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Best Front/Back lights to buy

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  • November 16, 2020 at 10:58 am #31270
    Emmab1973

    Hello, 

    I am currently struggling under the huge selection of road bike lights, I am looking to purchase new front/back lights for my other half. He is very much into cycling and currently has Cateye lights back and front. I know he’s looking for an upgrade so Xmas gift it is! I really know very little about this, I have researched Lezyne and Garmin Varia via reviews but they both seem to have so many pros and cons.

    I suppose the key for him would be lightness, I don’t think he would require one that has a camera fitted ( I am assuming the weight will be a lot more ) He isn’t a pro cyclist but it is his de-stress tool and works very well! He always rides alone, mainly in country lanes, so bright lights a must. He has completed Ride 24 Paris and Club des Cingles so he isn’t just a Saturday plodder like me. 

    Any help or guide in the right direction would be much appreciated! 

    Many thanks

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  • November 16, 2020 at 8:51 pm #973197
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    Grahamd
    Grub wrote:
    For a rear I’m a fan of a Moon Cerberus.

    For front lights, it’s worth considering if they are lights to see by or ‘just’ to be seen by.

    If it’s to see by (and obviously be seen by) then I’d recommend a Raveman PR1600 – great output, and run-time, can also be used as a power pack and has a wire-less remote for switching between modes and dipping/undipping. 

    If it’s more a running light, then there are a few good options that incorporate a computer mount (or can be mounted on on). Moon and Fabric for starters.

    +1 for Moon. I have 4, they are plenty bright enough and hold their charge for ages. 5 years on and they’re going strong.

    November 16, 2020 at 7:19 pm #973195
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    Richbeck

    +1 for Exposure lights I
    +1 for Exposure lights I commute on Sirius front and TraceR rear – if he’s trail riding then he’ll need something on the front with a higher output.

    November 16, 2020 at 5:10 pm #973193
    0
    Grub

    For a rear I’m a fan of a

    For a rear I’m a fan of a Moon Cerberus.

    For front lights, it’s worth considering if they are lights to see by or ‘just’ to be seen by.

    If it’s to see by (and obviously be seen by) then I’d recommend a Raveman PR1600 – great output, and run-time, can also be used as a power pack and has a wire-less remote for switching between modes and dipping/undipping. 

    If it’s more a running light, then there are a few good options that incorporate a computer mount (or can be mounted on on). Moon and Fabric for starters.

    November 16, 2020 at 4:48 pm #973191
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    Emmab1973

    Thank you all for the replies

    Thank you all for the replies, I really do appreciate it, there is certainly lots of tips to start Googling. He rides a couple of Trek Madones and goes between what I call summer/winter bike, he says one is safer in the winter?!

    He does like gadgets and goes by the saying buy on price, buy it twice so I’m happy to pay the price for the right item  

    He rides up to 150 miles over the weekend and for some bizarre reason hills are his things, I just want to buy him lights that will more than do the job but will also work when he wants to push himself on his challenges , like 3am Mount Ventoux last year it would be good to buy him something that will cover all eventualities if there is such a thing? 

     

     

     

    November 16, 2020 at 4:34 pm #973189
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    OnYerBike

    Garmin Varia should be

    Garmin Varia should be considered separately, as it’s really a unique product range. Some people swear by it, but if you just want a light then you’re paying a lot more for features that you won’t use.

    There are lots of good options out there. It depends a bit on your budget and use-case. If you’re riding through the night on unlit roads, you probably want something a bit different than if you just want it for a couple of hours on city/suburban roads.

    I currently use Exposure lights (Sirius front, TraceR rear) and they are good. They certainly feel very high quality and I have had no problems so far. However, they are expensive! Furthermore, the Sirius is probably the minimum brightness I would want for night riding on unlit roads, and doesn’t have a massive runtime on high brightness levels. So for regular, long night rides, I would look for something with longer runtimes, and maybe a slightly higher output. No complaints with the TraceR, beyond it seems to have quite a narrow beam where the majority of the light is directed.

    I also own a couple of small Lezyne lights which I used on my town bike for several years, again very happily. The ones I have (Zecto) are probable not suited for your use case, but as an indiation of Lezyne’s quality I had zero problems despite daily use in all weathers.

    November 16, 2020 at 4:28 pm #973187
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    Sriracha

    Maybe say what bike he rides
    Maybe say what bike he rides – those riding similar machines might be of a like mind when choosing what to attach to it! Also up to how long are his longest rides (time)? And does he need a light to see where he’s going, or just to be seen? And is he a sucker for tech stuff, like a light that responds to the ambient brightness or deceleration, or does he prefer straightforward and simple?

    Because there are a gazillion lights to choose from, and how do you decide? For example, I’m holding out until they start using USB-C charging ports instead of the irritating, annoying legacy micro-usb. But that’s me!

    November 16, 2020 at 4:23 pm #973185
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    Tom_77

    I have a Cateye Ampp 800 on

    I have a Cateye Ampp 800 on the front and a Moon Nebula on the rear if that’s any help.

    Also a Topside front/rear helmet light.

    November 16, 2020 at 3:26 pm #973183
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    Balthazar

    How thoughtful! There are so

    How thoughtful! There are so many good inexpensive lights available now, it’s hard to go wrong, at least functionally speaking. Consider whether he would prefer a powerful front light to light up the road (which will be a bit heavier), or something to be seen by (or even both). I alternate front lights, only fitting a powerful one when I know I’ll be riding in full darkness.

    As these are a gift, maybe consider also the slightly nicer (more expensive!) lights. I think Knog rear lights are a cut above most others in terms of design and aesthetics, and Exposure’s are very well made, all anodised aluminium which gets bikies excited, and as far as I know, work very well. Cateye’s and so on work great, but are a bit more pedestrian looking. 

    Als maybe surreptitiosly check if he uses a garmin or wahoo computer, and how it mounts to the bars. It’s quite possible there is a GoPro mount underneath it which some lights can attach to, keeping everything very neat.

    November 16, 2020 at 2:15 pm #973181
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    Simon E

    Front: I have a Lezyne 800xl

    Front: I have a Lezyne 800xl that I’m very happy with. Good beam spread, good run time, handlebar mount is a thick rubber band and it seems well put together. Charge via micro-USB socket on the back. It recently scored top in a Cycling Weekly guide FWIW.

    Rear: I really like Cateye’s rear lights. Their Rapid X series are very slim and lightweight and are USB rechargeable, they fit via a rubber band and seem like a very good option. I use a Lezyne Micro Drive, it’s a cylindrical shape and is bright enough but if I was buying again now I’d get something with greater surface area  like a Cateye Rapid X3 or Lezyne Zecto.

    Have you checked the road.cc reviews? Under Accessories, there are sections for front, rear and sets/pairs (F&R).

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