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review

Like-Bikes LED Handlebar End Safety Lights

7
£17.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Good-quality LED plugs for both drop and flat bars, providing useful additional visibility
Weight: 
40g
Contact: 
www.like-bikes.co.uk

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These CNCed bar plugs from Like-Bikes feature red LEDs for additional visibility in the dark and low light conditions and they work well.

Each light is held in place with a rubber expander in the middle. You twist the business end of the light so the expander is the right diameter, push it in place and that's job done. It takes seconds and holds secure.

Operation could hardly be easier. You press the cap and the two LEDs inside glow steady. Press again and they flash. Press a third time to turn them off. Simple.

The lit area is just 1.5cm across and the cap is a translucent cover rather than a lens, but these are still surprisingly noticeable. They're nowhere near as bright as a rear light -and you certainly wouldn't run these instead of a rear light, of course - but they're a useful extra.

If you fit these to a flat handlebar, you obviously add to your visibility from the side, which is particularly useful at junctions and around town. You do need to be careful when leaning your bike up against a wall, though, because the plastic cover which stands proud of the alloy surround isn't the toughest ever.

I've been using them on drop bars so they face backwards but they're barely ever in your field of vision when you're looking ahead. They're certainly not off-putting. Sometimes you obscure the visibility of the lights to traffic behind with your body but that's not a problem as long as you're treating these as an added bonus and not relying on them to get you seen.

Each light runs on two AG10 (389) batteries. The intensity started to dim after 16hrs in constant mode and I'd say the amount of light was useful for 20hrs. Replacement batteries are cheap. I found 10 for £1.50 online without looking too hard. Spend more on some half-decent ones and they'll last longer.

We did wonder whether rain would get inside because there's no sealing on the threads, but that didn't happen. We put them in the shower for an hour and a tiny amount of water got in but they carried on regardless - and bear in mind that the thread gets additional protection from your handlebar once fitted anyway. You might want to squeeze some silicone grease on there just to be on the safe side, or use some PTFE tape. Grease would make unscrewing the caps easier when it's time to change the batteries too; it can be tricky if you've done them up tight.

Although these are branded Gub, a Like-Bikes branded version is on the way.

Verdict

Good-quality LED plugs for both drop and flat bars, providing useful additional visibility

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Like-Bikes LED Handlebar End Safety Lights

Size tested: Black/Silver

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The distributor says, "One of the greatest bike safety inventions!

Easy install - Simply push these little lights in to the end of your handlebars. They sit flush.

Black CNC with red light (static and flashing).

Ideal for commuters, children and anyone else riding at night or in low light conditions."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

They're CNCed aluminium.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Not quite waterproof, but certainly highly water resistant. Getting the cap off to change the batteries can be a bit tricky if it's screwed down tight.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

These provide useful additional visibility.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

They're CNCed and should last a while. The plastic cap material isn't the toughest ever so you might need to be careful if you lean flat bars against walls.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

They're cheap given the additional safety they provide.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They do their job very well

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

They provide additional safety and they're decent quality; they don't look cheap 'n' nasty.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Getting them open can be tricky if you tighten the cap down hard.

Did you enjoy using the product? 'Enjoy' would be strong, but they work well

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, for flat bar urban riders in particular

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 190cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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