Best Bike Lights 2021
Best Bike Lights 2021
We've gathered everything you need to get the best bike lights 2021. So you enjoy your rides through autumn and winter on and off the road. With the right light you will See and be seen. We've covered the recommended lumen output for the type of ride you are doing, we've even covered the legal lighting basics when riding on the road.
What lights are legal?
- It is illegal to cycle on a public road after dark without lights and reflectors.
- Legally you need a white light attached to the front of your bike and a red light attached to the rear. Both lights can be a flashing or stationary light.
- Flashing lights must be at a rate between 60 and 240 times per minute (1 – 4Hz).
- When in use, lights and reflectors must be clean and working correctly.
How Many Lumens Do I Need?
Bike lights are rated in Lumens. Commonly used for all kinds of bulbs. A Lumen is a measure of the total visible light emitted. Used to the old Watts measurements? Here's a quick guide is:
- 40 Watt Bulb = 450 Lumens
- 60 Watt Bulb = 800 Lumens
There is no fixed agreement on how many Lumens you need for a bike light. As it depends on the type of cycling you are doing. As a rough guide we say that:
- Daytime running lights. Visible in daylight = 100+ Lumens
- Urban commuting lights. Visible in town = 50 to 200 Lumens
- Rural riding lights to see where you are going = 400 to 600 Lumens
- Trail riding lights to see everything = 600+ Lumens
One thing to worth noting is that most lights advertise their headline rate. They may say they do 1000 lumens. But if you read the small print, they might only do that for an hour. The same light will probably work at 500 or 600 lumens for 2 or 3 hours. We advise buying a light with more lumens than your need for a decent run time.
You want a brighter front light than rear light. The power is needed to see where you are going. So a 500-lumen front light paired with a 100 lumen rear light is common.
Daytime Running Lights 100+ Lumen
Daytime running lights now come as standard on most cars. They're increasingly popular with road cyclists and commuters who want to improve their visibility. With most lights now coming with daytime modes. Bontrager has been one of the pioneers of the range and still stand out with the Flare rear light. Offering visibility from a whopping 2KM away. Intended for daytime use only, possibly being it's only negative. The Flare would make a great addition to a light set. Below are some of the standout daytime lights of 2021.
Urban Commuting Lights 50-200 Lumen
Getting you seen by other road users is what Urban lights are for. To make you stand out, it's a good idea to have more than one set of lights.
Cateye AMPP 400
Perfect for urban riding; the compact, lightweight AMPP 400 offers impressive functionality and visibility, securely held on your bars with the Flextight bracket. 220% larger side lens for a significantly wider beam. Enhanced side visibility coupled with daytime running for between 200 to 400 lumens for 6 hours this light ensures you're visible any time of the day.
Moon Nebula cycle light set
Both lights feature Memory mode which stores the last mode used, making it easier to set up for your ride quickly. Low battery indicator ensures you do not lose light mid-ride with a quick 2.5 hour recharge time. Day flash mode and side visibility ensure you're visible at all times from all angles. Four steady modes and four flashing modes, quick release. The Nebula achieves a maximum of 220 lumens for just over an hour at the front. One hundred lumens at the rear for just over an hour. With excellent side visibility, day flash mode and water resistance, quick 2.5 hour recharge time and multiple mounting options with quick release. The Moon Nebula is bursting with features perfect urban commuters.
Rural Riding Lights 400-600 Lumen
We said this last year, but it's true again the Moon Meteor-X Pro and Comet X set is an excellent choice for rural riding The Moon Meteor-X Pro is ready for anything from daylight to rural night-time riding. The Day flash mode and side visibility ensure you are visible to those around you. The powerful 600 Lumen with a run time of 2 hours. Means you can ride in a rural area and have enough visibility to ride safely. The Comet X with daylight modes and ability to run 25 Lumen in Flash mode for over 9 hours. Ensuring you are seen both during daylight hours and on rural roads.
Cateye AMPP 500
Uses the Opticube lens technology for supreme light distribution, to light the way ahead, whatever the terrain throws at you. Features include robust matt polycarbonate body with enhanced scratch resistance. The ability to run at 500 lumens plus for 1.5 hours. Large side lenses for coverage at all angles, making it great for rural night time riding.
Bontrager Ion Comp R and Flare R set
Use these day or night. The front light has a max output of 700 lumens. The rear light can is visible up tofrom 2KM away in daylight. This is a great choice to see and be seen.
Trail Riding Lights 600+ Lumen
If you are going to be riding off-road at night, then you want as much power as you can get. We have not included any Moon lights below. Moons new range off-road lights will be released in Autumn of 2021.
The Cateye AMPP 1900
This set gives you 2 headlights. The AMPP 1900 lights the way ahead, while the AMPP 800 on your helmet lights what you are looking at. This combines to make a seriously bright light set.
Bontrager Ion Pro RT and Flare RT
The set is a great compact option. The front light comes with a max output of 1300 lumens and the rear light is visible from 2km away.
Specialized Flux 800 Helmet Light and Flux 1250 Headlight
The Specialized Flux 800 Helmet Light and the Flux 1250 Headlight. Are both bright enough on their own for off-road use. Combined them for over 2000 lumens of lighting power.
