, but the unique lasers mean this option is set well apart from the competition.