Front light

Putting its cards on the table from the outset, the Electron Terra 3 front light is described as an off-road light. The previous range-topper, the Terra 2, is still available and - confusingly - is a rather different beast with a separate battery pack and two individual light units. On test here, the Terra 3, an all-in-one light with three Cree XP-G R5 LEDs giving a claimed 800 lumens on high-power.

The Blackburn Flea Solar 2.0 4 LED USB front light is perfect for touring and audax since it can be charged using the sun's energy - but has a USB option, an absolute godsend in dwindling daylight. However, despite these gizmos it's starting to feel dated, dare I say impotent alongside the latest generation of eighty lumen plus rivals.

We tested the Supernova E3 Pro last year and it received high praise. Supernova isn't a company to rest on its laurels though, and the new version of the Supernova E3 Pro 2 dynamo front light is even better. If you want a fit-and-forget light for your everyday bike, this is about as good as it gets.

The BBB Strike 500 front light is a torch type headlight; with 500 lumens it enables you to see as well as be seen. How does it compare to others of similar rating?

The Lezyne Mini drive XL is the big daddy in the brand's chic rechargeable commuter family - capable of belting out 200 lumens-nice for whistling home, while three lower settings (enduro, economy & flash) conserve power for when it's really needed.

The Omni 5 is a brand new front light from Cateye and offers a near full 180 degree range of visibility making it a a very good commuting light in its own right or as an emergency backup light to a brighter main beam.

Inside the new lens are five LEDs and the light they produce is reflected through prisms carefully placed to split their beams. This ensures there is a healthy amount of light reflected sideways as well as straight ahead, and really seems to work.

A good light is vital for commuting to work and evening training rides and the compact and keenly priced Moon X-Power 500 makes a very good argument for itself. It's plenty bright enough for all but the most demanding riders, and the beam pattern is a well rounded shape.

Based in glamorous Barnoldswick, Hope have been turning aluminium lumps into sparkly objects of desire for some years now. The Vision R4 is the latest in their established range of lights and belts out a hefty 1000 lumens from its tiny head unit.

Lumicycle's LED3Si is an excellent light that's impressive value for money. It's very similar to Lumicycle's flagship LED4Si road light but with just three emitters instead of four. Entirely unsurprisingly, that makes the claimed output three-quarters that of the 4Si at 850 lumens. Also unsurprising is that the battery lasts longer, with three hours on the highest-power mode.