Trek Ion 100 R/Flare R City Bike Light Set

The Trek Ion 100 R/Flare R City Bike Light Set gets you two rugged, highly visible units designed to survive multiple winters of urban commuting, and they only tip the scales at 72g for the pair.

One of the best design features is the side visibility. Both lights have cutouts that allow light to bleed through the sides of the casing. This creates a much wider safety profile at junctions, ensuring you are visible to cross-traffic, not just vehicles directly in front or behind you. Controlling the lights is nice and easy, with a single button to turn on and cycle through the modes.

For such small lights, the punch they kick is impressive. The daytime flash mode is exceptionally bright even in direct sunlight at 100 lumen, and even then you can expect between nine and 10 hours of run time. This is perfect for a full week of short commutes on a single charge. It is worth noting, however, that while these are brilliant for daytime and well-lit urban environments, the front light is not enough for full darkness. If your route takes you onto unlit paths or lanes, the Ion 100 R doesn’t have the beam throw to illuminate the road ahead.

When the battery does run low, the top of the unit features a clear four-dot LED indicator to show exactly how much life is left.

Charging is handled via USB-C, and a full top-up from empty takes roughly two hours. There is a small rubber flap which covers the USB-C port, and the IP46 waterproof rating means they can easily withstand sprays of water and rain.

The included rubber mounts are simple and secure, allowing for quick attachment and removal from the handlebars or seatpost. Once the mounts are attached, you can take the lights off them by simply pressing a clip and sliding the lights out, which makes charging nice and easy.

However, the real strength is Blendr compatibility, which is Trek’s own integrated mount system. It means there are countless aftermarket mounts available which will tuck these lights neatly away under your computer, onto your helmet, or even onto your saddle rails.

You may struggle to mount the front light onto any aero bars, depending on their depths, so bear that in mind. You may be better off getting a Blendr compatible GoPro mount and mounting it under your bars.

Value

At £67.99 for the pair, this set is undeniably more expensive than some of the more budget alternatives, but they are fairly reasonably priced for the more premium category.

A slightly more beefy option is the Moon MX 2.4G (400lm) & Cerberus Link 2.4G (150lm) set, which features a front light built into an out-front computer mount. The lights connect with a wireless link, allowing control of both from one or the other. It’s a good idea, but I found them a little disappointing with random connection issues and confusing controls. These come in at £99.99.

On the cheaper side is the Infini Mini Luxo USB Front and Rear Lightset, though they’re not as bright at 50 lumen front and and 25 lumen rear. They are easy to attach to the bike, but the charging port is an increasingly old-fashioned micro USB. They are £45.

Overall

These Trek lights are really bright, nice and small, and compatible with Trek’s useful Blendr mounts. If you want a set-and-forget safety solution that is small enough to disappear on your bike but bright enough to demand attention, the Ion 100 R and Flare R City set is a great option.