Light

At £40 and with two AA batteries kicking out 200 lumens for 7 hours the Niterider Mako 200 front light looks like it should be a cracking little light. Sadly the truth is that it's crude and underwhelming.

What we have here is quite a chunky commuter light in sturdy black plastic. The whole front end unscrews, no bolts or screws required, to reveal the batteries. That's neat and very easy to use, even in the dark with gloves on.

The Lezyne Macro Drive front light's versatility and construction quality make it very good value indeed. At this price, there aren't many other lights that can match it.

A sleek CNC machined housing holds a Cree LED providing a claimed maximum output of 300 lumen. The 18650 Li-ion battery is integrated into the housing eliminating the hassle of power cables and separate battery packs. All in (minus mount) weight is a very respectable 94g which, combined with the small form, makes for a very unobtrusive light once on the handlebars.

The Moon Meteor front light might only have half the output of the Moon XP500 we reviewed recently, but it punches well above its weight and costs half as much.

First impressions are that this is a very smart little light. It's dinky wee but looks purposeful and business-like. According to Moon it will kick out 200 lumens for 1 hour and 50 minutes, which is quite impressive for such a small unit.

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.

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.

For sale: Intrepid RC38 38mm aluminium clinchers.

Selling because need funds for new bike!