Here at road.cc, we advocate running lights on your bike(s) all year round. Why? Not because it’s solely our responsibility as cyclists to make ourselves seen, but we all know that not every driver is quite as astute as we’d like them to be. So running lights is just one way we can make ourselves that bit more visible when we’re forced to ‘share the road’ with other vehicles.
Beyond that, of course, summer is sadly drawing to a close, and soon the evening rides will require illumination of the battery-powered kind, rather than the sun. We have buyer’s guides-a-plenty to help you choose the best for your riding, but in this piece we wanted to focus on a single brand that’s really ‘shone’ (sorry) in recent years… Ravemen.
Who are Ravemen?
Ravemen is a brand that focuses on manufacturing bike lights suitable for all types of riding. From powerful beams that light the way for a well-lit mountain bike night ride, to keeping commuters safe and seen on the road, if you can think of it, Ravemen have probably made it.
Established in 2015, Ravemen have been at the forefront of bicycle lighting technology for a decade. They were the first to launch a bike light with USB output and LED runtime display, and have been awarded several accolades over the years by various media outlets – including ourselves in 2018.
Since then, Ravemen has stayed on top of technological developments in lighting, introducing the first tail light with a braking sensor, and the first light combining wireless control with car headlight-inspired ‘high-low’ beam designs.
The brand setup
Ravemen are headquartered in Shenzhen near Hong Kong, and due to they location, they have been able to build a dedicated in-house team for research and development as well as manufacturing.
Why is that beneficial? It means the team at Ravemen has close control over every part of the manufacturing process. From design to end product, changes can be made quickly and without lots of back and forth – a major benefit of being located in the far east, where much of the cycling industry’s electronic goods are manufactured anyway.
In the UK, the brand works with Bob Elliot Co Ltd, one of the leading cycling distributors in the country. From the Bob Elliot website, you can find independent retailers that sell Ravemen lights, among plenty of other cycling products.
A mission to enhance rider safety whilst remaining considerate of other road users
If you don’t know much about the way light works (which admittedly, I am not an expert on – apologies to my Year 7 Physics teacher for not paying close enough attention) it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking more lumens = better.
But for bike riders that use the roads, that’s not necessarily the case. Ravemen’s mission isn’t just to create super bright lights that blind anyone within a half mile radius – instead, the brand wants to integrate technologies that improve performance, usability and improve rider safety. But not at the detriment to other road users.
In plain terms, that means things like anti-glare optics, dual-beam headlights and high and low beam options. Thus, riders can choose what is most appropriate to their riding situation.
Currently, Ravemen lights are sold across almost 50 countries, and two of the most popular product lines are the K Series and FR Series.
Ravemen K Series lights
AI isn’t just being used to make weird images on the internet, it is actually being used for some useful applications too. And that’s exactly what Ravemen are using it for in the 1000, 1400 and 1800 lumen level K series lights – essentially it’s an AI-embedded chip and ambient light sensor that can adapt to rider habits and changing environments.
How? The K Series lights learn your riding patterns, and what light level is best for each situation. So if you’re riding the same route to work every day, the light adjusts its brightness to match your environment. Going through a tunnel? Light up. Out in the city in bright sunshine? Light tones down.
Prices range from £64.99 for the K1000 up to £99.99 for the most powerful K1800 – plus there’s also the K450 (£39.99) and K700 (£49.99) that come without the AI functions if you’d prefer.
Ravemen FR Series lights
The FR Series, on the other hand, is specifically designed as a daytime visibility collection of lights. Some are still bright enough to work as standalone lights but are designed primarily as more of ‘be seen’ options.
Using an ultra-wide COB LED lens as opposed to a more traditional single beam headlight, the FR Series lights can be tucked under a cycling computer mount to maximise handlebar space and declutter your bike’s cockpit.
The latest release, the FR500 offers the same covert design as the other FR Series lights, but with a brighter beam and the ability to use it safely during low-light scenarios.
Prices for the FR Series range from £44.99 to £74.99 for the new FR500.
What next for Ravemen?
Ravemen plenty of affordable and highly rated cycling lights on the market already, and interesting technology that helps the products stand out compared to other brands.
But what’s next? The company says it is looking at expanding its ecosystem and adding further products across a broader range of cycling accessories. So we can expect to see the Ravemen name on more than just lights in the near future.
For more information and to find a local bike shop that sells Ravemen lights, head to the Bob Elliot website.
