LED cycle light
Hope Vision R4 LED Universal
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.
Fenix TK15 Head Light
The Fenix TK15 is the big brother of the PD31's I reviewed recently and offers the same standards of construction but with considerably greater oomph.
Another general-purpose lamp that doesn't fall into the jack-of-all-trades, master of none category, 337 lumens is genuinely impressive (albeit not as powerful as some ultra bright bike specific rechargeable systems) but the switch on mine seemed prone to accidental engagement and the otherwise sturdy nylon bracket works best on stems with rises between zero and ten degrees.
Supernova E3 Pro dynamo front light
Want to ride all night on a regular basis, or commute all year round? A dynamo means you never have to worry about battery levels, and fitting an E3 Pro will mean you don't have to worry about not having enough light either. It's a very well built unit with a great beam pattern that's more or less perfect for road cycling.
Fenix PD31 Front Light
The Fenix PD31 flashlight is one of those rugged designs for the great outdoors that happens to double as a really useful bike light. Fuelled by two little three-volt batteries, it'll pump out an impressive 304 lumens in turbo setting for about two hours but an aftermarket Li-on rechargeable type would be my choice, if used with any regularity.
Electron Micro 1W Front Light
Electron's Micro 1W light is a commuter light with, as the name implies, a single 1W LED. This puts it at the being seen rather than the seeing by end of the bike light spectrum, even so it does provide a degree of road illumination, as our light data shows; enough for badly lit urban streets.
Knog Boomer 1 LED Wearable Rear Light
The Knog Boomer Wearable is very similar at first glance to its big brother, the Boomer Rechargable, being a brash, bright LED illuminated rear light. But this is where the similarity ends, since for one thing, the Boomer Wearable is battery powered (using 2 AAAs), and if you're wondering about that name, it IS also wearable.
Exposure Diablo Mk 3 Front light - Helmet Kit
The Exposure Diablo is something of a hybrid light, borrowing elements from elsewhere in the Exposure range. It's essentially the triple Cree XPG R5 LED emitter array from the Toro and the 2600mAh battery from the Joystick. The slender barrel works with existing Joystick bar and helmet mounts, although slightly strangely only a helmet mount comes in the box – you'll need to buy an extra mount to use it on your bars, which is a better bet for the road.
Light & Motion Stella 150N Front Light
The Light and Motion Stella 150 N sits toward the lower end of Light and Motion's very successful Stella range. Starting with the 120 (denoting its output measured in Lumens) a few years ago, the range has now moved on to include a 300, and indeed a 600 Lumen light (well, actually the 600 is a pair of 300s supplied in a set).
Hope Vison 1 LED Front Light
Hope's Vision One is a self-contained wire-free light with a claimed output of 240 lumens from a single, large LED emitter. Hope's reputation is built on CNC machining things out of lumps of aluminium, so it's no surprise that that's exactly how the Vision One is made. It's rather nicely done, too, with a ridged outer surface, laser-etched logos and a choice of colours. It's quite large but not all that heavy, with a claimed weight of 110g (not including batteries).
Like-Bikes LED Handlebar End Safety Lights
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.
Singletrack MTB mag