Your ultimate guide to bike lights for road cycling — see and be seen with our selection of the best for your bike

The Ravemen K1800 is a seriously punchy front light for riders who spend a lot of time in the dark. With a claimed 1,800 lumens on tap, it lights up lanes and trails with confidence, while the lower modes offer plenty of usable brightness and solid runtimes.

Seven modes, IPX7 waterproofing and a chunky, easy-to-hit power button make it user-friendly, and the wireless remote is a genuinely handy touch. The mount can be a bit fiddly and the unit gets hot, but the K1800 packs impressive power, features and value into a tough package.

The third generation of the Fly12 Sport from Aussie brand Cycliq is easy to use with quality footage and almost everything you’d want for an ‘incident capture’ camera. 

The light is slightly less powerful than the previous generation, but it’s still fine for road riding at 400 lumens, and this means the Fly12 Sport is now lighter and more compact than ever, at just 151g. 

Mounting above or below then handlebar, mounting is easy and operation is simple enough via three side buttons. It comes with a 64GB card for storing footage, and you can also take photos with the touch of a button as well as record your footage. 

The run-times and battery life aren’t outstanding, but if you want a camera to record your rides and capture any incidents, the Fly12 Sport is among the best out there currently. 

Ravemen’s CR450 is small, light and runs for a long time on the lower lumen setting and flashing/pulsing settings. It has a rather useful remote switch and you can even keep using it while it charges from a battery pack. 

It weighs in at just 105g, and the wired remote switch attaches to your handlebar with a rubber o-ring. While it’s certainly not the brightest light you can buy, for being seen this light is well worth it for the reasonable price, and is bright enough on high to see by on dark lanes. As mentioned already, it also has useful extra features, and it’s now been brought bang up to date with USB-C charging instead of micro-USB. 

If there were ever a jack-of-all-trades light, it would be the Exposure Joystick, and while there are cheaper options, we think it’s well worth the money. 

We’ve been reviewing Joysticks since at least 2012 when the Mk6 got 4.5/5 stars for its 325 lumens, £165 cost and three-hour run-time and at 98g. We’re up to Mk 18 now – slightly heavier at 105g, but it’s packing a much higher light output. This sort of inflation I like.

Overall, the Joystick is solid, rugged, beautifully made and performs brilliantly out on the trail or road, day or night.

The Giant Recon HL 350 is a brilliant front commuter light to ‘be seen’ while also delivering a decent level of brightness on its highest setting. The light really comes into its own in towns and suburbs but the full-power beam is sufficient to see even on dark roads if you end up going the long route on your commute home. 

It has three steady modes and two flashing ones all with good run times. Full power at 350 lumens lasts close to two hours, the lowest steady mode of 100 lumens lasts around 6 hours and flashing mode takes it up to about 12 hours. 

The Recon HL 350 is USB rechargeable, IPX7 waterproof and mounts to the bar with a straightforward strap. Side windows spill light for visibility at junctions too, all in a compact lightweight package. 

This head torch from Knog is feature-loaded, rechargeable and has plenty of features and functions.

Weighing just 88g, the Bilby is super comfortable to wear and easy to adjust. Our reviewer found he could sneak it on his forehead just below a helmet, although it’s important not to compromise your helmet’s position here. On the max 400 lumens output it should last you over five hours, although we found it could run for as long as nine hours. 

The ‘world’s most powerful silicone headlamp’ according to Knog definitely impressed us. It’s light, bright and typically Knog-ish in that it comes in various bright colours (or grey or black if you’d prefer) and is a bit different to the norm. The sheer range of lighting options can make it bewildering, but once you get to grips with it, it’s impressive. 

The Magicshine EVO 1300 is ferociously bright, well-made and rock-solid on the bike, with a clever dipped/high beam setup that works rather than feeling like a gimmick. The under-bar mount is neat and secure, the optional wireless remote is handy, and the app lets you fine-tune modes exactly how you want them – no more settling for “nearly right”.

The beam shape is excellent, the battery life is impressive, and the price feels spot on. Simply put, this is a really, really strong option for well under 100 quid.

If your riding takes in mountain biking and/or gravel as well as road, the Ravemen PR2400 makes a compelling case for light monogamy. This is a genuinely versatile front light, thanks to its clever switchable optics: a road-friendly cut-off beam to make sure you don’t dazzle oncoming road-users, and a full-fat 2,400-lumen blast for off-road shenanigans.

The beam patterns are excellent and the aluminium body is reassuringly bombproof. Add in a wireless remote, clear OLED runtime display, solid burn times and USB-C charging, and it’s hard to fault.

The Ravemen PR2400 isn’t cheap, but the value is good for a single-unit light that nails both road and trail duties. This is seriously impressive.

The ES Pro 2 hasn’t really changed in a decade, and neither should it: this is probably still one of the most reliable dynamo lights we’ve come across, and if you’re into long-distance bikepacking or audax riding it should be high up your wishlist when choosing a light that works off your own steam. 

The beam is a German road-legal one that directs 95% of the light downwards to avoid blinding oncoming traffic, and once you’re over about 5mph the beam holds steady. We found the beam pattern to be more or less ideal for road riding, with the majority of the light concentrated directly ahead of you but still enough throw for picking out turns and suicidal rodents in the verges.

If you don’t care for worrying about whether or not your light is charged, this is a great option. 

The Outbound Lighting Detour is a very clever front light for road and gravel riding, making you wonder why more brands haven’t done this already. Its twin LEDs fire into custom reflectors, throwing out a wide beam with a crisp cut-off that lights the road without frying the retinas of oncoming riders or drivers.

It’s properly bright when you need it, sensibly civilised when you don’t (six modes cover pretty much any situation you can imagine), and the adaptive mode is genuinely smart rather than gimmicky, gradually reducing output so your eyes can get dark-adapted.

Add fast USB-C charging, useful commuter flash modes and a superb quick-release mount, and you’ve got a front light that feels thoughtfully engineered throughout. Pricey and mail-order only, yes – but it’s a class act for night riders.

The Igaro C1 is a bold take on the dynamo light, pairing a flicker-free front beam with rapid USB charging in a tidy aluminium package. It’s impressively bright, adjustable via a companion app, and works with common dynamo hubs, making it a dream for bikepackers and ultra-distance riders.

On the road, the StVZO-style beam (it meets German StVZO requirements, although it isn’t officially certified) is wide and reliable, though some dark patches make it less suited to technical off-road use. The app adds customisation and real-time power info, though it won’t appeal to purists who like mechanical simplicity.

The C1 is a versatile, self-sufficient system: part light, part power bank, and it maintains excellent brightness even at low speeds.

While 450 lumens might be too bright for a rear light, the Cateye Viz 450 is only this powerful on the daytime ‘Hyperflash’ setting, and has plenty of other moes with decent run times. 

The unit is well made, easy to use and has an extremely bright beam if you want to deploy the high settings. It combines the all-round visibility from Cateye’s earlier Rapid models with a focused beam that should mean drivers can see you from hundreds of metres away. 

You’ll get up to 65 hours of run time in the 40 watt flash mode, and the light only weighs 45g. Overall, this is a very impressive, super bright rear light option. 

The Lezyne Saddle AI Alert 250 Rear Light is bright, and comes with brake-sensing technology to warn other road users when you’re slowing down – but don’t expect actual AI chit-chat.

Mounting is secure, the CNC-machined aluminium looks very cool indeed, and the bracket doubles as a waterproof charging port cover. Seven modes allow you to choose from a 10-lumen blinking mode (that’ll last a claimed 60 hours) to an 80-lumen always-on ‘blast’ mode, and it is IPX7-rated, so it’ll stand up to a soaking.

The Lezyne Saddle AI Alert 250 isn’t cheap, but if you want a bright, worry-free rear light, and you’re attracted to the braking function, this one earns every penny.

The Lezyne Strip Pro AI Alert 400 is a very good rear light that’s seriously bright for a long time.

Fit is a breeze thanks to a versatile silicone strap, and it detects braking better than your average accelerometer, working well on seatposts or seatstays (though upright is best).

The 400-lumen daytime flash is unmissable, 270° visibility is excellent, and the 1900mAh battery just keeps on going – reviewer Dave Atkinson rode 400km (250 miles) in the dark without worry.

Waterproof to IPX7, with seven modes including an 80-hour low-power option, the Lezyne Strip Pro AI Alert 400 is ideal for anything from audax to commuter chaos. This is a top-tier rear light.

It might be called the Knog Plus, but this rear light is anything but plus-size as it weighs a tiny 18g! 

Described as “an impressively simple light that weighs almost nothing” by our reviewer, the 20 lumens it pumps out is bright enough for a useful visibility boost. The mount is magnetic and, like most Knog lights, there’s a USB port built into it so you don’t need a cable to charge. 

Burn time isn’t the greatest in steady mode at two hours, but on eco flash you can get a huge 40 hours out of it according to Knog. There are five modes to choose from, and at well under the 20 quid mark you can’t really go wrong. 

The latest smart rear light from Exposure has taken the highly regarded Trace-R and doubled the runtimes, while adding just 10g in weight. 

You get a big 80 lumens on the max setting, plus six modes with run times ranging from six to 48 hours. 

The ‘ReAKT’ feature is excellent, adapting to the light conditions and flaring up when it senses that the rider is braking. Additionally, the Peloton feature recognises when there is a front bike light behind you and dims itself to save dazzling the following rider. 

If you have the cash to invest in this light, you won’t be disappointed.

For considerably less money than Garmin’s Varia rear smart light, the Bryton Gardia R300L does an impressive job of detecting cars from an impressive distance away, and the beam is decent. 

As well as these featurrs, you get extras such as a simple smartphone app and smart light capabilities. The unit pairs with most head units and should detect vehicles up to 150m away. Our reviewer found it could pick up from even further away than that, about 180-200m on straight roads. 

The light is also very effective, with five settings and just a quick press to flick between them. The light also detects changes in speed and can deploy a brake light, and a flashing light pattern that changes when a car is approaching to increase the chances of you being seen.

It can struggle to pick up motorbikes and vehicles moving at speed, but overall this is a decent light and radar system in one affordable package. 

No-nonsense, easy-to-use and highly capable – that’s how our reviewer summarised Lezyne’s revamped Strip Drive with a huge 300 lumens in its max setting, and loads of other useful modes for all use cases at a sensible price. 

You get a huge 80 hours out of this light in the lowest 5-lumen mode, and in the 60-lumen ‘always on’ mode, it’s still over five hours – enough for a week of commuting or more for most of us. It’s easy to use and fits almost any seatpost with the flexible back and stretchy rubber strap to attach it. 

If you want to go even brighter still, there’s always the Lezyne Zecto Drive Max 400+ that also scored well in its road.cc review – but the Strip Drive edges it for the huge run times and ease of use. You don’t get any smart braking tech or extras beyond the super bright light, but the very good price reflects that. 

Giant might not be the first name you think of for bike lights, but the Recon TL 200 makes a convincing case for reconsidering. This chunky rear light fires out a genuinely eye-catching 200 lumens, with 270° visibility that’s brilliant for getting you seen at junctions.

It’s easy to mount, rock-solid once fitted, and packed with useful modes, including smart day and night settings. High flash lasts a claimed six hours – and in real life we found that it survived full 100-mile rides without blinking out.

Add USB charging, mode memory, a low-battery indicator and IPX7 waterproofing, and you’ve got a rear light that does a great job and provides very good value.

The Garmin Varia RTL515 is one of those gadgets you don’t think you need… until you’ve ridden with it. It pairs a bright rear light with a radar that spots approaching traffic up to about 140 metres behind you – before you can hear it – delivering a clear, windproof beep and a handy on-screen alert.

Yes, you can look over your shoulder, and yes, mirrors are cheaper – but this warns you without taking your eyes off the road. Detection range is up to about 140 metres, alerts are reliable, and the light itself is among the best in class in terms of flash pattern and brightness. The price is undeniably premium, but after riding with one, going back feels oddly uncomfortable.

The Cycliq Fly6 Pro combines a rear-facing camera and bike light, offering video recording in 4K and 100-lumen output. The video resolution is excellent for capturing details in case of an incident, and the device is easy to use with Wi-Fi transfer simplifying footage viewing. 

The bundled package being reviewed here includes the Fly6 Pro unit with a 64GB microSD card, a USB-C cable for charging and transferring files, a safety tether, mounting bracket, two mounting straps, and four bracket adapters. The Fly6 Pro unit is also available to purchase on its own, currently priced at £329.

If it’s simplicity you want and you want a good deal, look no further than the Oxford Ultratorch Slimline R50. It’s easy to fit, great value and offers decent performance for the money.  

The bracket is a simple rubber wedge that fits to the back of the unit, held on by a rubber band. It won’t fit aero seatposts, but for the rest of us it’ll work just fine. 50 lumens is quite a lot for a rear light, and plenty to use it as your main rear light. The weight is just 27g, and battery life is from two hours on the highest steady setting up to 23 hours on the lowest pulse mode. 

This simple rear light does the job of making sure you’re seen, with ample light output, good mode choices and easy operation. 

With 360-degree visibility, a powerful front and rear light and high-quality construction, the Link+ is a great light combo that made our reviewer feel safer on the commute (we reviewed the Mk3; Exposure is now up to Mk5)

Now with 400 lumens at the front and 50 at the rear in constant modes, the light is more than bright enough and it’s very simple to operate with a single button to control brightness and modes. You can also use it on your bars as a front light with an additional mount. 

This light is very well made and versatile, offering cyclists lots of extra visibility front and rear if used as a helmet light. 

Lezyne’s Strip Drive+ Pair is a solid set of lights to get you seen, the front one kicking out 700 lumens, the rear 300 lumens to make dusk rides and traffic-heavy commutes far safer.

They’re a little chunky, but the plastic casings are durable, and the IPX7 rating means that rain isn’t a problem. The wide 270° visibility is brilliant for getting you noticed, though the front one can be a little distracting in your peripheral vision.

USB-C charging is quick, and the mode memory – meaning the lights will start up in the same mode you were last using – is a neat touch, albeit one that’s commonplace now. The silicone straps could be sturdier, but they work just fine.

Tough, bright, and reliable, these are a perfect option for commuting or road riding, and they’re well-priced too.

The Lezyne Femto USB C Drive Light Set is a tiny powerhouse for urban commuting and other forms of functional riding. Upgraded with USB-C charging, the lights go from flat to full in under three hours, and a red light turns green to let you know they’ve reached capacity.

Blast mode delivers 50 lumens up front and 15 at the rear (both for 90 minutes), and that’s enough to get noticed, even in mist or fog. The lenses give 270° visibility, and the operating button is easy to use with gloves on – perfect for winter commuters.

Mounting is simple – two hooks in the plastic shell and a silicone band – but it works fine for round posts and bars.

Compact, waterproof and reliable, the Femto set proves that good things really do come in small packages.